Looking for a budget mATX/uATX AM3+ motherboard with specific requirements

Blackwaterification · Jul 31, 2013

Hello. I will either purchase a FX 6300 or FX 8320 Vishera CPU today or tomorrow for my HTPC. I need the horsepower of 4-8 cores for running SVP to watch movies (software that renders movies on the run to higher framerates than the usual 24)
It requires a lot of CPU and some GPU power as well. I will also play a few lan games using this machine.

I have everything I need except the motherboard.
I can't seem to find one that has this internal USB 3.0 connector http://i.imgur.com/UTUjwvv.jpg, usb 3.0 in the back and SATA-600 connectors. The motherboad also has to be mATX/uATX or ITX to fit in my case.

I do not own a previous AM3+ CPU so I can't update the bios to support Vishera models, the motherboard needs to support this right out of the box.

Sites I can purchase from are www.edbpriser.dk (the most universal one) www.pricerunner.dk and www.proshop.dk
All of these are fine sites to find hardware and purchase it through various sellers. I'd prefer it to be under 600-700 DKK/KR, yet if it becomes too expensive I will up my budget or go with an Intel instead which are easier to find a motherboard for. But only if it can be worth it against the expensive AM3+ motherboard vs an Intel i5 and socket 1150/1155/1156.

Genzo · Jul 31, 2013

AMD only has mATX and ATX board.

Asus M5A78L-M/USB3 is the decent board for that.

Azrael47 · Jul 31, 2013

The Asus M5A78L-M/USB3 will suffice. It isnt a great choice for overclocking past 4.0Ghz and it hos has two fan headers but you get what you pay for.

OR get this>http://www.edbpriser.dk/bundkort/asus-m5a88-m-evo-id-5070215.aspx

Blackwaterification · Jul 31, 2013

Both these motherboards have the vishera cpus compatible, yet only after a bios update I can't do without a compatible CPU (only since bios 1401 http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/list.aspx?SLanguage=en&p=1&s=24&m=M5A88-M%20EVO&os=&hashedid=YpOrqldeUZ8XkSSD and http://support.asus.com/Cpusupport/List.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=M5A78L-M/USB3&p=1&s=24). Is there any way around this? Also they both lack the internal USB 3.0 and only have them in the back. Only the M5A88L EVO has sata 600.

Genzo · Jul 31, 2013

Blackwaterification :

How about get the ATX than mATX?
These are the best mobo for your FX CPU. By Tomshardware.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/990fx-motherboard-review-amd-fx,3464.html

Someone Somewhere · Jul 31, 2013

990FX is way overkill I'd expect.

Do you have a dGPU lined up for it? If not LGA115x is probably the best option.

Blackwaterification · Jul 31, 2013

Genzo :

I would if my case supported it. As it's an HTPC it's small form factor and can't fit anything larger inside than the mATX. It's an old case, and I wouldn't go purchase a new for a media center. That would remove the purpose of being for media mostly. I might have to go Intel then, but that'll cost me a bit more on the CPU I guess. If I could just put in the vishera cpu on these mATX and update it to a newer bios it wouldn't be a problem! Oh well, Intel motherboards are easier to figure out as they are newer due to the socket changing with the cpu series.

Genzo · Jul 31, 2013

Blackwaterification :

Genzo :

I would if my case supported it. As it's an HTPC it's small form factor and can't fit anything larger inside than the mATX. It's an old case, and I wouldn't go purchase a new for a media center. That would remove the purpose of being for media mostly. I might have to go Intel then, but that'll cost me a bit more on the CPU I guess. If I could just put in the vishera cpu on these mATX and update it to a newer bios it wouldn't be a problem! Oh well, Intel motherboards are easier to figure out as they are newer due to the socket changing with the cpu series.

how about make a mini-Itx pc? using intel IB CPU?

Someone Somewhere · Jul 31, 2013

Most boards by now will have newer BIOSs in them - it's been several months since Vishera arrived.

Few HDDs can max out SATA 3Gb/s. Unless you're running an SSD it's a non-issue.

Blackwaterification · Jul 31, 2013

Someone Somewhere :

I have a dedicated HD 5850 pcs+ in the machine. And I expect 990FX too overkill as well, and I haven't seen mATX variations of these.
Oh and I am running an SSD, that's the reason for sata-600.

Someone Somewhere · Jul 31, 2013

Wow, people really aren't doing much in the uATX AM3+ space, are they.

Might be worth going for a PCIe USB3.0 card, or an i5-3350P.

Genzo · Jul 31, 2013

Blackwaterification :

Onbard graphics?! Its better to get APU if you have an onboard graphics

Someone Somewhere · Jul 31, 2013

Huh? HD5850 is a long way from onboard graphics.

Genzo · Jul 31, 2013

Someone Somewhere :

i was asking. xD i dont know about onboard graphics and soo old gen cards. my bad.

Blackwaterification · Jul 31, 2013

Sandy, ivy and haswell are near the same price/performance so I'd probably go for an ivy as my main desktop has a sandybridge i5 2500k at 4.6ghz. It works wonders, but would be overkill for a HTPC.

Someone Somewhere :

It baffles me that they aren't. I thought they had a large varity since AMD has been in a bit of trouble in their CPU department.

Someone Somewhere · Jul 31, 2013

5850 is only two generations old...

I'd say it's because the APUs are encroaching on the low end/SFF market, and the FX still aren't very popular. Plus they produce lots of heat, so are likely to have big heatsinks etc.

Blackwaterification · Aug 1, 2013

I went with
Gigabyte GA-Z77M-D3H and a Intel Core i5 3570. I found a deal on the i5 3570 non-k edition, even though I will hate not being able to overclock. They both went over my budget but really with no am3+ FX990 mATX motherboards around I really can't blame the solution. Thanks for your help!

Looking for a budget mATX/uATX AM3+ motherboard with specific requirements

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