Gigabyte has introduced four new motherboards for the venerable AM4 platform, a move that surprised many given the recent upheaval in the memory market. These new offerings are based on the A520 and B550 chipsets, presenting budget-friendly options. The ongoing crisis in memory pricing has unexpectedly given AMD’s AM4 platform an added lifespan. DDR4 remains substantially cheaper than its successor, DDR5, allowing the AM4 platform to build powerful PCs for both work and gaming.
The models unveiled by Gigabyte are named A520M H ARGB, B550I AORUS Pro AX 1.4, B550M H ARGB, and A520I AC 1.5. While they do not introduce groundbreaking technology, such expectations are not placed on the older platform. The A520M H ARGB features a PCIe 3.0 slot and supports all AM4 processors. Meanwhile, the B550I AORUS Pro AX 1.4 represents a premium Mini-ITX format board with PCIe 4.0 and Wi-Fi 6E capabilities.
The B550M H ARGB closely mirrors the A520M H ARGB but swaps in the B550 chipset and includes PCIe 4.0 slots for M.2 drives. The A520I AC 1.5 is presented as an intriguing entry-level Mini-ITX board, offering merely PCIe 3.0 but including a Wi-Fi adapter, albeit only supporting the fifth version.
In recent developments, Gigabyte’s persistence with AM4 is being viewed as a strategic response to supply chain challenges, particularly during the global CPU shortages. Consumer interest remains piqued as many await continued support for AM4 chipsets, reflected in steady demand from tech enthusiasts favoring cost-effective yet robust configurations.
Moreover, the Wi-Fi 5 versus Wi-Fi 6E contrast presents significant advantages in data throughput and efficiency, underscored in the B550I AORUS Pro AX 1.4 model. Such advancements depict an evolving market despite the aging architecture around the AM4 boards, affording consumers more enhanced capabilities in wireless connectivity alongside reliable processing power.
