AMD's New Horizon event is set for Dec. 13, and it's where the company aims to showcase its newest Zen products in hopes it can bounce back and compete more efficiently against Intel. It's also when we might get the chance to see the first set of AM4 motherboards in action.
For those who have not been aware, anyone who wants to take advantage of Zen will not be able to use the current AM3+ motherboards in circulation. The company requires the use of an updated AMD board, and it's known as AM4. We haven't heard much about these motherboards, which is quite odd seeing as several rumors have claimed Zen will launch for sale to the public come Q1 2017.
According to the newest report from WCCFTECH, it's possible AMD could announce a set of high-end AM4 X370 motherboards designed for Zen at the New Horizon event. Apparently, several motherboard makers will show off their Zen boards that are based on the X370 chipset and the AM4 socket.
If it happens, it would be the first time the world gets to see an AM4 motherboard in action, and it could also prove whether or not Zen will launch in early 2017. The icing on the cake here would be if AMD and its partners announce a price for the first set of AM4 motherboards.
A move like that would give enthusiasts enough time to save money for Zen, as they would need to build a new computer from scratch, or almost.
Difference Between AM4 Motherboards and AM3+ Motherboards
Anyone at the moment looking to take advantage of the DDR4 RAM will have no choice but to build a system with an Intel chip inside. Yes, only Intel motherboards support DDR4, and this has been the case for quite some time. However, with Zen on the horizon, this is expected to change.
The new AM4 boards will support DDR4, PCI-E Gen 3, USB 3.1 Gen2, NVMe & SATA Express. If you're into overclocking your CPU and RAM, worry not because AM4 boards are expected to support these features as well.
Vega GPUs For Cheap 4K Gaming Incoming
Zen and the new AM4 motherboards aren't the only things AMD is working on in hopes to wow its customers and attract new ones. The company wants to usher in the era of 4K gaming on the PC, and the most sensible way to do this is to have affordable GPUs on the market that are capable of meeting that goal.
This is where Vega comes in, and some even say Project Scorpio might have a version of Vega inside seeing as Microsoft has chosen to release the console by the 2017 holiday season.
