AM3 / AM2+ confusion....

[kenmo]

I'm getting really confused on this AM3 & AM2+ socket type. For example look at this Tigerdirect combo.

The processor is listed as AM3 but the mobo is AM2+... How can that be?

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4497982&CatId=2417

I'm trying to spec out a mobo with 4xDDR2 slots that will accomodate a X3 710. I thought I had a good handle on this but now I'm getting really confused...

I was just about to order this from Newegg

Phenom X3 710
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103648

ASUS M4A78 Pro
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131362

But upon further investigation see the cpu listed as AM3 and the mobo as AM2+...?????

I'm really confused now...

[johns0]

The new phenom II are backwards compatible with most am2+ mb that have updated bios for them.

[redwudz]

AM3 has a 2600Mhz HT and uses DDR3 1600 RAM
AM2+ has a 2600Mhz HT and can use DDR2 1066 RAM
AM2 has a 1000Mhz HT and uses DDR 800 RAM

(I think that's correct. )

But all that varies by MB manufacturer, the RAM used, and the BIOS versions. I believe you need at least a AM2+ MB to run your RAM at 1066Mhz using a Phenom II.

I'm running a AM2+ Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H MB with a Phenom II 920 OC'd to 3.3Ghz using a updated BIOS. But I've only got the RAM to run at 944Mhz and not at the correct 1066Mhz.

[kenmo]

Did you have to flash the bios of your mobo to support the Ph II ?

Cheers

[greymalkin]

Did you have to flash the bios of your mobo to support the Ph II ?

Cheers

that really depends on your motherboard..check your mfg site for compatibility. If it's not natively compatible, each bios update should say what features it adds/bugs it fixes/etc.

redwudz..I've got the same motherboard...is the PhenomII all it's cracked up to be? I bought the board for the supposed onboard HD hardware acceleration but after every software package and driver it never really worked consistently.

[kenmo]

Here's a list from AMD's site of the mobos that support the Ph II X3 710....

http://products.amd.com/en-us/RecommendedMBResult.aspx?f1=AMD+Phenom%E2%84%A2+II+X3&f2...f7=&f8=95.000&

[redwudz]

The GA-MA78GM-S2H motherboard has been around a while. That may be part of my RAM problem with it. This one's in my HTPC. The Phenom II is a major improvement over the older Phenoms. I had a early version Phenom 9500 in there.

The P II 920 was very easy to overclock compared to the P 9500 and has the same performance as my Intel 9300. And that's all I wanted in my HTPC setup. I needed a bit of performance for Blu-ray/MKV playback with the on-board video. A three core would probably have suited me as well, but they weren't out then.

Flashing the BIOS for Phenom II CPU with the GA-MA78GM-S2H MB is a bit tricky. I had to do it with the old CPU in place because it wouldn't post with the P II in there using the old BIOS. (As I found out. Not even a BIOS beep. ) And I don't think that @BIOS will let you flash to a incorrect BIOS for a CPU that's not installed. I think I had to use a USB floppy drive to flash the EEPROM chip in BIOS, then shut down, then add the Phenom II. This took a while. (3 CPU changes because of doing it wrong the first time.) That may be why that MB is not recommended for the P II 920.

But newer MBs are likely a lot easier as they probably will work with a P II out of the box.

[johns0]

I was able to flash my asus m3a78 to the latest bios with the phenom II already mounted,gigabyte boards tend to suck cause i had a GA-MA790FXDS5 that would reset anytime i did some encoding,never happened with my asus m2n-e,rma the mb and the replacement wouldnt boot with 4 slots of ram,only 2 ram worked,even tried different brands.

Gave that board away and my new asus board works with all ram slots filled and encodes without resetting.

[redwudz]

I had the opposite problem. I only have one Asus MB left and I removed it because of it permanently losing my SATA boot drive if I unhooked any other drive temporarily. Then I had to do a repair install. No major problems with any of my Gigabyte MBs, and I have used about ten to date.

But that's just my view. Everyone has a few MBs that give them problems and it doesn't necessarily mean that one MB is better than another.

[johns0]

I talked to the computer store owner and he said he stopped selling gigabyte due too many returns on them and another computer store owner said he stopped selling AMD all together due to too many returns,I guess if we really listened to people all we would buy is intel.

[redwudz]

True. I have a couple of Intel PC's I have assembled, so I have drifted to the 'Dark Side." I still wish AMD luck. It would be sad if Intel was the only viable suppliers of CPUs.

But I think AMD is on the right track with the new Phenoms. Hopefully not too little, too late. I have about eight AMD PCs and only a couple of Intel's. (One is a Mini-ITX in a second HTPC. The other is a Q9300 I use for encoding BD>MKV)

[kenmo]

Anyone see a problem using a EVGA (NVidia) GeoForce 8500 GT with 1 gb of memory with this Gigabyte mobo...

GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128387

I've heard rumours some ATI mobos don't play nicely with some NVidia cards. Could be one of those silly internet rumours though....

If that is the case I'll pick this Biostar up as it has integrated video...
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138140

CPU I'm purchasing will be the Phenom X3 710...

Also am I correct in assuming the Gigabyte would be better then the Biostar if there is no problems with the NVidia vid card?

Again thanks...

[johns0]

I got a geforce 8800gt in an amd/ati mobo with no problems at all,just a rumor spread by noobs.I would go with a biostar over gigabyte imo.

[redwudz]

Never had any problems using a Nvidia video card in a ATI/AMD chipset motherboard. If it has a on-board ATI video chipset, I would uninstall the ATI video drivers before adding the Nvidia card. (And make sure you switch the BIOS video card selection to the PCI/PCI-E slot before rebooting or you may not get video out of the new card.)

And I still like Gigabyte MBs.

[kenmo]

Thanks for all your replies and help... All four of my computers were built by myself but recently I have not been keeping on top of the newer technology in cpus and mobos...

Cheers

Ken

http://kenmo.zenfolio.com