GIGABYTE has wonderful news for those of you who are mad enough to pair a first-generation, budget processor with a modern, top-of-the-line motherboard. According to a chart tweeted by the company’s Japanese division, the X570 chipset will support AMD’s Ryzen 5 1600 AF and Ryzen 3 1200 AF processors. These are upgraded versions of the original chips built on the improved, 12 nm Zen+ process.
界隈で話題の AF 版 Ryzen 5 1600 ですが、弊社の AM4 マザーボードでちゃんと対応しているので、ご安心ください。
— GIGABYTE Japan (@GIGABYTE_News) May 17, 2020
※1000番台の名称ですが、AF 版は中身が2000番台なので、X570 でも動きます！ pic.twitter.com/VRh9m0IY28
“The AF version Ryzen 5 1600 is a hot topic in the area, but please be assured that our AM4 motherboard supports it properly,” tweeted GIGABYTE. “Although the name is in the 1000 range, the AF version has 2000 contents, so it can also be used with the X570!”
Actually, this shouldn’t be all that surprising to anyone who’s familiar with AMD’s chipset compatibility chart, which clearly shows that X570 motherboards can be paired with 2nd generation (i.e., Zen+) Ryzen processors. Some enthusiasts are afraid that there is still a potential for confusion here, however – despite the fact that AF chips are technically 2000-series processors, the original, first-generation naming convention hasn’t changed.
AMD’s Ryzen 5 1600 AF and Ryzen 3 1300 AF processors can be had for around $85 and $60, respectively. While the specifications are largely identical, owners have found that the newer, Zen+-fortified variants are easier to overclock.