Couple of Questions - X2 550 Unlock, Mobo, DDR3?

[gaz_0001]

Hi,

I am buying a new PC on tuesday this week and have a couple of questions.

My CPU has been picked:
HDZ550WFGIBOX - AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition, Callisto, S AM3, 3.1GHz, 7MB Total Cache HT 4000MHz, 85W, Retail

I am not counting on this CPU to be unlockable to an X3 or X4, but i would like to get a motherboard that will at least allow me to have a try. However, as a standard X2 the CPU is still the best i can afford and for the right money, so its fine if it doesnt unlock.

That said, which of the motherboards have the ACC option to allow fettling with the CPU?

The mobo has to be £100 ish.

so, one of the below.

Biostar TA790GX A3+, AMD 790GX, AM3, PCI-E 2.0, DDR3 1333, SATA 3Gb/s, SATA RAID, ATX, On Board VGA

Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P, AMD 790X, AM3, PCI-E 2.0 (x16), DDR3 1666(OC), SATA 3Gb/s, SATA RAID, ATX

Asus M4A78T-E, AMD 790GX, AM3, PCI-E 2.0 (x16), DDR3 1600(OC), 1333, SATA II, SATA RAID, ATX, VGA
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/Pr...-DDR3-1600(OC)-1333-SATA-II-SATA-RAID-ATX-VGA


Then my next question is, do i go for DDR2 or DDR3?

I want 2 x 2GB for £60ish

My options are:

DDR2 1066MHZ @ CAS 5 ie Corsair Dominator or TwinX
DDR3 1333MHZ @ CAS 9 ie Corsair TwinX
DDR3 1600MHZ @ CAS 9 ie Corsair Dominator or TwinX


In terms of overclocking and messing about with stuff, i dont really want to mess about too much. I just want to leave it all alone apart from attempt to enable the 4 cores, and OC the CPU to 3.6 - 3.8Ghz on a stock cooler. Thatll do me. So if DDR2 is faster than DDR3 as standard then thats what ill get.

Any advice appreicated.

Gaz

 

[wbc1]

I'd get the 720, only £20 quid more for an extra core, otherwise pretty much same as the 550.

EDIT: non of your links are working

 

[siumatfung]

erm i wouldnt bother tryin to unlock cores try getting that chip as high as possible first
if you can hit 4ghz+ it will be awesome!

 

[gaz_0001]

Is the 550 a AM3 or AM2+?

On the spec is says AM3, but in the forums on the CPU-Z screenshots it shows AM2+

Any idea on the motherboard or Ram situation?

Im really not bothered if the other cores dont unlock. I do want to see if they do though, just out of curiosity!

 

[RJC]

The chip is AM3 but can be used in AM2+ boards as it can use DDR2 & DDR3 memory.

 

[gaz_0001]

So will a dedicated AM3 board as i quoted in the first post, not Run DDR2?

 

[RJC]

No, only DDR3. DDR2 and DDR3 are not interchangeable.
If you want to run DDR2 then you will need to look at a AM2+ board or something like this one - Clicky.

 

[eddie86]

The AMD chips are only capable of using dual channel DDR3 as well I believe, should you choose to go down that route.

 

[gaz_0001]

Ahh,

Gotcha.

Thats sweet.

I think ill stick with an AM2+ board, and then use 4GB of DDR2 1066 in that case.