AM2 Motherboard - What might go wrong?

[slowpogo]

I've been advised to either get a 939 system, or wait a few months while the kinks get worked out of the new AM2 motherboards.

My question is, what kind of kinks are we talking about? I only plan to put in standard components - WD SATA HD, x1800 video, DVD-ROM drive, Corsair memory...am I to believe that MSI or ASUS would release a motherboard that wouldn't work with a simple system like the one I described?

Or are the kinks more esoteric - related to overclocking and such? Don't those things get ironed out with bios updates anyway?

Any thoughts appreciated...I just find it hard to believe that if I ordered an MSI K9N Platinum mobo it wouldn't do what it's supposed to.

 

[Skott]

The only two mobos I have read about so far is the ASUS and the FoxConn M2 verssions. Extremetech.com has it up on their site. The whole industry is switching to AM2 and because they just launched last week there really hasnt been much coverage on them. DFI plans to have all their mobos updated by August I heard and I'm sure other manufacturers are trying to get their AM2 versions launched as well. We wont know fully how problematic, if any, they might be until they been out for a while and people have had a chance to fully test them. Alot of it seems to be a direct port over so not alot of huge changes really. nForce5 is the biggest change so far I have read and its more of a evolutionary step more than a revolutionary one. Meaning its more of a nForce4 upgrade than a true new technology. Probably wont be any huge problems fundamentally speaking. More of a manufacturer's goof than anything else. I'd say give it at least a month if you can and see which mobos are passing the reviewers *and* the consumer's tests before buying. Right now selection is very limited.

 

[mb103051]

If your set to buy with the choises out now with am2 go ahead and order your stuff.its not much of a change from 939,basically ddr2 is it.there isnt going to be any big problems with this new amd product.they will do what you want it to do no problem.the msi boards look good and 1st reviews look good .asus also has some good boards also.i like the new am2 570 sli board that just came out on newegg for 149.00.its a great looking board,seems i like it better than the msi version and asus brings out new bios updates very frequently.i wouldnt worry 1 bit buying am2 stuff right away.if its what you want and your ready to buy,do it you'll have a great runnig system.also keep in mind 939 stuff is a bargain and performance is about equall and proven so f you want to save a few bucks with proven technology build a 939 system.just a thought.i going to do a 939 motherboard and dual core cpu upgrade soon as the prices on the cpu's drop in the next 6 weeks when conroe hits the market....................

 

[compgeek89]

I think AM2 is going to be a short lived DDR2 transition socket, I think AMDs next big CPUs will use at the very least a newer revision M2 socket. I would not suggest hoppiong on AM2 until they guarantee their new architecture on it.

 

[slowpogo]

So you're saying upgradability is not a good reason to go AM2? How long do you think it'll be before the "next big CPUs"? A year? Two, three?

I'm at the point where I've been told so many times, "Just wait a little longer for xxx...then you can xxx..." there's literally no good time to buy according to the "experts." If I waited till Conroe, no doubt someone would advise, "I would wait a few months till xxx new technology comes out..." No offense, I appreciate the advice, but screw it...I'm going AM2.

 

[compgeek89]

Then wait one month and get the dual socket AM2 board so you can have quad core.

Honestly I would not buy a single socket AM2 board until 2007

 

[Skott]

AMD 4x4 launches 2nd half 2006 (possibly the one that can beat Conroe) and then Intel launches their quadcore Q1 2007. As you can see no matter what you do more newer and better stuff is coming out and it wont be measured in years but months.