What is the difference between AM2 and AM2+?

Azure101 · 24 Jul 2009 at 12:50

Hi just browsing around the website and came across:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-236-AM

Now that is a very fair price and i am considering buying it however the socket is AM2+ whereas my motherboard is listed AM2 (Asus M2N-E sli)

Will my mobo take the AM2+ chip?

gareth170 · 24 Jul 2009 at 13:39

Azure101 said:
Hi just browsing around the website and came across:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-236-AM

Now that is a very fair price and i am considering buying it however the socket is AM2+ whereas my motherboard is listed AM2 (Asus M2N-E sli)

Will my mobo take the AM2+ chip?

check Asus site for a bios update to support it..

a AM2 motherboard will only run the AM2+ chip at HT 1.0

Azure101 · 24 Jul 2009 at 14:59

gareth170 said:
check Asus site for a bios update to support it..

a AM2 motherboard will only run the AM2+ chip at HT 1.0

So even with the bios update I still won't get maximum performance out of the chip?

gareth170 · 24 Jul 2009 at 15:35

Azure101 said:
So even with the bios update I still won't get maximum performance out of the chip?

no. because am2+ as HT 3.0. but it'll only be about 5-8% drop in performance on a am2 motherboard.

Azure101 · 24 Jul 2009 at 15:37

gareth170 said:
no. because am2+ as HT 3.0. but it'll only be about 5-8% drop in performance on a am2 motherboard.

I see, so it would definetly still be a massive performance boost over my 5200+?

gareth170 · 24 Jul 2009 at 15:41

Azure101 said:
I see, so it would definetly still be a massive performance boost over my 5200+?

yes...

is your 5200+ overclocked?

Azure101 · 24 Jul 2009 at 15:42

gareth170 said:
yes...

is your 5200+ overclocked?

Nope i have no idea how.... why?

gareth170 · 24 Jul 2009 at 15:44

Azure101 said:
Nope i have no idea how.... why?

nothing mate i was just wondering..

what do u use your pc for?

Azure101 · 24 Jul 2009 at 15:48

gareth170 said:
nothing mate i was just wondering..

what do u use your pc for?

Gaming mostly. Here's my spec:

M2N-E Sli
5200+
4870 1gb
4gb RAM
250gb HDD
BenQ G2410HD monitor

I upgraded to that monitor recently from a 19 inch and noticed quite a significant drop in frame rates due to the resolution increase just considering my options as a new CPU would help my PC to cope with the resolution and increase my FPS.

gareth170 · 24 Jul 2009 at 15:51

i've just checked asus site and it looks like your motherboard doesn't support phenom II, no bios update.

http://www.asus.com/Product.aspx?P_ID=NJ8fkR6ufRM9XvFC

u will either need to upgrade your motherboard or get a 6400+

Azure101 · 24 Jul 2009 at 16:03

gareth170 said:
i've just checked asus site and it looks like your motherboard doesn't support phenom II, no bios update.

http://www.asus.com/Product.aspx?P_ID=NJ8fkR6ufRM9XvFC

u will either need to upgrade your motherboard or get a 6400+

Ouch. xD Cheers for the help... That's a little bit gutting guess im stuck with the 5200+ then wish i knew how to oc it =)

gareth170 · 24 Jul 2009 at 16:10

Azure101 said:
Ouch. xD Cheers for the help... That's a little bit gutting guess im stuck with the 5200+ then wish i knew how to oc it =)

u can read some guides here Beginners Guide to Overclocking, Advanced Guide to Overclocking & Cooling

Azure101 · 24 Jul 2009 at 16:29

gareth170 said:
u can read some guides here Beginners Guide to Overclocking, Advanced Guide to Overclocking & Cooling

Bah, the CPU options are disabled in my bios... Don't think i'm gonna be able to overclock xD

gareth170 · 24 Jul 2009 at 16:32

Azure101 said:
Bah, the CPU options are disabled in my bios... Don't think i'm gonna be able to overclock xD

is it a branded system e.g HP, DELL? or did u build it?

Azure101 · 24 Jul 2009 at 16:36

gareth170 said:
is it a branded system e.g HP, DELL? or did u build it?

It's not branded but i bought it pre built off the net so for example like buying a pre-built pc off Overclockers

gareth170 · 24 Jul 2009 at 16:39

Azure101 said:
It's not branded but i bought it pre built off the net so for example like buying a pre-built pc off Overclockers

if it's not branded, all the options in the bios should be unlocked.

Azure101 · 24 Jul 2009 at 16:40

gareth170 said:
if it's not branded, all the options in the bios should be unlocked.

That's what i thought but unfortunately they're not so i can't do anything lmao looks like im gonna have to find a budget mobo and a cheaper cpu then -.-

gareth170 · 24 Jul 2009 at 16:47

Azure101 said:
That's what i thought but unfortunately they're not so i can't do anything lmao looks like im gonna have to find a budget mobo and a cheaper cpu then -.-

Asus M4A78 AMD 770 (Socket AM3/AM2+) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard

AMD Phenom II X2 Dual Core 545 3.0GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail or AMD Phenom II X2 Dual Core 550 3.10GHz Black Edition (Socket AM3) - Retail

Azure101 · 24 Jul 2009 at 17:10

gareth170 said:
Asus M4A78 AMD 770 (Socket AM3/AM2+) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard

AMD Phenom II X2 Dual Core 545 3.0GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail or AMD Phenom II X2 Dual Core 550 3.10GHz Black Edition (Socket AM3) - Retail

Thanks for the suggestions but do you really think it's worth paying that much money for a .6ghz increase for example with the 545?

gareth170 · 24 Jul 2009 at 17:18

Azure101 said:
Thanks for the suggestions but do you really think it's worth paying that much money for a .6ghz increase for example with the 545?

the 550 as a extra 100mhz and is a black edition which means unlocked mutilper so easyer to overclock. 545 as locked mutilper