The AM5 (LGA 1718) socket debuted with AMD's Ryzen 7000 desktop processors in 2022. AMD has kept AM5 as its current Ryzen desktop platform and has committed to supporting it for several more years, so it spans multiple generations already, including Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000G, and Ryzen 9000 series CPUs.
For AM5, AMD has released both 600-series and 800-series chipsets. The 800-series refresh raises the baseline feature set in a few areas, most notably requiring USB4 on X870E and X870 motherboards, while lower tier 800-series boards may include USB4 only if the board maker chooses to add it.
This article will explain which motherboards support the AM5 socket and provide recommendations for CPUs and compatible motherboards, plus guidance on suitable CPU coolers and DDR5 memory.
Check out my Recommended AM5 CPUs and Motherboards
below.
Chipsets for AMD Ryzen 7000, 8000G, and 9000 CPUs
AMD 800-Series Chipsets (Latest)
Motherboards for AMD processors are made with chipsets provided by AMD. Each chipset offers a unique set of capabilities. However, motherboards must explicitly support those features and capabilities for you to use them. Verify that a motherboard supports the features and capabilities you desire.
For AMD Ryzen 7000, 8000G, and 9000 series processors, like the Ryzen 9 9950X or Ryzen 5 9600X, you can use motherboards with an AM5 socket and an 800-series chipset. These newer 800-series chipsets offer enhanced features compared to the earlier 600-series chipsets, including mandatory USB4 support on X870E and X870 models. These CPUs also work on AM5 600-series motherboards, but sometimes require a BIOS update to work.
You will need a motherboard with overclocking support to overclock most AMD Ryzen CPUs. Motherboards with the X870E, X870, and B850 chipsets support CPU overclocking. However, the B840 chipset does not support CPU overclocking, though memory overclocking (EXPO) is still available. Verify overclocking support if that feature is important to you.
for a specific AM5 CPU:
| X870E | X870 | B850 | B840 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Late 2024 | Late 2024 | Early 2025 | Early 2025 |
| CPU Overclocking | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| PCIe Lanes (Graphics) |
One x16 at PCIe 5.0 speeds or Two x8 at PCIe 5.0 speeds |
One x16 at PCIe 5.0 speeds or Two x8 at PCIe 5.0 speeds |
One x16 at PCIe 4.0 speeds or Two x8 at PCIe 4.0 speeds (PCIe 5.0 optional) | One x16 at PCIe 4.0 speeds |
|
PCIe Lanes (NVMe)
|
One x4 at PCIe 5.0 speeds (via CPU) and up to one x4 at PCIe 5.0 speeds (via chipset) | One x4 at PCIe 5.0 speeds (via CPU) | One x4 at PCIe 5.0 speeds (via CPU) | One x4 at PCIe 4.0 speeds (via CPU) |
| Usable PCIe Lanes |
Up to 44 total Up to 24 at PCIe 5.0 speeds |
Up to 36 total Up to 24 at PCIe 5.0 speeds |
Up to 36 total Up to 4 at PCIe 5.0 speeds |
Up to 34 total 0 at PCIe 5.0 speeds |
|
10 Gbps USB (USB 3.2 Gen 2) | 12 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
|
20 Gbps USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) | 2 | 1 | 1 | Not supported |
| USB4 | Required (2 ports) | Required | Optional (rare) | Optional (very rare) |
| Max SATA Ports | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
AMD 600-Series Chipsets
Motherboards for AMD processors are made with chipsets provided by AMD. Each chipset offers a unique set of capabilities. However, motherboards must explicitly support those features and capabilities for you to use them. Verify that a motherboard supports the features and capabilities you desire.
For AMD Ryzen 7000 processors, like the Ryzen 9 7950X or Ryzen 5 7600, you'll need a motherboard with an AM5 socket and a 600-series chipset.
You will need a motherboard with overclocking support to overclock Ryzen 7000 CPUs. Motherboards with the X670E, X670, B650E, and B650 chipsets typically support CPU overclocking, but it's best to verify if that feature is important to you.
for a specific AM5 CPU:
| X670E | X670 | B650E | B650 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | September 2022 | September 2022 | October 2022 | October 2022 |
| CPU Overclocking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PCIe Lanes (Graphics) |
One x16 at PCIe 5.0 speeds or Two x8 at PCIe 5.0 speeds |
One x16 at PCIe 4.0 speeds or Two x8 at PCIe 4.0 speeds |
One x16 at PCIe 5.0 speeds or Two x8 at PCIe 5.0 speeds |
One x16 at PCIe 4.0 speeds or Two x8 at PCIe 4.0 speeds |
|
PCIe Lanes (NVMe)
|
One x4 at PCIe 5.0 speeds (via CPU) and up to one x4 at PCIe 5.0 speeds (via chipset) |
One x4 at PCIe 5.0 speeds (via CPU) and up to one x4 at PCIe 5.0 speeds (via chipset) |
One x4 at PCIe 5.0 speeds (via CPU) and up to one x4 at PCIe 5.0 speeds (via chipset) | One x4 at PCIe 4.0 speeds (via CPU) |
| Usable PCIe Lanes |
Up to 44 total 24 at PCIe 5.0 speeds |
Up to 44 total 8 at PCIe 5.0 speeds |
Up to 36 total 24 at PCIe 5.0 speeds |
Up to 44 total 0 at PCIe 5.0 speeds |
|
10 Gbps USB (USB 3.2 Gen 2) | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 |
|
20 Gbps USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Max SATA Ports | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
Recommended AM5 Motherboards and CPUs
Best Feature CPU and Motherboard
- Our recommended feature-rich PCIe 5.0 CPU:
- This CPU has 16 cores, a 4.5 GHz base frequency, and 5.7 GHz max boost frequency.
- DDR5 memory support
- AM5 socket type
- Check the latest price of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X on Amazon
- Our recommended feature-rich motherboard to pair with this CPU:
- PCIe 5.0 support
- X670E chipset
- One 2.5 Gb Ethernet port
- Four NVMe M.2 slots and Four SATA 6 Gb/s ports
- Wi-Fi 6E provides fast connections to a Wi-Fi router.
- Bluetooth 5.2 support
- USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds and 12 USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
- Check the latest price of the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming Motherboard on Amazon
Runner-Up CPU and Motherboard
- Our recommended runner-up PCIe 5.0 CPU:
- This CPU has 8 cores, a 4.5 GHz base frequency, and 5.4 GHz max boost frequency.
- DDR5 memory support
- AM5 socket type
- Check the latest price of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X on Amazon
- Our recommended runner-up motherboard to pair with this CPU:
- PCIe 5.0 support
- X670E chipset
- One 2.5 Gb Ethernet port
- Four NVMe M.2 slots and Six SATA 6 Gb/s ports
- Bluetooth 5.3 support
- USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds
- Check the latest price of the GIGABYTE X670E AORUS Master Motherboard on Amazon
Recommended AM5 Coolers
The AM5 socket keeps the same size as the previous AM4 socket. Keeping this same distance between heatsink screw holes means that heatsinks and coolers compatible with the AM4 socket are also compatible with the AM5 socket.
Best AM5 All-in-One Liquid Coolers
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Supports AM5: YES Max TDP: 350 watt Type: Liquid Cooler Check the latest price of the CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD on Amazon
This cooler is designed to fit Intel and AMD sockets, including the following models: Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2066 and AMD AM5, AM4, sTRX4, sTR4 (Intel LGA 1700 is supported with CW-8960091 or CW-8960093 kits).
350-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power).
It provides powerful low-noise cooling and RGB lighting with a customizable LCD display that can display your CPU temperature or other graphics. As I explored the world of LED displays on CPU coolers, I discovered their captivating appeal. These displays have transformed my systems' visual aesthetics.
It has 120mm CORSAIR ML RGB ELITE magnetic levitation fans for great CPU cooling performance.
Make sure your computer case dimensions support this, as it will take up a decent amount of space!
Thermaltake TOUGHLIQUID 360 ARGB Sync
Thermaltake TOUGHLIQUID 360 ARGB Sync Supports AM5: YES Max TDP: 250 watt Type: Liquid Cooler Check the latest price of the Thermaltake TOUGHLIQUID 360 ARGB Sync on Amazon
TOUGHLIQUID Series is designed to fit Intel and AMD sockets, including the following models: Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2011-v3, 2066 and AMD AM5, AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2, FM1.
We estimate that this supports roughly a 250-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power).
This Liquid cooler supports 5V RGB compatible motherboards.
Equipped with a TOUGHFAN 12 2000-RPM fan and supports ARGB lighting on the waterblock. Even without a full LED display, ARGB lighting creates a mesmerizing visual spectacle when I use it in my builds.
Make sure your computer case dimensions support this, as it will take up a decent amount of space. There is a smaller version available, if needed.
Best AM5 Dual-Fan Air CPU Cooler
Noctua NH-D15 CPU Cooler
Noctua NH-D15 CPU Cooler Supports AM5: YES Max TDP: 220 watt Type: Heatsink & Fans Check the latest price of the Noctua NH-D15 on Amazon
Dual 140 mm fans provide 220-watt TDP (183 NSPR) of cooling capability.
Supports a variety of CPU sockets, including Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150, 2011, 2066 and AMD AM5, AM4, AM3, AM3+, AM2, AM2+, FM2, FM2+.
Quiet operation at 24.6 dBA.
Our Recommended RAM
Before purchasing memory, we suggest that you review your motherboard specification to verify which speeds are supported. For example, if a DDR4 motherboard stated that it supports "DDR4 3400(O.C.) / 3333(O.C.) / 3300(O.C.) / 3200 / 3000," that would mean that it could support DDR4-3400, DDR4-3333, and DDR4-3300 with memory overclocking, and DDR4-3200 and DDR4-3000 at stock speeds. Motherboard specifications also indicate the maximum capacity per stick of RAM (DIMM) and across all slots.
for a specific AMD CPU:
Recommended DDR5
- At an effective frequency of 5600 MHz, this memory hits the fastest DDR5 speed supported by Intel's 13th Gen CPUs without overclocking.
- 32 GB provides ample memory for gaming and multitasking.
- Optimized for Intel XMP 3.0.
Recommended DDR4
- At an effective frequency of 3200 MHz, this memory hits the fastest supported stock DDR4 speeds.
- It is also available in other (effective) frequencies for overclockers, including 3600 MHz and 4000 MHz.
- Lower-speed versions are also available on Amazon, in various capacities, including DDR4-2933 , DDR4-2666 , and DDR4-2400
- The low-profile form factor ensures that the heat spreaders don't get in the way of other devices, including your CPU heatsink.