ASUS Expands X670E Power: New BIOS, More Memory
AMD has announced that it will launch processors based on the Zen 5 architecture within the year. The desktop version of the Zen 5 processors, codenamed Granite Ridge, will continue to utilize the AM5 platform. Consequently, motherboard manufacturers are required to prepare new BIOS updates for the new CPUs. Recently, ASUS has readied a new BIOS for its ROG Crosshair and ROG Strix X670E motherboards, based on AGESA 1.1.7.0. This update not only increases the supported memory capacity to 256GB but also marks the first instance of support for Granite Ridge processors.
The latest AGESA 1.1.7.0 has been renamed from ComboAM5PI to FireRangePi, with Fire Range representing the mobile version of Granite Ridge. This BIOS extends the SMU to version 98.58.0, offering support for the forthcoming Granite Ridge processors.
Early sightings of Granite Ridge’s Engineering Samples (ES) in AMD’s shipping lists revealed a 170W B0 stepping 8-core model and a 105W A0 stepping 6-core variant, indicating that AMD has already provided motherboard manufacturers with early samples of the Zen 5 architecture processors for BIOS tuning. This effort is aimed at addressing platform compatibility issues and identifying and resolving potential problems early on. As the release date approaches, more manufacturers are expected to launch corresponding new BIOS updates.
AMD will probably introduce Ryzen processors based on the Zen 5 architecture at Computex 2024 in early June. However, the official product release is unlikely to occur so soon, with estimations pointing towards a launch date after September.
