I'm helping a friend build a PC and we're looking at using a B450M Pro R2.0 motherboard. I saw on the manufacturer's website that it needs a BIOS update to support Ryzen 4000 and 5000 series CPUs. My question is, will the system boot with the new Ryzen 5 5500 CPU, or will we likely need an old Ryzen 3000 series chip just to update the BIOS? For context, my friend has already picked up a Ryzen 5 5500 and an RX 6600 graphics card.
5 Answers
Every motherboard should come with an online manual. That's a great resource to find out the BIOS version and updates needed. It can really save you a ton of headaches!
If the motherboard is new from a retail store, it might already have the latest BIOS update, but it's not guaranteed. Just to be safe, keep in mind that if it states an update is needed, it likely won't boot with the 5000 series CPU without it.
It all comes down to when the motherboard was made. Some manufacturers, like ASRock, used to put labels on the BIOS chip to indicate the version, so that's something to look for if you find that info.
It really depends on the production date of the motherboard. Without more details, it's tough to say for sure. Just keep in mind, if it's not updated, there's a good chance you'll need an older CPU since I don't think that board allows for BIOS flashback.
You definitely can't boot with a 5000 series CPU if the site says it needs an update. You'll need an older 3000 series CPU to do that BIOS update. Honestly, you might want to consider getting a B550 motherboard instead, as it's designed for the 5000 series right out of the box. By the way, what's your budget for the overall build? There could be some better options out there!
I get that! For around $600 including a monitor, that sounds solid!
I ended up grabbing a B550 board for just a bit more! It made things easier.