Asus Outs ‘New Upcoming Processors’ With AMD B350/X370 BIOS Updates

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By Derek Forrest
published

Is AMD readying a new round of processors for its AM4 platform? It certainly seems so, with Asus releasing a new BIOS update for its entire range of B350 and X370 motherboards that effectively confirms this.

Asus released a series of BIOS updates for its full selection of AMD B350 and X370 chipset motherboards. Each of the individual updates share the same description:

“Update to AGESA 1071 for new upcoming processors.”

We’ve already discussed the finer points of the AGESA protocol, and it’s not a new or unexpected feature for the AM4 platform; AMD and its partners frequently release BIOS updates that support new revisions of the code. However, Asus stating that the update is for new upcoming processors indicates that AMD will be expanding its AM4 processor family in some way. Asus currently seems to be the only AMD motherboard partner offering the new BIOS (dated 11-17-17), and it seems the company has let a significant cat out of the bag.

Intel’s release of Coffee Lake processors (and the new Z370 chipset) seemed like a direct answer to AMD’s Ryzen processors, offering more cores for the money. It was certainly Intel’s least expensive per-core CPU launch in recent history, at least at its recommended MSRP--a play AMD has been making since its FX-series processors debuted. With a new round of AMD AM4 processors apparently inbound, it seems unlikely that AMD would be upping the ante with even more cores, and it's likely taking aim at the low end market with a set of new APUs with integrated Vega graphics (as the company recently did with its debut of mobile Ryzen APUs). Although it's a far shot, AMD could also be laying the groundwork for 12nm LP FinFET products, though the timing still seems a bit premature for that.

Without an official statement from Asus or AMD (we’ve reached out to both), we can only speculate what kind of processors AMD could be preparing to unleash and how soon we will see them at market. However, with Asus already releasing a BIOS update for these mystery chips, it seems apparent that we’ll be seeing them sooner than later.

Derek Forrest
Derek Forrest
Derek Forrest is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He writes hardware news and reviews gaming desktops and laptops.
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15 Comments Comment from the forums
  • jkhoward
    Raven Ridge?
    Reply
  • mattfody67
    This is not new news. AMD said the new chips are coming out first quarter next year. Main improvements are going to be the IPC and other optimization of the architecture and maybe fix overclocking cap.
    Reply
  • photonboy
    Are these APU's going to have a maximum of FOUR cores (eight threads)? I would imagine that's a certainty as Ryzen CPU's have two CCX modules, so they could use one half of the CPU (the space of one CCX module) for the GPU, with Infinity Fabric the communication between the GPU and CCX module.

    However, what limits will DDR4 bandwidth put on the GPU? Will people continue the mistake of getting a single 1x8GB module for budget gaming builds and get worse performance than they OTHERWISE could have?
    Reply
  • alextheblue
    20399805 said:
    Are these APU's going to have a maximum of FOUR cores (eight threads)? I would imagine that's a certainty as Ryzen CPU's have two CCX modules, so they could use one half of the CPU (the space of one CCX module) for the GPU, with Infinity Fabric the communication between the GPU and CCX module.

    However, what limits will DDR4 bandwidth put on the GPU? Will people continue the mistake of getting a single 1x8GB module for budget gaming builds and get worse performance than they OTHERWISE could have?
    The new models they're referring to may actually be Ryzen Refresh CPUs, and not a Ryzen APU. Anyway yes the APUs will be limited to 4C/8T (for the near future, anyway).

    DDR4 will be somewhat limiting for the higher-end models with lots of shaders... BUT on the desktop you'll have the option to run faster modules, in many cases substantially faster than mobile RR. Of course some OEMs (and the occasional noob builder) will build single-channel configs, but that's nothing new and in most cases pretty easy to resolve.
    Reply
  • theobituary
    Don't think it said anything about upcoming cpu's but, recently updated my bios on my ND I x370 sli plus and it mentioned " Update AGESA Code 1.0.0.6b"... prolly not for new cpu's since it was 9.22
    Reply
  • DragonAsta
    very unlikely to be "new" models, just a refresh of what we currently have that is instead of 14nm will be 12nm so maybe a few hundred Mhz more, or a slight reduction in power use idle/load/average, maybe default higher clock speeds and improved CoolNQuiet for those who overclock but want to retain the lower idle clock/voltage.

    I wish they did this with graphics cards as well, would be very awesome to retain lowest clock/voltages not burn power pump heat for nothing..No reason why a gpu needs to run is memory at max clocks for anything but high load, they need to have more "steps" for the clock speeds i.e P1-5 type thing instead of only P0-P2, idle load, light load, mid load, performance load, extreme load or something along these lines.

    anyways, I doubt they will be bringing completely new models out with just the nm change to accommodate a "refresh" might be why they have put some of the current Ryzen chips on sale cause they are planning on "bumping" some of them up in clock speed..example would be 1500x should be a few hundred mhz more than 1400, 1600x same, 1700 same, so maybe they are refreshing specific models in current Ryzen lineup to make more "range" so can justify the price differences a bit more clearly

    IMO the "limit" of ~4-4.2Ghz is not a terrible thing as they still have LOTS of cores and great performance overall, if they could get them closer to 4.5Ghz would be excellent as long as power use and temperatures did not go through roof in the process, fact is Ryzen at 3.8-4.2Ghz is giving the same performance in nearly all cases as competing Intel models running 300-600Mhz more clock speed AND they give you more cores/more pci-e lanes and proper solder being used instead of cheaping out on paper thin dies and PASTE lol.

    I wish Toms website page did not bounce around the page when viewing things for a few minutes each time, is like the graphics card is ramping up and down a few times throwing things off or something :D
    Reply
  • tamalero
    The only confirmation is the "new processors" text?
    Reply
  • TJ Hooker
    20400186 said:
    very unlikely to be "new" models, just a refresh of what we currently have that is instead of 14nm will be 12nm so maybe a few hundred Mhz more
    What makes you think it's more likely this is for Ryzen refresh rather than Raven Ridge?
    I wish they did this with graphics cards as well, would be very awesome to retain lowest clock/voltages not burn power pump heat for nothing..No reason why a gpu needs to run is memory at max clocks for anything but high load, they need to have more "steps" for the clock speeds i.e P1-5 type thing instead of only P0-P2, idle load, light load, mid load, performance load, extreme load or something along these lines.
    Everything you said here is already available for graphics cards (or for newer AMD cards at the very least). My RX 580 has at least 5 P-states (can't remember exactly), and memory clocks drop down during idle.
    Reply
  • elbert
    Sounds like Pinnacle Ridge at 12nm with AMD's uplift in performance. Guess that means higher clocks. Least its best guess without major changes to AGESA for VEGA. ASUS must already have working B450 and X470 boards with time to update their 300 series. Seems reasonable with many giving a February ~ Easter launch window. MY guess is a staggered Pyzen 7, 5, and 3 with about month between each. I put Pyzen because it could be Ryzen 7 2000 or Pinnacle 7 2000 but now I really like Pyzen 7 2000.
    Reply
  • all stalked out
    As mentioned this isn't exactly news, I'd guess that it's for the APU's due, But a refresh would be a good idea as Coffeelake's put AMD on the back foot again.
    Reply