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AMD has released a new firmware update for the AM5 platform, aimed at its upcoming Ryzen 9000 processors featuring 3D-VCache technology. Harukaze5719 shared on X that AGESA ComboAM5 1.2.0.2a comes with performance optimizations for Ryzen9000X3D chips.

The precise nature of these optimizations remains a mystery, but they will undoubtedly improve the performance of the Ryzen 9000X3D compared to previous firmware revisions. Most of AMD’s board partners, including MSI, Gigabyte, and ASRock, have rolled out BIOS updates including ComboAM5 1.2.0.2a to at least some AM5 boards.

Asus is the only major partner that has yet to roll out AMD’s latest firmware update to its motherboards, at least on its main download page (it might be available on the Asus Forums in beta format). However, this could change depending on when you read this article.

MSI is the only one of the three that appears to be implementing version 1.2.0.2a without additional tweaks or updates. Gigabyte integrates its 1.2.0.2a BIOS update into its all-new X3D turbo modeannounced to improve performance beyond the stock configuration of a Ryzen processor. However, this feature is not exclusive to Gigabyte as it is part of the AGESA code, so all motherboard vendors will offer it. According to our sources, turbo mode disables a setting, but the exact nature of that setting remains a mystery. New turbo mode supports Ryzen 9000X3D, Ryzen7000X3Dand vanilla Ryzen9000 parts. ASRock is bundling its Agesa 1.2.0.2a BIOS updates with “enhanced PMIC support” for its motherboards.

So far, Gigabyte and MSI are the only board vendors that have released Agesa 1.2.0.2a BIOS updates for their AM5 600 and 800 series motherboards. ASRock has rolled out the latest firmware update d ‘AMD on its 800 series motherboards, but has not yet done so on its 600 series motherboards. Regardless, we can expect all board vendors to have this update to most (if not all) 600 and 800 series cards, which will expand the flexibility of the Ryzen 9000X3D to work on older 600 series cards.

Agesa 1.2.0.2a arrives just ahead of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D launch, which takes place in two weeks on November 7. The new chip is said to be 8% faster in games than its predecessor, the Ryzen 7 7800X3Dand deliver 15% better multithreaded performance.