Counting Phases on a Motherboard Need Help Badly!

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Looeelooee1

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Hello, I need someone to help me understand how counting phases on a motherboard works. I have been researching online and I know you can count the chokes to count the phases, but how do I tell which phases are for the CPU and which are for other components like ram, for example in this picture?
https://s3.graphiq.com/sites/default/files/5030/media/images/Asrock_FM2A88M_Pro3_6526097.jpg

I know that the number before the plus means how many phases are for the cpu and the number after the plus if for other components like 4+1 is normally 4 phases for cpu 1 phase for the ram but I have trouble counting lol!

Thanks in advance any help much appreciated!

To add on to my question, this is a picture of the motherboard I have at the moment and an example of how I have trouble counting.
-http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/images/Products/large/A58F2P-M4(1.0)01.jpg-
It says on the site that it's a 5 phase power design, so i'm guessing that's 3+2, because on the next model of this mobo on its site (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135396 - scroll to where it says features at a glance) it says 3+2 and they are basically the same board...and so im guessing the three phases at the top are for the cpu and one of them on the right is for HT and the other one should be for the memory but its no where near the ram so how can it be for the ram... :/ so now im really confused...then there is also another choke under the ram so wouldn't this be like 4+2 and 6 phase or something? Why is there that extra choke/phase next to the ram because if it's 5 phases then shouldn't there be 5 chokes and not 6?
Sorry if that's a mouthful I'm so confused right now! D: Please could someone clarify what is going on lol
 
Solution
Leaps-from-Shadows
You will never get a truly accurate answer for this, except from a mainboard manufacturer. And it would only be accurate for that one manufacturer, for the particular boards they told you about.

Also, mainboard phases aren't as important as they used to be -- high phases doesn't mean you'll get good overclocking, and low phases doesn't mean overclocking will suck. I've had 4+2 up to 8+2, and they all overclocked about the same. Some boards go overboard with a high number of phases, but nothing has been proven that they overclock better or last longer or have any other benefit.
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Looeelooee1

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i thought the number before the plus was for the cpu, and the number after was for other components - http://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/1229-anatomy-of-a-motherboard-what-is-a-vrm-mosfet#
 
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Leaps-from-Shadows

Leaps-from-Shadows

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The 3+2 designation means three for the CPU and two for other components within the CPU, like the integrated memory controller. HT needing a phase is news to me, but if it does then it would be included in the second number.

The RAM itself has one phase, which is the one near the RAM sockets. This is not counted with the phases by the CPU, which is why it's not 4+2 or 3+3.

By the way ... why do you "need help badly" with this? Why do these specifics matter?
 
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Looeelooee1

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im thinking of getting a new motherboard and i wanted to know how to compare them on my own, and I posted this after literally doing a few hours of research and still getting conflicting results....

i read on many sites like http://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/1229-anatomy-of-a-motherboard-what-is-a-vrm-mosfet# that the number after the plus if for other components. " Phase power design is often listed as 4+1, 6+2, 8+3, etc. The number preceding the plus sign (4, 6, and 8 in those examples) is indicative of the number of phases dedicated to the CPU, thus a 6+2 phase power design will dedicate 6 phases to cleaning CPU power. The number after the plus is for other components, often RAM or HT (HyperTransport) for AMD" and http://www.overclock.net/t/891696/a-short-power-phase-design-explanation "
In these cases, for an 8+2 power phase design for example, 8 phases will be dedicated to the CPU, 1 phase to the RAM, and 1 phase to the HT. Reference....4+2 power phase design. This means that 4 phases will be dedicated to the CPU, 1 to the RAM, and 1 to the HT. Reference and HyperTransport." < thats why im so confused..... :??: :heink:


 
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Leaps-from-Shadows

Leaps-from-Shadows

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You will never get a truly accurate answer for this, except from a mainboard manufacturer. And it would only be accurate for that one manufacturer, for the particular boards they told you about.

Also, mainboard phases aren't as important as they used to be -- high phases doesn't mean you'll get good overclocking, and low phases doesn't mean overclocking will suck. I've had 4+2 up to 8+2, and they all overclocked about the same. Some boards go overboard with a high number of phases, but nothing has been proven that they overclock better or last longer or have any other benefit.
 
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Looeelooee1

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first of all thanks for the answers i really do appreciate it!
second so if the phases are not important than how/what do i do to separate a good motherboard from a bad one? specifically for an FM2+ socket (athlon x4 860k)
Basically I am looking for the cheapest possible option to overclock without having the components explode in my face. There are so many different options when i go to a site like pcpartpicker and not much i can use to differentiate all the boards...
 
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Leaps-from-Shadows

Leaps-from-Shadows

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Look at reviews/comparisons of mainboards with your chosen chipset. See if you can find budget mainboard reviews/comparisons with that chipset. That's how you find good mainboards. It's never an easy thing choosing a good mainboard. You have to do research.

And as far as "cheapest possible" goes -- you generally don't find good overclocking mainboards in that category.
 
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Looeelooee1

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alright,
thanks for the help!
 
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