Can I place a Socket AM2+ CPU into a Socket AM3+ Motherboard?

lucas78

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Dec 12, 2009
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hi ! I have an question. I just buy an motherboard am3+ socket. and I want to know if a socket am2+ CPU works on my motherboard socket? Thanks and wait for Your answer.
 

freshbakd

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if your looking for a budget build the fx series has great performance for the dollar. sandy bridge is a great consideration as well. more details would help budget/use of the computer ect. i built a 2600k gtx 570 8gb corsair ram vertex2 ssd for under 1300 as a gaming rig works great just look for the deals. if you have already bought the board you would have limited yourself patience is a great virtue with building pcs especially when there are so many performance cpus, gpus, and ram that are so cheap and reap such awesome performance.
 



As suggested, you need to check the web site for compatible CPUs for your board. There is more to it than whether or not the CPU will fit the socket.
 

lucas78

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Dec 12, 2009
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Thx for the answer guys. The ddr2 memory doesn't work on ddr3. Also I've try the an AM2+ CPU on AM3+ socket on motherboard. The result NOT WORKING!.
 

geotek

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As far as I know there are no AM2+ processors. AM2+ refers to motherboards that can take both am2 and am3 processors.
 
AM2+ processors...yes there are a couple. The fist Phenom II's, the 920 and 940. These are not AM2 processors, they are based on the newer Phenom II core, but only support DDR2 memory....they don't have a DDR3 memory controller. And as stated already I think, AM2+ processors WILL NOT work on an AM3, or AM3+ socket, the pin out is different(although AM3 processors will work on an AM2+ motherboard if the BIOS supports it). I just happen to have a PII 920 around here somewhere, was my first PII processor.
 

loneninja

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All CPUs based on K10 before AM3 was released were socket AM2+, most of these were labeled as Phenom I processors, a couple Phenom II models, and a few Athlon models that were die harvested from Phenom I. AM2+ had a faster hypertransport and support for higher memory speeds than AM2, it was a tweaked AM2 socket designed for Phenom I. Most AM2+ motherboards have BIOS support for AM2/AM2+/AM3 processors. The pin layout between AM2/AM2+ was identical too.

AM3 changed the pin layout so that AM2/AM2+ processors couldn't physically fit, and that is because AM3 added support for DDR3 memory. AM3 processors had a DDR2 and DDR3 memory controller so they could work in a new AM3 board or be used as an upgrade for AM2+.

Than AM3+ changed the pin layout again because FX isn't backwards compatible with AM3.

So.
AM2 supports AM2/AM2+(with BIOS updates)/AM3(with BIOS updates but few boards have them)
AM2+ supports AM2/AM2+/AM3(with BIOS updates)
AM3 supports AM3(a few AM3 boards used the AM3+ socket before AM3+ was officially released so they do support AM3+ processors)
AM3+ supports AM3/AM3+
 

CodeSplash

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Jan 9, 2013
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well, wrong...
I have a processor that goes in the am2 & am2+ category, It has been runing 4 Gb of ddr3 all years (7 of them)
(its an athlon 64 x2)
 
Quote
"Socket AM3 processors are able to run on Socket AM2 and AM2+ motherboards with appropriate bios updates, but not vice-versa. AM3 processors have a new memory controller supporting both DDR2 and DDR3 SDRAM, allowing backwards compatibility with AM2 and AM2+ motherboards. Since AM2 and AM2+ processors lack the new memory controller, they will not work on AM3 motherboards."
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_AM2
Also this AM2+ motherboard that has slots for DDR2 & DDR3 RAM states only AM3 chips work with DDR3 http://www.asrock.com/mb/NVIDIA/N68C-S%20UCC/?cat=Specifications