Ryzen 9000 CPU performance is improved with new AMD firmware

Gigabyte's AGESA 1.2.0.0a BIOS updates add performance improvements for Ryzen 9000 processors.

(Image credit: AMD)

AGESA software 1.2.0.0a, which supports AMD's future Ryzen 9000 series desktop CPUs, is now being updated on Gigabyte AM5 motherboards. The latest Gigabyte BIOS changes, which feature AMD's most recent AGESA firmware, were spotted by HXL on X (Twitter) and offer improved performance enhancements for the Zen 5 series CPUs. Just before AMD's Ryzen 9000 CPUs arrive, consumers can update with these latest updates.

The fourth AGESA firmware upgrade to enable AMD's Ryzen 9000 CPUs is called AGESA 1.2.0.0a. The first was AGESA 1.1.7.0, initially supporting the Zen 5 chips when it was released in April. Since then, the Ryzen 9000 CPUs have become more dependable and perform better before their launch this month thanks to a few AGESA improvements.

We don't know exactly what the 1.2.0.0a release contains. Although Gigabyte claims that performance enhancements for Ryzen 9000 are provided by BIOS upgrades, it is important to note that these enhancements are not derived directly from the AGESA microcode update. In any event, the goal of new microcode updates is to push for improved performance and stability, along with additional features and support. We can thus assume that AGESA 1.2.0.0a performs at least one of these functions.

As far as we can tell, Gigabyte is the first board manufacturer to release AGESA 1.2.0.0a bios upgrades to the general public. For their current AM5 motherboards, MSI and ASRock are still using beta BIOS updates and are still running AGESA 1.2.0.0. It's odd that the most current BIOS updates from Asus are still on AGESA 1.1.7.0, which indicates that the company hasn't upgraded to any of the more recent AGESA updates, such as AGESA 1.2.0.0 and the older AGESA 1.1.8.0 version.

Before the Ryzen 9000 series launches, hopefully, MSI, ASRock, and Asus will make AGESA 1.2.0.0a-compatible BIOS patches available to the general public. The good news is that the Zen 5-compatible BIOS is already available for download and installation on all four of the major board partners. Users will therefore always be able to utilize Zen 5. While not all 600 series boards have AGESA 1.1.7.0 or above, the majority do.

The second generation of Ryzen processors, which use AMD's most recent AM5 socket, is the Ryzen 9000. With AMD's Zen 5 CPU design, the new chips are expected to have an average 16% higher IPC than Ryzen 7000. Customers can use the new chips with AMD 600 series chipset motherboards or with new motherboards from the 800 series, such as the X870. The sole restriction is that customers cannot run them on the 600 series boards until they have updated to a BIOS that supports Zen 5.