Gigabyte has released a raft of new BIOS updates for its AMD AM5 motherboards. The firm says that with a new BIOS applied, its X670, B650, and A620 motherboards will support AMD’s forthcoming next-generation AM5 APUs. Moreover, the next-gen desktop APUs, probably dubbed the AMD Ryzen 8000G series processors, “will be launched at the end of January 2024,” says the firm.
Inviting its AM5 motherboard owners to “Gear Up for the AM5 Next Gen. APU,” Gigabyte’s updated BIOS files are available with immediate effect. We downloaded some to check (a new BIOS for the 670E Aorus Pro X, and one for the Gigabyte B650I AX), but poking around the files found in the downloads didn’t reveal any further tasty information.
Reports currently suggest that there will be four socket AM5 APUs within the initial lineup. These parts are expected to fuze the charms of the Zen 4 CPU architecture plus RDNA 3 graphics architecture – much like Phoenix mobile APUs. Earlier in the week we reported on the configuration of this introductory quartet: the Ryzen 3 8300G, Ryzen 5 8500G, Ryzen 5 8600G, and Ryzen 7 8700G. This information should be quite reliable if it comes from the AGESA Combo AM5 PI 1.1.0.0 firmware, as claimed.
| Model | Silicon | x86 Core Config | GPU | GPU Config | TDP |
| Ryzen 7 8700G | Phoenix | 8C/16T | 8x Zen 4 | Radeon 780M | 12 CU | 768 SPs | 65W |
| Ryzen 5 8600G | Phoenix | 6C/12T | 6x Zen 4 | Radeon 760M | 8 CU | 512 SPs | 65W |
| Ryzen 5 8500G | Phoenix 2 | 6C/12T | 2x Zen 4 + 4x Zen 4c | Radeon 740M | 3 CU | 256 SPs | 65W |
| Ryzen 3 8300G | Phoenix 2 | 4C/8T | 1x Zen 4 + 3x Zen 4c | Radeon 740M | 4 CU | 256 SPs | 65W |
Above you can see that the launch lineup for Phoenix/2 on desktop provides some interesting options for PC builders and DIYers. There is what should be a cheap and cheerful Ryzen 3 8300G at the low end, with 4C/8T mixing Zen 4 and Zen 4c cores, plus Radeon 740M graphics. However, the most desirable new part is tipped to be the new Ryzen 7 8700G with 8C/16T Zen 4 cores, plus its Radeon 780M with 12 CUs (768 SPs).
Our previous report cited insiders saying AMD had yet to finalize its release schedule, but just days later major PCs and components maker Gigabyte has provided a pleasingly narrow launch window (end of January 2024). The timings line up with a reveal event at around CES 2024 time (Jan. 9-12, in Las Vegas), followed by availability a week or two later.
