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Tom's Hardware > Forum > Motherboards & Memory > Motherboards > Best AM3 Motherboard?

Best AM3 Motherboard?

Forum Motherboards & Memory : Motherboards Best AM3 Motherboard?

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I'm trying to pick an AM3 motherboard for my new AMD Phenom II X3 720 computer. Newegg has four choices (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010200022%201070946178&name=AM3).

Could you tell me which AM3 motherboard(s) you'd recommend? Are there any I should avoid?

I'm trying to save a bit on costs, if possible, so I'm leaning toward either the ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 DDR3 AMD 790GX ATX AMD Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131366) or the GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128378).

Reply to rozsand
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Problem with those mobo's is that in dual-gpu setups, the pci-e slots will only run at x8.
So if you can find an extra $70, you should defo take a look at the asus crosshair iii formula 790fx motherboard.

Reply to crazyguy_60

I say the MSI 790fx gd 70, i love mine and supports quad xfire. check the reviews.

------------------------------ I7 2600k @ 4.5 - 16GB DDR3 1600 - MSI Z68 MB - MSI 3GB GTX580- 128 GB M4 Crucial SSD - 1TB WD Backup/3TB External usb 3.0 backup - 300Gb Velociraptor Backup - XFI Sound - XFX 850W PS - 2560 x 1600 HP 30'IPS Panel - NZXT Phantom White Tower - Asus G73SW
Reply to soldier37

the last two boards that are mentioned are really nice...and have different things to offer....the MSI board supports better memory (1600 standard, and then can be OCed ridiculously), and the Asus board does 16x with crossfire....and the MSI board does not so pick your poison.....and i understand you can OC the Asus to 1600 but the standard is 1333....

As for what you should avoid....when looking at the motherboard i would avoid anything that is cheap...generally speaking if the board is cheap...it would stand to reason that the board is cheaply made...

atleast 120+ for the motherboard...always check the reviews of the boards that you are considering...and I would stick to Asus, Gigabyte, or MSI when choosing a motherboard

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by hdwenthus on 07-25-2009 at 12:09:45 PM
Reply to hdwenthus
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pick your poison

Reply to hdwenthus

Look for a board with a 790gx or 790fx chipset. The g's are entry lvl boards and have very little functionality. I personally like the crossfire III board, I like the fact that it comes with an x-fi sound card not onboard. Theres $45+ back in your pocket.

Reply to victomofreality

hdwenthus wrote :

the last two boards that are mentioned are really nice...and have different things to offer....the MSI board supports better memory (1600 standard, and then can be OCed ridiculously), and the Asus board does 16x with crossfire....and the MSI board does not so pick your poison.....and i understand you can OC the Asus to 1600 but the standard is 1333....

As for what you should avoid....when looking at the motherboard i would avoid anything that is cheap...generally speaking if the board is cheap...it would stand to reason that the board is cheaply made...

atleast 120+ for the motherboard...always check the reviews of the boards that you are considering...and I would stick to Asus, Gigabyte, or MSI when choosing a motherboard




MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
(limit 5 per customer)

* Number of Memory Slots: 4×240pin
* Memory Standard: DDR3 2133 OC
* PCI Express 2.0 x16: 4 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot configurations: Dual CrossFire (16X+16X) Quad CrossFire (8X+8X+8X+8X)
* Onboard Video Chipset: None
* Audio Chipset: Realtek ALC889
* Audio Channels: 8 Channels
* Max LAN Speed: Dual 10/100/1000Mbps
* eSATA: 1 x eSATA 3Gb/s
* Model #: 790FX-GD70
* Item #: N82E16813130223
* Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy

huh???

Reply to krowleey

Well if your going with ATI cards I would get the current 790FX-GD70, or its new version 890FX-GD70. If you going with a Nvidia card setup then you really don't have a choice if you want to run SLI, currently on the egg the nf980-g60 is your best bet.
I personally am waiting fo the 890FX cause either I will get, or I will save more money on the current one cause its more than likely going to drop its price.

Reply to Salt-City_Slasher
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Memory for GIGABYTE GA-G41MT-S2P
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Take a look at this and see if you like it. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...]...

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