AMD appears to have forked its Ryzen Master software, essentially placing support for its older Ryzen and Threadripper processors into a separate release that contains fewer features.
Visit AMD’s Ryzen Master page, and you’ll see two versions of the software: one for “Ryzen 3000 processors and newer,” and a second version that’s optimized for “Ryzen 2000 series processors and older.”
AMD’s Ryzen Master software is AMD’s version of other third-party utilities that provides a summary of a Ryzen system’s basic system parameters, including the CPU clock speed and temperature, the integrated Radeon graphics, and more. It also allows users to overclock their system, and store personalized performance profiles for various scenarios.
But AMD is clearly de-prioritizing the older systems, as VideoCardz notes.
Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
If you explore the release notes for both releases, the differences are clear: the older version (currently at 2.13.1.3097) basically currently lists a single feature, resolving incorrect CPU parameters. The separate release for the Ryzen 3000 lineup (2.14.0.3205) include numerous additions, including support for the Ryzen 9000 series, tweaking memory tuning parameters, manual clock speed controls, and more. The latest release was also updated in August, while the version for the Ryzen 2000 series was last updated in May.
One of the reasons AMD has won so much support has been its extensive, prolonged support for its older processors. That remains in place. However, AMD appears to be quietly putting its older, venerable Ryzens out to pasture.
Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor, PCWorld
Mark has written for PCWorld for the last decade, with 30 years of experience covering technology. He has authored over 3,500 articles for PCWorld alone, covering PC microprocessors, peripherals, and Microsoft Windows, among other topics. Mark has written for publications including PC Magazine, Byte, eWEEK, Popular Science and Electronic Buyers' News, where he shared a Jesse H. Neal Award for breaking news. He recently handed over a collection of several dozen Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs because his office simply has no more room.