Some AMD customers have been posting on social media, together with Reddit, about experiencing intermittent connectivity issues when utilizing USB ports on their 500-series motherboards. In response, AMD has reached out by way of a Reddit submit that it has been made conscious of the connectivity points, and is requesting extra data from particular customers with the difficulty to assist them resolve it. Since this announcement, many customers have been reaching out to AMD.
AMD’s X570 motherboards have been available since July 2019, and its B550 models have been accessible since June 2020 and have each develop into properly established over the course of the final yr and a half. The truth that customers at the moment are having USB points begs the query whether or not the problems have been current all alongside however at the moment are rising above the noise, or there’s something associated to the longevity of those methods.
AMD 500 Sequence Motherboard and USB Connectivity Points?
The commonest copy of this problem seems to be throughout using Digital Actuality headsets such because the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, with an intermittent connection problem being extra prevalent to those customers. As USB is the principle methodology to energy and talk with VR headsets and peripherals, any dropout, even barely to the high-powered VR purposes, would immediately be highlighted. That is not the solely downside it may possibly trigger, as streaming units and USB audio interfaces might additionally expertise energy dropouts, which could possibly be fairly noticeable, particularly if doing a recording.
Whereas AMD hasn’t pinpointed the precise reason behind the difficulty but, it asks its customers to achieve out to them over on Reddit by u/AMDOfficial, which is an official assist channel for AMD. Extensively combing by way of consumer feedback on Reddit, it would not appear to be solely associated simply to 1 part of {hardware}. A few of the points that customers report appear to stem from the discharge of PCIe 4.0 graphics playing cards on 500 sequence motherboards. Reddit consumer u/duddy32 additionally states that they’ve been having these points with a B450 motherboard and a Ryzen 7 3700X processor, which precede the 500-series chipset.
AMD’s B550 Chipset structure, together with USB connectivity.
One potential workaround touted to scale back (however importantly not utterly cease) the problems is customers altering the motherboards’ settings from PCIe 4.0 to PCIe 3.0. Customers on Reddit have been reporting though it has diminished the frequency of dropouts, it hasn’t eradicated them, which might level to a difficulty between the USB hub controller and different elements of the chipset. Some customers are additionally reporting the difficulty to be totally on USB 2.0 ports, and a few have had success by switching units to USB 3.1 ports. It is usually advisable to replace the firmware to the newest AGESA model on fashions, which might scale back points. Though at this level, it is potential to presume that not one of the workarounds might repair these issues customers are experiencing with random and intermittent USB cutouts.
Though AMD hasn’t notified the reddit viewers if it has been capable of pinpoint the difficulty internally, it’s asking customers experiencing these points to element their {hardware} configurations and different related system data to permit AMD to recreate the problems on its finish. AMD can also be overtly encouraging customers to straight increase on-line service requests with AMD buyer assist to assist correlate information and evaluate notes with different assist claims to slender down the issue probably.
The rear panel of an X70 motherboard with USB 3.1, USB 3.0, and USB 2.0 ports.
It ought to be famous that not all customers have skilled these points – we have examined a number of dozen AMD AM4 motherboards and have used them extensively over the past 15 months, with precisely zero points associated to this. This is the reason this problem would possibly solely be being highlighted now – both customers have not seen the difficulty, as a really slight cutout from a mouse or keyboard might not be very obvious, or they is perhaps fortunate that this problem would not have an effect on them. Nonetheless, sufficient customers are coming ahead with these intermittent USB connectivity points to make the difficulty widespread throughout a number of fashions and processor mixtures. This implies the difficulty is not particularly right down to a sure producer and appears extra like a difficulty with AMD’s chipset or the way it connects from the USB hub to the chipset.
If AMD does handle to pinpoint the difficulty with its in-house workforce and collaboration of constant information factors supplied by its customers, it is potential a future AGESA firmware replace might alleviate the problems. After all, if it’s straight associated to a design and {hardware} downside, which could possibly be a a lot more durable nut to crack for AMD.
AMD’s official assertion posted on 02/20/21 might be discovered on Reddit right here – https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/lnmet0/an_update_on_usb_connectivity_with_500_series/
