In a sudden twist of events, just as the Ryzen 7000 series based on Zen4 architecture makes its debut, AMD has taken a surprising turn by bidding farewell to the long-standing AM4 socket in favor of the brand-new AM5. Promising longevity akin to its predecessor, the AM5 is set to serve until at least 2026. However, out of the blue, AMD has introduced the AM5+ socket into the equation.
The latest update log for the MC Extractor tool, commonly used for analyzing AMD/Intel processor microcode files, mentions in version v1.101.1 that it has added automatic detection of data size for the AMD AM5+ interface, along with adjustments to the microcode style for the AM5+ interface.
Additionally, the update log includes an entry stating support for detecting AMD CPUID 00B40F40/00B40F00 microcodes, suggesting compatibility with the new generation desktop version Granite Ridge and mobile version Fire Range, likely corresponding to the Zen5 architecture.
So, it appears that the Ryzen 9000 series, codenamed Granite Ridge, might just be leveraging the AM5+ socket. This is the first time we're hearing about the AM5+ terminology, which evidently represents an upgraded version of AM5, though the specifics remain a bit murky.
Speculation suggests it might activate some dormant pins to support new features such as different voltages, power supply nuances, PCIe lane bifurcation, USB4 v2, DisplayPort UHBR20, among others.
However, it's highly probable that AM5+ and AM5 will maintain compatibility (at least backward compatibility), allowing processors and motherboards to be interchangeable. That said, mixing old with new could result in missing out on some of the newer features.
Alternatively, there's a possibility that AM5+ is being prepped for the future, potentially not seeing use until the Zen 6 in at least 2026.
