New build with DDR2 or not?

fozzybear · 23 Jul 2009 at 14:49

Having bought some Kingston HyperX 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 8500C5 1066MHz Dual Channel RAM in the last two weeks, I was going to build a Intel 775 system. Now, i'm leaning towards an AM3 system.

As there are only a few AM3 boards that take DDR2, i'm considering selling my unused DDR2 RAM and going to DDR3. There seems to be much more choice of AM3 boards.

Would you recommend me sticking with the DDR2 RAM or starting afresh and getting some DDR3 RAM instead?

Cheers.

fozzybear · 23 Jul 2009 at 15:15

Is it correct that you can use an AM3 CPU in an AM2+ motherboard? Would there be any performance reduction at all?

If so, i've only just found that out.

edit//

I've decided to go AM3 and DDR3.

Quixote · 23 Jul 2009 at 16:05

You can use any AM3 CPU in an AM2+ board with DDR2. The performance difference will be absolutely negligable, especially since you have nice quick DDR2.
Just to clarify, the only thing that makes an AM3 board an AM3 board is the DDR3 support, a DDR2 board labelled as AM3 is mis-labelled, it is an AM2+ board.
You can choose any AM2+ board and they will support AM3 chips.

fozzybear · 24 Jul 2009 at 09:41

Quixote said:
You can use any AM3 CPU in an AM2+ board with DDR2. The performance difference will be absolutely negligable, especially since you have nice quick DDR2.
Just to clarify, the only thing that makes an AM3 board an AM3 board is the DDR3 support, a DDR2 board labelled as AM3 is mis-labelled, it is an AM2+ board.
You can choose any AM2+ board and they will support AM3 chips.

Thanks for that but I was reading that an AM3 CPU could be unstable or even blow in an AM2 motherboard.

I've sold the RAM anyway and i'll get an AM3 board and DDR3. I may as well get the latest technology as I won't be upgrading for a while.

Thanks anyway.

Quixote · 24 Jul 2009 at 13:00

You've got the wrong end of the stick. That's what might happen if you put an AM3 CPU in an old AM2 motherboard that did not support it. Any AM2+ motherboard at all, or any AM2 that did support it would be fine. If AMD say it's supported, it is.
In any case, there's no harm in going DDR3 as you have done, that'll be fine too.

fozzybear · 25 Jul 2009 at 10:02

Quixote said:
You've got the wrong end of the stick. That's what might happen if you put an AM3 CPU in an old AM2 motherboard that did not support it. Any AM2+ motherboard at all, or any AM2 that did support it would be fine. If AMD say it's supported, it is.
In any case, there's no harm in going DDR3 as you have done, that'll be fine too.

I'm sure I read in Custom PC that they wouldn't put an AM3 CPU in a AM2+ motherboard. I'm probably wrong though.

Anyway, decision made.