AMD Ryzen 5000 processors are coming to these older motherboards

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One of the best things about AMD

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One of the best things about AMD is that, unlike its competitor Intel, when it releases a new generation of CPUs, they are often supported by older motherboards, and that’s happened again with AMD’s new Zen 3-based Ryzen 5000 processors.

As promised, many older AMD 500 series motherboards will be able to use the new Ryzen 5000 chips – though they will require a BIOS update first. The ComputerBase website has collected all the  compatible motherboard and links to the updates, and we’ve replicated that below.

Some even older AMD 400 series motherboards will also get updates to support Zen 3 processors, but according to AMD, this won’t be until early 2021.

People with AMD 500 series motherboards should upgrade their BIOS to AGESA v2 1.0.8.0 or 1.1.0.0 or later for the new CPU launch on November 5. 

Remember, however, that updating the BIOS of a motherboard should only be done carefully by people who know what they are doing, and once all the important data is backed up.

Easier upgrade

The fact that people with existing AMD motherboards will be able to simply swap out their current processor with a new Ryzen 5000 chip is great, as it means the upgrade process is significantly easier. 

Simply swapping the processor is a much less complex and time-consuming process. It also makes upgrading much more affordable, as you don’t have to pay for a new motherboard.

In our view, this gives AMD the edge over Intel, because when Intel reveals a new generation of processors, you’ll usually need a new motherboard as well. It’s great to see AMD is carrying on with its own tradition.

Read on to find out which motherboards support the new chips, and where to download the BIOS firmware from.

Asus motherboards

ASRock motherboards

Biostar motherboards

Gigabyte motherboards

MSI motherboards

If you have any of the above motherboards and want to upgrade to an AMD Ryzen 5000 processor, then make sure you have the firmware installed, but as we said remember to be careful when updating your BIOS.

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Matt Hanson
Matt Hanson
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he's reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.