AMD might be working on an AM5 socket update for its next-gen Granite Ridge CPUs, dubbed AM5+. It is likely an update for the existing AM5 platform with the same LGA 1718 socket, albeit with newly added features.
The information was discovered within MC Extractor, a tool that parses Intel, AMD, VIA, and Freescale processor microcode binaries. The latest update added support and detection for two unknown AM5 CPUs and mentions AM5+. Hardware analyst HXL believes that CPU IDs “B40F40” and “B40F00” could be references to AMD’s upcoming Granite Ridge processors.
Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that the parsed data also mentions dates alongside these CPU IDs. The source suggests this could be two variants of the same CPU. The 2023 version is likely an earlier qualification sample, while the 2024 version could be an engineering sample. It’s possible they’re two different SKUs entirely, but since the details are so slim, we can only speculate.
The MC Extractor update also mentions adding ‘automatic data size detection’ and ‘microcode’ adjustments for a new AM5+ platform. This is on top of added ‘microcode detection’ for “00B40Fxx” CPU IDs. The most logical explanation is that AMD’s Zen 5 CPUs will arrive with newer, refined AM5+ motherboards.
That doesn’t mean AMD will end AM5 socket support. On the contrary, Team Red has stated on many occasions that it would continue to support AM5 well beyond 2025. Therefore, AM5+ could be a midpoint refresh with new features exclusive to Zen 5. For example, it could include support for newer I/O interfaces like USB4 2.0 or DisplayPort with UHBR20. It’s not the first time we’ve seen this done. X570/B550 motherboards added PCIe 4.0 support, better memory stability, and higher voltage support, among other things.
AMD might be trying to reuse as many AM5 mechanical features as possible to lower motherboard vendors‘ costs and ensure backward compatibility with existing Zen 4 CPUs. This means Zen 5 might not be compatible with AM5 motherboards, but AM5+ motherboards could support Zen 4 processors like the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. With that said, longevity is the name of the game here, and we might only see this new AM5+ socket by early 2026.