How Long Will AMD Support Its AM5 Platform?

Whether you’re putting together or buying a new PC, platform longevity is one of the big factors to consider. Constantly upgrading your hardware to be on the cutting edge of technology is a fast way to lose a lot of money, especially in the ever-evolving computing space. Putting together a PC can already leave you stretching your budget, and the last thing you want to do is spend more money on platform upgrades again in the near future.

Fortunately, AMD users haven’t had to worry about that for a long time. The longevity of the AM4 platform was one of the biggest reasons for its success, something you can’t say for Intel CPUs. So, will the newer AM5 platform share a similar lifespan to AM4, or will it end up being pushed to the wayside sooner rather than later?

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AMD’s AM5 to stick around through 2027

This might turn out better than AM4

An AMD keynote screenshot that shows the roadmap for AM5 socket support till 2027

Credit: AMD

In an updated roadmap released last year in June, while unveiling some of its plans surrounding the Zen 5 microarchitecture, AMD confirmed that its AM5 platform for motherboards will support the upcoming Zen 5-based processors, and that the socket will also scale into 2026. However, we learned at Computex 2024 that they’re extending support for AM5 through 2027!

We already know that the upcoming Zen 5 CPUs will work with existing AM5 motherboards, but it looks like Zen 6 (and beyond) will also be supported. Now, it’s entirely dependent on AMD as to how they’ll maintain this commitment. Platform support for various generations of processors is not easy, so there’s a chance that only select AM5 motherboards will work with select Zen 6 or later CPUs. Technically, the AM4 platform is still supported because AMD just launched some rebadged AM4 CPUs for that chipset.

However, that’s still much better than what Intel is giving us. If future Zen 6 CPUs will work on existing B650 motherboards, then that’s a major win for both AMD and the consumers.

The new Ryzen 9000 series reaffirms AMD’s commitment

They’re living up to the expectations

A couple of years ago, AMD quietly tried to remove the support for the Ryzen 5000 series on its B450 and X470 chipsets. They originally promised that the AM4 platform would be supported from 2016 through 2020, so this contradiction naturally gave them a lot of backlash. After being berated online by fans, YouTubers, and tech journalists alike, AMD walked back on the decision and added support for Zen 3 on 400-series motherboards.

Fortunately, they did learn from their mistakes. At Computex 2024, AMD unveiled the new Ryzen 9000 series desktop CPUs. The new CPUs feature a 16% IPC improvement, the new Zen 5 architecture, and support for existing AM5 motherboards. This means that if you currently have a Ryzen 5 7600 and B650 motherboard, you’ll be able to upgrade to the eventual Ryzen 9000X3D chips (reportedly coming this September).

Of course, this is what everyone expected in the first place, but it’s good to see that AMD is sticking true to their word here. They have a great brand presence these days, and this longer platform support only helps things further.

Why platform longevity matters

Cheaper and easier upgrades

Choosing a long-lasting platform for your PC is crucial, as it allows you to mitigate your upgrade expenses by a huge margin. There is a significant difference between having to upgrade your entire PC every couple of years versus upgrading a single component like the CPU on that platform. Just to put things into perspective, it’ll be cheaper for you to stay on the same AM5 platform and just upgrade to, say, a better processor or a faster memory module, verus having to replace the entire motherboard in the name of upgrades and pick compatible new parts accordingly for that.

AM4 was (and it still largely is) popular in the community for its successful run from 2017 to 2022. During this period, it saw 5 architectures, 4 process nodes, and over 100 processor SKUs, and it stuck around to see through the Ryzen 5000 series processors too, before getting replaced by the AM5 platform for the Ryzen 7000 series in September 2022. That made it incredibly upgrade-friendly, as the folks wanting to upgrade from an older Ryzen processor to a Ryzen 5000 series chip simply had to swap them out without having to make bigger changes. Yes, the motherboard would need a BIOS revision, but that’s pretty much it.

AM5 looks to be no different in this regard, at least for now, as users with Ryzen 7000 chip and an AM5 motherboard with X670 or B650 can simply swap out the processor for a new one from the Ryzen 9000 series. You may need a firmware update, but you won’t have to go hunting for a fresh set of parts.

Some closing thoughts

AMD has always been committed to offering more from a longevity standpoint, and it shows if/when you turn back the hands of time. It’s tough to tell exactly how long AMD plans to support the AM5 socket, but it will at least be here through 2027.