AM2, AM2+, and AM3

StrangleHold

StrangleHold

Moderator
Staff member
The Difference in socket AM3 is kinda confusing. The Sockets - AM3 has 941 pin holes, but the AM3 processor has 938. Am2/+ Socket has 940 pin holes and the processor has 940.

On a AM3 socket, with the locking lever on the right, the place that has missing pin holes, the top left 2 missing holes and bottom right 2 missing holes have been moved up one row. Plus a Added pin hole has been added to the lower left, but is not used at this time

Thats the reason the AM2/+ processor will not fit. The AM3 processor has missing pins where the holes have been moved, hence the reason it has 938 pins not 940 like a AM2/+ processor.

AM2/+
sockel-m2.jpg


AM3
socketam3.jpg


AM3 on the left
am3vsam2.jpg
 
Last edited:
StrangleHold

StrangleHold

Moderator
Staff member
bomberboysk said:
future socket am3 processors may use 941 pins.
Click to expand...

My guess would be that. But it would end the backward compatibility. Straight up AM3/DDR3 socket. Dont know how much more room on the memory controller it takes up for having a controller for DDR2 and DDR3. Dropping DDR2 might save them some die space. Maybe dropping the DDR2 controller gives them the opportunity for a Quad controller;)
 
bomberboysk

bomberboysk

Active Member
StrangleHold said:
My guess would be that. But it would end the backward compatibility. Straight up AM3/DDR3 socket. Dont know how much more room on the memory controller it takes up for having a controller for DDR2 and DDR3. Dropping DDR2 might save them some die space. Maybe dropping the DDR2 controller gives them the opportunity for a Quad controller;)
Click to expand...
Hopefully, would love to see amd stomp intel's i7 just to get the pricing more competitive between the two.
 
StrangleHold

StrangleHold

Moderator
Staff member
Dont really now how they would work out a quad controller. Have 8 memory slots on a board would be kinda asinine:D. With 4 slots, something like unganged mode, one 64 bit controller for each core. Ganged mode for a single 256 bit controller.
 
bomberboysk

bomberboysk

Active Member
StrangleHold said:
Dont really now how they would work out a quad controller. Have 8 memory slots on a board would be kinda asinine:D. With 4 slots, something like unganged mode, one 64 bit controller for each core. Ganged mode for a single 256 bit controller.
Click to expand...
8 memory slots=bragging rights hehe.
 
Stildawn

Stildawn

New Member
It would start getting rather tight though, I wish they had bigger boards even now... To be able to spread out features etc.
 
bomberboysk

bomberboysk

Active Member
Stildawn said:
It would start getting rather tight though, I wish they had bigger boards even now... To be able to spread out features etc.
Click to expand...
Especially with the memory, because on the amd boards right now, the clip is positioned in such a way, that tower heatsinks such as the S1283 and the TRUE are horizontal rather than vertical, and can cover up memory slots.
 
bomberboysk

bomberboysk

Active Member
Stildawn said:
Yeah luckly mine just fits lol.
Click to expand...
You can actually mount a few coolers the other way, but it required buying an adapter to change the am2 clip to a socket 775 style retention system, and then you need to get the bolt thru kit for whatever heatsink you have..
 
R

rationalist

New Member
wow I just read all of that and it was interesting and informative! Do you guys thing nvidia might slip up and stink in the future?
 
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