A Welcome Rumor for PC Enthusiasts
For anyone who has invested in a modern AMD PC, a reassuring rumor is circulating. According to prominent hardware leakers, AMD’s next-generation “Zen 6 CPUs”, expected to be part of the Ryzen 10000 series, will be compatible with existing 600 and 800-series AM5 motherboards. This news suggests that AMD is sticking to its long-standing commitment to platform longevity, much to the relief of PC builders.
The speculation began when ASUS listed a new B850 chipset motherboard, explicitly stating it was ready for “next-gen Zen 6 CPUs.” This announcement, however, came with a specific detail: the board featured a larger 64 MB BIOS chip. This immediately raised a question for owners of current motherboards, many of which use a 32 MB BIOS chip: would an upgrade be forced upon them?
The BIOS Size Question: 32MB vs. 64MB
The size of the BIOS chip is crucial because it holds the microcode that allows the motherboard to recognize and work with different CPUs. As AMD releases more processors for the AM5 platform, the list of supported chips grows, requiring more space in the BIOS memory.
We’ve seen this before. Early AM4 motherboards with 16 MB BIOS chips eventually struggled to support the entire lineup of CPUs released over many years, forcing manufacturers to drop support for older chips to make room for new ones. The mention of a 64 MB BIOS on a Zen 6-ready board sparked fears of a repeat situation on the AM5 platform.
Leaker Offers Reassurance
Thankfully, the well-known and often reliable leaker known as HXL has stepped in to clarify the situation. According to their information, both 32 MB and 64 MB AM5 motherboards are expected to support Zen 6 CPUs. This means that if you own a current-generation X670, B650, or even a future B850 board, you will likely be able to drop a Zen 6 CPU into it with a simple BIOS update.
Both 32MB and 64MB variants of the 600-800 series AM5 motherboards support Zen 6. https://t.co/CAGDD392Z9
— HXL (@9550pro) October 10, 2025
HXL further added that even the 32 MB boards are not expected to see a reduction in the number of supported older CPUs. This indicates that AMD and its partners are efficiently managing the BIOS code to maintain broad compatibility without requiring a hardware change.
What This Means for Your Upgrade Path
If these rumors hold true, it’s excellent news for the PC ecosystem. It means the AM5 platform, launched in 2022, could have a lifespan mirroring the incredibly successful AM4 platform, which lasted over five years. For consumers, this translates to:
- Investment Protection: Your purchase of a current AM5 motherboard is a long-term investment.
- Easy Future Upgrades: You could potentially upgrade from a Ryzen 7000 or 8000 series CPU to a Zen 6 chip years from now without changing your motherboard, RAM, or cooler.
- A Clear Choice: AMD’s commitment to platform stability continues to be a major strength when compared to competitors.
Also, Read
- High-End Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU Reports Melted Power Connector, Echoing Past NVIDIA Issues
- AMD’s “Sound Wave” ARM APU Surfaces, Signaling a Major Shift Beyond x86
- AMD & Sony Reveal Next-Gen GPU Tech – Radiance Cores, Neural Arrays & Universal Compression
While this information is still unofficial until confirmed by AMD, it aligns perfectly with the company’s customer-friendly philosophy. It seems that for AMD users, the next big CPU upgrade might be as simple as flashing a new BIOS.
Source: HXL, techpowerup