Last Hurrah for AM3/FM2, Solid budget asrock boards

Hardware Hub Motherboards
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If for some reason in 2016 an AMD CPU is the best option well here are probably the best and only boards to consider getting, both have USB 3.1 and M.2 with solid power delivery for each platform at low costs. Although really an 880K isn't too bad an option at 90 bucks for budget PC builds, and the FX 8 cores are still alright if streaming esport games is the main goal

just here for info mostly, does anyone know of better boards for the money? I wouldn't think one exists

AM3+ $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157688&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

FM2+ $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157689&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

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ooh the amd3+ is £50 for me interesting may get it so i can get more fans in my case
never mind that was from newegg and would cost £20 to ship here :(

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That are some sexy boards! Maybe the replacement boards if something breaks.

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I want to note that if you need a placeholder chip while you wait for your 8 core, Phenom 2 9XX BE chips still kick major ass! And are like 32 USD >.>

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Scan have it in stock for £68. They also have the GA-990X-Gaming for £15 more which also has USB 3.1, M.2 and 8 phases. If you already have an AM3+ chip or can get one cheaply enough it might be worth it.

I guess there must still be plenty of AM3+ stock to be used up given all the new boards released recently?

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I own the fm2+ board. I think it's solid an great for that price. However you won't get any upgradeability. The best CPU would be the 7890k. And that's probably the last one for am2+.

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ive got a fx 4130 i just want a better mobo where it has more than one fan on it so i can add one to my case to help

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For the last few years Asrock have started to become really solid brand. They used to be iffy when Asus owned them, but since they are on their own, they really improved, well, everything. I run Asrock board with more features and lower price than any other "respected" brand and I am extremely happy with it, to the point, that when AM4 comes out, I will consider Asrock again. They won me over. While others keep loosing me, awkward cough, gigasus...

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You can just get a 3 pin to molex adapter or buy a fan with molex in line...

1 Like
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Their Fatal1ty line of boards aren't too bad usually, but ya they aren't really ASSrock anymore

I don't think ESC or Biostar make any really good products of note though.

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By "respected" brand I actually ment the big 3 - Asus, Gigabyte and MSI, and honestly I would go Asrock over MSI every time...
What I need from Asrock now is pure black and white... Those reds are pretty good looking, and they have yellow and blue series, but the newest designs of Asrock are copper color and they fit with even less things than Noctua fans...


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Usually just depends on what's available, like right now MSI's budget 1151 boards are pretty much unmatched in their power delivery and I/O options compared to everyone else for the money.

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I have issues with their quality, not really the feature list, although still those Asrock boards beats up everything msi have to offer in both AM3 and FM2... Yeah, MSI have their Krait and Gaming board for AM3, still Asrock have better feature list...
In the last couple of years I have encountered more MSI products with issues than any other brand... Followd closely by Asus...

For the boards themselves, I am curious, how did they integrated M.2 in AM3? If I remember correctly the Pci-e lanes was bound by the chipset and 970 has fairly limited quantity...

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I'd guess it's going to be the x4 PCI-e gen 2 slot

One physical PCIe 2.0 ×16 slot, one PCIe 2.0 ×4 slot and two PCIe 2.0 ×1
slots, the chipset provides a total of 22 PCIe 2.0 lanes and 4 PCIe 2.0
for A-Link Express III solely in the Northbridge

I guess one small nice feature of the 990FX stuff at least is that it supports a ton of PCI-e lanes, even if it is only gen 2, probably useful for capture card rigs

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Is that 10 phases on a $70 970 board? What in the funky monkey? This kind of makes me want to build a cheap FX rig and do some overclocking.

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This is not new...


2013 model if i am not mistaken...
However, the feature list on the Asrock is amazing.

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I wish Intel boards with this many phases were this cheap Jesus. I had to pay $125 to get a board that only had 8.

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You realize, that intel, being lower power consumption chips etc, don't really need 10 phases? Especially the i5, that run without the hyper threading?
My issue with Intel is the lack of other features, like not enough USB ports, less SATA ports, etc... That is my issue with Intel boards. There were, and i still think there are, no motherboards with similar feature list for similar price... m.2 and that many sata3 and usb 3 and 3,1 etc... That much connectivity is missing in twice more expensive Z motherboards...

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Not true phases doe.
4+1 with doublers.

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They aren't lower power consumption by the time I'm done with them... But yeah I hear you :P