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AM3 cpu On AM2 mobo?

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cogman

Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Location
UK
Can a am3 cpu fit in am2 motherboard? or do they have to be the same
 
AM3 cpus work on AM2 mobos (and AM2+ as well). You won't be able to set different V for the core and IMC as AM2 mobos have a single power plane. I could get the 550BE to 3.6G and the IMC to 2.6G in mine.

The real question is the quality of the PWM and the cooling the board has or you can add to it as those boards weren't always designed for such power hungry cpus.

Of course your mobo's maker had to release an updated Bios for the new cpus to work.
 
As you can see by my signature (if you look it up) I have a AM2/AM2+ board and an AM3 processor, and it works great!
 
just a quick question related to this thread, can a am2 cpu fit in a am2+ mobo?
 
just a quick question related to this thread, can a am2 cpu fit in a am2+ mobo?
Yep! Same socket exactly. The only difference is the HT Link. AM2 has HT 1.0 (2x 1000MHz) and AM2+ has HT 3.0 (2x 2600 MHz).

Note that an AM2 (aka K8) CPU can only run 1000 MHz on the Ht Link - even if it's HT Link 3.0 ...
 
There are serveral checks to make.
For an AM3 board it has to be an AM3 with DDR3.
The AM3 CPU will run in the AM2+ mobo as long as it does not exceed the wattage. If you can keep a 95W board's VRegs cool you might get away with running the 120 watt cpu if avoid the overclocking and voltage bumps. A 965 may run on those low watt boards if under-volted and cooled. I would not buy these boards if you are just getting a new mobo. You are still taking a risk by dropping one in a 95W board you already have. Don't expect rock stability either as the VRegs are taxed with all four cylinders running.
Most of the AM2 boards will not work with the AM3 CPUs and may not work with some of the AM2+ chipc either (I have some and they either don't boot or randomly reboot).
 
Good eye AC... I did not say anything about it not supporting 120W CPUs.. I do see it has no sinks on the FETs which means it definitely is not a 140W TDP capable board.

I cant find any information on GBs website either.

EDIT:NM IT supports 140W processors...(although if you are going to OC, you want to sink those fets.)

Board is fine though its a gigabyte so its cheap for hte options you get :)
 
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Can a am3 cpu fit in am2 motherboard? or do they have to be the same
AM3 CPUs will run in most AM2+ motherboards but few AM2 motherboards because of BIOS issues. Most board manufacturers just haven't and won't update the old BIOS' in the AM2 boards so they'll recognize AM3 CPUs. Even with AM2+ boards you should check with the manufacturer - most of them have an on-line list of compatible CPUs for each board.

As for the board you referenced, it's an AM2+ and should be fine. :)


[threadjack]
I did put sinks on one board to squeeze a few extra watts out of a Matx board but just 95W from an 87w board.
Hey, Alabama! :) Long time, no see ...

[/threadjack]
 
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AM3 CPUs will run in most AM2+ motherboards but few AM2 motherboards because of BIOS issues. Most board manufacturers just haven't and won't update the old BIOS' in the AM2 boards so they'll recognize AM3 CPUs. Even with AM2+ boards you should check with the manufacturer - most of them have an on-line list of compatible CPUs for each board.

As for the board you referenced, it's an AM2+ and should be fine. :)


[threadjack] Hey, Alabama! :) Long time, no see ...

[/threadjack]

This is true... I was looking to do piecemeal upgrades, starting with an Athlon II X4 620, but, even though SOME people have gotten my current board to accept and run a 620, and I would be upgrading the board later, I think I am just gonna drop the ~450 for 4gigs of DDR3-2000, an AM3 board, and the 965BE. Now if I could only get the wife to sign off on the purchase, I'd be sitting dandy :D
 
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