Can I upgrade an AM3 cpu in an AM2/AM2+ mobo?

euskalzabe

euskalzabe

[H]ard|Gawd
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May 9, 2009
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So, I have an Asus M3N72-D mobo and was thinking of upgrading my cpu (which is currently an AMD PHENOM X4 9950). At first I realized all cpu-s are AM3 (I thought there'd still be some AM2+ ones out there, guess my pc is getting really old), and I remembered when I bought the Asus I did so because it was supposedly compatible with AM3.

The thing is, which cpu can I buy? Any AM3 cpu? I was thinking of either a newer Phenom II X4 or even an X6. The Asus compatibility page says that my mobo is indeed compatible with many AM3 - both X4 and X6 - cpus, but how is this possible? Doesn't the X6 have a very different shape, more rectangular instead of square?

Also, since Bulldozer cpus are about to be out, should I wait for those? I hear those are AM3+ cpus, so I'm not sure those would be compatible with my mobo, although waiting for those to get out would mean even better discounts on X4 and X6 cpus...

So, can anybody explain how this AM2-to-AM3 compatibility works, and if I can upgrade to any of the X4 or X6 cpus in that Asus cpu list?

My current specs are:

AMD PHENOM X4 9950 120W OEM 1
NVIDIA GTX 470
80 GB INTEL X-25M G2 SSD
500 GB 7200RPM HDD
4 GB PC6400 DDR2 800
THERMALTAKE MaxOrb GAMING CPU FAN
LG BLU-RAY 16X
CORSAIR 800W PSU
 
AM3 CPUs will fit in a AM2+ socket however an AM2 CPU will not fit on a AM3 socket. I learned that the hard way.
 
Stick to that CPU support list and you should be fine. Make sure that you have the proper BIOS installed prior to replacing your old CPU. Also, a few of those CPUs require a particular motherboard version. You will want to check that if getting one of those.

I have never heard anything about the x6 CPUs being a different shape than standard AM3s and don't believe that is the case.
 
A X6 drops right into a AM2+ socket, mine did. Youll have to update your BIOS probably though.
 
To elaborate on the hard way:

A while back when they had that deal of 8GB of DD3 of $55 I bought it then I purchased a AM3 motherboard. I wanted to get an X6 but in the meantime, I would use my Phenom II X4 940.

The stuff arrives, I start to build and I put my X4 and in wont fit. I look at and it looks the same but I would not fit. I didn't force it so I did some searching (which I should've done before) and read about the slight physical difference difference between the sockets that made the AM3 fit on an AM2+ socket but not vice versa.
 
Yeah, I've been reading about this and turns out the X6 fits into AM2+, don't know where I got that rectangular shape idea.

How do the X6 compare to the X4? I mainly want the new cpu for a little more oomph while gaming, so should spend the extra money on a X6 or just go with an X4?
 
just make sure your mobo can support a hex core in terms of wattage. I think the 95w hex will work fine but the 125w ones need beefer vrm's.
 
I'm not sure about the performance but they are essentially the same core...just 4 on one and 6 on another. (at least I think...could be wrong)

One thing though, I couldn't get my 940 past 3.4Ghz. My 1090t is a good overclocker. I got to 4ghz stable but I had to dial it down; it was running too hot so I settled at 3.8ghz.
 
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