After five years of the AM4 socket, AMD has now introduced the new AM5 socket along with four new CPUs. For the first time, AMD supports DDR5 RAM and PCIe 5.0 with the new chipsets X670E, X670, B650E and B650. It is also worth mentioning that the new Ryzen 7000 series CPUs now all come with an integrated graphics unit.
The new CPUs are produced in 5 nm production and comparatively high single-core turbo clocks of up to 5.7 GHz. The performance should increase significantly, especially in applications, compared to the Zen 3 on the AM4 socket.
Externally, the most noticeable difference to the predecessor is the new design of the CPUs. With AM5 or Zen 4, AMD only has CPUs with contacts and no longer with pins. As with Intel, the pins are located in the CPU socket on the mainboard.
At the start of sales on September 27, 2022 there will be four Ryzen 7000 CPUs, first and foremost the flagship Ryzen 9 7950X with 16 cores and 32 threads, then the Ryzen 9 7900X with 12 cores and 24 threads.
If you can get by with fewer cores, there is also the Ryzen 7 7700X with 8 cores and 16 threads and the Ryzen 6 7600X with 6 cores and 12 threads. The new CPU generation with the new “3D models” is finally using the 3D V-Cache as with the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which ensures good performance especially when gaming.
There will be the right substructure for the release with an X670E mainboard, which has everything an enthusiast’s heart desires: PCIe 5.0 for GPU and SSDs, DDR5 support and connections of all kinds en masse.
The cheaper and more simply equipped boards with the X670, B650E and B650 chipset should then be available in October. All mainboard chipsets also support the new EXPO RAM profile. This works much like Intel’s XMP just got a new name for AMD, so to speak.AMD will now also be at the top in terms of price.
The new AM5 platform will be significantly more expensive than AM4 was. The X670E motherboards are significantly more expensive to start with than the X570 boards of the previous generation.
But DDR5 RAM and the Ryzen 7000 processors will also strain the wallet, at least initially.
There is good news on the cooler side. If the cooler has already used the standard mainboard backplate with the AM4 socket, it is also compatible with AM5 because the hole spacing has remained the same.
What do the new Ryzen 7000 CPUs do?
Those who primarily use applications will be impressed by the new Ryzen 7000 CPUs. The flagship AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is significantly faster than its predecessor, the Ryzen 9 5950X, making it by far the fastest consumer CPU currently available for multi-core and single-core applications.
In gaming, the new AMD processors can finally shine as well as in applications. Not only are they significantly faster than their predecessors, but thanks to the 3D V-Cache they are currently among the fastest in the gaming sector. The Intel i9-13900KS doesn’t come close either. It is therefore not worthwhile for gamers to rely on the more expensive flagship with 16 cores, but the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the first choice here.
Some time after the AM5 launch, AMD has now introduced the new high-end CPUs with 3D cache. In addition to the new top model, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, the Ryzen 9 7900X3D was also on sale. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D climbs straight to the top as currently the best gaming CPU. The smaller Ryzen 7 version released in April, more precisely the 7800X3D, is just behind.
When will the new Ryzen 7000 CPUs be available?
AMD’s new Raphael CPUs from the Ryzen 7000 series and Zen 4 technology have been available in stores since September 27, 2022. As always, we start with the X models Ryzen 9 7950X, Ryzen 9 7900X, Ryzen 7 7700X and Ryzen 5 7600X.
The X stands for a freely adjustable multiplier, which, according to official tests, keeps the OC capability within limits – at least with the Ryzen 9 7950X and Ryzen 7 7700X tested so far. The DDR5 RAM probably offers more overclocking potential here.
The Ryzen 9 7950X3D and the 7900X3D are now also listed in our price comparison.
Which Ryzen 7000 CPUs will there be?
At the start of the new AMD processors, there are four different models on the market. Two Ryzen 9, one Ryzen 7 and one Ryzen 5. AMD thus covers all important areas of application. Only bargain hunters can’t get their money’s worth with the new Ryzen 7000 CPUs – the non-X and Ryzen 3 CPUs will still come, but there is no date for this yet. As already mentioned, all AMD CPUs of the Ryzen 7000 family now have an integrated graphics unit.
The new CPU models are all sold as boxed (WoF), i.e. without a fan. It So there is no standard AMD cooler included.
AM4 vs. AM5 what is the difference?
The biggest visual difference between the AM4 and AM5 is the different socket types. While the AM4 socket still had “holes” for the CPU pins, the AM5 is the other way around. Similar to Intel, the pins are now in the socket and the CPU now has contacts instead of pins.
In addition to the external differences, a lot has of course also happened on the inside. The manufacturing process was reduced from 7 nm to 5 nm. As a result, the clock and the performance per clock (IPC) could be increased.
Overall, the new CPUs are more than 10 percent faster than the previous models with the same clock.
Another difference is that AMD now fully relies on DDR5. This means that if you want to switch to the new AMD socket, you also have to buy new DDR5 RAM at the same time.
Do I need a new motherboard for Zen 4?
AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs require socket AM5 and are therefore no longer compatible with the previous AM4 socket. Accordingly, a new mainboard is absolutely necessary for operation. Mainboards with X670E and X670 chipsets are currently available here.
The cheaper B650E and B650 mainboards will follow later. However, compared to the previous X570 motherboards, the prices are significantly higher. The E stands for “Extreme” and is intended to provide more options for enthusiasts.
In addition, not every X670 mainboard, i.e. without an E, will be equipped with PCIe 5.0. You can find a detailed article on the exact differences between the AM5 chipsets here.
X670E and X670 motherboards
ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-F GAMING WIFI (90MB1BA0-M0EAY0) Best offer of:418.19€incl. Shipping 20 more prices and providers ASRock X670E Steel Legend (90-MXBJ40-A0UAYZ) Best offer from:357.76€incl. Shipping 22 other prices and providers GIGABYTE X670 GAMING X AX Best offer from: 297.55 € incl. Shipping 29 more prices and providers
B650E and B650 motherboards
ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi (90-MXBJY0-A0UAYZ) Best offer of:297.90€incl. Shipping 17 other prices and providers MSI PRO B650-P WIFI (7D78-001R) Best offer from: 208.00 € incl. Shipping 20 more prices and providers GIGABYTE B650 AORUS ELITE AX Best offer from:245.02€incl. Shipping 23 more prices and providers
Can’t find the right AM5 motherboard? All AM5 motherboards in price comparison
What RAM do I need for AM5 or Zen 4?
DDR5 is mandatory for the new AM5 socket from AMD. The selection is now very good. In terms of price, the new DDR5 modules and kits are still significantly higher than the DDR4 predecessors. So you can currently get 16 GB of DDR5 RAM from around 70 euros and 32 GB from around 110 euros.
However, one should pay attention to a few important factors. DDR5 starts at 4800MHz. Here too, more clock means more power. The currently fastest DDR5 bars work with 6600 MHz.
By the way, AMD recommends DDR5-6000 for the so-called “sweet spot”. In addition to the beat, the timing is also important. The lower the value, the faster. A good compromise in terms of price-performance is currently DDR5-5600 RAM with CL36 timings.
In addition, we consistently recommend dual kits because, as with DDR4, these work faster in a two-pack than a single bar due to dual-channel support. Thanks to the new EXPO feature, the RAM should be easier to recognize out of the box, similar to XMP.
Problems like the predecessor with RAM settings and recognition should be a thing of the past. 16GB (2x 8GB) Kingston FURY Beast Black XMP DDR5-5200 CL40 (KF552C40BBK2-16) Best offer from:70.70€incl.
Shipping 21 more prices and providers 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5-5600 memory Best offer from: 108.89 € incl. Shipping 71 more prices and providers 32GB Kingston FURY Beast Black DDR5-6000 memory Best offer from: 122.98 € incl. Shipping 114 more prices and providers Not the DDR5 RAM you want? All DDR5 bars in price comparison
Are the new AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs getting hot?
Will my old CPU cooler fit on the AM5 socket?
Here, AMD is definitely more user-friendly than Intel. The hole spacing on AM5 socket is the same as AM4. Physically, all AM4 coolers also fit the AM5 socket. However, there is one important limitation here: Only coolers that previously used the mainboard’s own backplate are fully compatible with AM5, since only here can the correct contact pressure be guaranteed.
For coolers with their own backplate, you have to order an AM5 mounting kit from the cooler manufacturer.
Since the new CPUs also rely on automatic overclocking again, which depends on the temperature, it is advisable to buy a cooler that is as strong as possible in order to be able to achieve the highest possible clock rates and thus optimal performance.
Recommended coolers (fully AM5 compatible)
Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 (BK022) Best offer from:86.45€incl. Shipping 40 other prices and providers Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black Best offer from: 117.90 € incl. Shipping 20 other prices and providers Brocken ECO Advanced (84000000148) Best offer from: 38.84 € incl. Shipping 20 more prizes and providers All compatible CPU air coolers (retrofit kit required in some cases) in price comparison All compatible CPU water coolers (retrofit kit required in some cases) in price comparison
The hardware Scot says:
AMD did everything right again! AMD’s Zen 4 is very promising regarding the new CPUs for socket AM5. Intel will certainly have a hard time nibbling at the new challenge of reaching or exceeding the performance and efficiency of the new Zen 4 CPUs. The only downside: The prices for CPUs, mainboards and DDR5 RAM are comparatively high.
