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MSI 890FX-GD70 with FX processors?

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Kaje

New Member
Joined
May 14, 2013
I've been running a Phenom II X 4 965 clocked at 4.0GHz on my MSI 890FX-GD70, for almost 3 years now. I was looking at upgrading to an 8350 or 6350, and I know my motherboard supports them. But, someone told me that since my mobo only has 4+1 phase power, I wouldn't be able to get a decent OC.

Would I need a new motherboard if I wanted to get a decent OC on a new processor?

Or, I haven't really tested taking the 965 higher because it hits 57-58 degrees running Prime95, and I don't want to run it any hotter. But, I'm using an H50 cooler with a pair of Cooler Master 2K RPM fans in push/pull. If I got a better cooler, and could push the 965 higher, would it be worthwhile to upgrade really?

Other specs:
Corsair TX 850W PSU
Sapphire Vapor-X 7970 GHz Edition
2X4 GB G.Skill Sniper 1600MHz RAM
 
A board supporting a cpu and a board working well with a cpu and being able to overclock said same cpu are almost not on the same planet with each other. I have seen at least 3 or 4 users in the forums lately with the later 990FX version of that board and they are having nothing but heartache and headaches trying to push the 8 core cpus. I imagine they will have the same issues with 6 cores also since there is no APM = Disable in the bios of those boards. That means when the 'high' current required to overclock or even in some cases when just loading the cpu hard...the cpu throttles back so it cann0t pull so much current thru the weak VRM circuit.

Now that is going to be a huge frustration when every review you reads has talked of 5.0Ghz with FX processors. They might have booted at those speeds on GOOD (not just so so) motherboards and run a few benches but they were not nearly Prime 95 Blend stable for a couple of hours as most users we attempt to help them tweak their system to do reliably.
 
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Yeah, I'm thinking I'm boned. I'm going to pick up another Vapor-X 7970 for crossfire, and I was hoping for a cheap CPU upgrade, but if I can't get that, I think I'm just gonna upgrade my case and CPU cooler, along with the second GPU, for now. I'm looking at a NZXT Phantom 630 and Kraken x60. I'll wait for DDR4 to come out and decide where to go with a mobo and cpu.
 
I would say with a 4+1 phase count in the Vrm section a Fx 6 or 8 would be nothing but problems.
 
I'm with you guys, i just tried my 4170 on my m5a97R2.0 board and it was a complete fail.
as you might know I am a vcore kind of guy and when pushed much over 1.42 the board just fell on it's face, but I will say it's a pretty darn good deneb board.
if your looking for a better fx board you might look into the overclocktagon seen at the top of this page or read Rgones, "is it a contender" thread here in the motherboard section, a very good read with a lot of good info.


found a link.

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=726641
 
I'm with you guys, i just tried my 4170 on my m5a97R2.0 board and it was a complete fail.
as you might know I am a vcore kind of guy and when pushed much over 1.42 the board just fell on it's face,

Man I thought it was holding up with the 4core at a 4.2Ghz overclock. Well last I heard. But of course beginning to test and then having tested are two different things.

And that was not an older entry level board but the newest R2.0 of the M5A97 board. It is becoming more and more apparent that the cheapest boards, just don't seem to be much of a viable option once the word "overclock" gets into the sentence describing how the system will be used.

We know the OEMs are getting by with running some of the FX processsors but we all know you will NOT be adjusting a bios to overclock that FX on that OEM motherboard.

I am about to decide that the DIYer needs to get one of the mobo's we have listed at the top of tha "recommended" list and then get an FX-8350 or maybe the newer FX-6350 and at least $250 worth of good watercooling and then you have a pretty versatile rig. Run it very fast with all cores and do REAL work. Then disable a few cores and kick the speed on up a little more and go gaming. Now that puts the do it yourself back into the overclocking hobby for sure.
RGone...
 
with the 4170 it just could'nt get the job done over the longer haul, keeping the bank accounts, surfing the interwebs, just the everyday stuff we do with computers.
with the 965 it boots right up, plenty of grunt for everything but the really heavy lifting.
it's become my most used machine and a real joy at that.
so don't be to quick to junk a rig just because it won't clock to 5.0.
 
I have had the 890fx gd70 and it has got to be one of the best boards I have used, it was my preferred AM3 bencher and never let me down after multiple hard sessions, but would i trust it with a fx8..... I don't think I would. There was one problem that used to get on my nerves about the board and that was once you got to higher levels of vcore (1.5-1.6v) the vcore seems to fluctuate constantly, only by small amounts but this was on a thuban at idle so a fx8 under full load may be asking a lot from it, but if you want to keep that Deneb ( if you don't sell me it ;) ) I would actually recommend the board, I should have kept mine :cry:
 
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