ASUS pledges support for AM3+ both for current and future motherboards

[Shadov]

Even though AMD have yet to release their next batch of CPU's with the codename Bulldozer ASUS already is pledging that many of their current AM3-motherboards will support the new AM3+ CPU's through a bios update. They also have a list of upcoming motherboards that also will fully support the CPU's. So if you are in the market for a new AM3-motherboard but want to make sure that it will work fine with the new upcoming CPU's then just check the list to see which motherboards to get from ASUS.

*BIOS Upgradable Supported AM3 models:

AMD 890FX/SB850:

*Crosshair IV Extreme
*Crosshair IV Formula
*M4A89TD PRO/USB3
*M4A89TD PRO
AMD 890GX/SB850:
*M4A89GTD PRO/USB3
*M4A89GTD PRO

**Current BIOS update is a beta release. Please check the ASUS support site for continual updates.

***Upcoming ASUS M5A Series models (AM3+ socket with AMD 8-series chipsets):

AMD 880G
M5A88-V EVO
M5A88-M EVO
M5A88-M
AMD 870
M5A87
AMD 760G
M5A78L
M5A78L LE
M5A78L-M/USB3
M5A78L-M PLUS
M5A78L-M LE
M5A78L-M LX

Link: http://www.bjorn3d.com/news/ASUS_ple...Bjorn3d.com%29

Nice, now the only difference between AM3 and AM3+ will be DDR3 1866 Support and IOMMU!

[Mechanical Man]

Nice, now the only difference between AM3 and AM3+ will be DDR3 1866 Support and IOMMU!

890FX has IOMMU.

[informal]

Something is wrong with ASUS' announcement. There is physical difference between AM3+ Zambezi and AM3 motherboards.How do they plan to overcome this?By making users cut of the extra pin from Zambezi chip??

[Manicdan]

Something is wrong with ASUS' announcement. There is physical difference between AM3+ Zambezi and AM3 motherboards.How do they plan to overcome this?By making users cut of the extra pin from Zambezi chip??

by providing upgrade kits to all current MB sales which consists of a very tiny drill bit and map showing you which hole to drill

[DarthShader]

by providing upgrade kits to all current MB sales which consists of a very tiny drill bit and map showing you which hole to drill

Haven't thought of that, this could work!

[Mats]

Unless AMD changed their mind, again..

[nex_73]

It could be that AMD have some troubles (or should i say delayed?) with the 9x chipsets and don't want to delay the BD release? So removing 1 pin (the "blocker") from the cpu is a quick-fix?
And YES i know what JF-AMD has told you earlier in the forums, but hey, that was days ago, this kind of things can switch very fast if needed!

[Manicdan]

socket <> chipsets

the chipset might be missing a minor feature that can improve efficiency, or a bit of performance, but not compatibility aparently

what agitates me is that boards that have been out for a while, could have been compatible with BD for a while.

how much did asus rev 3.1 change? just that socket with an extra hole? or did the phases change? can current CIV users really just update the bios and drill that hole and have BD direct drop in?

i like the AMD socket compatibility theyve offered, but i would have liked to know a month ago that my 200$ purchase should have been held off for just a hair longer, and i could have bought something decent instead of trying to go cheaper assuming AM3+ wouldnt be out until late spring.

[SubZero.it]

It could be that AMD have some troubles (or should i say delayed?) with the 9x chipsets and don't want to delay the BD release? So removing 1 pin (the "blocker") from the cpu is a quick-fix?
And YES i know what JF-AMD has told you earlier in the forums, but hey, that was days ago, this kind of things can switch very fast if needed!

Actually this is the most probable one also because the noobish Fud was rumouring this
http://www.fudzilla.com/processors/i...chipset-issues

[cesariuth]

this is very strange...or the new rev of MB 890 could be use the AM3+ socket??

[zanzabar]

Something is wrong with ASUS' announcement. There is physical difference between AM3+ Zambezi and AM3 motherboards.How do they plan to overcome this?By making users cut of the extra pin from Zambezi chip??

there is no extra pins for the socket (its all am) type its just a key, and i think that the asus boards have a non standard key to make it work. i just looked and on my 720be its got a 4 key spots 2banks of 2 pin and 2 banks of 3 pin but my 890fx m4a89td pro has a key with 4 banks of 2 pins. but then the am3b socket is 942 pins and the am3 is 941

[XRL8]

Um, things got stranger.
Official polish asus website:
(translated)
http://translate.googleusercontent.c...XEELm5thMEWAzQ

It clearly states, that CURRENT AM3 motherboards will get AM3+ CPU`s support via bios update.
Although i dont believe it, and think that there probably in HQ was an error of somekind, some bad memo, and it just gets spread around...

[Manicdan]

its quite possible for them to say it only works on rev3.1 and still call those people "current"

[XRL8]

But in that instance, they should call them "current AM3+" motherboards.Rev 3.1 ones are am3+ designated.

EDIT

Got an idea, maybe AMD will launch few SKU`s with physical AM3 support.So they will fit in both sockets.

[zanzabar]

so here is the msi 990fx
http://www.tweaktown.com/popImg.php?...86_01_full.png

there is a spot (top left) were am3 sockets have a 2 pin key but this one is a 1 pin key one pin lower than the key, on am2/am2+ cpus that spot has a pin there but am3 dose not. so there are keys on the am3 socket that are open on the am3+, so we will need a shot of an am3+ cpu and then the debate will be over, but with this and the asrock and not having different sockets it looks like am3+ will work with am3 boards in some capacity.

and dont forget that there is a fuzion chip for desktops and we dont know what socket it is, so there may be with and without IGP chips that are socketed differently.

[Oliverda]

A quote from myself.

Wait a minute. Have we seen an AM3+ CPU? Are we sure that it has that extra pin? I can imagine that the extra "hole" in the socket is only required for the 2nd gen. Bulldozes.

BTW, I don't believe the Asus story until I don't see it as an official announcment from them.

[XRL8]

Neither of the two theories seems plausible, since Llano is going to use socket FM1.
And Komodo (2nd gen bulldozer) will use new socket also (due to the pcie integration and igp).

[BeepBeep2]

Neither of the two theories seems plausible, since Llano is going to use socket FM1.
And Komodo (2nd gen bulldozer) will use new socket also (due to the pcie integration and igp).

You seem to be completely oblivious to orochi XD

[Mads321]

I just posted this elsewhere, but if I'm right, it whould clear up the mess:

First have a look at the difference of AM3 and AM3+



Which in fact does make it physically impossible for a AM3+ CPU, to fit in a AM3 motherboard.

However, current AMD chipsets like the 890, 880, 870, 790, 760- series etc. IS compatible with Zambezi/Bulldozer/FX AM3+ CPU's.

So, what the motherboard manufacturers are currently doing, is fitting AM3+ sockets on existing AM3 motherboards, and calling them a new revision.

To sum up: For a motherboard to support Zambezi/Bulldozer/FX, it will need a AM3+ socket, but not (necceseraly) the new 990FX / 990X chipset.

Generally AM3+ sockets are black, and AM3 sockets are white, so it's actually quite easy to spot which boards are compatible, and which are not.

Just have a look at Gigabytes website, and you'll be able to spot both AM3 and AM3+ sockets on motherboards (confusingly) under the AM3 tab:

http://gigabyte.com/products/list.as...jid=10&p=2&v=2


If you want to check if you board has an AM3+ socket, just look for 3 things:

1) Black socket
2) Written "AM3b" in it
3) Has one less pinhole

[nex_73]

number of holes in socket =/= number of pins on cpu - and have any1 here not in the know seen and counted the pins on a bd?
things will clear up soon as i have a feeling both amd and asus has been mailbombed about this =)
fun discussing it meanwhile...

[Glow9]

I wonder if uefi is messing with things. I mean they had to try and keep up with the Jones's

[zanzabar]

I wonder if uefi is messing with things. I mean they had to try and keep up with the Jones's

EFI, u can use a raid partition if for some god forsaken reason u need to boot to a 2.2TB or larger drive or they could make an efi emu on a controller .

[Darakian]

EFI, u can use a raid partition if for some god forsaken reason u need to boot to a 2.2TB or larger drive or they could make an efi emu on a controller .

EFI is the . legacy bios systems. EFI all the way!

[zanzabar]

EFI is the . legacy bios systems. EFI all the way!

efi can my while it runs its back to the pile of DOA hardware pile with HDdvd, laser disk, wimax, cable cards, zip drives and chrome OS netbooks.

efi and its generation serve no benefit to the enthusiast community since u dont need it to boot to gpt except in windows and its missing low level controls that a bios can offer. the only reasons its being used is for drm and since its cheaper since its got no extra licensing on intel chipsets as intel throws it in if u use there chipset

sorry i was having fun with

[Glow9]

Well I don't understand why it's taking them so long it doesn't seem like AM3's chipsets are really any different than what we have now.
Asrocks AM3 - Northbridge: AMD 880G - Southbridge: AMD SB850 Is there even a need for a new socket?
Look at their AM3+ 880G PRo 3 and look at their AM3 890FX Deluxe 5 same socket.