AMD launches the A520 chipset, confirming its Ryzen 4000 compatibility in the process

AMD initially introduced the A520 chipset back in June 2020. Now, it is prepared to launch this same new use of the AM4 socket formally, along with the first 5 of the motherboards designed for the same. The central feature of these components is now also officially compatible with desktop processors based on the Zen 3 architecture as well as those based on its immediate predecessor.

Therefore, Ryzen 4000 silicon has a good a chance as possible of making its way through to the affordable end of the market one day. It and its 3000 forebears will only have access to PCIe 3.0 at the best, however. The A520 chipset is rated for a grand total of 26 of such lanes when using the latter, with nothing said about Zen 3 in this sense as yet.

They will be distributed among several options, which include up to 20x PCIe 3.0 lanes dedicated to 16x graphics with 4x left over. There is support for a choice of 1 x4 NVMe; 2 SATAs with 2 NMVes; or 2 x2 NMVe drives, all of which are Gen3. Alternatively, the chipset could support up to 4 6 gigabits per second (Gb/s) SATA drives. 

The relatively new AMD option is also rated for up to 6 native USB 2.0 Ports and up 2 native USB 3.1 Ports. Finally, it could also sustain as many as 5 up-to-10Gb/s SuperSpeed USB ports - which also implies the potential for USB type C. However, that obviously depends on the discretion of the invididual motherboard-maker.

On that note, AMD also now supplies links to the first few boards designed for this chipset. They are the ASRock A520M Pro4; the Asus TUF Gaming A520M-PLUS; the Biostar A520MH; the Gigabyte A520 Aorus Elite and the MSI MAG A520M Vector Wi-Fi. Their availability and prices may be available on their individual OEM webpages.