Which Motherboard Is Better? (New Member)

[OneHaplessGamer]

Hello everyone.

I'm new to this neck of the digital woods - I've looked around on Tomshardware and, recently there, asked about this very topic which I'll get to shortly, but could use some additional insight.

So, a few days ago I was given an offered, relayed by my brother from a friend of his - $200 flat for his AMD FX 8350 CPU (which I've had my eye on as an upgrade from my FX 4130), his $50 cooler, and his motherboard - an ASUS 970 Pro Gaming Aura. It looks like a good deal, but I'm also unsure about it. The combo is nice, but my brother's constantly insisting we do a full board swap which I'm hesitant and, currently, opposed to.

My current motherboard is a Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 R5 (rev 1), and has been working since I got it (my original Gigabyte board was, well... ruined because of a faulty power supply, which also ruined my memory but those two components were long-since replaced). I read that the chipset in the ASUS board - the AMD 970 chipset - is inferior to my board's 990FX set. However, I have some questions...

Would my board be the better one to keep in (which would also avoid the hassle/concern of reinstalling Windows at the very least, as well as risk the loss of everything I can't replace or need to reinstall), or is this newer board better?

I don't have any plans to overclock at this time, however, I want to ensure my performance is good and that nothing gets bottlenecked any time soon.

I also read the ASUS board uses a 7+1 power phase versus the 8 + 2 phase of my Gigabyte board. Power phases and the chipsets are something I'm not overly familiar with, aside from the power phase having an impact on voltage demands and reducing, among other things, heat generation (which would help with avoiding damage to the CPU or any other board component). What exactly would be the impact of these different chipsets and power phases though?

 

[Insert_Nickname]

If you're looking for an AM3+ now, I'd recommend a brand new 8320(E) instead of that 8350. The 8320 provides 95% of the performance of the 8350, doesn't overstress your VRMs and is cheaper ($135). The newer stepping FX CPUs also cuts down on power consumption. Especially the E branded variety.

Even a new 8350 with the new Wraith cooler is cheaper then that combo ($180).

Also AM3+ is effectively a dead socket. You might want to hang onto that $200 for next generation Zen, which should launch sometime in January. I'd be very vary of sinking too much money into an obsolete platform.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

I had the Asus 970 Gaming motherboard and its awesome.Its got RGB lighting all over the motherboard which I thought was really cool and has all new features that todays motherboards need like NVMe support and USB 3.1. I was also able to set my FX-8300 from 3.2Ghz to 4.8Ghz using only 1.350v and the VRM heatsink never got hot like so so so many other motherboards suffer from. so for sure go with that one, not because I say so but because its the newest and last release for the AMD AM3+ socket. And its not inferior to your motherboard at all its far far far superior since that gigabyte board is out dated.

 

[OneHaplessGamer]

I had the Asus 970 Gaming motherboard and its awesome.Its got RGB lighting all over the motherboard which I thought was really cool and has all new features that todays motherboards need like NVMe support and USB 3.1. I was also able to set my FX-8300 from 3.2Ghz to 4.8Ghz using only 1.350v and the VRM heatsink never got hot like so so so many other motherboards suffer from. so for sure go with that one, not because I say so but because its the newest and last release for the AMD AM3+ socket. And its not inferior to your motherboard at all its far far far superior since that gigabyte board is out dated.

So you overclocked your CPU just to get that sort of performance?

Personally, I would prefer not to overclock at all and stick with the 8350 CPU. Would it still run normally, despite the chipset difference? I heard the 990FX chipset, like in my board, is made specifically for that series of CPUs - the FX 8 series - so forgive me if I seem skeptical. And again, I also read about the difference in power phases - wouldn't that mean the ASUS 970 Pro Gaming Aura would get hotter than the Gigabyte board since it uses a 7+1 rather than 8+2 phase?

 

[OneHaplessGamer]

If you're looking for an AM3+ now, I'd recommend a brand new 8320(E) instead of that 8350. The 8320 provides 95% of the performance of the 8350, doesn't overstress your VRMs and is cheaper ($135). The newer stepping FX CPUs also cuts down on power consumption. Especially the E branded variety.

Even a new 8350 with the new Wraith cooler is cheaper then that combo ($180).

Also AM3+ is effectively a dead socket. You might want to hang onto that $200 for next generation Zen, which should launch sometime in January. I'd be very vary of sinking too much money into an obsolete platform.

I don't really mind if I'm getting something that's technically a dead socket - I'd rather have an upgrade now and save up some other time for the mode advanced stuff. My rig has been in need of some upgrading for awhile - something I haven't had a chance to do.

But I want to ask still - would my board be better than the one he offered, or would the ASUS be better despite the chipset and power phase difference?

 

[Justinbaileyman]

If your not going to be overclocking then why not just go FM2+ and a non overclocking APU.. Why would you even use a overclocking FX cpu to begin with? Also why second guess people trying to help you out,specially those who used said parts. People dont just reply to questions and make stuff up.. I dont know like I said dont take my word for it.

 

[OneHaplessGamer]

If your not going to be overclocking then why not just go FM2+ and a non overclocking APU.. Why would you even use a overclocking FX cpu to begin with? Also why second guess people trying to help you out,specially those who used said parts. People dont just reply to questions and make stuff up.. I dont know like I said dont take my word for it.

Well, I should have rephrased that - at the moment I'm not looking to overclock, however I don't want my CPU to be bottlenecking even on at base performance level.

I'm not trying to second guess anyone, friend - I just want to make sure I have all the facts is all. I'm not trying to offend or accuse or anything, just wanting to be sure about every detail I read about.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

What GPU are you going to be using then? The whole reason I got rid of that platform in the first place was because it was bottle necking even a single GTX 960 4gb SC in quite a few games I play.Hence the whole reason why I had to overclock to that level. I sold all my parts and upgraded to the Intel X79 platform or the server equivalent c602.Not had as single issue with bottle necking since.
From there I have hoped up to the Z170 and X99 platforms which are also very good. IF you have to get a AM3+ motherboard then have at it and the ASUS 970 isnt that bad of a choice but personally I would sell off your parts and go all current and updated parts.

 

[OneHaplessGamer]

What GPU are you going to be using then? The whole reason I got rid of that platform in the first place was because it was bottle necking even a single GTX 960 4gb SC in quite a few games I play.Hence the whole reason why I had to overclock to that level. I sold all my parts and upgraded to the Intel X79 platform or the server equivalent c602.Not had as single issue with bottle necking since.
From there I have hoped up to the Z170 and X99 platforms which are also very good. IF you have to get a AM3+ motherboard then have at it and the ASUS 970 isnt that bad of a choice but personally I would sell off your parts and go all current and updated parts.

At the moment, I'm thinking the Radeon RX 480 for a GPU when I get around to upgrading that, but I first want to upgrade my CPU.

And as much as I would love to have all updated and current parts - hell, even an Intel CPU and board to support it - money is a slight issue to me. I'd rather do some upgrading right now for my CPU, GPU, and even get a SSD, then save what I can and, hopefully, have better parts. Unless I can somehow come into a lot of money, I can't really afford all the 'current and updated parts'.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

Well your buying a motherboard and cpu right? if so how much total is it going to cost you? cause you can get a b150 motherboard,g4400 and 2x4gb of ddr4 for like $135-150 total which would run circles around any AMD cpu you could buy today.Or better yet you could just buy a DDR3 B150 motherboard and use what ever ram you currently have on hand.

 

[OneHaplessGamer]

Well your buying a motherboard and cpu right? if so how much total is it going to cost you? cause you can get a b150 motherboard,g4400 and 2x4gb of ddr4 for like $135-150 total which would run circles around any AMD cpu you could buy today.Or better yet you could just buy a DDR3 B150 motherboard and use what ever ram you currently have on hand.

I said I was just wanting to upgrade my CPU - the motherboard was included in an offer that was given to me. I haven't accepted it, nor have I declined it - I was wanting to see if my board or the ASUS would work better with the FX 8350 CPU because of the chipsets in each board, as well as the power phases.

I had people on Tomshardware tell me my Gigabyte would be better suited for that particular CPU, and from your experiences, your ASU 970 worked with your FX 8300 CPU.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

OK well good luck to you. if you think it is going to be a good deal to be had then go for it.Fx8350 isn't a bad cpu by any means

 

[OneHaplessGamer]

So... Any others who wish to give their advice on this? So far, it's just been justinbaileyman and and Insert_Nickname who responded - and I could really use some additional input regarding which motherboard is better-suited to using the 8350 processor.

Also, thank you to justin and insert for responding.

 

[Billb2]

If you're not going to overclock or just do a mild overclock (which it sounds like) either board will work fine for you.

But, as others are saying, if you have $200 burning a hole in your pocket there are better options.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

So... Any others who wish to give their advice on this? So far, it's just been justinbaileyman and and Insert_Nickname who responded - and I could really use some additional input regarding which motherboard is better-suited to using the 8350 processor.

Both are about equal. Yes, the 970 chipset is technically slightly inferior to your 990FX. But the 970 board is also one of the last to carry the AM3+ socket, and so will have slightly better on-board features compared to the older 990FX board.

The question is whether you actually need those features. If you don't, its a wash, and down to personal preference.

But, as others are saying, if you have $200 burning a hole in your pocket there are better options.

This^^

Don't take this the wrong way, but since you're already contemplating a full board swap, you can get better gaming performance with a new i3 and a cheapo H110 board. The i3 simply crushes your 4130, and even the 8350. Its not even funny how much performance is in a Skylake i3.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1273?vs=1783

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/697?vs=1783

(Yes, its a 6320, but gets the point across... )

 

[Justinbaileyman]

I already tried to tell him to go with Skylake g4400 and a b150 motherboard. besides he doesnt have the funds for it right now if you would have actually read the entire thread he posted... Also by the way Op, Your are welcome no problem at all that is what the forums here are meant for.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

besides he doesnt have the funds for it right now if you would have actually read the entire thread he posted...

I assumed access to $200. OP already has PSU, RAM, storage, case etc. Squeezing an i3 6100 and a decent B150 (DDR3) board into that budget is certainly possible.

f.x.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132582
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=2MN-0004-00002&cm_re=i3-_-2MN-0004-00002-_-Product

Total $196.98, and there is even a $15 rebate on the board.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

I assumed access to $200. OP already has PSU, RAM, storage, case etc. Squeezing an i3 6100 and a decent B150 (DDR3) board into that budget is certainly possible.

f.x.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132582
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=2MN-0004-00002&cm_re=i3-_-2MN-0004-00002-_-Product

Total $196.98, and there is even a $15 rebate on the board.

I know thats a great deal and have already explained this to the OP.. But dude take a hint and read the entire thread for crying out loud. "HE DOESN'T HAVE THE FUNDS !!" he isn't buying new he is buying used from a friend or and acquaintance at a huge discount.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I don't know if you'll want to hear this, but I like to dabble in different types of rigs, and I've avoided AM3+ / FX rigs totally. (I do still have a couple of AM3 Thuban 1045T rigs though, but I don't use them.)

The limited exposure that I've had to Piledriver, was a few A4-6300 APUs I picked up to go with some cheap mobos, and they were... dogs.

I would say, do what you have to, to get OFF of the FX platform. It's garbage, unless all you do is edit video all day.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

No way... Even then its total crap!! I would say the only reason to go AM3+ at this point is if you absolutely cant get anything else. Its sad when a darn dual core g4400 can destroy a fx8350.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

I know thats a great deal and have already explained this to the OP.. But dude take a hint and read the entire thread for crying out loud. "HE DOESN'T HAVE THE FUNDS !!" he isn't buying new he is buying used from a friend or and acquaintance at a huge discount.

Sheesh. $200 is $200 whether you're buying used or new. If you can get better value buying new components for the same money, I fail to see any reason to invest in obsolete tech.

The OP is of course free to do what he want. He just wanted our opinions, and if he doesn't want a new i3, then the point in my second post stands.

 

[crashtech]

I keep revisiting this post to try to find something constructive to say, but the reality is that $200 does not buy a platform upgrade worthy of modern games. The closest idea I had was to save up another fifty bucks and get a locked Haswell i5 and an H81 board that could utilize the DDR3, but even that is growing obsolete and is too expensive. I guess my vote would be "none of the above," instead save enough to do a full modern platform upgrade to whatever the flavor of the week is when prices and amount saved intersect. At least $300 or so is a more realistic number for a bottom tier modern quad core DDR4 system.