I have used AM3 CPU's in AM2+ sockets with great success. The reduced memory bandwidth was not a deal breaker. It was a nice option to have. I'd take a "lets wait and see" approach here. With an updated BIOS, who knows?
I have used AM3 CPU's in AM2+ sockets with great success. The reduced memory bandwidth was not a deal breaker. It was a nice option to have. I'd take a "lets wait and see" approach here. With an updated BIOS, who knows?
AMD officially endorsed AM3 CPUs in AM2+ sockets. They do not endorse AM3+ in an AM3 socket. Big difference here. The point is if you're going to upgrade both parts, but not at the same time, get the AM3+ motherboard first, then the AM3+ CPU. Not the other way around. The only boards that are currently known to work with a BIOS upgrade are the few ASUS models listed in their press release. All of the Gigabyte boards require a new purchase.
Core unlocking was not supported by AMD either. Lets see how creative motherboard manufactures get. Assume they have enough 880 chips in stock, it may be an incentive for them to do some BIOS trickery in order to make the old boards more marketable. Its all conjecture at this point, we just won't know until we know.
Core unlocking was not supported by AMD either. Lets see how creative motherboard manufactures get. Assume they have enough 880 chips in stock, it may be an incentive for them to do some BIOS trickery in order to make the old boards more marketable. Its all conjecture at this point, we just won't know until we know.
I understand what you're getting at, but AMD disabled the cores for reasons including completely failed units and voltage/speed requirements for a particular model. They didn't support it because they couldn't guarantee it would work. It's ended up being the same situation here. They won't support it, but obviously it'll work in some cases.
I would still recommend against buying an AM3 board specifically to use an AM3+ CPU.
That doesn't make sense. If beta testers have beta CPUs, then they have AM3+ motherboards. Nobody would release tangentially compatible products into the channel through partner companies for a CPU that can't be bought. That's not how it works, and bad business sense.
Its all a bit dodgy really. I think it would make more sense to say bulldozer will be AM3 compatable. But i reckon they will only have the lowest quad core dual module version. The high 6 and 8 core models will all be AM3+ and not fit physically. This will work out great for AMD as the low binned core disabled chips will sell well to people upgrading AM2 and AM3 systems. Then if you really need all the power ul have to upgrade, if not then you wont feel bummed as AMD did have backwards support.
Yeah and if your AM2/AM2+/AM3 mobo does not have official bulldozer support download the cpu microcode from one of the new mobo's that does. Extract the microcode and use CBROM to integrate it into your own bios.
No probs. I'm keeping a careful eye on this atm. Can't wait to see some real benchmarks and decide if I should keep my current AMD mobo and DDR2 or go balls out and go intel. But if this bulldozer is good and cheap enough then perhaps it could tie me over till ivy bridge. I hear 2nd gen bulldozer has integrated gpu, 10 cores and is on socket FM1. So AM3+ is destined to die anyhoo. Also i think i did read that although you can flash the bios to accept the bulldozer cpus you dont get a temp reading unless using a 880 chipset or higher. So if you do have an old board like mine then you will have to run blind which should not be a problem but not very safe especially if you spread the heat paste too thin. But yeah swings and roundabouts.
The difference between the am3 and am3+ pin layout is one pin...that the am3+ doesn't have meaning that an am3+ processor would fit in an am3 board...function is another matter entirely.
mertesn
I am Bobby MillerYukon, OK Icrontian
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I would still recommend against buying an AM3 board specifically to use an AM3+ CPU.
Yeah and if your AM2/AM2+/AM3 mobo does not have official bulldozer support download the cpu microcode from one of the new mobo's that does. Extract the microcode and use CBROM to integrate it into your own bios.
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