SOLVED Anyone have experience with MSI 970 Gaming?

[xrror]

So a buddy of mine is wanting to upgrade. He's also obsessed with getting an "8 core" processor but trying to keep the budget around $300-$350.
Note this is to "refresh" his current computer. So this is just going to be a mobo, proc, and memory in this "phase 1" of budget.

Yea, I've told him an i5 or possibly even the Pentium AE might do what he wants, but... 8 cores. So AMD FX it is then. But hey more fun for us right? =)

My first goto for cheap AM3 would be to roll the dice on another ga-970a-ud3p ... but it's seeming out of stock everywhere. Plus hey I've already "done that" so lets try something new for fun.

Short version is I'm looking at the MSI 970 Gaming paired with an FX 8310.

Wondering if anyone had any feedback or experience with these?

MSI kinda scares me since back in the day they would have 1 model that rocked, then the rest would blow up. But ehh that seems to be Gigabyte's trend these days too so...

Any input is welcome, and thanks.

 

[RGone]

Which Mobo to buy ?

You might want to give a look at that link above. Pretty good explanation of what you get when you throw your money at an AMD AM3+ motherboard. And I did not see a single poster in that thread that does not have a pretty darn good idea of what is actually going on in real time.

RGone...

 

[xrror]

Nice. I hadn't caught that the MSI Gamer power section was just 6+2.

I'd love to just get a recommended board for $230 or so (ch-v,) but even if I sucked it up and ate half the cost of it to help him out... I think the further add-on costs would probably drive him off - for example to push clocks to justify that board he'd also need a beefier power supply, and cooling needs would be expedited into the current budget for sure.

I'm kinda defaulting back to the GA-970A-UD3P (maybe I can dig one up on Amazon or something) - but now I'm kinda gun-shy on that because there is a Rev 2.0 now? (good catch BTW) And my GA-970A-UD3P experience is with rev 1.0 and Thuban, FX is a completely different beast.

Argh why do all the AM3+ boards $100 and below have to skip on power section or have screwy BIOS.

The system is probably going to be a pretty mild overclock (4.2~4.4) and single GPU - "phase 2" budget after this is video, cooling and SSD. To put into perspective he's upgrading from an Phenom (1) X2 on a mobo with dead caps.


Although hrmmm maybe I sell him my UD3P to subsidize getting a CH-V for myself. - that kinda gives me an evil grin - I blame you RGone


Off Topic'ish:
Also coincidentally I should have the opportunity to try a 8350 in the UD3P I currently have in the next day or so (weird/lucky timing) - which will let me personally experience running an 8 core FX on the UD3P and blowing it up. And then there's the 8370 that's also coming (for yet another project). I'll post some updates on that.

If only I got to actually keep any of them for myself.

 

[RGone]

The whole thing...

...has a wonky smell "xrror". I guess there are maybe 4 or 5 of us that have done this dang 6 and 8 Core FX processor since release in 2011. And we still have only the cheaper Sabertooth and then the CHV-Z now that will work if the board is not stupid DOA and any brand might have that. I am testing a brand new CHV-Z that I just bought and waffled and cancelled order and around the world and still bought the dang CHV-Z just to be certain. Not wanting to walk into a crapshoot.

I was going to get the Asrock 990fX EXT9 that we had sort of recommended since it replaced the Asrock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional which I do have one of and though the EXT 9 would be a good fit. Forken me running. Did a g00gle search for EXT 9 + issues and found way too many users with crappy, niggling issues so I dumped that idea.

You can buy the slightly cheaper Asus M5A97 FX990 PRO and go to about 4.5Ghz without too much problems. No less than a CM 212EVO cooler. The dang 8 core might catch your pardner a little short at 4.4Ghz but that is life if he does not go for one that can handle all that water cooling (excellent system) can get one to in cpu Mhz.

Of course the Sabetooth works fine for a little less, but you are right when you say that AMD needs good power supply (well any system does); then it needs a very good mobo and finally an awesome water cooling rig for pushing into the +5Ghz area for benching.

But maybe a little information about some of these newer FX-83xx cpus including the new kid FX-8370...some of them go to 4.8Ghz with less Vcore than ever, but they will not go ahead and banzai into the mid 5.0Ghz range for benching. Things have changed.

Sell him your UDP3 and get the SaberKitty or even the CHV-Z and I really doubt you would feel slighted with a SaberKitty.

Sorry man. Sorry it be my faulted. Hehehe.

RGone...

 

[Hardin]

I was going to get the Asrock 990fX EXT9 that we had sort of recommended since it replaced the Asrock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional which I do have one of and though the EXT 9 would be a good fit. Forken me running. Did a g00gle search for EXT 9 + issues and found way too many users with crappy, niggling issues so I dumped that idea.

RGone...

The Extreme9 isn't so bad. Except now I've learned that the llc settings aren't labeled correctly in the bios which is why I have vdroop at 100%.

 

[Janus67]

Do you mean because the numbering goes backwards (5llc is low, and 1llc is high?) as far as I know that's true on most/all ASRock boards.

 

[Hardin]

Do you mean because the numbering goes backwards (5llc is low, and 1llc is high?) as far as I know that's true on most/all ASRock boards.

In my bios it has a range from 0-100%. I thought 100% would turn it on, but I get vdroop with that setting.

 

[Janus67]

That's a weird one for sure

 

[xrror]

I do think I'm going to try and go the "trade for a Sabertooth" route, if he's okay with buying my UD3P for say $90 then that makes the saber "only" about $70 out of pocket for me. I'll know in the next 2 weeks since that's when he gets paid/bonus check I think.

On tangent B the 8370 came in today and I'm playing with it on the UD3P atm. Though I guess I should avoiding killing the UD3P if I'm going to try and sell it

I get the impression that even if I somehow did get stupid lucky and pull a > 4.7Ghz on the UD3P that I shouldn't expect the board to live long. Especially since I run Rosetta@Home on everything

I'll keep you all in the loop on what happens. For right now though it's time to beat on the UD3P while I have access to the 8370.

 

[RGone]

xrror, I don't really think you will kill the UD3P. It is just so odd to get going and the Giga boards have been down on I/O speeds compared to others and the bios can be a pain to get this ON and that OFF and not at times to pull your hair out.

Now do I still honestly believe that you will have better luck with a SaberKitty overall...heck yes I still believe it. For the absolute long run in overclocking you can not beat the SaberKitty and CHV-Z.

RGone...

 

[xrror]

The Extreme9 isn't so bad.

I'll keep an eye on that board too, but it actually seems to list $10 higher than the Saber. But right now newegg has $20 off on it... which probably won't be when my buddy ever decides to "go" on this project.

Plus you know... it doesn't have that RGone seal of approval (TM)

"Plan Renege" is also a non starter if I was still tempted to "cheap out" with another UD3P... on Amazon they're around $135 which is just stupid. Might as well go whole hog at that point.

----

And in tangent UD3P story I got the 8370 installed, but haven't gotten to play with it much yet. Hopefully tomorrow I can get some "quality time" in with it and the overclocking guide

If I get anything fun (well maybe especially if I don't) that'll be a new thread.

lastly a picture just cause... why not. It's a mess, a shim/sham of "left over parts" with a handle on top = it's the LAN party box / UD3P torture chamber

 

[chrisjames61]

xrror, I don't really think you will kill the UD3P. It is just so odd to get going and the Giga boards have been down on I/O speeds compared to others and the bios can be a pain to get this ON and that OFF and not at times to pull your hair out.

Now do I still honestly believe that you will have better luck with a SaberKitty overall...heck yes I still believe it. For the absolute long run in overclocking you can not beat the SaberKitty and CHV-Z.

RGone...

The Gigabyte EUFI Bios are pretty bad imho. At least on AM3+ boards.

 

[xrror]

So good news, I think my buddy is going to go for buying my old board, memory and video card. I see a SaberTooth being on order soon

Right now the 8370 at a really "rough" overclock at 4.5Ghz on the UD3P. By rough I mean "let's do a rough and dirty bus overclock with HT clock, cause I dunno what I'm doing with FX yet"
I seriously need some time where I can sit down, read the guides again, and again ... and again. But by the time that happens might be on a different board at that point.

But for the few UD3P people, so far it's just been:

HPC Mode - ON
APC - OFF

Load Line to Medium

Vcore to 1.35v
Memory to 1.57v

annnnddd... everything still at Auto. It feels dirty, and and the back of the mobo is too hot to touch for more than 3 seconds when Rosetta is running. Which is all the time. So that's... probably not great for the PCB at least, let alone the mosfets ;p

Definitely going to look into getting some more airflow onto the VRM sinks for the Saber, and also trying to figure out how to get a fan behind the socket (going to be tight with this case).

So while the UD3P "overclock log" thread probably won't happen now (I don't want to toast this thing through raw heat) pretty sure I'm going to be asking some noob FX overclocking questions in the future in a new thread.

Oh yea, and with buying the Saber - I'm totally annexing the 8370 for myself :evil:

Thanks all again.

 

[RGone]

annnnddd... everything still at Auto. It feels dirty, and and the back of the mobo is too hot to touch for more than 3 seconds when Rosetta is running. Which is all the time. So that's... probably not great for the PCB at least, let alone the mosfets ;p I heard that the Giga boards ran hot, but that sounds a little extreme. I think I have read that "mechanics" hands can withstand 140F for a few seconds. Most of us run some sort of extra air to the VRMs and many do so to the back of the mobo. Why? Because pUsHiNg an 8 core FX processor puts off some serious HeaT. No matter what mobo is in use and you want something to last a while.

Definitely going to look into getting some more airflow onto the VRM sinks for the Saber, and also trying to figure out how to get a fan behind the socket (going to be tight with this case). It is plainly a good idea to get good airflow 'over' the VRM area. Some small fan on the backside of mobo is a great idea. If not mistaken part of the VRM mosfets are ON the rear of the board. Know part of the circuit is on back of my CHV-Z board.



Oh yea, and with buying the Saber - I'm totally annexing the 8370 for myself :evil: NoT evil if the choice is in your hands to make. Hehehe.

Thanks all again.

Hope it all goes as planned.
RGone...

 

[Hardin]

I'll keep an eye on that board too, but it actually seems to list $10 higher than the Saber. But right now newegg has $20 off on it... which probably won't be when my buddy ever decides to "go" on this project.

Plus you know... it doesn't have that RGone seal of approval (TM)

Well I always have to different for no reason but to be different . I figured out the best llc setting to use and it has some pretty useful software with it.