ASRock AM3+ 890FX Deluxe5

[SubZero.it]

Meh..doesn't make that sense, 990FX is around the corner

ASRock seems to be in a hurry to be out with the first socket AM3+ motherboard that supports AMD's next-generation "Zambezi" Fusion Black processors, and so again put its creativity to use. The company designing a new motherboard based on the AMD 890FX + SB850 chipset instead, called the ASRock 890FX Deluxe5. The selling point with this board is the ability to have an AM3+ as early as possible, with capability to accommodate AM3+ processors as they come. For now, ASRock's idea in the public domain is only in the form of a layout drawing.

The typically-sized ATX motherboard from ASRock makes use of AMD's 890FX + SB850 chipset. The CPU socket is compatible with existing socket AM3 Phenom II and Athlon II processors, and future Fusion Black processors. This isn't particularly an advantage, because every AM3+ motherboard in the future based on 990FX will retain support for AM3 processors. On the other hand, 990FX motherboards could also embrace UEFI, something this board seems to lack prima facie.
Expansion includes three PCI-Express 2.0 x16, and two each of PCI-E x1 and legacy PCI. Storage is care of six SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the southbridge, two SATA unknown ports and an IDE connector from a third-party controller. Connectivity includes 8-channel HD audio with optical and coaxial SPDIF connectivity, six USB 3.0 ports (two by header), a number of USB 2.0 ports, gigabit Ethernet, eSATA, and FireWire. There's no information on when exactly ASRock will introduce this board, but it better be soon, lest it loses edge over 990FX boards.

techPowerUp!

[brickout]

Probably rushing to get the first compatible board out in time to make a little money off it before it's obsolete.

[Micutzu]

Weird place for the CMOS battery, especially since these self-discharge rapidly at high temperatures (around 60C is critical).

[sutyi]

Weird place for the CMOS battery, especially since these self-discharge rapidly at high temperatures (around 60C is critical).

That would least of your problem related to the battery. If it's dead you would need to tear down the whole chipset cooling to replace it.

[Manicdan]

MSI already seems to be doing the same thing

a few people have called them up to ask if the latest boards are actually AM3+, and MSI is repeatedly stating that it will work with BD with a simple bios update.

[Particle]

The battery isn't really all that bad. There is plenty of room to replace the battery on the Deluxe 4 in practice. The heatsink isn't a solid block.

[Micutzu]

The main issue still remains, why would you put a temperature-sensitive critical component in the hottest area of the motherboard ? I can't think of a worse place for it to be than near the CPU PWM.

[Olivon]

The main issue still remains, why would you put a temperature-sensitive critical component in the hottest area of the motherboard ? I can't think of a worse place for it to be than near the CPU PWM.

Right. Weird design ...

[bamtan2]

http://translate.google.com/translat...-chipsatz.html

love asrock. they aren't perfect, but they keep pushing things forward.

[RaV666]

Makes you wonder, if 890FX is compatible with bulldozer, like i suspected it really was.Than whats exactly the problem with updating old boards to support BD ?
Seems to me AMD designed BD to be incompatible.
And moreover will 990FX be really "new" or will it be a simple rename.

[MrMojoZ]

Makes you wonder, if 890FX is compatible with bulldozer, like i suspected it really was.Than whats exactly the problem with updating old boards to support BD ?
Seems to me AMD designed BD to be incompatible.
And moreover will 990FX be really "new" or will it be a simple rename.

New socket, has nothing to do with chipset and no one ever said it did.

[RaV666]

Socket isnt new.You can insert any ddr3 imc based athlon/phenom into am3+.Theyve slightly modified socket itself so that you cant insert bd into am2/am3 sockets physically.

[zanzabar]

New socket, has nothing to do with chipset and no one ever said it did.

its the same socket they are just changing the pin key layout.

the problem with the BD from the looks of it is that amd put as an option that no1 took with the 890fx to have multiple voltages on the cpu so u can have unganged cool and quiet and turbo voltages. with the BD its being mandatory. so none of the boards can officialy support the chip but if it will fit in the socket i would bet that it would work with a bios update. i dont know about the data buss side but it seams like thats the problem from what we know and how server boards are supposed to still be good for BD but the desktop are not when they are on essentially the same chipset and bios but with multi path HTT interface support.

[Particle]

Socket isnt new.You can insert any ddr3 imc based athlon/phenom into am3+.Theyve slightly modified socket itself so that you cant insert bd into am2/am3 sockets physically.

Real life just isn't that interesting. Not everything is a conspiracy. They slightly modified the socket so that the incompatible chips won't fit the same pinning. It's to prevent users from installing parts that won't work together for other reasons. The physical incompatibility isn't the reason.

[RaV666]

Real life just isn't that interesting. Not everything is a conspiracy. They slightly modified the socket so that the incompatible chips won't fit the same pinning. It's to prevent users from installing parts that won't work together for other reasons. The physical incompatibility isn't the reason.

I know that bd would not boot even if it could physically fit the am3 socket.
And thats the reason behing different keying.
However i strongly believe AMD could enable BD to work on am3.Just without cnq or turbocore,or with it being somewhat less energy efficient.
Server solutions dont suffer from it,and obviously chipset isnt issue as well.
And it would not be a conspiracy, just market strategy.
Intel does it all the time.
Purposeful damaging your product to sell more/for more.Is the thing to do in electronics lately.
I almost bought AM3 platform, for long period of time BD was supposed to work on it.I decided not to as soon as i learned that amd changed its plans.

[FlanK3r]

this is crazy...whats the point? This board and 900 chipset boards will be at the same time +-. And for what "older" chipset with new socket area?

Looks simillary to Gigabyte 890x-UD3 :-) (older 790x chipset with new Soutbridge)

[RaV666]

this is crazy...whats the point? This board and 900 chipset boards will be at the same time +-. And for what "older" chipset with new socket area?

Well, AMD probably will sell 890FX stock with a big discount to mobo makers in order to shift new 990FX.
So mobo makers, the rascals, take advantage of it ;-)

[Manicdan]

if they made it work on AM3 then maybe it would cost them a little more die space resulting in lower margins, more testing, maybe some issues that cost dearly, or a loss of performance. all of which affects the FEW people who would have upgraded their AM3 rig to BD right away.

i would much rather see AM3+ boards with features that are really cool though now that you need to upgrade.

[Particle]

Why would you want to intentionally shoot your new flagship product in the foot by confining it to an older platform? There is nothing wrong with making a new socket.

[RaV666]

Why would you want to intentionally shoot your new flagship product in the foot by confining it to an older platform? There is nothing wrong with making a new socket.

They didnt make new socket , i would love to see me some new socket
Besides, making the chip to be compatible, doesnt take away the "new socket" thingy, not in that example at least.
But it uses the same chipset, works with the old cpus.It cant be that different.

[Particle]

It's keyed differently. How is that not a new socket? As to what is functionally different, there's probably some new power plane design, optimized signal groupings, or something like that. It can't change anything too drastic though, admittedly, since it still works with old chips.

[Ket]

Props for creativity, but in real life kinda pointless. As people are throwing theories around about BD being capable of working on AM3 if AMD wished it, thats probably right. Pin assignment could likely be overridden / reassigned via BIOS as the machine was turned on, but it would obviously have some inefficiencies such as higher power draw and the like most probably.

[zalbard]

love asrock. they aren't perfect, but they keep pushing things forward.

Is it just me or has SB proved that Asrock isn't quite as good as it should be yet, at least in regards to BIOS support?

[RaV666]

It's keyed differently. How is that not a new socket? As to what is functionally different, there's probably some new power plane design, optimized signal groupings, or something like that. It can't change anything too drastic though, admittedly, since it still works with old chips.

I would not be so cynical about it, if BD would not work on server boards also.
And keying differently is just for it to not fit physically onto the old boards.
Of course its just my opinion, but thats why i dont consider this modification to be truly new socket.Again, the reason is server space where they didnt change anything and it still works.
For a time there i was thinking desktop chipset (aka 890FX) lacked something vital, but thats obviously not going on .
Most probably they just couldnt be bothered to test and implement the functionality to the old platform, while looking up to the money making machine Intel had become.But with AM3+ being so short lived, im not so sure its a good idea.

[MrMojoZ]

Why would you want to intentionally shoot your new flagship product in the foot by confining it to an older platform? There is nothing wrong with making a new socket.

Yeah, I don't get the whining about this, beats hearing about why AMD should be building 2p enthusiast boards though.