AMD A620 motherboard guide – Budget options for Ryzen 7000 CPUs
Finally, budget motherboards for not so budget motherboards.
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Upon the launch of AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series processors in September of last year, the specifications on paper were impressive, with the Ryzen 9 7950X and Ryzen 5 7600X standing out as strong, efficient performers. However, when considering the financial aspect, the situation looked grim. The Ryzen 5 7600X, priced at $300, did not appear to be a cost-effective choice due to the lack of options for motherboards priced below $250.
Today, however, that changes.
AMD A620 motherboard specifications
AMD Silently announced the AMD A620 motherboard platform for Ryzen 7000 series processors in April, finally, we have a budget option for the top-dog Ryzen CPUs.
AMD’s lineup of current-generation motherboards includes the A620 chipset, which is the most basic option available when compared to the B650/B650E and X670/X670E chipsets. Despite its entry-level status, it fully supports all of the essential features of AMD’s latest chip range, such as the AM5 socket and DDR5 RAM. However, it does lack a few features.
Firstly, it doesn’t support PCIe Gen 5 and instead uses the older, but still speedy and dependable, PCIe Gen 4. Additionally, it only supports a maximum of four SATA connections and up to 32 PCIe lanes, with one 16x slot for a graphics card and an m.2 slot for a single NVMe PCIe 4 SSD. The A620 chipset also doesn’t enable CPU overclocking, although RAM overclocking using AMD EXPO is possible.
Despite these limitations, A620 motherboards are capable of unleashing the full potential of Ryzen 7000 CPUs and are well-suited for use in either an office or low-budget gaming PC. While a B650 or X670 motherboard may be preferred by some due to additional features, the impact on performance between motherboards is minimal. Overall, the A620 chipset is a solid choice for those looking for an affordable option.
AMD A620 chipset power delivery.
Recent developments indicate that the A620 chipset may not provide extensive support for Ryzen 7000 CPUs with a TDP of 65W or higher. As a result, not all Ryzen 7000X3D CPUs are guaranteed to be fully supported by default.
The A620 chipset includes necessary cutbacks, and gamers should not anticipate full power limit availability with all Ryzen 7000 CPUs and A620 motherboards. The results will vary depending on the CPU, as some 7000 SKUs have a maximum power of 230 watts, while others range as high as 162 watts (Ryzen 7950X3D/7800X3D). Boost support will also depend on the motherboard, with higher-end designs offering gamers the option to increase power limits, but many will not.
This means that you have to be more than careful about what CPU you choose to insert into your specific A620 motherboard, as many of the motherboards will suppose different power limits depending on manufacturer and cost.
Tom’s Hardware reports that the A620 motherboards are engineered to back chips with a 65W TDP, allowing for models with a maximum power consumption of 88W (PPT). Although motherboard manufacturers have the option to produce more expensive models with support for higher power levels, the A620 specification at its base supports up to 88W of power delivery.
For the base models, higher TDP chips can be installed into an A620 motherboard and it will boot if the BIOS supports it. However, the chip will not operate at its full peak power consumption (PPT). This may result in a reduction in performance for the highest-end chips in heavily-threaded applications due to VRM limitations on some boards. Nevertheless, AMD anticipates that the reduced power delivery will have minimal impact on gaming performance.
Final word
That’s about all the info we have right now, but it’s looking like the new A620 motherboards are going to be one hell of a choice for budget gamers. If you’ve been waiting for a new motherboard that didn’t break the bank to pair with a budget 7000 series CPU, then this is the motherboard chipset for you.
