Am2+ or AM3

[troyrae360]

im looking at upgrading my CPU to a phenom 2, not sure weather to buy am3 or am2+
heres my mobo.
Im thinking am3 then upgrade mobo later down the track,
Any know what the 955 overclocks like also whats the diff between 940 and 945?

Heres a link to my current Mobo
http://www.gigabyte.co.nz/Products/M...=GA-MA790X-DS4

[Assassin48]

i have taken my 955 on my am2+ all the way up to 3.9 just using the FSB

the diff between the 940 and 945 is that the 940 is an unlock multiplier and the 945 isn't

i say just get the 955 in your am2+ then upgrade once you have some money
also you mobo is a sb600 so yours might be a little lower overclock if it even supports it

[newtekie1]

I say go AM3, and be future proof. No point in buying an AM2+ CPU when AM3 CPUs are available and function just fine in AM2+ boards.

As for the difference between the 940 and the 945, well the 940 is a Black Edition. So the multiplier is unlocked, which will allow easier overclocking. While the 945 has DDR3/AM3 support and a locked multiplier. As for which will overclock better, I believe the 940 overclocks better, but not by a whole lot.

[troyrae360]

Thanks for the info

[HolyCow02]

They both said everything that needed to be said. Go AM3 cpu and upgrade the board later.

[RevengE]

might as well go Am3, That's why I got my 720BE so I can run ddr3 or ddr2.

[jmcslob]

If it's a brand new build "Go AM3", good AM3 boards are getting really cheap,well around the same price as a descent AM2+ board and it's good for at least another round of cpu's before AMD does it's socket revision.But since it's not a brand new build i would still suggest AM3 cpu for cheaper future upgrades

[boomstik360]

Yeah I'd say go am3

[Studabaker]

Might as well use the latest platform.

[_jM]

IMHO.. I would say AM3 and be future proof... I mean most of the newer chips from AMD are going to be AM3 anyways right.. plus you should look into the new AMD 'Tweaker" thingy thats coming out before you choose so soon

[n-ster]

This is what I do not understand lol... I would think getting 940 would be an obvious choice o.O I'll make a thread about this later lol.. if I remember... and if I don't fall asleep...

[Darknova]

Originally Posted by n-ster

This is what I do not understand lol... I would think getting 940 would be an obvious choice o.O I'll make a thread about this later lol.. if I remember... and if I don't fall asleep...

Why? 940 can only work in AM2+ boards, 945 and 955 can work in AM2+ and AM3.

[n-ster]

because he will only upgrade to AM3 once there is a CPU that is worth upgrading too... going AM3 mobo + RAM compared to AM2+ is not much performance increase... Also, 55$ cheaper the 940... If I don't make much sense sry, I'm tired

[Darknova]

Originally Posted by n-ster

because he will only upgrade to AM3 once there is a CPU that is worth upgrading too... going AM3 mobo + RAM compared to AM2+ is not much performance increase... Also, 55$ cheaper the 940... If I don't make much sense sry, I'm tired

720BE is AM3, I'm running an AM2+ board and DDR2. Grabbing an AM3 CPU is better value, it will run in both AM3 motherboards and AM2+ motherboards.

Grabbing an AM2+ chip means he has to buy a brand new CPU when he goes AM3. If he grabs the AM3 now, and then decides to get DDR3 he wont need to buy a new CPU.

[CDdude55]

I would say AM3, would help in the future to.

[Easo]

AM3, os that in future, if you now go for AM2+ mobo, upgrade costs will exclude CPU.

[jmcslob]

No really I get what you are thinking!! I originally went for the 955 and got a bad 1 (or i killed it by taking the multiplier and voltages a little to high) so after i got it RMA'd I got the 920...thinking what the heck by the time it's out of date the I7's would be a lot cheaper so i would just take this unit to it's grave instead of upgrading it again.

[n-ster]

Thing is why would he want to go am3 with a PII 955 when he already has am2+? Only reason to go am3 is that theres some new cpu that comes out that's better... and besides, prices for am3 will either stay or lower in the future... I don't see why he would want to go AM3 now when he already has am2+ that performs practically the same.... I am still tired btw

[Darknova]

Originally Posted by n-ster

Thing is why would he want to go am3 with a PII 955 when he already has am2+? Only reason to go am3 is that theres some new cpu that comes out that's better... and besides, prices for am3 will either stay or lower in the future... I don't see why he would want to go AM3 now when he already has am2+ that performs practically the same.... I am still tired btw

He doesn't, he has AM2 right now. An X2 6000

[boomstik360]

Originally Posted by n-ster

Thing is why would he want to go am3 with a PII 955 when he already has am2+? Only reason to go am3 is that theres some new cpu that comes out that's better... and besides, prices for am3 will either stay or lower in the future... I don't see why he would want to go AM3 now when he already has am2+ that performs practically the same.... I am still tired btw

Well he has a 6400+ windsor right now so the 955 would be a pretty big upgrade while with his same board.
I am guessing you must have thought he already had a 940 or something.

[n-ster]

First of all he has a am2+ mobo

no what I mean is... since he already has a am2+ mobo, why even go PII 955 if the 940 gives out similar performance?

Your answer: Because it is AM3 mobo compatible

Yet what I fail to understand is how that is a benefit... even if he does do AM3, what benefits would he see over a 955 on am2+? barely any, hence why the ONLY reason he would want to upgrade to AM3 is if another CPU comes out for AM3 that is far superior than the PII 955 or 940... Hence me saying going PII 955 is practically a waste of 55$ if he can go 940 instead with practically same performance

My debate here is that if he does go AM3, it won't be with a PII 955 since he already has AM2+ and AM3 does not grant much more benefit

[Darknova]

Originally Posted by n-ster

First of all he has a am2+ mobo

no what I mean is... since he already has a am2+ mobo, why even go PII 955 if the 940 gives out similar performance?

Your answer: Because it is AM3 mobo compatible

Yet what I fail to understand is how that is a benefit... even if he does do AM3, what benefits would he see over a 955 on am2+? barely any, hence why the ONLY reason he would want to upgrade to AM3 is if another CPU comes out for AM3 that is far superior than the PII 955 or 940... Hence me saying going PII 955 is practically a waste of 55$ if he can go 940 instead with practically same performance

My debate here is that if he does go AM3, it won't be with a PII 955 since he already has AM2+ and AM3 does not grant much more benefit

How is it a benefit? Ok. You grab a PII 940, you then want to upgrade to DDR3, you have to buy a new CPU, motherboard and RAM.

You grab a PII 955 and want to upgrade to DDR3, you grab a motherboard and RAM.

That is a benefit, it's future-proofing.

PII 955 also overclocks further. Stock speeds are 3.2Ghz over 3Ghz.

My point, is why should he not go with the best CPU he can get right this moment if 1. he can afford it, 2. it will cost him less to upgrade again later, and 3. it's a better overclocker.

[n-ster]

Originally Posted by Darknova

How is it a benefit? Ok. You grab a PII 940, you then want to upgrade to DDR3, you have to buy a new CPU, motherboard and RAM.

You grab a PII 955 and want to upgrade to DDR3, you grab a motherboard and RAM.

That is a benefit, it's future-proofing.

PII 955 also overclocks further. Stock speeds are 3.2Ghz over 3Ghz.

My point, is why should he not go with the best CPU he can get right this moment if 1. he can afford it, 2. it will cost him less to upgrade again later, and 3. it's a better overclocker.

Thing is that I don't understand the purpose of upgrading to AM3 when you would have an AM2+ w/ pII 955 or 940...
Ther performance difference is small yet the price difference isn't since you would have to pay for a mobo and RAM...

If he wanted to upgrade to AM3, I guess I would wait till they get new very good CPUs out and perhaps better mobos etc...

What is the point if he buys the 955 now (-55$) and then say one month later he gets AM3 (~130$ mobo ~65$ RAM) which provides him a tiny performance boost and its still little even compared to the 940... for 250$... He'd need to buy a new AM3 CPU so that buying the AM3 setup is justified yes?

When he can get the 940 now, then get an AM3 when they are better/cheaper and that a new great CPU comes out or something... Then he can get a better board/CPU/RAM for the price he would have payed if he had went AM3 from the beginning... and going am3 would also be paying 55$ for that little performance increase between PII 940 and 955, which is about 30% more than the 940... Even if say the 955 performs 10% better, it still doesn't justify a 30% price increase...


EDIT: Wait I think I can compare it with something that might make my argument clearer lol... It's like paying extra for new tech now that only increases performance a little bit but costs a lot more for now, but that everyone knows that in the future, great upgrades are to come (new great CPUs) instead of waiting until it becomes better and cheaper and by an older, but almost same performing tech

idk if you guys understand me yet... I explain like shit and weirdly, I'm still tired? Fwaking allergies while I sleep