CPU & VRM Temperatures
Since its launch, the AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs for the AM5 platform have targeted the premium segment with X670 and B650 class motherboards. Only at the start of 2023 did the company start to make the platform more lucrative for PC gamers by slashing prices of its new CPU lineup, offering bundle promos/discounts through its retail partners, and introducing more options such as Ryzen 7000 Non-X and X3D parts.
That changed in March when AMD's motherboard partners introduced more affordable options based on the A620 chipset. These new options drop PCIe Gen 5.0 support in favor of Gen 4.0 which makes sense since Gen 5.0 hardware is super expensive. Graphics cards currently don't support it and SSDs that utilize it are just too expensive and budget-tier options are still a year away. With that in mind, a PCI express 4.0 design is more than enough to meet budget users' needs.
As such, the AMD A620 chipset will also feature no USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports and USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports will be limited to just two compared to 6 on the B650 series. The PCH will get 2 USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports and retain the 6 USB 2.0 ports. Pairing these entry-level boards with something like a Ryzen 7000 Non-X CPU or an X3D for pure gaming purposes would make for a super affordable yet super powerful PC.
In today's review, we will be taking a look at two AMD A620 PCH motherboards from ASRock and Gigabyte and see how they compare.
Before we talk about CPUs, we have to talk about the platform itself. The AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs will be migrating to a new home known as AM5, the successor to the long-lasting AM4 platform. It marks a fresh start for the Ryzen Desktop family and as such, existing Ryzen CPUs starting with Ryzen 1000 & all the way up to Ryzen 5000 won't be supported by the new platform we will tell you why it is so.
The AM5 platform will first and foremost feature the brand-new LGA 1718 socket. That's correct, AMD isn't going the PGA (Pin Grid Array) route anymore and now focusing on LGA (Land Grid Array), similar to what Intel uses on its existing desktop processors. The main reason to go LGA is due to the addition of enhanced and next-gen features such as PCIe Gen 5, DDR5, etc that we will get to see on the AM5 platform. The socket has a single latch & gone are the days of worrying about pins underneath your precious processors.
In terms of features, the AM5 platform will initially support AMD's Ryzen 7000 'Zen 4' Desktop CPUs and extend that support to future Ryzen CPUs and APUs. The platform offers DDR5-5200 (JEDEC) memory support, up to 28 PCIe lanes (Gen 5 standard), increased NVMe 4.0, and USB 3.2 I/O lanes & we have also heard chatter about native USB 4.0 support which will be a game-changer.
A new feature called EXPO (AMD Extended Profiles for overclocking) will allow enhanced DDR5 memory OC on the new platform, similar to Intel's XMP. It has been a rough road for AM4 to offer decent DDR4 OC capabilities but that has more or less been sorted out by now, we can only expect DDR5 to have a much better OC and compatibility experience compared to DDR4 on AM4 platforms. Furthermore, it looks like the platform will only be DDR5 compatible and we won't see DDR4 options as we do on Intel's existing platform. But with DDR5 prices and availability improving, that won't be that big of a deal for most high-end consumers for who AMD will be aiming first.
One of the highlighted features of the AMD AM5 600-series platform is SAS or Smart Access Storage. This technology will enable GPU decompression with supported Microsoft DirectStorage games. Although there aren't many of those out there yet expect industry-wide support for this on newer platforms.
SmartAccess Storage gets you out of the load screen and into your gameplay
Traditional game loading takes a significant amount of compute power to decompress the game’s data, requiring the CPU to do the decompression and data transfer, which introduces latency and takes up considerable system resources.
To help bypass these bottlenecks, AMD has created SmartAccess Storage, a suite of technologies supporting Microsoft DirectStorage that utilizes Smart Access Memory with new AMD platform technologies along with Radeon GPU asset decompression to improve both game load times and texture streaming.
AMD Chipset Features and Specifications:
| Wccftech | X870E | X870 | X670E/X670 | B650E/B650 | A620 | X570 | X399 Refresh | X399 | X470 | X370 | B450 | B350 | A320 | X300 | A300 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrossfireX/SLI | 2-Way CFX | 2-Way CFX | 2-Way CFX | 2-Way CFX | N/A | Triple CFX/2-Way SLI | Quad SLI/CFX (Max 6 GPU Support) | Quad SLI/CFX (Max 6 GPU Support) | Triple CFX/2-Way SLI | Triple CFX/2-Way SLI | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| CPU Lanes (Usable) | 24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above) | 24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above) | 24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above) | 24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above) 24 Gen 4 for B650 | 24 Gen 4 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| PCH Lanes (Usable) | 8 Gen4 12 Gen3 | 4 Gen4 8 Gen3 | 12 Gen4 8 Gen3 | 8 Gen4 4 Gen3 | 8 Gen 3 | 30 +16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) | 60 (With Threadripper CPU) 4 Lanes Reserved for PCH | 60 (With Threadripper CPU) 4 Lanes Reserved for PCH | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) 8 (with Bristol Ridge) | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) 8 (with Bristol Ridge) | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) 8 (with Bristol Ridge) | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) 8 (with Bristol Ridge) | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) 8 (with Bristol Ridge) |
| USB4 | Standard | Standard | Optional | Optional | Optional | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| USB 3.1/3.2 Gen2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| USB 3.1/3.2 Gen1 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 12 (PCH + CPU) | 13 (PCH+CPU) | 13 (PCH+CPU) | 10 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| USB 2.0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | N/A | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| SATA 6Gb/s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| DDR5 DIMMs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| DDR4 DIMMs | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Overclocking Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| XFR2 Enhanced | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Precision Boost Overdrive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| NVMe | Yes (Gen 5.0) | Yes (Gen 5.0) | Yes (Gen 5.0) | Yes (Gen 5.0) | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Form Factor | ATX/ITX | ATX/mATX/ITX | ATX/mATX/ITX | ATX/mATX/ITX | mATX/ITX | ATX, MATX | ATX, MATX | ATX, MATX | ATX, MITX | ATX | ATX, M-ATX | ATX, M-ATX | M-ATX, Mini-ITX | Mini-ITX | M-ATX, Mini-ITX |
Meet The LGA 1718 Socket - How Long Will This One Last?
As mentioned earlier, AM4's reign is finally over and the AM5 socket is here now. The new socket moves from a PGA (Pin-Grid-Array) design to an LGA (Land-Grid-Array) layout. The new LGA 1718 socket offers more pin connections to the CPU, allowing for more communication channels with the board itself and enabling support for enhanced features that the new platform has to offer.
As for longevity, AMD hasn't promised anything but they have stated that they want to see the new AM5 socket last at least four to five years, similar to AM4. While there has been a lot of controversy regarding Ryzen support on the initial AM4 motherboards, I believe that AMD has learned and will not follow the same route as AM5. With that said, the AM4 platform will still continue forward & will be supported in the foreseeable future (possibly with newer hardware and software launches).
Cooler Compatibility With AM5 Socket
The AMD Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs will feature a perfect square shape (45x45mm) but will house a very chonky integrated heat spreader or IHS. The CPUs will be the same length, width, and height as the existing Ryzen Desktop CPUs and are sealed across the sides so applying thermal paste won't fill the interior of the IHS with TIM. That's also why current coolers will be fully compatible with Ryzen 7000 chips.
The ASRock A620M PRO RS WIFI motherboard comes in a standard cardboard package. The front is themed in white and black. The front side also lists down support for AMD's Ryzen 7000 CPU, DDR5 memory, and Polychrome SYNC.
The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the Dr.MOS power design, Deluxe M.2 options, WiFi 6E support, Pre-installed I/O Shield, and the USB 3.2 Type-C connectors for front and back.
The box is smaller due to the mATX design of the motherboard and contains the board and its accessories in the same package.
Following is the full list of accessories in the package.
- 1 x User Manual
- 2 x SATA Data Cables
- 2 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz Antenna
- 3 x Screws for M.2 Sockets
- 1 x Standoff for M.2 Socket
The motherboard is housed beneath the accessories and has anti-static wrapping to protect it from any built-up electrical resistance that can affect the board.
The ASRock A620M PRO RS WIFI is styled in white and grey. The vast majority of A620 boards come in mATX design with a few featuring ITX form factors. The Pro RS WIFI is on the high-end side even in the A620 category with added features such as better heatsinks & I/O compared to the baseline offerings which start at $85 US.
The board uses the LGA 1718 socket to support AMD Ryzen 7000 processors. The socket is compatible only with Ryzen 7000 CPUs for now but will also support future iterations on the AM5 platform.
Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 128 GB of dual-channel memory. These slots are rated to support EXPO profiles up to 6000 MHz (OC Plus).
The DIMM slots feature metallic shielding around them for extra durability. Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage.
The ASRock A620M Pro RS WIFI features a 6+2+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX) phase digital power delivery that makes utilizes 50A Dr.MOS MOSFETs. The motherboard makes use of the Vishay SiC654 MOSFET and Richtek RT3674AE PWM controller.
As you can see, the VRMs are getting ample cooling from the VRM heatsink which is definitely huge for a VRM of this caliber. Do note that the A620 series isn't particularly designed with overclocking in mind and only EXPO is officially supported. You can tinker around but the limited VRM isn't going to give you a whole lot of extra performance as some of the high-end motherboards.
A better option would be to undervolt the chip or use motherboard-specific tuning profiles to gain extra juice out of the chip while running cooler and sipping in lower power.
The CPU is supplied power through a single 8-pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 300 Watts of power. The AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs are very power-hungry with the maximum package power rating of 230W but once again, you have to keep in mind that these A620 boards aren't designed for overclocking.
Getting a closer look at the VRM heatsinks reveals an aluminum fin design on both heatsinks. Each heatsink has thermal pads located underneath for efficient transfer of heat.
Expansion slots include a single PCIe Express x16 (1 x Gen 4.0 x16) and three M.2 slots.
ASRock is using a metallic cover on the sides of the expansion slots which provides protection to some extent. It adds more retention and shearing resistance by reinforcing the slots with metal plates. Aside from adding more protection, they do look really sweet.
Only one of the three M.2 slots is cooled off by the M.2 Armor heatsink which adds a thermal pad and aluminum baseplate cooling. This will ensure stable operation for M.2 storage devices. The thermal adhesive has a plastic cover over them which needs to be removed before being used with the storage devices.
There are two Hyper M.2 (Gen 4x4) slots and a standard M.2 slot (Gen 3x2) which runs off the PCH. A 4th M.2 WIFI slot can also be seen which comes equipped with a WIFI 6E module. Following is the M.2 config on the motherboard:
CPU:
- - 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_1, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
- - 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_2, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
Chipset:
- - 1 x M.2 Socket (M2_3, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 PCIe Gen3x2 (16 Gb/s) mode
The A620 PCH is housed beneath a standard heatsink with the ASRock logo etched over it.
The motherboard is void of any kind of RGB LEDs on the front but you do get a few RGB and ARGB headers on the board itself. There are a few LEDs on the upper front side but they are on the back-side of the PCB and barely visible.
Storage options include just four SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 4 different storage devices at once. There are also two USB 3.2 front panel connectors (2 x Gen1). 2x USB 2.0 connectors are also included.
ASRock is using a Realtek ALC897 Audio Codec for audio output through a 3-channel HD audio jack that comes with high-end audio capacitors (front outputs).
The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.
- - 1 x SPI TPM Header
- - 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
- - 1 x RGB LED Header
- - 3 x Addressable LED Headers
- - 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)
- - 1 x CPU/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- - 3 x Chassis/Water Pump Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- - 1 x 24-pin ATX Power Connector
- - 1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
- - 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector
- - 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports)
- - 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Header (Supports 2 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports)
- - 1 x Front Panel Type C USB 3.2 Gen1 Header
ASRock is using a standard Gigabit LAN switch along with the latest 802.11ax WiFi 6E (Realtek 8111H) module to power connectivity. The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:
- - 2 x Antenna Ports
- - 1 x HDMI Port
- - 1 x DisplayPort 1.4
- - 3 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A Ports
- - 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C Port
- - 4 x USB 2.0 Ports
- - 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port
- - 1 x BIOS Flashback Button
- - HD Audio Jacks: Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone
The Gigabyte A620M Gaming X motherboard comes in the standard cardboard package. The front is themed in black and orange which has been part of the Gigabyte lineup for a while now. You can also note the AORUS Eagle logo on the front which looks great. The front side also lists down support for AMD's Ryzen 7000 CPUs, DDR5 memory, and NVMe SSDs.
The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the 8+2+1 Phase Digital VRM Solution, PCIe EZ-Latch mechanism, GbE LAN, and NVMe Gen 4x4 connector.
The motherboard is housed above the accessories and has anti-static wrapping to protect it from any built-up electrical resistance that can affect the board.
Following is the full list of accessories in the package.
- Quick Installation Guide, User's Manual
- 2 x SATA Cables
- 1 x I/O Shield
The Gigabyte A620M Gaming X is a budget offering priced at $120 US so expect the design to reflect its pricing.
The Gigabyte A620M Gaming X is styled in black and grey. The vast majority of A620 boards come in mATX design with a few featuring ITX form factors. The Gaming X is on the costlier side even in the A620 category with added features such as better heatsinks & I/O compared to the baseline offerings which start at $85 US.
The board uses the LGA 1718 socket to support AMD Ryzen 7000 processors. The socket is compatible only with Ryzen 7000 CPUs for now but will also support future iterations on the AM5 platform.
Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 128 GB of dual-channel memory. These slots are rated to support EXPO profiles up to 6400 MHz (OC Plus).
The DIMM slots feature metallic shielding around them for extra durability. Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage.
The Gigabyte A620M Gaming X features an 8+2+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX) phase digital power delivery that makes utilizes 50A Dr.MOS MOSFETs.
As you can see, the VRMs are getting ample cooling from the VRM heatsink which is definitely huge for a VRM of this caliber. Do note that the A620 series isn't particularly designed with overclocking in mind and only EXPO is officially supported. You can tinker around but the limited VRM isn't going to give you a whole lot of extra performance as some of the high-end motherboards.
A better option would be to undervolt the chip or use motherboard-specific tuning profiles to gain extra juice out of the chip while running cooler and sipping in lower power.
The CPU is supplied power through a single 8-pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 300 Watts of power. The AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs are very power-hungry with the maximum package power rating of 230W but once again, you have to keep in mind that these A620 boards aren't designed for overclocking.
Getting a closer look at the VRM heatsinks reveals an aluminum fin design on both heatsinks. Each heatsink has thermal pads located underneath for efficient transfer of heat. The VRMs on the top-side of the PCB don't get any cooling so have to rely on chassis airflow to keep themselves cooled.
Expansion slots include a single PCI Express x16 (1 x Gen 4.0 x16) plus a single PCIe 3.0 x1 slot and a single M.2 slot.
The single M.2 slot is cooled off by the thermal pad and aluminum baseplate cooling. This will ensure stable operation for M.2 storage devices. The thermal adhesive has a plastic cover over them which needs to be removed before being used with the storage devices.
The topmost M.2 slot that will house the primary M.2 is based on the new M.2 Thermal Guard heatsink design that offers even more cooling performance through a larger heat sink. Following is the M.2 config on the motherboard:
CPU:
- 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 2580 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSD support)
The A620 PCH is housed beneath a heatsink with a black color coat and the Gigabyte Label. This is a very basic-looking design.
Once again, this budget-tier A620 motherboard from Gigabyte doesn't feature any RGB LEDs on the front.
Storage options include four SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support four different storage devices at once. There are also two USB 3.2 front panel connectors (Gen 1). and two USB 2.0 connectors for front-panel connections.
Gigabyte is using its Realtek AUDIO codec for audio which is a combination of hardware, and software audio solutions. 7.1 CH HD audio.
The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.
- 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
- 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
- 1 x CPU fan header
- 2 x system fan headers
- 1 x addressable LED strip header
- 1 x RGB LED strip header
- 1 x M.2 Socket 3 connector
- 4 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
- 1 x front panel header
- 1 x front panel audio header
- 1 x USB Type-C header, with USB 3.2 Gen 1 support
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 header
- 1 x USB 2.0/1.1 header
- 1 x Trusted Platform Module header (For the GC-TPM2.0 SPI/GC-TPM2.0 SPI 2.0 module only)
- 1 x Clear CMOS jumper
Gigabyte is using Realtek 1.0 GbE LAN. The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:
- 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse port
- 1 x USB Type-C port, with USB 3.2 Gen 1 support
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port (red)
- 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
- 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
- 1 x HDMI port
- 1 x DisplayPort
- 1 x Q-Flash Plus button
- 1 x RJ-45 port
- 3 x audio jacks
For testing, I used the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and the four different B650 series motherboards that we took a look at above.
1770-Wccftech-Test-Rig-2023-2023-04-28.csv
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | ASRock X670E Taichi (1.18 BIOS) MSI MAG B650M Mortar (7D76vA3 BIOS) ASRock A620M Pro RS WIFI (1.19.AS01 BIOS) Gigabyte A620M Gaming X (T1 BIOS) |
| Power Supply | ASUS ROG THOR 1200W |
| Solid State Drive | Samsung SSD 980 PRO M.2 (1 TB) |
| Memory | G.SKILL Trident Z5 32 GB (2 x 16GB) CL36 6000 Mbps |
| Video Cards | MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X |
| Cooling Solutions | Corsair H115i (With LGA 1700 Mounting Kit) |
| OS | Windows 11 64-bit |
Our test rig includes the Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB SSD that boots up our main OS while a 2 TB Seagate HDD is used for the storage of games and applications. In addition to these, we are running an MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X graphics card and an ASUS ROG Thor 1200W power supply. For this specific review, we used G.Skill's latest Trident Z5 NEO DDR5-6000 memory kit running at CL30 timings. We also got an AM5 mounting kit for the Corsair H115i to use as a cooling solution for our test setup.
3DMark Time Spy CPU Performance
3DMark Time Spy is a widely popular video card benchmark test for Windows that is designed to measure your PC’s gaming performance. While the overall benchmark is great, the utility also provides a good indication of the CPU performance.
3DMark TimeSpy CPU (Higher is Better)
Blender
Blender is a free and open-source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, and even video editing and game creation.
Blender 2.8 (Lower is Better)
Cinebench R20
Cinebench is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s hardware capabilities. Improvements to Cinebench Release 20 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D’s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user.
Cinebench R20 (Higher is Better)
Cinebench R23
Cinebench is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s hardware capabilities. Improvements to Cinebench Release 20 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D’s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user.
Cinebench R23 (Higher is Better)
CPU-Z
CPUz is a freeware that gathers information on some of the main devices of your system such as the Processor name and number, codename, process, package, cache levels, Mainboard, and chipset, Memory type, size, timings, and module specifications (SPD), and Real-time measurement of each core's internal frequency, memory frequency.
CPU-z (Higher is Better)
Geekbench 5
Geekbench 5, the latest major upgrade to Primate Labs’ easy-to-use cross-platform benchmark, is now available for download. Geekbench 5 allows you to measure your system’s power more accurately than ever before.
Geekbench 5 (Higher is Better)
HandBrake
HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
Handbrake (Higher is Better)
PCMark 10
PCMark 10 is a complete PC benchmarking solution for Windows 10. It includes several tests that combine individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing, and gaming. Specifically designed for the full range of PC hardware from netbooks and tablets to notebooks and desktops, PCMark 10 offers complete Windows PC performance testing for home and business use.
PCMark 10 (Higher is Better)
POV-Ray
The POV-Ray package includes detailed instructions on using the ray-tracer and creating scenes. Many stunning scenes are included with POV-Ray so you can start creating images immediately when you get the package.
POV-Ray 3.7 (Higher is Better)
SuperPI
Super PI is used by many overclockers to test the performance and stability of their computers. In the overclocking community, the standard program provides a benchmark for enthusiasts to compare “world record” pi calculation times and demonstrate their overclocking abilities. The program can also be used to test the stability of a certain overclock speed.
SuperPi (Lower is Better)
WinRAR
WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can back up your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompress RAR, ZIP, and other files downloaded from the Internet, and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format.
Winrar 5.8 (Higher is Better)
Battlefield V
Battlefield V brings back the action of the World War 2 shooter genre. Using the latest Frostbite tech, the game does a good job of looking gorgeous in all ways possible. From the open-world environments to the intense and gun-blazing action, this multiplayer and single-player FPS title is one of the best-looking Battlefields to date. The game was tested at max settings at 1440p.
Battlefield V (1440P)
DOOM Eternal
DOOM Eternal brings hell to earth with the Vulkan-powered idTech 7. We test this game using the Ultra Nightmare Preset and follow our in-game benchmarking to stay as consistent as possible.
DOOM Eternal (1440P)
GTA V
GTA V is one handsomely optimized title for the PC audience. It's scalable across various PC configurations and delivers an impressive frame rate. Rockstar did an amazing job with the PC build of GTA V and it comes with a large array of settings that can be configured by PC gamers. We tested the title at 1440P with everything set to Ultra and 4x MSAA.
GTA V (1440P)
Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus continues the journey of Artyom through the nuclear wasteland of Russia and its surroundings. This time, you are set over the Metro, going through various regions and different environments. The game is one of the premier titles to feature NVIDIA’s RTX technology and does well in showcasing the ray-tracing effects in all corners. The game was tested at Ultra setting with RTX settings turned off at 1440p.
Metro Exodus (1440P)
Shadow of The Tomb Raider
Sequel to The Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of The Tomb Raider is visually enhanced with an updated Foundation Engine that delivers realistic facial animations and the most gorgeous environments ever seen in a Tomb Raider Game. The game is a technical marvel and really shows the power of its graphics engine in the latest title.
Shadow of The Tomb Raider (1440P)
Sid Meier's Civilization VI
Civilization VI is the pinnacle of the series. It features huge, sweeping changes, and nothing was left out. Everything has found a purpose, they all work together in tandem but also have a reason to stand alone. It uses a more fleshed-out engine that now supports DirectX 12 capabilities. We tested the game with every setting maxed out (4x MSAA, 4096x4096 shadow textures) at 1440P in DirectX 12.
Sid Meier's Civilization VI (1440P)
Watch Dogs Legion
Watch Dogs: Legion is a 2020 action-adventure game published by Ubisoft and developed by its Toronto studio. It is the third installment in the Watch Dogs series and the sequel to 2016's Watch Dogs 2. Set within a fictionalized representation of a futuristic, dystopian London, the game's story follows the hacker syndicate DedSec as they seek to clear their names after being framed for a series of terrorist bombings
Watch Dogs Legion (1440P)
AMD's Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs utilize a brand new Zen 4 core architecture that is built on the 5nm process node as such, these chips are designed to be extremely efficient.
Power Consumption (Stock) Stress Test
Power Consumption (Stock) Gaming Test
The AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs either have two or three chiplets, one or two of which are the aforementioned AMD Zen 4 CCDs fabricated on the 5nm process node, and then we have the larger die around the center which is the IOD and that is based on a 6nm process node. The AMD Ryzen 7000 CCD measures at a die size of 70mm2 compared to 83mm2 for Zen 3 and feature a total of 6.57 Billion transistors, a 58% increase over the Zen 3 CCD with 4.15 Billion transistors,
Scattered around the package are several SMDs (capacitors/resistors) that usually sit under the package substrate if we consider Intel's CPUs. AMD is instead featuring them on the top layer and as such, they had to design a new kind of IHS which is internally referred to as the Octopus. We've already seen the delidded IHS before but now we get to see a final production chip with no lid on it to cover those gold Zen 4 nuggets!
With that said, the IHS is an interesting component of the AMD Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs. The one picture shows the arrangement of the 8 arms which Robert Hallock 'Director of Technical Marketing at AMD' refers to as the 'Octopus'. Each arm has a small application of TIM beneath it which is used to solder the IHS to the interposer. Now delidding the chip is going to be really hard since each arm is right next to the massive array of capacitors. Each Arm is also slightly raised to make room for the SMDs and users shouldn't worry about heat getting trapped beneath.
The most interesting area of the AMD Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPU IHS, besides the arms, is the gold-plated IHS which is used to increase thermal dissipation off of the CPU/IO dies and directly to the IHS. The two 5nm Zen 4 CCD's and singular 6nm IO die have liquid-metal TIM or Thermal interface material for better heat conductivity and the aforementioned gold plating does help a lot with heat dissipation. What remains to be seen is whether the capacitors will feature silicone coating or not but from the previous package shot, it kind of looks like they do.
The thermal testing was carried out with the Corsair H1150i AIO liquid cooler:
Temperatures
AMD designed the A620 motherboards to be affordable and while they have a starting point of $85 US, the majority of options retail above $100 US. Today, we got to test two of these $100 US+ board options and see if they hold up with the Ryzen 7000 CPUs well. Our reference test setup included a Ryzen 9 7950X3D CPU with DDR5-6000 EXPO memory. EXPO is fully supported by the A620 boards and our samples were able to support these kits with relative ease though going above 6000 Mbps will be a bit difficult as most boards peak out here.
ASRock A620M Pro RS WIFI
Starting off with the A620M Pro RS WiFI from ASRock, the motherboard, we are looking at a price point of $124.99 US, and in the case that you don't want to use WIFI, you can get the standard Pro RS option which retails for $10 US less and still gives you that extra M.2 WiFi slot if you want to add WIFI later down the road.
The motherboard has a decent heatsink which did run a bit toasty in the mid-80s when running the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D CPU. It comes with triple the M.2 slots, one Gen 4x4 with a heatsink, one 4.0 x4 without a heatsink, and a 3.0 x2 slot. These can be equipped with entry-level storage devices for higher capacities and in addition to that, there are four SATA III ports which should be enough for the vast majority of entry-level gamers. I have yet to see an entry-level gamer with more than 2 or 3 HDDs in their system. Plus, getting two 2 TB or 4 TB drives and a 1 TB NVMe for OS should be more than enough for your gaming needs.
The ASRock motherboard comes with a BIOS Flashback button, a pre-installed I/O shield, and a good amount of USB ports on the front and rear. It also has decent RGB/ARGB support and the overall performance was very nice given the cost of this motherboard. The $115-$125 US price point does make it reach close to the entry-level B650 options which are a better purchase but those are rare deals that can only be found on certain retailers. As such, these A620 boards are going to retain the lowest price point for the AM5 platform for now.
Gigabyte A620M Gaming X
The Gigabyte A620M Gaming X motherboard comes at a price point of $120 US so it slots between the ASRock Pro RS WIFI and Non-WIFI models. The performance is within acceptable levels but it does get a bit toasty in the 90s range for the VRM temperatures. We also noted some abnormal clock behavior on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D with this board which was running at least 200-300 MHz below its average frequencies. The VRM cooling isn't that great, to begin with, and makes use of a single aluminum stack on just one side.
But the biggest issue with this motherboard is its feature set which lacks way behind the ASRock offering. You are getting just one PCIe 4.0 x4 slot and while there's a heatsink attached to it, the placement of this slot right beneath the PCIe 4.0 x16 slot will make it harder to access. At least there's the EZ-Latch PCIe slot implementation which makes removing graphics cards easier. You get an extra PCIe 3.0 x1 slot but there's no support for WIFI and the I/O is disappointing with just 6 USB ports on the back compared to 8 for ASRock. There is a Q-Flash button but that's just about it. Given the pricing, ASRock's A620M Pro RS offerings are a far better choice compared to the A620M Gaming X from Gigabyte.
Following is a general comparison of the two motherboards:
ASRock A620M Pro RS WIFI vs Gigabyte A620M Gaming X
| Motherboard | ASRock A620M Pro RS WIFI | Gigabyte A620M Gaming X |
|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | mATX | mATX |
| Socket | LGA 1718 | LGA 1718 |
| VRM | 6+2+1 (50A) | 8+2+1 (50A) |
| VRM Heatsink | 2-Sided | 1-Sided |
| Power Delivery | 1 x 8-Pin | 1 x 8-Pin |
| Memory Support | DDR5-6000 (EXPO) | DDR5-6400 (EXPO) |
| Memory Capacity | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| PCIe Slots | 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 | 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 1 x PCIe 3.0 x1 |
| M.2 Slots | 2 Gen 4.0 x4 1 Gen 3.0 x2 | 1 Gen 4.0 x4 |
| M.2 Heatsink | 1 Gen 4.0 x4 | N/A |
| SATA Ports | 4 SATA III | 4 SATA III |
| USB 3.2 Gen 2 Ports | N/A | 1 (1 Rear) |
| USB 3.2 Gen 1 Ports | 7 (4 Rear / 3 Front) | 6 (3 Rear / 2 Front) |
| USB 2.0 Ports | 8 (2 Rear / 2 Front) | 4 (2 Rear / 2 Front) |
| BIOS Flash Button | Yes (Rear) | Yes (Rear) |
| LAN | 1 x Realtek 811H 1GbE | 1 x Realtek 811H 1GbE |
| WIFI | WIFI 6E | N/A |
| Audio | Realtek 7.1 Channel | Realtek 7.1 Channel |
| Price | $124.99 US | $119.99 US |
Between the two motherboards, I think the ASRock A620M Pro RS WIFI is the obvious choice as it offers vastly better I/O and a design that works well for an entry-level product. The $114.99 US Pro RS without WIFI is an even better option if you have an M.2 WiFi card lying around you. With great aesthetics, great I/O capabilities, and a very affordable price, the A620 Pro RS WIFI makes perfect sense to get for a new budget Ryzen build, especially one that's paired with the Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU.
Note: The following award has been given to the ASRock A620M Pro RS WIFI motherboards:
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