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http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Moth ... uctID=2579

So now, did I understand correctly from the TR review that in a few weeks a DDR2 / DDR3 Phenom 2 will launch? It would obviously be great to go with such a chip for a very cost effective path to DDR3!

Maybe I'm confused. I understand your point about using the P2, but how is it more cost effective to get to DDR3? Just that the CPU supports two memory types, if that is correct?

computron9000 wrote:

Maybe I'm confused. I understand your point about using the P2, but how is it more cost effective to get to DDR3? Just that the CPU supports two memory types, if that is correct?

Well, because I can put it in my existing board with DDR2 until DDR3 gets nice and cheap And as a further benefit, I can wait around in the hope that AMD's next southbridge is a real good one.

That is truly awesome! This must be one of the few socket AM2 motherboards that's actually living up to AMD's claims of future chips (AM2+ and AM3) being a drop-in replacements for AM2 systems.

Now I think that's something we all like to hear

Oh to answer your question, I believe the first AM3 Phenom IIs will be seen in February - the 925, while the 945 will be seen shortly after. These dates may have changed though...

I have also seen some articles saying that AMD is having trouble with their AM3 CPUs and the built-in memory controller's stability with DDR3 (I think at least one of the articles was in the shortbread not long ago). But this might just be a bunch of FUD.

It was a digitimes article that all the other tech sites are linking to (about problems with DDR3):

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090114PD221.html

I notice that the Gigabyte board doesn't support the Phenom 9850. Is that because it's NB and HT run at 2 GHz rather than the 1.8 GHz of all the other listed Phenoms? The 9950 is also absent and it too has it's NB running at 2 GHz...

loophole wrote:

I notice that the Gigabyte board doesn't support the Phenom 9850. Is that because it's NB and HT run at 2 GHz rather than the 1.8 GHz of all the other listed Phenoms? The 9950 is also absent and it too has it's NB running at 2 GHz...

I think it it because of the 9850's power consumption being so darn high that the power circuitry of the MA690GM-S2H is not designed for it.

I initially thought it was power draw too but the board supports the FX-62 and the X2 6400+ both of which are just as power hungry as the 9850 (I believe the X2 6400+ was actually a little hungrier than the 9850...), not to mention that the two Phenom II chips listed are both 125W models (although from recent reviews it seems like Deneb chips both draw less power than the 9850 at full tilt).