MSI patches AMD USB issues with latest X570 and B550 motherboard updates

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The updates are still in beta, but if you've got problems you don't have a lot to lose.

MSI Motherboard shot
(Image credit: MSI)

MSI has released BIOS updates for its X570 and B550 motherboards that address the intermittent USB issues affecting Ryzen 5000 owners. The new firmware implements the AGESA 1.2.0.2 update AMD released to manufacturers just over a month ago, and while these BIOS updates are officially still in beta, reports have been positive so far.

Not everyone has had USB problems with AMD's Zen 3 chips, but plenty of users have experienced dropped connection for things like external DACs and cameras through to external drives. 

The stop-gap suggestion from AMD was to drop the PCI Express connectivity from 4.0 to 3.0 until the patch was released, which was particularly annoying for anyone using a next-gen NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD. This patch should offer a more long-term solution. 

MSI has been releasing updates for its motherboards since April 8, and now has 21 of its motherboards covered. Five X570 and 16 B550 boards have received the much-needed fix to address USB problems. You need to check the update includes the line: "Update to ComboAM4PIV2 1.2.0.2". 

MSI X570 Motherboards

MSI B550 Motherboards

More mobo updates are on the way from MSI too, with AMD X470 and B450 boards getting the new firmware. Other motherboard manufacturers are expected to offer updates to the latest AGESA version shortly as well.

Alan Dexter
Alan Dexter

Alan has been writing about PC tech since before 3D graphics cards existed, and still vividly recalls having to fight with MS-DOS just to get games to load. He fondly remembers the killer combo of a Matrox Millenium and 3dfx Voodoo, and seeing Lara Croft in 3D for the first time. He's very glad hardware has advanced as much as it has though, and is particularly happy when putting the latest M.2 NVMe SSDs, AMD processors, and laptops through their paces. He has a long-lasting Magic: The Gathering obsession but limits this to MTG Arena these days.