Old horse got a workout. Now needs roids...

[swarren777]

I got some help from the experts here and "upgraded my old horse" with a simple upgrade to my video card. (7300GT to GT240).

My next upgrade will be to my CPU. From the research I've done, it seems that I can go from 4200+ to a maximum of a 6400+ by switching from my current CPU to a 3.2Ghz. model. It seems I am limited by the AM2 socket on my motherboard.

But wait!!. The tiny computer store where I bought my GPU tried to sell me a Phenom II saying it fits both AM2 and AM3 sockets (The sign on the box actually reads: AM2/AM3).

I'm confused. I thought that AM2 and AM3 had a different pin configurations. Before I buy something on Ebay that I regret, can someone give me some advice?

Thanks

[osprey4]

Remind us again what your m'board/system is.

[electric]

check your old thread,your MOBO supports AM3 CPU's with a BIOS
upgrade

also check ASUS for what cpu's your board supports


ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

[swarren777]

Remind us again what your m'board/system is.

M2A-VM AM2 socket.

[swarren777]

check your old thread,your MOBO supports AM3 CPU's with a BIOS
upgrade

also check ASUS for what cpu's your board supports


ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

Thanks for the input. I did check my old thread and there is no indication whether this can be done specifically with my hardware. Flashing my BIOS to support AM3 would be excellent advice if I knew an AM3 CPU phisically fit into an AM2 socket. Other online sources tell me that I have to replace my MB if I want to upgrade to a newer CPU.

If you tell me it will fit, then I'll check into flashing my BIOS

[swarren777]

I found this online. I hope it's accurate.

"Socket AM2 motherboards and processors first arrived at retailers back in 2006, making the socket about three years old. Normally, this would mean that the socket is at the end of its life-span - for comparison, Intel effectively announced the imminent obsolescence of LGA 775 late last year when it debuted Core i7 as an LGA 1366 processor. But AM2 continues on. There is little reason to believe that AMD will be quick to abandon its Athlon X2 processors, which remain entrenched as good values in the budget market, and AMD has also continued to provide those with AM2 motherboards with upgrade options.
Officially, AM2 is completely compatible with AM2+. However, there are unofficial difficulties that are common if you're attempting to use a motherboard from the dawn of the AM2 socket with a new AM2+ processor. The first major obstacle will be BIOS compatibility. Obviously, a company can not program their BIOS to recognize processors that will show up three years later, so the stock BIOS on older AM2 motherboards is not going to recognize a new AM2+ processor. You'll need to make sure your motherboard manufacturer has provided an updated BIOS with support for new processors.
More difficult to tackle can be the problem of power. New, high-clock, quad-core AM2+ processors draw much more power than old dual-core AM2 processors, and some old AM2 motherboards can't provide the extra juice. This is a difficult problem to nail down, as both AMD and motherboard manufacturers are fairly silent on the issue. Some motherboard manufacturers do provide updated compatibility charts on their websites, however, so visiting the manufacturer's website is a good place to start your investigation.
What about AM3? Surprisingly, AM2 does theoretically support AM3 processors. There is no inherent socket incompatibility, and Gigabyte lists some of its old AM2 motherboards as AM3 ready. There is, however, some red fine print that defines how the AM3 processor will be limited in the AM2 socket."

[electric]

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

>>services>>support>>ASUS downloads>>fill in info



also check their forums ,

[Aaron_8015]

It says its an AM2+ and AM3 CPU's will fit in an AM2+ socket (AM2+ CPU's will not fit in an AM3 socket).

Certain models (which are stated in the cpu support list) will run on that motherboard provided it has the required BIOS update.

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Motherboards - ASUS M2A-VM

Phenom IIX4 820
(HDX820WFK4FGI),2.8GHz,95W,rev.C2,SocketAM3,Quad-Core

Phenom IIX4 905e
(HD905EOCK4DGI),2.5GHz,65W,rev.C2,SocketAM3,Quad-Core

Phenom IIX4 910E
(HD910EOCK4DGM),2.6GHz,65W,rev.C3,SocketAM3,Quad-Core

Phenom IIX4 925
(HDX925WFK4DGI),2.8GHz,95W,rev.C2,SocketAM3,Quad-Core

Phenom IIX4 945
(HDX945WFK4DGM),3.0GHz,2048KB,95W,rev.C3,SocketAM3 ,Quad-Core