Ram Compatibility and Mobo/CPU Questions

Footfalls

Solid State Member
Messages
9
I'm thinking about buying this CPU
AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Desktop Processor - C3 Revision HDZ555WFGMBOX
*link*
And this Mobo
MSI 890FXA-GD70 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD
*link*
And this RAM
OCZ Flex EX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000)
*link*

My first concern is the RAM, will it be compatible with my Mobo/CPU? I've heard that 2133 RAM is only compatible with the i7 CPU's and that it's not compatible with AMD?

Secondly, I would appreciate any assistance, guidance, or links as to help explain how to unlock this particular CPU into a Quad.
Thank you for taking the time to read and reply : o)
 
I'm thinking about buying this CPU
AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Desktop Processor - C3 Revision HDZ555WFGMBOX
*link*
And this Mobo
MSI 890FXA-GD70 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD
*link*
And this RAM
OCZ Flex EX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000)
*link*

2133 MHz RAM and a PII 550?! you should probably get your priorities straight here. Get 1600 MHz RAM and use the money you saved to buy a quad core CPU.

My first concern is the RAM, will it be compatible with my Mobo/CPU? I've heard that 2133 RAM is only compatible with the i7 CPU's and that it's not compatible with AMD?

It's compatible with the processor, but probably not the motherboard.

Secondly, I would appreciate any assistance, guidance, or links as to help explain how to unlock this particular CPU into a Quad.

Enable ACC in the BIOS. It will probably be unstable though. The cores are often locked for a good reason. If you buy the 550, expect a dual core CPU. You may be able to get more, but there is absolutely no guarantee, and with the cost of the 955, it really isn't worth it.
 
Don't need to say anything else here apart from the fact that Foothead is right on the button. 2133 MHz RAM? No, blatantly un-necessary. And you don't need to think about unlocking dud cores cause you'll go for the 955/965 CPU instead.
 
Alrighty!
I just spent quiet a bit of time redefining my list.
Thank you two for helping me out! I really appreciate your advice : o)

Here's my full lay out now, please offer more advice
SeaSonic X650 Gold 650W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 PSU
AMD Phenom II X4 955 CPU
ASUS M4A87TD EVO AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Mobo
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Ram
SAPPHIRE 100282-3SR Radeon HD 5850 (Cypress Pro) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 Video Card
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4 HD322GJ/U 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
CD/DVD Burner
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro 92mm Ceramic CPU Cooler
Microsoft Windows 7
Which brings the grand total to about $1,007 USD and add another 181$ for shipping. I think I might check my local shops here in Anchorage, Alaska and compare to the pricing of Newegg + shipping and see if I can save any there..
 
That's much better. I doubt you'll find much cheaper than newegg at local shops though. When I was in Alaska about 12 years ago, everything was much more expensive than Louisiana, and there's the way that most local shops mark the prices up a lot on components.
 
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