AM3 Will Be Backwards Compatible With AM2!

[Fr3@k3r]

http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/15/176234&from=rss

According to this article linked, AM2 with DDR2 will be compatible with the new AM3 cpu's including Quad Core Cpu's...

Full AMD Release

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom/0,,51_104_543~111541,00.html

 

[Bad Maniac]

This is more important than most people here will probably think it is.
The one single make or break for any platform is how much of your old PC you can stuff into your new one.
Being able to just change a board, keep disks, ram and CPU will keep costs down for upgrading Joe's and pro's alike. Then you can upgrade bit by bit as necessary, instead of having to buy everything new just to have a new system.

I think Intel realized this with the 775 C2D's even if most old 775 won't run C2D CPU's. Let's hope AMD goes all out and makes it right.

 

[harlam357]

Good stuff Fr3@k3r! Thanks for sharing the joyful news.

I believe I have just purchased my last 939 system.

 

[Molester]

this isn't exactly new news... but important none-the-less..here's some more articles...
http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/itnews.php?tid=633569&starttime=0&endtime=0
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3169
and here's a write-up i've done on what's known about AMD's near-future plans...some consider it a good read..
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=471677

 

[Epsilon84]

I wonder how much of a performance drop there would be from running an AM3 designed proc on an AM2 board? If the difference is too big then there's not much point, but if it's anything like DDR2 v DDR1, game on!

 

[yo4444]

I wonder how much of a performance drop there would be from running an AM3 designed proc on an AM2 board? If the difference is too big then there's not much point, but if it's anything like DDR2 v DDR1, game on!

Actually there is a big point, being that people looking to upgrade peice by peice can do just that without an large outlay of cash all at once. That is the primary retail motivation behind inter/intra-platform compatibility.

 

[AlabamaCajun]

I wonder how much of a performance drop there would be from running an AM3 designed proc on an AM2 board? If the difference is too big then there's not much point, but if it's anything like DDR2 v DDR1, game on!

Yes you can expect using DDR2 on a DDR3 chip which will put a limit on it. But look at it as being able to use a newer chip on an older board. The CPU will still operate near it's potential but limited by ram speed.

 

[Cisco Kid]

I am liking this as if all goes as stated all I will need in future is a cpu, use my existing DDR2 and then once latencies are even better just add new ram

If I actually followed this plan I would have my M2N32 SLi board the longest out of any previous board. For some reason I just do not know if that could happen as look back on my track record, seems to be boards lasted me a max of 6-8mths before I got the itch again.......

 

[Molester]

you'd have to get a new mobo for ddr3...

 

[hitbyaprkedcar7]

unless ddr3 will have the same pin pattern as ddr2 chips, otherwise it would be completely contradicting itself.

I thought about that the other day.. If am3 will work on am2 boards, but use ddr3, will they have mobos that are am3 compatible using ddr2? Kind of like how they still make a few boards with AGP slots for those who dont want to upgrade there AGP card. And how theres a few AM2 boards that use ddr1. I dunno.. Guess well have to wait and see how ddr3 and am3 work out.

 

[The Coolest]

In theory for an AM3 CPU there won't be any difference in running DDR2 on AM3 or running DDR3 on AM2, the memory is in direct connection to the CPU. The IMC can handle DDR2/DDR3.
Regarding DDR1 on AM2, I'll be happy if you can show me a single board that has that option (not including the Asrock upgrade card thingy).

 

[Molester]

It would be possible for AM3 boards to use DDR2, K8L's(AM3) memory controller will support DDR3, DDR2, AND FBDIMM(not that we'd use it, lol). But it's been stated that you won't be able to have, say, 1 stick of ddr2 and 1 stick of ddr3, running at same time. It should be noted that DDR3 and DDR2 are both 240-pin, but they ARE NOT compatible, the pins are lined up differently.

 

[Epsilon84]

Yes you can expect using DDR2 on a DDR3 chip which will put a limit on it. But look at it as being able to use a newer chip on an older board. The CPU will still operate near it's potential but limited by ram speed.

Yes, I'm aware of that, I'm just saying all these people getting excited over AM2/AM3 crossover ability should keep this point in mind.

Does anybody know what benefits DDR3 has over DDR2?

 

[Moto7451]

Faster clocks, lower power, and increased internal bandwidth.

DDR3 will run at 1.5v and will debut in DDR3 800 and 1066 forms. DDR3 increases the prefetch buffer to 8 from 4 in DDR2 and 2 in DDR1. That means that at 100MHz (internal clock, not external. The external clock between CPU and RAM would be 400MHz) the memory will run at DDR3 800. The increased prefetch buffer will allow for DDR3 to scale higher than DDR2 while running the same internal clocks.

DDR3 will also be made on 90nm technology which means one of two things for the initial/certain brands of DDR3:

1. It'll be a furnace due to leakage.

2. It'll actually live up to the low power hype and clock like theres no tomorrow.