Is AMD FX-4 4170 Black Edition 4.2GHz compatible with 890GPA-UD3H motherboard?

[oliverbeckham]

Will i be able to run this chip AMD FX-4 4170 Black Edition 4 Core 4.2GHz Socket AM3+ 8MB L3 Cache Retail Boxed Processor on my Gigabyte 890GPA-UD3H rev 2.1 motherboard?

Below is the processor i would like to buy/use in my motherboard:

http://www.ebuyer.com/354122-amd-fx-4-core-black-edition-fx-4170-fd4170frgubox

Please advise, also is this processor better than my current Phenom x4 3.4ghz processor and if so why? Also if you know of any better processor i could use please let me know, thanks!

Many Thanks!

[Vezina]

There is a beta bios for the board that was stated few months ago to support Bulldozer generically speaking.
Then Gigabyte deleted that info ,to stimulate new board buying i suppose , as other manufacturers made FX CPU-s to work on 890GX chipset.
Also the beta BIOS Bulldozer compatibility is something  that i never seem proved yet ,thats why i have bought a 970A-UD3 few months ago .

You should contact Gigabyte support and see what beta BIOS they have in work and eventually feedback to the forum about the info.

Now if your CPU is Phenom 2 X4 965 BE you should upgrade only if you want less heat or less power consumption as the gaming performance may be similar from the FX 4170.
If you want full Bulldozer performance go for the FX 8150 the top CPU or for the FX 8120.
This CPU-s seem to  also need DDR 3 1866 Mhz to show their capabilities.

Another choice would be a PII X6 CPU if you require more CPU power ,like X6 1090T or X6 1100T.

Keep in mind you may need a new motherboard if you upgrade the CPU to Bulldozer.

Why do you think you need a CPU upgrade ?!

[oliverbeckham]

I just want to stay up to date in terms of for the future, what about my processor i have now, is it overclockable and if so by how much, while using the stock fan which goes upto max 48c on a full load.

Will overclocking it damage my PC in any way?

[Vezina]

Over-clocking is a different story.

We really need to know the full configuration.

Keep in mind that the over-clocking discussion has a specific section on this forum.

Full specification means enumeration of the components you have in your system including your power supply.

We also have to know if your CPU (which i assume it s a P2 X4 965BE) is the 125W version.

LE:Yes ,over-clocking may damage your PC parts ,even without getting to much gain over stock.

[oliverbeckham]

Please tell me what you need to know, how can i find out if its the 125w version.

[absic]

hi there,

the answer to your question is probably no.

You need a Rev 3.1 version of this motherboard to run an FX CPU and, if I remember correctly, Gigabyte never intended to update the BIOS for earlier revisions with the AM3 socket to enable them to run FX CPU's.

EDIT: I have just learnt that Vezina is correct and that in certain instances, special BIOS is available for some older AM3 boards to support AM3+ FX CPU's. These do remove some functionality from the BIOS and are not available via download but through Tech Support. I apologise for any misunderstanding my post may have introduced into this thread - absic

[Vezina]

Please tell me what you need to know, how can i find out if its the 125w version.

Please install CPU-Z ,HW-Monitor and PC Wizard to identify your hardware configuration.

I am not sure you are ready to over-clock ,though every one starts at some moment in time.