AM3 CPU in AM2 board?

[cdipierr]

I have an old Gigabyte GA-M57SLI-S4 motherboard running an equally old X2 6400+.

I've been out of the CPU game for a while, but on Gigabyte's site, there's a note that reads
"If you install AMD AM3/AM2+ CPU on AM2 motherbord, the system bus speed will downgrade from HT3.0(5200MHz) to HT1.0(2000 MT/s) spec; however, the frequency of AM3/AM2+ CPU will not be impacted. Please refer "CPU Support List" for more information."

Ok fine. But what does this mean practically? If I get a Phenom or a newer X2/X3, does it mean I'm taking a 2-to-1 hit on my memory speed, etc? Is there any benefit at all in running an AM3 processor in this board?

If not, anyone have a lead on AM2 socket chips? The 6400+ is fine and all, but I know there were faster ones after it.

 

[hans007]

I have an old Gigabyte GA-M57SLI-S4 motherboard running an equally old X2 6400+.

I've been out of the CPU game for a while, but on Gigabyte's site, there's a note that reads
"If you install AMD AM3/AM2+ CPU on AM2 motherbord, the system bus speed will downgrade from HT3.0(5200MHz) to HT1.0(2000 MT/s) spec; however, the frequency of AM3/AM2+ CPU will not be impacted. Please refer "CPU Support List" for more information."

Ok fine. But what does this mean practically? If I get a Phenom or a newer X2/X3, does it mean I'm taking a 2-to-1 hit on my memory speed, etc? Is there any benefit at all in running an AM3 processor in this board?

If not, anyone have a lead on AM2 socket chips? The 6400+ is fine and all, but I know there were faster ones after it.

am2 only has HT 1.0 so thats why. the memory bus is a different bus than the hypertransport one to the norhtbridge so it should not make much difference.

HT speed on desktops seems to only impact IGPs very much (since the memory access goes through HT to the ddr2)

 

[nonameo]

My understanding is that the NB speed(including l3) is dependent on the HT speed.

So athlon II's wouldn't be affected so much as phenom/ phenom II cpus would.

 

[LoneNinja]

I have an old Gigabyte GA-M57SLI-S4 motherboard running an equally old X2 6400+.

I've been out of the CPU game for a while, but on Gigabyte's site, there's a note that reads
"If you install AMD AM3/AM2+ CPU on AM2 motherbord, the system bus speed will downgrade from HT3.0(5200MHz) to HT1.0(2000 MT/s) spec; however, the frequency of AM3/AM2+ CPU will not be impacted. Please refer "CPU Support List" for more information."

Ok fine. But what does this mean practically? If I get a Phenom or a newer X2/X3, does it mean I'm taking a 2-to-1 hit on my memory speed, etc? Is there any benefit at all in running an AM3 processor in this board?

If not, anyone have a lead on AM2 socket chips? The 6400+ is fine and all, but I know there were faster ones after it.

Actually you have the fastest AM2 processor already, it's the fastest of the K8 Athlon X2 line. After that came K10 with AM2+, which included the Phenom series and Athlon X2 7X00 series which was nothing more than Phenom with 2 cores disabled.