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(AM3+) Is this motherboard worth the extra money?

Tags:
  • Overclocking
  • Upgrade
  • Processors
  • Homebuilt
  • CPUs
  • AMD
  • 7870
  • Motherboards
  • Graphics Cards
  • Radeon
Last response: in Motherboards
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October 16, 2013 3:43:40 PM

Hi! I'm making a budget upgrade which includes a FX-6300 processor. This needs a new motherboard, being a new socket for my build. I'd like to know, please, if I will notice any substantial difference between these two motherboards (including overclocking, BIOS, audio, all the good stuff).

MSI 970A-G43 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...)

or

ASRock 970 EXTREME4 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...)

I'd like headroom for maybe crossfiring another 7870 XT or 7950 (whichever one I end up picking out) and overclocking the GPU and processor (maybe by half a gigahertz for the CPU and a couple hundred MHz for the GPU's memory and clock speeds.)

Thanks so much!

More about : am3 motherboard worth extra money

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October 16, 2013 3:46:53 PM

The MSI is only X16, X4 bandwidth when two cards are used. Not good for gaming. The Asrock will allow x8, x8 bandwidth for two cards. Much better since those cards won't exceed the bandwidth of PCIe at x8.
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a b K Overclocking
a b B Homebuilt system
a c 84 à CPUs
a b À AMD
a c 82 V Motherboard
October 16, 2013 3:47:51 PM

No, they have the same chipset and will overall not have noticeably different performance at all (besides the PCIE lanes), in my opinion ASRock boards are of higher quality though as well as having the better pcie layout.
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a c 425 K Overclocking
a b B Homebuilt system
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October 16, 2013 3:47:55 PM

The good stuff is the ASRock mobo, I won't touch MSI due to their poor QC, an alterative or two would be the Asus mobos, either the M5A99FX PRO R2.0, or the M5A99X EVO R2.0
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October 16, 2013 3:48:41 PM

clutchc said:
The MSI is only X16, X4 bandwidth when two cards are used. Not good for gaming. The Asrock will allow x8, x8 bandwidth for two cards. Much better since those cards won't exceed the bandwidth of PCIe at x8.


Thanks for that part answered :) 

How about overclocking, the BIOS and audio?


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October 16, 2013 3:49:25 PM

Jaxem said:
No, they have the same chipset and will overall not have noticeably different performance at all (besides the PCIE lanes), in my opinion ASRock boards are of higher quality though as well as having the better pcie layout.


Will they have any overclocking differences?

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a b K Overclocking
a b B Homebuilt system
a c 84 à CPUs
a b À AMD
a c 82 V Motherboard
October 16, 2013 3:57:28 PM

they'll both be able to overclock just fine, neither have a VRM heatsink though, so you won't want to push it too much
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October 16, 2013 4:26:41 PM

Jaxem said:
they'll both be able to overclock just fine, neither have a VRM heatsink though, so you won't want to push it too much


Thanks so much! I think I'll go with the ASrock. I selected your answer as the solution!

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