Am4 backwards compatibility?

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Innira

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Dec 27, 2016
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1,510
Okay, i've been reading these forums for a while and this is the first time i post since i couldn't find an answer for my question.
I currently have an old AMD Athlon II X3 445 on my desktop, i seriously need an upgrade because it bottlenecks the hell out of my rx480, but considering that the new Am4 platform is coming out soon i was wondering if said platform has backwards compatibility for Am3 CPUs.
Basically the question is, if i buy an FX cpu, will i be able to use it in an Am4 motherboard? Or should i wait for Am4 and Zen cpu launch?
 
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rwayne
I say this out of ignorance because I have not read the latest on the AM4 platform but I would be shocked if it held any sort of backward compatibility.
1.) The Zen processor is a major architectural redesign, not an incremental update.
2.) The board runs off of DDR4 Ram which is something none of the AM3 chips can do.

I really don't see how it could be backwards compatible at all.
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rwayne

rwayne

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Feb 1, 2007
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I say this out of ignorance because I have not read the latest on the AM4 platform but I would be shocked if it held any sort of backward compatibility.
1.) The Zen processor is a major architectural redesign, not an incremental update.
2.) The board runs off of DDR4 Ram which is something none of the AM3 chips can do.

I really don't see how it could be backwards compatible at all.
 
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I

Innira

Commendable
Dec 27, 2016
2
0
1,510
Thanks for all the answers so far, one last question, considering that my cpu is really old, should i just upgrade it to a fx 8350 and stay am3 for some more years or should i wait for the Am4/zen release? Is it really worth the (probably) higher price of the zen cpu/mb if i only intend to use my pc for gaming?
 
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rwayne

rwayne

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Feb 1, 2007
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NEVER buy a new product at time of release. Ideally you want the first batch to get out in the hands of the public first to wait and see if there are any defects or misrepresentation of advertisement. (i.e. the GTX 970 3.5GB ram issue. The GTX 970 coil whine issue, the RX 480 false claims on 150Watts of TDP, etc.) Plus also E-tailers tend to jack up the price when demand is high (the first few months of release) and sell over the MSRP.

Personally you are due for an upgrade. I think going to any Intel SkyLake CPU would be a breath of fresh air for you. It would be a major performance increase. AMD is just now arriving at the level of performance that Intel has been at for years. Intel has more mature drivers. If I was you and was upgrading today I would definitely go with Intel.
 
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