Official AMD Ryzen / Threadripper Windows 7 chipset drivers available: So, newer AMD CPUs are officially supported with Windows 7?

[Delicieuxz]

 

AMD Ryzen / Threadripper Chipset Drivers

 

Quote

Description:

Supports Windows 10 / 7 (32 & 64-bit)

 

Package Includes:

                           AMD Chipset Drivers
                           AMD Ryzen™ Balanced Power Plan
                           Support for AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ and AMD X399 Chipset

 

It looks as though AMD has released chipset drivers for Windows 7, despite previously having said that Windows 7 would not be officially supported.

 

These drivers were not necessarily needed for new AMD CPUs to be used with Windows 7, as the now-fixed scheduling bug was a Windows 10-specific bug, and did not affect Windows 7, as is demonstrated in the below video.

 

 

However, the official chipset drivers would be highly recommended to anyone wishing to use new AMD CPUs with Windows 7.

 

This guide showing how to add AMD USB 3.0 drivers to Windows 7 installation media might also be useful to anyone seeking to use new AMD CPUs with Windows 7.

 

And this patch re-enables Windows Update in Windows 7 for new AMD and Intel CPUs.

 

 

I don't know how long AMD has had chipset drivers available for Windows 7, but I think it makes complete sense for AMD to make them available, not only because Windows 7 still holds a very large install base*****, but also because AMD had made known before Ryzen released, and before stating that Windows 7 would not be officially supported, that AMD internally had fully working Ryzen chipset drivers for Windows 7. So, not releasing them while they already existed made it clear that the lack of support wasn't due to feasibility or practicality, but was maybe more about market manipulation.

 

Also, officially supporting Windows 7 while Intel is not with their newer CPUs gives AMD a competitive and marketing advantage over Intel, thereby helping to boost AMD's sales and share of the CPU market, which seems to be working: Numbers Don't Lie: AMD Outselling Intel Processors, According To Amazon

 

 

 

***** Windows 7's market share is currently growing even faster than Windows 10's among gamers, according to the August 2017 Steam hardware survey:

 

 

 

While beyond the gaming sphere, Netmarketshare shows Windows 7 to continue to be the world's dominant OS:

 

 

 

[Sauron]

It's probably because the code is very similar (possibly identical?) to that for windows 10, so releasing it would cost them nothing and potentially bring in new customers. It also makes more sense for this to be available for threadripper since many offices that need powerful workstations still haven't updated their infrastructure.

[Jurrunio]

1 minute ago, Delicieuxz said:

I don't know how long AMD has had chipset drivers available for Windows 7, but I think it makes complete sense for AMD to make them available, not only because Windows 7 still holds a very large install base*****, but also because AMD had made known before Ryzen released, and before stating that Windows 7 would not be officially supported, that AMD internally had fully working Ryzen chipset drivers for Windows 7. So, not releasing them while they already existed made it clear that the lack of support wasn't due to feasibility or practicality, but was maybe more about market manipulation.

 

***** Windows 7's market share is currently growing even faster than Windows 10's among gamers, according to the August 2017 Steam hardware survey:

 

While beyond the gaming sphere, Netmarketshare shows Windows 7 to continue to be the world's dominant OS:

 

 

I guess AMD support Windows 7 because of server demands using Zen. The OS used by servers cant be upgraded so easily because of software compatibility problems, so Zen will enter the server market much easier with Win 7 support

 

Windows 10's popularity doesnt mean people like it because MS forced updates until user number reached their target.

[Delicieuxz]

3 minutes ago, Sauron said:

It's probably because the code is very similar (possibly identical?) to that for windows 10, so releasing it would cost them nothing and potentially bring in new customers.

Though, AMD didn't release them initially, despite AMD confirming prior to the release of Ryzen that they already existed, internally, and were fully functioning.

 

That aside, I wonder, then, if Intel's Windows 10's chipset drivers could be extracted and installed on Windows 7 without issue.

[Sauron]

Just now, Delicieuxz said:

Though, AMD didn't release them initially, despite AMD confirming prior to the release of Ryzen that they already existed internally.

 

That aside, I wonder, then, if Intel's Windows 10's chipset drivers could be extracted and installed on Windows 7 without issue.

Who knows what the thinking heads over at AMD's marketing department are smoking. It's possible they just reconsidered their initial stance in the light of sales numbers.

 

As for extracting them, it's certainly possible - although there may be small parts that specifically require windows 10 features that work slightly differently in windows 7. Hard to say without trying.

[Delicieuxz]

I meant to post this topic in the Tech News and Reviews forum section. Could a moderator move it there?

 

Edit: Thanks!

[Doobeedoo]

While it is good since W7 still haves large market share, I still don't see many would install decade old OS on new platform as of now. They just want to ensure maximum possible marke share I guess, which is good. 

[Nicnac]

this is great news!

[ravenshrike]

31 minutes ago, Doobeedoo said:

While it is good since W7 still haves large market share, I still don't see many would install decade old OS on new platform as of now. They just want to ensure maximum possible marke share I guess, which is good. 

Windows 7 is only 7 years old. And vastly superior to windows 10, which unlike the Xbone was successful in fucking over the consumer.

[Shreyas1]

3 minutes ago, ravenshrike said:

Windows 7 is only 7 years old. And vastly superior to windows 10, which unlike the Xbone was successful in fucking over the consumer.

More like 8 years. Also, MS isn't going to make windows 11, so at some point they will have to cut support, forcing many to upgrade.

[Kinda Bottlenecked]

The official drivers for win 7 were already there since ryzen came. 

 

I would know since I've been using windows 7 until ms lock me out of my pc and forced me to upgrade. 

[AresKrieger]

1 minute ago, Shreyas1 said:

More like 8 years. Also, MS isn't going to make windows 11, so at some point they will have to cut support, forcing many to upgrade.

Cutting support doesn't force anyone to do anything so long as third party software is still being made to work on windows 7 microsoft's support means nothing

[AresKrieger]

2 minutes ago, Pohernori said:

The official drivers for win 7 were already there since ryzen came. 

That doesn't mean it was supported I can still get windows 7 on new intel cpus, it just requires some effort to start the installation

[Cookybiscuit]

22 minutes ago, Doobeedoo said:

While it is good since W7 still haves large market share, I still don't see many would install decade old OS on new platform as of now. They just want to ensure maximum possible marke share I guess, which is good. 

Because Windows 10 is shit. I'd rather have to clean up Russian ransomware every other week on Windows 7 than use Windows 10 that updates itself every 6 hours and spams you with advertisements.

[miagisan]

2 minutes ago, Cookybiscuit said:

Because Windows 10 is shit. I'd rather have to clean up Russian ransomware every other week on Windows 7 than use Windows 10 that updates itself every 6 hours and spams you with advertisements.

You know you could turn off the ads right? I haven't had an add since I installed it on launch

[Kinda Bottlenecked]

2 minutes ago, AresKrieger said:

That doesn't mean it was supported I can still get windows 7 on new intel cpus, it just requires some effort to start the installation

 

No, I'm not here to argue about support. The chipset drivers for w 7 were available long ago. The news is extremely late.

[AresKrieger]

Just now, Pohernori said:

 

No, I'm not here to argue about support. The chipset drivers for w 7 were available long ago. The news is extremely late.

Well then good, I hate windows 10 far more than I prefer intel so if amd started this effort months ago this bodes well for me overall

 

[Cookybiscuit]

4 minutes ago, miagisan said:

You know you could turn off the ads right? I haven't had an add since I installed it on launch

I prefer to pretend you can't because it makes me feel better using my 10 year old OS.

[Delicieuxz]

6 minutes ago, Pohernori said:

No, I'm not here to argue about support. The chipset drivers for w 7 were available long ago. The news is extremely late.

That's interesting. I wonder when exactly the drivers became available, and why there was no announcement that I've ever seen.

 

AMD did officially state that there would be no chipset drivers for Windows 7 made available.

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3167279/computers/amd-sorry-there-will-be-no-official-ryzen-drivers-for-windows-7.html

https://www.technobuffalo.com/2017/02/09/amds-new-ryzen-chips-wont-support-windows-7/

http://www.pcgamer.com/amd-confirms-there-will-be-no-ryzen-drivers-for-windows-7/

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/02/windows_intel_kaby_lake_amd_zen/

http://windowsreport.com/amd-ryzen-windows-7/

 

 

[NvidiaIntelAMDLoveTriangle]

41 minutes ago, Doobeedoo said:

While it is good since W7 still haves large market share, I still don't see many would install decade old OS on new platform as of now. They just want to ensure maximum possible marke share I guess, which is good. 

When are people going to understand that just because something is old, doesn't mean it isn't good anymore?

A lot of the times the newer thing isn't better than the old one at all. Talking about software here.

[Doobeedoo]

44 minutes ago, ravenshrike said:

Windows 7 is only 7 years old. And vastly superior to windows 10, which unlike the Xbone was successful in fucking over the consumer.

It's 8y old, but whatever. Now how exactly is it "vastly superior" over W10 actually cause that would't make any sense.

33 minutes ago, Cookybiscuit said:

Because Windows 10 is shit. I'd rather have to clean up Russian ransomware every other week on Windows 7 than use Windows 10 that updates itself every 6 hours and spams you with advertisements.

What are you talking about, W10 doesn't update it self every 6h and you can schedule updates for even longer periods now as well. Had zero issues with that and I've never seen any advertisements at all.

14 minutes ago, NvidiaIntelAMDLoveTriangle said:

When are people going to understand that just because something is old, doesn't mean it isn't good anymore?

A lot of the times the newer thing isn't better than the old one at all. Talking about software here.

I know that, but we're talking about W10 that is 2y old by now and very polished compared to launch version anyway. Just don't see any actual reason someone new buying a computer now with modern hardware or even later on, installing W7 over W10 really. It's understandable for anything just new out of the gate like on release. Those that are not comfortable with potential issues from start and all, but that's not it anymore.

[Misanthrope]

I gave in and just installed 10. So far the experience has been extremely straight forward and far less buggy than anticipated though we'll see after the upcoming creator's update in October.

 

I have accepted that the powers that be already know everything they wanted to know about me since my short lived affiliation with Marxist political groups in the mid 2000s so there's not much to worry about, however if I abruptly

[leadeater]

Looks like those are only for Threadripper though and not Ryzen 3/5/7. Likely more business customers running Windows 7 that still have support so AMD pretty much had to also release chipset drivers.

 

Edit:

Never mind, went through the manual driver selection processes for AM4 and Windows 7 64bit was listed. That last line saying support for Threaripper isn't exactly clear.

[Kinda Bottlenecked]

9 hours ago, Delicieuxz said:

That's interesting. I wonder when exactly the drivers became available, and why there was no announcement that I've ever seen.

 

AMD did officially state that there would be no chipset drivers for Windows 7 made available.

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3167279/computers/amd-sorry-there-will-be-no-official-ryzen-drivers-for-windows-7.html

https://www.technobuffalo.com/2017/02/09/amds-new-ryzen-chips-wont-support-windows-7/

http://www.pcgamer.com/amd-confirms-there-will-be-no-ryzen-drivers-for-windows-7/

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/02/windows_intel_kaby_lake_amd_zen/

http://windowsreport.com/amd-ryzen-windows-7/

 

Yeap, that was the big hoha then. But somehow they just made it available for w7.

 

screengrab:

 

http://support.amd.com/en-us/download/chipset/previous/detail?os=Windows 10 - 64&rev=17.10

 

Description says it supports 10, 8.1 and 7. Date 4/27/2017. Already available since april. It doesn't surprise me that threadripper will have w7 drivers as well

[mr moose]

15 hours ago, Doobeedoo said:

While it is good since W7 still haves large market share, I still don't see many would install decade old OS on new platform as of now. They just want to ensure maximum possible marke share I guess, which is good. 

90% of the market won't,  According to MS (somewhere in the bowels of their filings) they claim over 90% of windows sales are OEM.  Windows 7 on a new machine just isn't a selling point.