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MicroATX F2A55-M/ CSM Pushed to the Limit

Tags:
  • Gaming
  • Processors
  • RAM
  • AMD
  • Graphics Cards
  • Motherboards
Last response: in Motherboards
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February 9, 2014 8:57:55 AM

I purchased an "Asus M11BB-B06" an it has the motherboard in the title of thread with the A-10 6700 processor. Currently has 1x8gb 1600mhz with 3 additional slots. Manual states possible 64gb of ram (god knows why you would need that much lol) Now I know this is by no means a gaming PC although I find it odd that BestBuy placed it in the gaming section stating it was a great buy for Steam games an the like (not quite, but good try bestbuy lol) Anyhow..... I have a couple questions regarding possibilities of the system.

*Money is no option - but for the sake of curiosity I want to push this mobo to the limit*

1. Being as the Form Factor is MicroATX what is the best motherboard out there that I can install in this Chassis that will still support an AMD APU processor. (APU as I'm trying to keep the temperature down)

2. If I were to keep the motherboard that came pre-installed what is the best possible hardware that this motherboard could handle? (include ram, hdd, apu/cpu/gpu/psu, fans, etc... the whole shebang lol

- It has 2x2.0 PCIe x16 slots but one runs in x16mode an the other in x4 mode

3. Now for the ultimate hardware addition question. If you stripped everything out of the chassis an went straight from there. What would be the best possible builde? (Keep the temperature in mind)

BTW - I only play simple games like Solitaire lol (jk)

More about : microatx f2a55 csm pushed limit

a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 9, 2014 7:23:26 PM

Well, there's little point in getting a better motherboard for performance reasons. You won't be able to run multiple GPUs (without extreme temps/cooling) on any µATX board. Only reason for a new board is OCing (not with your chip) or better connectivity, e.g. USB3.

If you add a decent GPU (e.g. 270X, 760), you'll have a nice gaming build. I wouldn't go beyond there, as you'll start to bottleneck. PSU depends on what you're running, but there's no point in going above a good 550W. Also, consider an SSD. And another 8GB of RAM for dual-channel.

If you wanted to replace everything, it depends on the budget. If you're a little strapped for cash, an FX-6300 and a 770. If you've got a lot, get a 4670K and maybe SLI/CF - is it a µATX case?

What's the budget?
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February 9, 2014 8:51:17 PM

Someone Somewhere said:
Well, there's little point in getting a better motherboard for performance reasons. You won't be able to run multiple GPUs (without extreme temps/cooling) on any µATX board. Only reason for a new board is OCing (not with your chip) or better connectivity, e.g. USB3.

If you add a decent GPU (e.g. 270X, 760), you'll have a nice gaming build. I wouldn't go beyond there, as you'll start to bottleneck. PSU depends on what you're running, but there's no point in going above a good 550W. Also, consider an SSD. And another 8GB of RAM for dual-channel.

If you wanted to replace everything, it depends on the budget. If you're a little strapped for cash, an FX-6300 and a 770. If you've got a lot, get a 4670K and maybe SLI/CF - is it a µATX case?

What's the budget?


Dimensions: 6.8 x 14.1 x 15.7 inch (WxHxD)
Form Factor: MicroATX ( Not sure if it would fit an ATX
Chassis Picture: http://
Budget: No Limit

Now if I went out an bought a new chassis what would you suggest I look for in it. I saw one made by "coolermasters" for 169.99 but than I started reading how it has like 10 fans an all kinds of stuff which would make it difficult to find a motherboard able to support all the pin connectors.
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 9, 2014 11:03:35 PM

What do you want it for? You can spend a ridiculous amount if you try, but you run in to diminishing returns.
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February 10, 2014 1:51:16 AM

Well I bought the current PC I'm using right now for stuff like this an simple games like SimCity 4 an what not. Though I do want a separate system to go in my Man Cave for just high-end gaming. I don't want a pre-built want. I'd like to take on the challenge of building it from scratch, which I know to some of you that really isn't that much of a challenge. It's really just more of a first time doing it scare of the unkown. I know once I get into it that I will see its actually really simple.

So yeah basically I just want a second computer for high-end gaming. What can I do without a budget in mind but without buying stuff that as you said doesn't have a good return for the price.
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 10, 2014 2:02:15 AM

Add a 760 or 770 and a good PSU (550W+ from the second link in my sig).

Then consider getting an FX-6300 or Haswell i5 and new board.
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February 10, 2014 12:50:29 PM

I notice you didn't mention a new chassis/case so are you saying to buy that stuff an put it in the case I have now or what?

I know my case isn't anything big or fancy meant for hardcore gaming but I really do love how it looks. I'd like to beef it up if I could. Though if you don't think so than what case should I buy?
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 10, 2014 7:50:34 PM

Nothing wrong with the case, though it might not cool too well if you put a really high-power GPU in (is there a slot for a front fan?).

If you want an FX-6300, you'd need a new case, as AM3+ motherboards are only full ATX currently.

Cases are largely an aesthetics choice.
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February 12, 2014 1:40:15 AM

Looking inside the case I see there is 2 places for fans to go. One is on the back below the PSU an 1 is in the front but it is covered by the ASUS faceplate lol I don't know why it would even be there :p 

The board has Dual Graphics and Crossfirex ready though I've done my reading an my current APU only support Dual Graphics an that alone only supports up to a HD Radeon 6670 card.
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 12, 2014 3:36:12 AM

Usually the faceplates have vents down the side of them.

What I'd do is add a GPU, and use it as the only GPU. Exact GPU depends on the budget, but a 270, 270X, or 760 is probably where I'd be looking.

You should be fine with using the 6700 as just a CPU, but in a while you might want to grab a new CPU+MB.
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February 12, 2014 3:55:45 AM

Well I've been wondering what graphics card I put into this machine an have it still working properly. Searching online has only lead me to a lot of dead ends. As most of the sites; Asus.com. Amd.com, etc etc.... Are not really up to date on this particular APU anymore as they've moved on to the Kaveri an stuff that makes them money.

So when it comes to figuring out which graphics card will function properly I'm lost. All I've seen so far is that the Radeon HD 6670 is compatible. Though I'm wondering do I have to stay in the stone age or can I put one of the newer cards in like the HD 7770.
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 12, 2014 4:00:24 AM

All PCIe GPUs should work, but you won't be able to run dual graphics. I wouldn't suggest doing that, though, as with faster cards using both can actually be worse than using the dedicated GPU on its own.

You won't be able to use cards based on GCN.

EDIT: Received via PM (stop that please, you really don't need to).
Quote:
I only have 2 2.0 PCIe x16 slots one running at x16 mode an the other at x4 so a dual-slot card is probably out of the question.


Dual slot refers to the cooler of the card; it takes up two slots on the back panel. It only plugs into your motherboard in one place. You're perfectly able to run a dual-slot card on that mobo.
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February 12, 2014 4:05:02 AM

Yeah I read somewhere about the GCN architecture. For the past few days this is all I been doing in spare time. Trying to learn about all the computer stuff as I've been out of the game for quite some time. Last time I built a computer was when 512mb ram was standard lol

Anyhow so what you are saying is that I find a GPU that is not based on GCN an is not PCIe 3.0 as I have 2.0 an than run it as the only GPU on the system without using the dual graphics option.
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 12, 2014 4:09:18 AM

No, I'm saying that any GPU faster than a 6670 should not be run with dual graphics. GPUs based on GCN (or any nVidia architecture) can not be run with dual graphics.

You should run GCN or Kepler cards on their own, too. And they will work in an APU system, though you won't be using the iGPU.
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February 12, 2014 4:11:35 AM

Okay so now that we have that out of the way (don't use dual graphics)

What card would you suggest for my setup as the stand alone GPU of the system?

Note - Keep in mind I don't really care to play any games like Battlefield 4 or anything extreme. Maybe Elder Scrolls Online when it's released but other than that I stick to games like Sims 3 an Sims 4 when it comes out an currently I still play SimCity 4 lol

My Budget for the card is well pretty much infinite seeing as most all cards are within my range long as they aren't server graphics cards or workstation.

Edit - So the AMD Radeon HD 7770 should work? Do I have to take my motherboard into consideration?
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 12, 2014 4:28:13 AM

Basically, it depends on the price.

A 7770 would work fine, though I'd be considering something a bit higher-end to avoid upgrading. Maybe an R9 270?
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February 12, 2014 4:30:16 AM

Well how much is the R9 270 compared to the HD 7770? I mean if there is a big leap in difference than why not.

My ram is DDR3 1600mhz does that matter when considering the graphics card? Can I get a card with DDR5 with no issues?
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 12, 2014 4:41:06 AM

RAM doesn't matter, you're fine.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($95.38 @ Newegg)
Total: $95.38
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-12 07:36 EST-0500)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 270 2GB Video Card ($195.99 @ Staples)
Total: $195.99
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-12 07:37 EST-0500)

It can be a bit difficult to recommend a card with no budget. There is a substantial leap, though. The 7770 is far off the bottom of this scale:


The other option is something like a GTX 660, though I realise you're an AMD fan.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($179.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $179.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-12 07:39 EST-0500)
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February 12, 2014 4:47:06 AM

I appreciate all that information. I guess I'll go with the R9 270 as long as you are pretty close to positive that my current setup will work alongside that card. I'm probably making this harder than it has to be, if so I apologize. Just don't want to go out an buy something than have to return it an repeat that process over an over.

Since I have an APU which is new tech to me I was confused quite a bit as to my options when choosing a card that will boost my computers graphical performance by a large enough amount to make it worth purchasing.

As of right now I can play all the games I have on high settings without a hiccup. Well, sims 3 gives me a slight hiccup so I dropped an option or 2 down a level in the graphics settings. Other than that this upgrade is just purely a because I can upgrade.
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 12, 2014 4:54:46 AM

There's nothing particularly new in the old APUs, and if you get a fast GPU you'll basically be treating it as just a CPU.

Only other question is what PSU is in it? You may need a new one.
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February 12, 2014 4:59:54 AM

I was just looking over that on the R9 270 review. I only have a 350 watt PSU. And my chassis is MicroATX I believe could be it possibly be MicryATX & ATX? I bought the computer from bestbuy about a week ago. I think I should have enough room in there for a new PSU an GPU
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February 12, 2014 5:08:37 AM

So a PSU around 500-600 wattage would suffice?

While I been waiting for your responses I've found this article

http://www.computershopper.com/components/reviews/amd-a...(page)/5#review-body

*Click the Grahpics Performance button near bottom of the page* Than scroll down the next page to see the graph. Not sure why the link didn't go directly to where I was looking.

On down the page where it shows a graph for the graphics performance with upgrade ram speed I see a almost double boost in performance from 1600mhz to 1866mhz. Do you think that is true? 1600-1866 doesn't really seem like a lot generally speaking by just looking at the numbers without any tech insight on what they mean.

Edit - I realize getting a GPU is still the better option. I was just pointing that out cause I was surprised on the difference with a simple ram upgrade.
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 12, 2014 5:26:09 AM

That's because the iGPU on APUs tends to be very memory limited. You're not using the iGPU, so you're not going to see that kind of difference. Your GPU would have a nice GDDR5 bus upwards of 100GB/s, while dual-channel DDR3 is around 20-25GB/s.

Most of the figures I've seen show a single digit performance rise for most tasks from 1600>1866, and <2% from there on.

500W+ should be fine for a 270 and a moderate CPU.
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February 12, 2014 5:33:42 AM

What about my F2A55-M Chipset that my motherboard has. Does that have any affect on my choosing the R9 270?

So far here is what I've come up with purchasing with your suggestions (given that they fit in my current chassis if not, new chassis I guess lol)

Upgraded PSU to at least 550W
Install GPU R9 270
Keep my APU
Keep my Motherboard
Possibly install another Fan on the back. I checked motherboard I only have one more fan connector. Since it's OEM most of the parts the motherboard would have had I ordered it are not on the board. Including GPU Boost button an like 2 fan connectors are not installed. Can I get those installed?
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 12, 2014 5:35:34 AM

A55 is fine for it; chipset basically doesn't make a difference if you're only running one GPU.

You can just get fans that plug directly into your PSU via the four-pin peripheral cables.
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February 12, 2014 5:44:44 AM

So R9 270 will definitely get me a major boost in graphics. Not top of the line but it will put me in the playable (bearable) range on just about any game with my A10 6700 APU. I know that online games depend a lot on the CPU power so those will vary. Games like sims 4 ( even though their requirements aren't listed yet) should most likely be playable if I do this upgrade.

Q: When does the Motherboard/Chipset start making a difference? Other than upgrading the CPU because of the socket.
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 12, 2014 5:49:52 AM

Should be fairly good on most games. Not maxed, but not minimum either.

Things like Sims should be able to be set to max easily.

Chipset and motherboard only really matter in terms of features. Things like USB3.0 ports, ability to overclock, and being able to run multiple GPUs.
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February 12, 2014 5:54:59 AM

So technically I could go out an buy the R9 270 right now. Come home install it an play my Sims 3 on max settings without my machine even lifting a finger so to speak compared to right now where it does push it self quite a bit to get it going at max.

If I were to do that would there be any updates, drivers, bios settings, anything I would need to do for it to run?
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 12, 2014 5:57:54 AM

Should be able to.

Only thing I'm not sure of is how much CPU power Sims needs. It should be fine, though.

What PSU do you have?
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February 12, 2014 5:59:49 AM

Well I forgot about having to get the PSU lol so yeah if I went an got the card an the PSU.

What would I have to do as far as installation like updates, drivers, bios settings, etc... there has to be something I'd have to do for the system to accept it.
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a b 4 Gaming
a b À AMD
a c 168 U Graphics card
a c 271 V Motherboard
February 12, 2014 6:06:20 AM

Plug the card in (including it's PCIe power cables), then move the video cable(s) from the motherboard to the GPU. Shouldn't have to do too much by way of drivers, as it's AMD to AMD.
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February 12, 2014 6:12:25 AM

Alright well I've looked up the dimensions an what I'm getting is that it's roughly 9-10 inches in length. Height I don't know I could just take off the side face of my tower lmao


Update - I just measured everything an it should easily fit inside my case.

So now all I have to worry about is the upgraded PSU fitting
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February 15, 2014 7:26:16 AM

Zombie615 said:
Looking inside the case I see there is 2 places for fans to go. One is on the back below the PSU an 1 is in the front but it is covered by the ASUS faceplate lol I don't know why it would even be there :p 


I actually have the exact same computer: same case, hardware, etc. I was wondering about the front fan vent too, I was looking around the exterior and I couldn't find anywhere that the fan would intake air from, other than just recycling the hot air in the tower. I've been considering doing a bit of DIY'ing and buying a cutting wheel for my drill and cutting slots on the front of the case to give it some breathing room lol.

I also bought a gently used EVGA GTX580 off kijiji, an 850W PSU and a side fan and I can safely say that it is running games like Farcry 3 very smoothly on high settings, no bottlenecking detected.
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February 15, 2014 11:00:57 PM

Yeah I was considering just removing the front face-plate an seeing what I could do with it to allow for another fan right there. I also though about just take off the side an placing a box fan next to it lmao! It's a decent computer as is though. Just not a gaming computer although it plays some nice games just not the newest ones.

Yeah, I've been looking into adding a graphics card an power supply but haven't gotten around to it yet. What model is the power supply that you added in there? I was wondering how hard it would be to find one that would fit in place of the factory one. The graphics card I want to try an get is the R9 270 but it all depends on if it will fit or not.
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