Upgrading processors. AMD Quad Core. Why buy 965? Is 940 a better choice?

[Apokalipse]

^^what do u mean by chokes?

The square things here are chokes.
each power 'phase' has one choke.
motherboards use power 'phases' to power the CPU - each 'phase' takes turns in powering the CPU.
If it has 8 phases for the CPU, then each one is working 1/8 of the time to provide power.
The less time each one works for, the longer it lasts, the less heat it has, and the better it works (heat tends to affect them significantly)

What the choke does is resists sudden changes in the level of power, so it becomes smoother. Counting them is an easy way to count the number of phases a motherboard has.
They'll come after the MOSFET's for each phase, which essentially are what determine the amount of volts supplied. It's the MOSFET's that really do the work, and you want them to run cool.

also, i say 965. Get's u closer to 4.0GHz anyways. If u want the best of the best, get the highest 6-core Phenom II.

4GHz can be done on the 1055T.
It just means you'll need a board that handle high HTT speeds

Unlocked multipliers make it easier to reach the CPU's potential. But you often can do it with the HTT bus as long as the board is good enough.

 

[RichM499]

Newegg.com - BIOSTAR TA785 A2+ AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G ATX AMD Motherboard

How many chokes are on this board? I could be wrong but I count 6 for the CPU. 1 near the 4pin 12vatx connector (What is this one for?) 1 for the northbridge and 2 for the ram.

Am I wrong? This one should give me quite a bit more headroom, right? It uses DDR2, looks like it has a good number of chokes, and supports the Phenom II x6 1055t.
What do you think Apokalipse?

I think I might need to steal my sisters Athlon 64 x2 5400+ BE for a few minutes to flash the BIOS. Something makes me think the BIOS won't be updated when I get it. I can handle that though.
I just need to know if this board looks like it will allow me to get a better overclock. I mean there are 10 total chokes as opposed to 4 total on my current board. That HAS to make a difference
.

 

[Wildside]

The more chokes, the better OCing, correct?

 

[RichM499]

The more chokes, the better OCing, correct?

Not directly. More chokes means "cleaner" power is supplied to the processor and you can pull more amps through the motherboard without it taking a **** on you and turning off.

Or at least this is my understanding.

The problem is this 6-core Phenom demands a lot of power (watts). And my motherboard can't supply the power.
If you have a dual core 45watt AMD or low-power Intel then you have nothing to worry about because even a cheap-*** mobo is going to be able to power it.

 

[Apokalipse]

Newegg.com - BIOSTAR TA785 A2+ AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G ATX AMD Motherboard

How many chokes are on this board? I could be wrong but I count 6 for the CPU. 1 near the 4pin 12vatx connector (What is this one for?) 1 for the northbridge and 2 for the ram.

Am I wrong? This one should give me quite a bit more headroom, right? It uses DDR2, looks like it has a good number of chokes, and supports the Phenom II x6 1055t.
What do you think Apokalipse?

I think I might need to steal my sisters Athlon 64 x2 5400+ BE for a few minutes to flash the BIOS. Something makes me think the BIOS won't be updated when I get it. I can handle that though.
I just need to know if this board looks like it will allow me to get a better overclock. I mean there are 10 total chokes as opposed to 4 total on my current board. That HAS to make a difference
.

It's 6 phases for the CPU. You don't count the ones for memory, or for the motherboard's northbridge.
Which means either 4 for the CPU cores and 2 for the CPU's northbridge/HTT, or more likely 5 for the CPU cores and 1 for the CPU's northbridge/HTT

Number of phases isn't everything, but it's a reasonable indicator of how well it can regulate power.

The chokes are an easy way to count the number of phases. It's the MOSFET's that are the most important aspect.

Not directly. More chokes means "cleaner" power is supplied to the processor and you can pull more amps through the motherboard without it taking a **** on you and turning off.

Or at least this is my understanding.

The problem is this 6-core Phenom demands a lot of power (watts). And my motherboard can't supply the power.
If you have a dual core 45watt AMD or low-power Intel then you have nothing to worry about because even a cheap-*** mobo is going to be able to power it.

It could probably supply (barely) enough power at stock speeds, or with an overclock that doesn't require an increase in volts.
Better power regulation will improve a board's ability to handle a better overclock.