Motherboard to unlock Phenom II 555BE?

[ShahJahan]

Hello.
I am planning to buy a PC with this configuration, though I'm not quite sure which Motherboard to choose. The mobo should be able to unlock the 4 cores and also Overclock to 3.6 - 3.8GHz. Perhaps it might require a BIOS update for that? I've read some unlocking/overclocking/stability change with a BIOS update? So it should be able to update the BIOS too? If the Mobo has USB 3.0 and SATA 3 6Gbps, then how much more will it cost? If the difference is a little, then I'll go for it. If its too costly, then I'll do without it.

Also, I'm confused about the RAM. There are different RAMs with 1333/1600MHz etc. Since I plan to Overclock to 3.6/3.8GHz which RAM should I get?

Also, if you think that something can be added/removed/changed from the configuration, then I'll appreciate your inputs :-)

AMD Phenom II 555BE
4GB DDR3 (1333/1600?) RAM
1GB 5770 Graphics
500GB Samsung SpinPoint F3
24x SATA DVD Writer
How many Watts PSU will be required for OC?

Thanks for your replies :-)

[artdrivers]

Re: Motherboard to unlock Phenom II 555BE?

Good questions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNcE3...layer_embedded

http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/535501-amd-phenom-ii-core-unlocking-guide.html

In order to unlock the cores on AMD you need the chipset AMD SB710 or SB750. Those 2 have the ACC feature that allow for this. Those 2 chipsets are offered on many motherboards.
Below are 2 links to AM3 motherboards that offer the ACC. You can clearly see the price difference between the 2. The higher priced will allow for more memory options for a more stable OC, SATA3, USB3, and more PCIE lanes for crossfirex and PCIE devices.
Keep in mind you may not achieve a stable OC @ 3.6~3.8, and unlocked cores on a AMD PhenomII 555BE. That will depend on the individual CPU and a good cooler.
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - AMD Motherboards
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-790FXTA-UD5 AM3 AMD 790FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard - AMD Motherboards
It is important that before getting RAM decide which motherboard you will purchase.

[PhenomII Dude]

Re: Motherboard to unlock Phenom II 555BE?

my system board can do that but watch revision level - it may be later revisions don't!

[ShahJahan]

Re: Motherboard to unlock Phenom II 555BE?

Thank you everyone for your replies.

So I guess I'm done with the PSU problem. 450W.
And almost coming to a conclusion with the RAM, that 1333 should suffice. Someone disagrees?

Am still learning about the Mobo. This link helped a lot, though could use some more help! I'd appreciate if people can please name specific board models, so that I can see what are people recommending the most. That would definitely help me with my decision. It must not have many bells and whistles, as long as it can unlock and OC to a little 3.6GHz, I'm fine with it. The lesser the cost, the better!

Thank you again everyone for your replies :-)

Some of the quotes below are taken from different forums!

Most importantly, please remember there is no guarantee the chip you receive will have 4 functioning cores or will overclock to your expectations.

Thank You, I understand that. Though I'm willing to gamble!

the PSU requirement you can find out using this
eXtreme Power Supply Calculator

Thanks. I've used that and found that my Recommended Minimum PSU Wattage is 379W, so I think I'd go with a 450W PSU.

You'll want 1600mhz RAM and a 400w PSU will be fine, although I would probably stretch to 450/500w.

I'll go with 450W

I have the P2-550 running with all 4 cores unlocked @ 3.6 GHz on a Gigabyte GA-MA785GT-UD3H board using 1333 MHz memory, and got it to 3.6 GHz by upping the FSB to 220 MHz and upping the multiplier until CPU wouldn't go any further. ( HT clock increased as well to 2200 MHz). Memory is running at 1468 MHz effectively without lowering timings (Kingston HyperX) Vcore is increased a bit as well.
Higher clocked memorymodules are faster at a given speed but that does not translate in a lot of performance difference as CPU overclocking does.

So will a 1333MHz RAM be fine? I'll check the prices, if the difference is negligible, then I'll go with 1600MHz. But if there is difference in performance, then I'll go with 1600MHz only!

you just can't go with the latest bios since it disabled the ability to unlock cores, but second to last should work.

If a board has a BIOS that doesn't support unlocking, can I change the BIOS?

Personally, I'd go with an Asus because they allow independent unlocking, in case your chip only has 3 good cores and not 4. You can however, unlock with just an MSI 770.

Transcend 2*2=4GB DDR3 1333MHz C9 @ 4.4k
Corsair VX450W @ 4k
ECS 785GM-M @ 4.8k

Go for Biostar 790GX A3+.

Full atx,Core unlocking option, Excellent overclocker.

GA-790FXTA-UD5 <- Love this motherboard, its very stable while overclocking

My personal motherboard of choice is the Biostar TA790GX 128M with 78DEA113 BIOS. I have successfully unlocked my X2 550BE and X3 720BE with this board.

id go with the gigabyte 790FX or the MSI 790FX

The M4A79 series are very good boards, they were just out of my price range.

First change the EC Firmware Selection to HYBRID and then enable ACC ) and if the cores are good the system will still post and run windows - if not then you just go back into the BIOS after it resets itself when the boot doesn't work and disable them again

I hear good things about Gigabyte's boards

another thumbs up for Gigabyte mobos in general here.

GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

[artdrivers]

Re: Motherboard to unlock Phenom II 555BE?

Here is a quote out of a Gigabyte motherboard manual. It is about the power supply.

http://download.gigabyte.ru/manual/mb_manual_ga-ma770t-ud3p_e.pdf

Here is a savings. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D2B-_-13128392

1/2) ATX_12V_2X4/ATX (2x4 12V Power Connector and 2x12 Main Power Connector)
With the use of the power connector, the power supply can supply enough stable power to all the
components on the motherboard. Before connecting the power connector, first make sure the
power supply is turned off and all devices are properly installed. The power connector possesses
a foolproof design. Connect the power supply cable to the power connector in the correct orientation.
The 12V power connector mainly supplies power to the CPU. If the 12V power connector is not
connected, the computer will not start.
• To meet expansion requirements, it is recommended that a power supply that can withstand
high power consumption be used (500W or greater). If a power supply is used that does not
provide the required power, the result can lead to an unstable or unbootable system.
• The power connectors are compatible with power supplies with 2x2 12V and 2x10 power
connectors. When using a power supply providing a 2x4 12V and a 2x12 power connector,
remove the protective covers from the 12V power connector and the main power connector on
the motherboard. Do not insert the power supply cables into pins under the protective covers
when using a power supply providing a 2x2 12V and a 2x10 power connector.

[ShahJahan]

Re: Motherboard to unlock Phenom II 555BE?

OK after going through all the suggestions (thanks for it), I think that Asus M4A785TD-V EVO $100 is the motherboard that will suit me. Since I'm not gaming, I've decided to save $200 by removing HD 5770 GPU. And since the mobo has IGP HD 4200 with 128MB shared, expandable to 512MB shared, so it should be able to play videos at 1920x1080 res(?) Anyone has experience with this mobo? And how are Asus mobos in general? Are they worth a buy?

The other contender here is Gigabyte GA-MA785GT-UD3H $95, the only difference I can see is that it has just one PCIe slot, which is why I'm giving Asus a preference. Rest its the same.

But I need a go-ahead from someone knowledgeable! Should I press the button for Asus M4A785TD-V EVO or does anyone has a better (in terms of price and/or features) mobo? It should be able to unlock cores, OC to 3.6GHz and have an onboard video.

1333 Mhz ram is fine, best "bang for the buck", can sometimes be overclocked nicely as well... I prefer 1333 over 1600 actually, due to its lower timings ... having super high memory bandwidth is all well and good, but not if you have to have super-loose ram timings to get there!! ( latency, eccch....)

How would I know if its having lower times, high mem bandwidth and tight timings? What do I look into to find it? I've seen something like 9-9-9-9
Is this how you identify it? So what digits should I look for? They must not be very costly! Best-bang-for-buck will be good enough for me.


@ artdrivers: Going with the previous specification, this was the best bang-for-buck mobo. But since I'm not gaming and removed the HD5770 GPU, the mobo will now be required to have an IGP. Unfortunately it doesn't. Sorry about changing the specs, but I learned I didn't need a GPU. Thanks for the suggestion though :-)