# 6-core Phenom?



## Janglur (Apr 28, 2010)

Now, this is a suppository question.  I need a new motherboard regardless, but if avoidable I would like to not do it, simply because I just need raw CPU power.  Video, RAM, and other capabilities are of no priority.

However, I can't seem to get a straight answer out of ASROck.

My board is an AOD790GX/128M.  It can handle the newest Phenom II quad-cores and everything in between, but it does not say one way or the other on the new 6-core phenoms.

It is AM3, and handles every single other AM3 processor out there.  So...

Will it run a Deneb 6-core?


[I emphasize that I really am not concerned on the frontside bus, RAM, or video capabilities of the system.  This computer is used pretty strictly for work, surfing the internet, and grid computing/Distributed computing.  It's raw CPU I need, and lots of it.  My RAM is largely idle even now.  I'm hoping to break 1 TFlop.]


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## Runefox (Apr 28, 2010)

Probably, with a BIOS update. That said, I'm not sure how often ASRock bothers with that kind of thing.


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## thealex132 (May 1, 2010)

If you have the cash go for an i7, and yeah the 6 core Phenom will work but that board is teh krap


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## LizardKing (May 1, 2010)

Janglur said:


> Now, this is a suppository question.



Whoah

Totally the wrong board


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## Slyck (May 1, 2010)

I can't say. I've use Gigabyte boards forever now. That said, for number crunching, I'd go for GPGPU rather than CPU computing. The nVidia Tesla comes to mind.

Or, if you're doing F@H or SETI or the like, use everything already on your computer. That's your CPU, your GPU, your onboard GPU, etc. I know F@H likes to use 1 core at a time, so glock a way around that. Overclock. Unlock. I have my PII x3 720 running as an x4 955. Don't ploop our CPU above 1.5 volts, though. Test for stability too. Keep in mind that unstable RAM matters more in Linux than Windows. I can rum my DDR3 1333 at 1600 with no voltage increase in Win 7 but Ubuntu won't boot like that.


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## abitfuzzy (May 1, 2010)

sweet jumping beans! 6 core cpu's? dang and here i thought a 2 core cpu's were hot. im way behind the times. (still running a p4 single core.)


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## Bianca (May 1, 2010)

Interesting hearing people say "Asrock is krap", etc, when Asrock are part of ASUS, and generally make their more budget/experimental orientated products. In my experience they're usually well supported with BIOS updates and so you should be fine. I've built a HTPC on an Asrock Mobo and have had no issues keeping the BIOS up-to-date. You could email their support and query for your specific motherboard if you're uncertain or can't find solid answers.


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## Janglur (May 2, 2010)

Finally got a response from ASRock confirming that I can run the 6-core without a BIOS update, even!

For $200 ($300 for black and super overclockable) that's a steal.  I fully intend to do it.



Also, to others:
An i7 upgrade would cost drastically more (requiring new MB, RAM, and CPU) than it's worth.  The small gain over a 6-core phenom at 3x the price (5x counting the MB and RAM) isn't within my budget, nor cost effective.  The goal here is power:cost ratio, not just raw power.

Secondly, i'm not running F@H, so the GPU is not utilizeable.  It requires high-precision FLOPS as well, so overclocking is undesireable.  Plus cooling and longevity become issues with OCing.

I'm pretty set on the Phenom x6.  I just needed to know if my board handles it.  Which it does.  So, decided!


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## Runefox (May 2, 2010)

> Interesting hearing people say "Asrock is krap"


Let's just say I've seen a good few of 'em die and I consider them very much a budget brand alongside the likes of ECS and Biostar, regardless of the parent company. That they do silly things like back during the early-mid LGA-775 days have an AGP slot running alongside a PCI-E x16 (x8 actual) slot usually results (or resulted) in stability issues.

I've been out of the loop for a little over a year now, so I guess I can't be terribly certain about their reliability and stability nowadays. I'm actually pretty surprised to hear that they're fairly good with BIOS updates - That puts them a little higher up on the chain than I'd pegged them at previously.


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## Bianca (May 2, 2010)

Runefox said:


> Let's just say I've seen a good few of 'em die and I consider them very much a budget brand alongside the likes of ECS and Biostar, regardless of the parent company. That they do silly things like back during the early-mid LGA-775 days have an AGP slot running alongside a PCI-E x16 (x8 actual) slot usually results (or resulted) in stability issues.
> 
> I've been out of the loop for a little over a year now, so I guess I can't be terribly certain about their reliability and stability nowadays. I'm actually pretty surprised to hear that they're fairly good with BIOS updates - That puts them a little higher up on the chain than I'd pegged them at previously.


The AGP/PCI-E board, the dual socket (478/775) board, the dual memory board, etc, all exemplify the point I mentioned about ASrock being the "budget/*experimental*" branch of ASUS. Stuff that there may be a niche need for but which won't be for everyone. Still, in terms of build-quality, I wouldn't rate them as high as ASUS/Gigabyte/Foxconn/Intel, but definitely in the second tier with DFI/MSI - so still well about ECS, Biostar, et al.


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## Runefox (May 2, 2010)

Given what you're saying about the frequency of BIOS updates and general customer service, I'm inclined to agree with you about the placement in the second-tier.


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## Aden (May 2, 2010)

Janglur said:


> Now, this is a suppository question.



http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/1/10132/871991-farnsworth_thumb.jpg


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## Janglur (May 6, 2010)

Hehee.  I don't argue that ASRock is a budget board, but i've never had one die on me-  and man have I abused this thing!

Overclocking it from 1066 MHz to 1346 MHz on the memory bus.  Running every last SATA port with an active drive in it, in RAID0.  Stuffing two videocards in it for Hybrid XFire.  And running the CPU at 100% pretty much every second of it's life...

It hasn't failed yet!  This is more than I can say with my last ASUS board.
The A7N8X Deluxe.  Went through EIGHT of them in 14 months-  They kept sending them, and they kept dying.  Never did Asus agree to a refund, only 'We'll just send another'.  SEVEN.. TIMES!
I refused to buy another Asus product since.  For a while I relied on Biostar, but found their performance lacking.
I took a gamble on the AOD790GX/128M, since it's affiliated with Asus, but at the time I couldn't afford new RAM >and< a new CPU.  So I got this, letting me use the same RAM and CPU with future upgradeability.  Eventually I got better RAM (1200 instead of 800) and a Phenom II X3.

I feared I would need to replace it on it's second year when the 6-core comes out, but it's chugging happily along without even NEEDING a BIOS update!

So, i'm downright tickled pink!


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## Runefox (May 6, 2010)

> A7N8X Deluxe


This board was released during the early stage of the Capacitor Plague - No surprises there. Now that it's over, your mileage will be better across every manufacturer. Motherboard with all solid capacitor designs are much more reliable in any case.


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## Slyck (May 7, 2010)

Runefox said:


> This board was released during the early stage of the Capacitor Plague - No surprises there. Now that it's over, your mileage will be better across every manufacturer. Motherboard with all solid capacitor designs are much more reliable in any case.



Someone should string like a million 10uf poly capacitors together. I've never trusted electrolytics.


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