New CPU compatibility

[penguinator]

I am in the market for a new CPU, but i am worried my system might not be compatible.
My current CPU is an AMD Athlon II X4 630 with an AM3 socket type.
My current Motherboard is a Pegatron Corporation, with a model of Violet6 and a Nvidia nForce 720a chipset.
The two CPUs i am looking at for purchase are the AMD FX-8320 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.0GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor FD8320FRHKBOX, and the AMD FX-8350 Vishera 4.0GHz (4.2GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor FD8350FRHKBOX. Also, will i need a new cooling unit?
My current power supply has a DC output of 300W.
It would be very helpful to know the compatibility. If more information is nessesary, then please ask. Also which is considered the better deal. Thank you in advance.

 

[baha_timimi]

Go to the website of the motherboard and see the compatible CPU list

 

[satyamdubey]

Is this an OEM pc? like HP or dell?

 

[penguinator]

Unfortunately with HP (The manufacturer of my computer), i am unable to find my model of motherboard.

 

[penguinator]

Is this an OEM pc? like HP or dell?

It is a HP Pavilion p6310y Desktop PC, with 12gb ram, and a AMD Radeon Sapphire HD 6850 1gb GDDR5 graphics card in case those two things effect anything.

 

[Rammy]

Top google result -
Supports the following processors:
AMD Phenom II X4 9xx/9xxe/8xx Quad-Core (Deneb)
AMD Phenom II X3 7xx/7xxe Triple-Core (Heka)
AMD Phenom II X2 5xx (Callisto)
AMD Athlon II X4 6xx/6xxe (Propus)
AMD Athlon II X3 4xx/4xxe (Rana)
AMD Athlon II X2 2xx/2xxe (Regor)

You are going to have to start from scratch I think. It's probably for the best, but you might need a rethink of budget etc.

 

[penguinator]

Top google result -
Supports the following processors:
AMD Phenom II X4 9xx/9xxe/8xx Quad-Core (Deneb)
AMD Phenom II X3 7xx/7xxe Triple-Core (Heka)
AMD Phenom II X2 5xx (Callisto)
AMD Athlon II X4 6xx/6xxe (Propus)
AMD Athlon II X3 4xx/4xxe (Rana)
AMD Athlon II X2 2xx/2xxe (Regor)

You are going to have to start from scratch I think. It's probably for the best, but you might need a rethink of budget etc.

When you say "supports the following," does that mean my current motherboard supports only those? And when you say "start from scratch," will I have to loose all of the information on my hard-drive, or do you mean I will need a new computer because the one I have is not cut out to hande the CPUs I am looking at? Thanks for the feedback.

 

[satyamdubey]

Then rammy's point is further strengthend. OEM pc have poor BIOS upgradability and support. Since it is not a native AM3+ board, you will definitely require a BIOS update to put a vishera in and that update seems unlikely.

Like Rammy said, start from scratch. OR maybe put a 95 W deneb Phenom II in it. Also, if what you have is 12 gigs of DDR2, then they wont run with Vishera anyway.

 

[Rammy]

Yeah that's from the HP support site, it's the CPU support list for your motherboard.
AM3+ is a similar standard, but your board won't support newer CPUs.
You could upgrade to a Phenom II X4, but if you want to move to a newer line of CPUs (such as the FX 83**) you'll need a new motherboard.

What I meant by "start from scratch" is that it's probably not worth throwing much money at this machine. You are probably going to be better off with an entirely new machine, new CPU/motherboard/ram and yeah a fresh Windows install. You might be able to salvage a few bits and pieces (namely the optical drive) from the old machine but any mass produced PC like that isn't really designed for upgrading or reusing parts.

 

[penguinator]

So what I'm getting from this is that my restriction is in my motherboard. I don't really have the money to buy a new computer right now, but if I were to get a new motherboard , and then get a new CPU, would that be more effective? My current mobo is (taken from my provider's info) A microATX - 24.4 cm (9.6 inches) x 24.4 cm (9.6 inches), and my case is (also taken from provider's info) Mid-size ATX Height: 38.7 cm (15.23 inches) Width: 17.5 cm (6.89 inches) Width: 17.5 cm (6.89 inches). Any suggestions for a new motherboard and a new CPU to go with it. The board must have a minimum of:
Memory sockets: 4 x DDR3
Four USB ports
Four internal SATA ports for internal drives, and disk-players
1 PCI Express x16 slot for graphics card
And basic other ports common to most motherboards such as audio out,in ect.

 

[Rammy]

You can do new CPU/Motherboard combo, but you'll probably want/need new ram too. You'll also need to do a fresh OS install, though you don't necessarily loose data, you'll loose settings and pretty much everything will need reinstalling.

You might be able to reuse the ram, but it'll probably be very slow. What sticks do you currently have?

Motherboard/CPU is kinda dependant on budget and usage.
If you intend to overclock a CPU, the 8320 and 8350 are theoretically identical. If you just want it to work out of the box, then the 8350 is going to be a bit faster.

Oddly, your requirements are actually quite hard to meet, but for odd reasons. A lot of mATX boards these days have only 2 RAM slots, because that's all you really need. Of those that have 4, a lot need a BIOS update to run an FX-8*** or don't support them at all. I genuinely can't find a motherboard that supports those CPUs, is mATX and has 4 ram slots.
Did not see that coming.

 

[penguinator]

I have 4 sticks of DDR3 ram : 2 4GBs and 2 2GBs. I do not intend to OC my CPU, so I will probably, if I do get a new CPU, use the 8350. I have an external hard-drive from which i perform routine backups, is there anyway in which I can get a new CPU, erase my current hard-drive, and restore the image on it. Also, Why is it important to have a cleanly-installed OS, and why can I not/Could I not get a new OS and still have it work? What are the downsides to not installing a new OS?

 

[Rammy]

Well it seems the reason I can't find any motherboards is that they don't exist. Well, they must exist, but I can't find them, which means they are oddly uncommon. It's very easy to find Intel boards of all sizes, but it appears that you just can't find AM3+ mATX boards that have suitable chipsets. It's possible you can bios update an older chipset, but it means hunting through every CPU support list until you find a suitable one, unless someone else jumps in this thread and points out I'm missing something incredibly obvious.

As for the OS, in short it won't work. Changing the motherboard means the computer is essentially a new one. Windows is installed to a certain system. If your windows license is OEM, then your windows key will effectively expire. As I understand it, there are ways around this, but it's a lot of headaches.

 

[penguinator]

Would I need to get a new OS with a new CPU, regardless of the mobo? Also I am now looking at the AMD Phenom II X4 Black 970 (HDZ970FBGMBOX). Would this be a better fit, and if so, my current Athlon II X4 630 has a wattage of 95, and the AMD Phenom II X4 975 has a wattage of 125, is this important. I have a 300W DC PSU. I also have Windows 7 home premium 64-bit.