AM3 release and AM2+ mobo availability

[espeed]

I have been away from the hardware scene for over a year so i am obviously way behind on the times. Is it still true that AM3 socket tech for mobos is postponed till 2008? and what mobos are currently out there supporting AM2+ socket tech with HT3? I obviously want the extra head room for the phenomx4 when it arrives shortly........

I noticed biostar are doing an AM2+ socket model, anyone else???

 

[PanzerKammander]

I wouldnt upgrade to am2+ or AM3 until they come out, as far as I know right now that biostar is the only am2+ board, and its not even a true am2+ board, just a modified am2. AM3 I dont think is until mid 08, though the phenom quads should be out i think fall.

 

[eyeCpc]

One article that goes into how AM3 cpus will still run on AM2 boards is seen at bit-tech.net | AMD socket AM3 processors to work in AM2 boards The article also mentions the Q4 release of AM2+ boards. Keep tabs on Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI for this as well as other makes.

 

[PanzerKammander]

Yeah pretty much all the new cpu's and sockets will be backwards compatible from what I understand, ie an am3 processor will work with an am2+ board, am2+ cpu works with am3 and am2 board.

 

[espeed]

im not sure what you mean in your comment that the biostar am2+ board is not a true am2+ board, it may be a modified previous model but does it not have HT3? this is the only fundamental difference between a true am2 and a true am2+ am i right?

 

[eyeCpc]

The new AMD quad core models due for 2008 will be able to run on AM2 boards according to some information seen. The AM2+ boards mainly will be those seen running DDR3 240pin memory which simply means the same type of dimm running at faster speeds starting at 800/1006 and higher mhz there.

 

[PanzerKammander]

im not sure what you mean in your comment that the biostar am2+ board is not a true am2+ board, it may be a modified previous model but does it not have HT3? this is the only fundamental difference between a true am2 and a true am2+ am i right?

It will run am2+, but like I said its a half assesed modified am2 board. It wasnt designed from the start to go am2+. I wouldnt even consider buying an am2+ mobo until companies like gigabyte/asus/DFI/msi get in on it. Considering the processors arent even out yet, there is no reason for an am2+ board right now.

 

[espeed]

umm, ok ive read that am2+ is ddr2 only still, with HT3 as only benefit over am2. Phenom cards running on am2+ boards will be constrained to ddr2. Am i wrong?

 

[eyeCpc]

You will most likely find that the + means a faster bus for DDR3 memory more then anything. For AMD the same cpus will be able to run there as well.

 

[PanzerKammander]

Yup.

Considering ddr3 wont really be adopted as the standard memory at least until sometime next year.. heck, DD2 is only just now finding the huge install base that ddr1 had. I see no reason to buy a ddr3 mobo, or am2+ mobo right now.