AMD officially released the AM5 socket in September 2022. However, the old AM4 socket can still be purchased and used. But is AM4 still worth it, or should one switch to AM5 right away?
What are AM4 and AM5? AM4 and AM5 are sockets for processors. When you buy a processor (CPU), you need a motherboard with the appropriate socket. The socket also determines other features, such as the chipset.
- AM5 vs. AM4: Features in Comparison
- AM5 vs. AM4: Prices in Comparison
- AM5 vs. AM4: Which platform is worth it in 2024?
- AM4 or AM5: What should I buy?
AM5 vs. AM4: Features in Comparison
Socket type: AM4 and AM5 use different sockets: AM4 uses a PGA socket, while AM5 uses an LGA socket similar to Intel. This means that AM4 and AM5 CPUs are not compatible with each other.
Memory: AM4 processors support DDR4 memory, while AM5 processors only support DDR5 RAM. Older memory is no longer compatible with the new AM5 CPUs. If you switch from AM4 to AM5, you must purchase new RAM.
Connections: AM5 supports PCIe Express 5.0, while AM4 is limited to PCIe Express 4.0. Compared to 4.0, 5.0 doubles the bandwidth of the connection. However, you must also have the corresponding SSD or m.2 SSD that can support the speeds.
AMD EXPO: EXPO stands for “Extended Profiles for Overclocking” and is used for overclocking memory. EXPO is comparable to Intel’s XMP profiles. This feature is only available with AM5 CPUs (Ryzen 7000+). AMD’s older processors still use AMP (AMD Memory Profile).
| AM4 | AM5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Socket type | PGA 1331 | LGA 1718 |
| Supported CPU series | Ryzen 1000, 3000, 5000 | Ryzen 7000, 9000 |
| Chipsets | A320, B350, X370, B450, X470, A520, B550, X570 | A620, B650, B650E, X670, X670E, X870, X870E |
| PCIe support | Up to PCIe 4.0 | Up to PCIe 5.0 |
| Memory | DDR4 | DDR5 |
| Market launch | September 2016 | September 2022 |
AM5 vs. AM4: Prices in Comparison
How and which hardware have we compared? In the price comparison, we used Geizhals to find the currently lowest prices in the relevant category. Our findings are from September 18, 2024, and may vary significantly depending on supply:
- For AM4, we chose the Ryzen 7 5700X3D, 32 GB DDR4-3200, and a motherboard with B550 chipset.
- For AM5, we chose the AMD Ryzen 5 7600, 32 GB DDR5-5200, and a motherboard with B650 chipset.
- We opted against comparing the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, as its price has significantly increased and it is not available for less than 400 Euros, which would skew the prices. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is also hardly available anymore.
AM4 and AM5 in direct price comparison in Euros (September 2024):
| AM4 | AM5 | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 184.99 | 182.00 |
| Memory | 49.39 | 76.04 |
| Mainboard | 68.15 | 88.32 |
| Total Price | 302.52 | 346.36 |
What costs more? On average, AM5 is still a bit more expensive than AM4, but the differences are not as great as they were at the release of AM5.
However, you must keep in mind that prices can rise significantly depending on the features of the motherboard, RAM, and processor. For a well-equipped AM5 motherboard, you generally still pay 100 Euros more than for a similar motherboard for the AM4 socket.
For a motherboard with X570 (AM4), you would pay around 150 Euros, while for a motherboard with X670 (AM5), you often pay 200 Euros or more. The 50 Euro difference can quickly turn into 150 or 200 Euros.
If you compare the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and the Ryzen 7 5800X3D in terms of price, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is about 30 Euros cheaper than its newer counterpart (370 vs. 400 Euros, as of September 2024).
AM5 vs. AM4: Which platform is worth it in 2024?
Is AM4 still worth it? The AM4 platform offers very good processors that are still recommended in 2024.
- The architecture is mature, and development is complete. Only new features will no longer be available with AM4.
- In terms of price-performance, the AM4 platform is unbeatable compared to AM5 or even Intel: processor, motherboard, and DDR4 are inexpensive to acquire.
Is it worth upgrading from AM4 to AM5? If you currently have a fast gaming setup, for example, with the Ryzen 7 5700X3D or 5800X3D, then the upgrade is not really worth it.
And the colleagues from GameStar Tech explain that the performance gains with DDR5 are not substantial enough to justify an upgrade to AM5 or the Intel competition if you are still satisfied with your current setup.
AM4 or AM5: What should I buy?
Small budget: If you only have a small budget and do not want to upgrade in the future, then AM4 is still recommendable. You can get many components a bit cheaper, and many CPUs will still be powerful enough for modern games in the next few years. AM4 remains a price-performance tip.
New gaming PC: If you want to buy a new gaming PC and build the system entirely from scratch, you should invest more money and go for a system with an AM5 socket directly. This way, you won’t have to replace the entire system during a later upgrade. If you have to change the socket for an upgrade later, you won’t just need a new CPU, but also a new motherboard and memory.
Upgrading the system: If you are still using hardware from the first two Ryzen generations (1000 and 3000), then moving to AM5 is worthwhile. If you already have a modern CPU from the 3rd generation (Ryzen 5000) and one of the 3D processors, an upgrade is usually not worthwhile.
Switching between AM4 and AM5 always means a complete purchase of your hardware, excluding the graphics card, power supply, and case.
Buying the right graphics card: If you want to get more out of your gaming PC, you might consider buying a new graphics card. But does it even matter whether I choose AMD or Nvidia in the end? MyMMO presents the similarities and differences between AMD and Nvidia and explains what you should consider before your next graphics card purchase: How important is it to choose between AMD or Nvidia when buying a graphics card?
