AMD’s AM5 Gets a Boost: AM5+ Details Uncovered

With the unveiling of the Granite Ridge engineering samples, AMD’s forthcoming Zen 5 series architecture is drawing ever closer to its release. According to AMD’s roadmap, this new lineup will replace the Ryzen 7000 series processors codenamed “Raphael,” while maintaining compatibility with the AM5 platform. The platform’s compatibility is a key reason why some enthusiasts opt for AMD, as exemplified by the previous generation’s AM4 platform, which remains in use and supports processors that have undergone multiple iterations, still delivering commendable performance.

As reported by Tom’s Hardware, AMD is developing an enhanced version of the AM5 socket, dubbed AM5+. The MC Extractor tool, a program that decodes AMD and Intel processor microcode binary files, has recently been updated to include detection for processors with the 00B40Fxx CPUID on the AM5+ socket.

Traditionally, sockets are named based on the number of pins, such as the AM5 also being referred to as “LGA 1718.” However, in practice, modern processors typically do not utilize all available pins. Therefore, the AM5+ socket might not necessitate an increase in pin count over the AM5 socket, possibly only activating additional pins. Another critical concern is for AMD to leverage the mechanical features of the existing AM5 socket as much as possible to minimize costs for partners while ensuring that processors intended for the AM5+ socket are not compatible with AM5 sockets.

AMD may launch the AM5+ socket around 2026 to replace the current AM5 socket, aiming to preserve backward compatibility with AM5 processors on AM5+ motherboards. It is understood that the AM5+ socket will introduce certain new features, such as varying voltages, different power circuits, PCIe bifurcation changes, new interface capabilities (such as USB4 v2.0, DisplayPort supporting UHBR20), and other novel features.