Solved Which MB for FX-8350 and 16gb 2x8 DDR3 1600

[Smokes]

Hi
maybe it would have been better to ask this question before parting with my money I bought a bundle which consists of, Had I known at the time of buying that this is an old board I would have stayed well clear of it. I paid extra for insurance cover!



AMD X8 Core FX-8350 4.0Ghz

ASUS M5A78L-M USB3

TEAM Gold branded RAM 16GB DDR3 1600

Samsung Evo 850 250GB

Nvidia Ge force 610

I have Win 7 and 10 both pro x64 on a dual boot SSD Drive


What motherboard would you suggest i buy? Im not into high end gaming but would like to play the odd game I would like to get the most out of the ram and CPU i have to live with.

I like CS6 Photoshop & Illustrator and encoding the odd movie file to DVD

Someone mentioned nothing less than a 970 mb ive never heard of this, not clued up with whats in and whats not I have read positive and negative comments about Asus, MSI and Gigabyte,at the end of the day I do not understand the figures and specs given Sure we are going to get mixed reviews with anything but knowing what to look for would be an advantage

I have hunted high and low through Google and now back to square one. Are MSI or Gigabyte good choices with todays specs and prices?

In the past when I used to run Win xp 32 bit and never had a moments trouble with a Gigabyte G312sm rev 2,4 I don't remember the full number and dont have to board to hand. Now with Win 10 and 7 I am having a ton of grief with resolution. and issues with some drivers with this asus mb.


Thank You
Smokes

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
You might have already seen this no telling how accurate it is :/
Best AMD AM3+ Motherboard for Gaming 2016 | TurboFuture

AM3+, AMD Motherboards, Motherboards, Components - Newegg.com

 

[Smokes]

Thanks ThrashZone I will take a look

 

[Mellon Head]

For the FX-8350, I would recommend an AMD motherboard with a 990X or 990FX chipset to get the most out of it. The 970 chipset is OK, but the 990 series is better.

Also, make sure that you have good cooling for the FX-8350. They run hot, no matter which motherboard you end up buying.

Also, what is your budget for a motherboard?

 

[Smokes]

Hello Mellon Head & ThrashZone
Thanks for the replys I have looked at a Gigabyte 990X-Gaming SLI AMD AM3+ and an 990FX not sure what the difference is apart from the cost. I have had a look at links given by ThrashZone and still undecided. When you say a good cooler which do you recommend? I don't want something which is noisy

Thanks again
Smokes

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I'll leave the cooler question to Mellon he actually uses an amd processor
He shows in his system spec's this one which is liquid

[B]Cooling [/B]Coolermaster Seidon 240M Liquid AIO.  6 case fans

 

[AddRAM]

If you have the room and the proper opening in the case.

Hydro Series™ H100i v2 Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

Hydro Series™ H110i 280mm Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

or

Hydro Series™ H80i v2 High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

 

[Mellon Head]

I've had good luck with the CoolerMaster Seidon cooler. It's nicely quiet, and really does a good job at keeping my 8350 at around 45C under full load. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

I also agree with AddRAM. The Corsair offerings are top notch and really do the job. They have the advantage of having specialized software for monitoring your fans and liquid pump. That's something that the Seidon doesn't have.

 

[Smokes]

Hello
I asked this question back in February 2017 rather than ask the question again in a new post hope its ok to ask here.

Would a Gigabyte 990X-Gaming SLI AMD AM3+ still be a good choice compared to my Asus M5A78L-M Plus/usb3 or are there any better alternatives now in 2018. I still have the same ram and CPU, I never did get round to changing the board for a better one due to several issues.

Thank you
Smokes

 

[RoasterMen]

Seems about right for your current build. But let's wait for other member's suggestions.

 

[Mellon Head]

I think you would do better with the Gigabyte board, or even an ASUS Sabretooth offering. The advantage to the Gigabyte or Sabretooth is that the board has a better Northbridge chip and a better Southbridge chip. They are more modern than the chipset that you have now, and support the FX-8350 better than your current board. Also, the power distribution is better in the 990X/990FX series boards, meaning that the CPU can be more stable and not current starved, especially if you do any overclocking. The 990X and 990FX have faster and wider graphics lanes for your graphics card as well, giving better GPU performance.

All in all, almost any 990 series board would be better than the M5A78L-M that you have now. You could even get by with a 970 series chipset. I have the M5A97 R2.0 from ASUS and it does a pretty good job, though overclocking with this board is virtually impossible due to the lack of good power regulation. Sadly, I couldn't afford a Sabretooth at the time I bought this one.

 

[Smokes]

Thanks for reply Mellon Head, sorry for late reply. I will have a look around to see if I can find this Gigabyte board, I have seen a couple of used boards not sure if this is a false economy or best to buy new. Im totally out of my depth with what to look for and what to buy. Regards Smokes

 

[Mellon Head]

Buy a new board. Used boards can have problems with them, or have been stressed by overclocking.

Best not to inherit someone else's problem.

 

[matfx]

I do agree don't buy a used board, we don't know what the previous owner did with, it may have faulty components.

 

[Smokes]

Thank you to both for replys, would I have any other options with Ram and CPU I already have if I cant get a new Gigabyte 990X? I would like to be able to buy in England if possible I have around £120 give or take a little. Regards Smokes

 

[Mellon Head]

Interesting. I did a little checking and it looks like the 990 series chipset is no longer available. The closest would be the 970 series with a little less capability. I'm not sure what is available still in the UK, but here in N. America, the 990 seems to be dead.

It may be time to move to an AM4 platform rather than buy an older technology board. Keep in mind with AM4, you'll need a different CPU and RAM.

Seems there is no easy solution to this. But the short answer is: If you can't get a 990 series board, go with the 970 series. They fit your price range and are perfectly serviceable.

 

[Smokes]

Hello Mellon Head
Thanks for trying, I thought maybe I was looking in the wrong places ;-} I have seen several Gigabyte 990 pre owned and they are £70+ you and the other person who replied has taught me something, don't buy someone elses 2nd hand boards, anything could have been done to them.

If possible I would rather not start from the beginning again with buying an AM4 cpu ram and board. I do not feel as though I have had any use or enjoyment with what I paid for, feel like ive had my eyes took out. What I should have done is ask first on the forum. Had I known this Asus was an old board at the time I would have spent money elsewhere.

I guess its down to 1 last decision & question would a new Gigabyte 970A-DS3P give any improvement or performance compared to my M5A78L or am I better keeping what I have then maybe upgrade later on?

Thanks to you and the forum, It is a very good place :-}

Smokes

 

[Mellon Head]

You know, I had a really close look at your current board and the Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, and there is really not a whole lot of difference to justify an upgrade. For one thing, the HyperTransport bus on the Gigabyte board is slower than on the motherboard that you have now. That means lower memory performance on the Gigabyte board.

I think if I were you, I would hold off upgrading the mobo for now. It's not going to get you any better performance in the long run, and your memory transfer speed will actually be lower, unless you overclock your Northbridge chip on the Gigabyte board (and you may not be able to). Another thing about upgrading a motherboard is that you will need a new copy of Windows if you don't have a retail version. Microsoft will very rarely allow you to switch motherboards in an OEM Windows installation, as your copy of Windows is locked to the motherboard it was installed on. That's another consideration to be aware of.

I hope that helps a little.

 

[Smokes]

Hi Mellon Head
In a word WOW! where on earth did you learn to be so clued up with computers? Im gob-smaked Thank you for all your help and suggestions. Not only have you been paitent with me and solved my questions you have saved me further grief, headaches and stopped me throwing money to waste.

Thank you and Thanks for this brilliant forum.

Regards
Smokes

Im not sure if I have to mark thread as solved or you (Admin)

 

[Mellon Head]

Smokes:

I'm glad I could help. If we have solved the problem, please mark the thread as solved. The button is at the bottom of the thread.

Best of luck, and don't forget to come back and ask any more questions that you may have.