Solve : Upgrading some parts, have a quick question?

1.	Solve : Upgrading some parts, have a quick question?
Answer» Gonna upgrade my motherboard, cpu, and cpu cooler. i was wondering if the cpu cooler's supported socket type had to match the socket type of the processor. for example, i plan on buying a motherboard that supports sockets am2/am2+/am3, and the processor i'm looking at getting is socket am3. so does that mean the cpu cooler has to support am3? or can i install a cooler that supports either am2 or am2+? thanks in advance.It's HARD to tell whether or not they would be compatible based on the socket type of the CPU. My guess would be yes, they are compatible. But that's a guess. Newegg has only 2 coolers that are compatible with all three socket types. There are many that are compatible with a wide variety of socket types though, so it's still kinda hard to tell.To avoid an RMA, if you're buying online, I would just stick to a heatsink fan that is known to be compatible with your socket type.okay then. well as it turns out, there are a few coolers on newegg that are am3 compatible, but aren't listed as such in the guided/advanced/power search options, like these two: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118020 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118046 so i guess i'll be going with one of those. thanks for the replies.I only SEARCHED for coolers that are compatible with all three types though. (Also using the guided search) But yes, those two should work for your CPU. Have you decided on a CPU yet?I plan on getting either the phenom x4 940, which turns out to be am2+ or the phenom x4 955 which is am3. I'm on my phone, otherwise i'd post the links to them and the mobo as well, which is an asus am2/am2+/am3 board.okay, now that i'm at home, here's what i'm getting: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131383 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103471 OR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674 for the processor, it's just a matter of deciding if i want am2+ or am3. of course i can't see why the two processors have different socket types, they're basically the same in every aspect, aside from the .2 ghz difference and the 400mhz hyper transport difference.Just to answer your first question - AM2/2+/3 use the same mounting bracket so any cooler that's compatible with one is compatible with all three. Zalman coolers tend to be overpriced for their generally midrange performance so I'd avoid them personally. Hope this helps yes actually, that helps a lot. i was just CONCERNED about the socket type of the processor limiting my choices for an aftermarket cpu cooler.Quote from: midnightfire on January 26, 2010, 11:45:07 AM for the processor, it's just a matter of deciding if i want am2+ or am3. of course i can't see why the two processors have different socket types, they're basically the same in every aspect, aside from the .2 ghz difference and the 400mhz hyper transport difference. From what i've read, the main difference between the two socket types is that the AM3 is DDR3 ready, and the AM2/AM2+ are DDR2. So if you get the AM2+, and want DDR3 memory, it's gonna be bottle necked. And physically, the only difference is 2 or 3 pins. (I believe the AM2+ is 938 pin, and the AM3 is 940 or 941 pin. Unless they changed that)well i don't plan on upgrading to ddr3 yet, as i've got 6 gigs of ddr2 that i'm not done with. will performance be hindered if i go with the socket am3?Not at all. It would actually be a better decision in the sense that you would have the option to upgrade to DDR3, with the bottle neck. alrighty then, am3+ it is. thanks a bunch for the replies, gents!Quote from: t_blake07 on January 26, 2010, 06:18:06 PM Not at all. It would actually be a better decision in the sense that you would have the option to upgrade to DDR3, with the bottle neck. I mean without the bottle neck. Hope you know what I meant. Yarr, i knew what you meant lol.

Answer»

Gonna upgrade my motherboard, cpu, and cpu cooler. i was wondering if the cpu cooler's supported socket type had to match the socket type of the processor. for example, i plan on buying a motherboard that supports sockets am2/am2+/am3, and the processor i'm looking at getting is socket am3. so does that mean the cpu cooler has to support am3? or can i install a cooler that supports either am2 or am2+? thanks in advance.It's HARD to tell whether or not they would be compatible based on the socket type of the CPU. My guess would be yes, they are compatible. But that's a guess.

Newegg has only 2 coolers that are compatible with all three socket types. There are many that are compatible with a wide variety of socket types though, so it's still kinda hard to tell.To avoid an RMA, if you're buying online, I would just stick to a heatsink fan that is known to be compatible with your socket type.okay then. well as it turns out, there are a few coolers on newegg that are am3 compatible, but aren't listed as such in the guided/advanced/power search options, like these two:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118020

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118046

so i guess i'll be going with one of those. thanks for the replies.I only SEARCHED for coolers that are compatible with all three types though. (Also using the guided search)

But yes, those two should work for your CPU. Have you decided on a CPU yet?I plan on getting either the phenom x4 940, which turns out to be am2+ or the phenom x4 955 which is am3. I'm on my phone, otherwise i'd post the links to them and the mobo as well, which is an asus am2/am2+/am3 board.okay, now that i'm at home, here's what i'm getting:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131383

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103471
OR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674

for the processor, it's just a matter of deciding if i want am2+ or am3. of course i can't see why the two processors have different socket types, they're basically the same in every aspect, aside from the .2 ghz difference and the 400mhz hyper transport difference.Just to answer your first question - AM2/2+/3 use the same mounting bracket so any cooler that's compatible with one is compatible with all three.
Zalman coolers tend to be overpriced for their generally midrange performance so I'd avoid them personally.
Hope this helps yes actually, that helps a lot. i was just CONCERNED about the socket type of the processor limiting my choices for an aftermarket cpu cooler.Quote from: midnightfire on January 26, 2010, 11:45:07 AM

for the processor, it's just a matter of deciding if i want am2+ or am3. of course i can't see why the two processors have different socket types, they're basically the same in every aspect, aside from the .2 ghz difference and the 400mhz hyper transport difference.

From what i've read, the main difference between the two socket types is that the AM3 is DDR3 ready, and the AM2/AM2+ are DDR2. So if you get the AM2+, and want DDR3 memory, it's gonna be bottle necked. And physically, the only difference is 2 or 3 pins. (I believe the AM2+ is 938 pin, and the AM3 is 940 or 941 pin. Unless they changed that)well i don't plan on upgrading to ddr3 yet, as i've got 6 gigs of ddr2 that i'm not done with. will performance be hindered if i go with the socket am3?Not at all. It would actually be a better decision in the sense that you would have the option to upgrade to DDR3, with the bottle neck. alrighty then, am3+ it is. thanks a bunch for the replies, gents!Quote from: t_blake07 on January 26, 2010, 06:18:06 PM

Not at all. It would actually be a better decision in the sense that you would have the option to upgrade to DDR3, with the bottle neck.

I mean without the bottle neck. Hope you know what I meant. Yarr, i knew what you meant lol.

Solve : Upgrading some parts, have a quick question?

Discussion

No Comment Found

Related InterviewSolutions

Reply to Comment