I need advice concerning the GA-870A-UD3 MB

[jolphil]

Hi Folks,
This is a brand new build and I am new to the AMD/Gigabyte  world, coming from the other side..After some soul searching and reasoning,I felt this was a better choice for me, avoiding all the hype, that it was not as fast as the other side..
My intension is to build a practical box for my usage running both Windows 7 and various Linux distributions..I am NOT a gamer but occasionally do some video work(DVD's and the like) encoding etc...I have read this forum with great interest and learned a great deal..
This new build is purchased piece by piece as finances allow..Following are the items already purchased and sitting in my closet..
Coolmaster case for ATX board(plenty of fans and ventilation)
Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 with rev 2.0 ( still do not know yet  which BIOS is installed)
Corsair PSU HX750W..( Think it should do the job)
Gigabyte GT240 GPU ( not the greatest but all I should need)
Scythe Mugen Cooler (to keep the intended CPU and more important the onboard AMD Memory controllers cool)
1 Kit of 8GB DDR3 1066 memory-2x4GB Mushkin 99670 DDR3 1333 CL9 at 1.5 volts
 BTW after contacting GB about memory they suggested 1333 at 1.5 volts specifically

OK now we come to the questions and concerns:
The CPU is not yet purchased and since the Motherboard was purchased previously,AMD has released newer versions..
Specifically  the Phenom2 1075t six core(In Linux I open and use at least 4 virtual windows)
Also the newest AMD Phenom 2x4 core 970 with the higher clock (3.5GHZ with a multiplier of 17.5x)
  While I entertain both devices my concern is,that neither is on the QVL support list, and possibly may not boot or not boot properly..
 Additionally I do not have any spare compatible CPU's laying around that I could fire up to update the BIOS if required..
 Thus I need advice from the experts and or actual users, hence the reason for this post..
Can anyone give some advice as to how to proceed in a logical manner?
I would appreciate all comments or suggestions including any known pitfalls..
Thank you for reading this and for this excellent forum,
jolphil

[absic]

Hi there,

thanks for the nice comments and welcome to the forum.

First thing that I should say is, that as you have mentioned, at the moment neither the 1075T or 975 CPU's are supported by the motherboard.  Without a BIOS update you won't be able to use either of them with the board as it is now, as the current BIOS will not support them. A future update might allow their use but again, as you have pointed out, without a way of updating BIOS you won't be able to run them.

With that in mind and depending on your budget then a 1090 or the 1055 are both good CPU's that are excellent when it comes to encoding Audio and Video. I have a 1090 and I do a lot of Audio/Video stuff on my PC without an issue. I have also used the 965 and again it is a solid performer. If you can run to the extra cost, a Black Edition CPU would be the best choice as it allows for easier overclocking. Do not be tempted to buy an X2 or X3 in the hope of unlocking the cores as this can lead to problems.

The advice about using 1333MHz RAM at 1.5V is one I fully agree with and will give the best hope of system stability. If you buy a BE CPU then you can overclock it much easier and without it affecting your RAM. I got my 1090 running at over 4GHz but, as I don't really find that I need the speed, I have now pulled it back to stock settings.

The rest of your components seem fine and I don't think that you will have too much to worry about, when it comes to putting things together.

To run Virtual Machines you will need to Enable the Virtualization option in BIOS. This is normally found under the heading Advanced BIOS Features.

I have no experience with Linux on an 8 Series Mobo so can't offer any practical help there I'm afraid so, I will leave that to other member's of the forum.

[bytheway_r]

I'll only mention that top of the line x4's aren't worth it, imho. They're the same as cheaper chips but better quality. The problem being that they all max out ~4Ghz. The higher the "stock" speed, the less headroom you have when overclocking.

If I were to go for an x4 I'd settle for a 955 BE. You'll reach ~3.7-3.8Ghz with it for sure. If you want top of the line, then forget about 970 and just go with a 965 BE. They're pretty much the same. Especially if you're going to overclock as both should reach 3.9-4Ghz. You may get that 100Mhz more out of the 970 but it's far from guaranteed.

[jolphil]

Hi again,
Thanks for the suggestions guys..If in fact I decided to go with the x4 instead of the x6 core  then how will the memory controllers in the x4 deal with my 8gb of DDR3 1333 memory? I guess I thought only the x6 CPU's could use the newer DDR3 modules..
jolphil

[absic]

The X4 will be OK as long as you keep the RAM to 1333MHz. Mine worked fine with 8GB of RAM at that setting but really didn't like it when I tried to up the speed of the RAM even a little.

The other thing to remember is to keep your RAM in Unganged Mode.

[jolphil]

absic
Thank you for the information..Yes I read about the "unganged" in your  post..Good info...
Now I will have to decide which one..Price or performance..I guess thats what everyone must decide..
I just hope my warranties do not run out before I complete it..Hahaha..
Thanks again and I will continue to read this forum to pick up tid bits of information here and there..
jolphil

[absic]

No worries and don't forget, if you have any questions just ask, it's how we all learnt. 

[Dark Mantis]

And don't forget you can come on the forum at any time not just when you have a problem

[jannie]

Hi Jolphil and welcome, you have found the most friendly forum on the net, hope you get your new build working soon
Dave

[jolphil]

Hi Jolphil and welcome, you have found the most friendly forum on the net, hope you get your new build working soon
Dave

Hi Jannie,
Yes everyone is very very friendly and more important very Helpful..
Bye for now,
jolphil

[jolphil]

Just a quick follow up..  I did not think I could afford the 1090t but By chance the price just dropped into my lap..
The Order went out last night and in 3 days...Sunshine..Woo Hoo!!!
jolphil

[Dark Mantis]

Everything comes to those who wait!