AMD Phenom X4 9750 Quad Core CPU Review

Motherboard Options

Since AMD’s Phenom CPUs require a motherboard and chipset capable of handling the new HyperTransport 3.0 protocol, options are limited. This is where AMD dropped the ball (again) as they did for all intents and purposes tell early AM2 adopters that as soon as the new K10s (AKA Phenom) quads came out they would be a drop in replacement with just a BIOS update. I personally was burned over this and its still a sore spot for a lot of early adopters. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but in the end you are going to need a AM2+ motherboard with the appropriate chipset to run a Phenom properly, as most older AM2 boards just can’t handle them. Granted, some will but you will be missing out on some much-needed performance. Please take it on faith that the 9750 (or any Phenom) will not work in an older AM2 motherboard, if the quad is even recognized and boots up it will run like the proverbial dog. Phenom’s need the extra bandwidth HT 3 affords and it would be a lot like putting an elevator in an outhouse.

That being said, in this section we will be looking at some of the motherboard and chipset options which go hand in hand with the new Phenom processors.

Please Note:

We are very hesitant on lower end chipset based motherboards and this monster 9750 Phenom. We have nothing against the chipset per say, rather term like “entry level” or even “mid grade” and a powerful quad like the Phenom may end in disaster as you saw happen to us! To this end we will not be giving examples of the motherboards for these chipsets nor going over their pros and cons. You can consider their inclusion in this review for "information purposes only".


And in the Green Corner

No matter their track record with some circles, Nvidia have some great chipsets that will run the Phenoms properly. On the green side the 700a series (750a & 780a for example) are very good chipsets that allow you to get your SLI fix.

For all you wondering what is the difference between the 730a, 750a, 780a, and the newer 8200/8300s, the short answer is: not much. Technically speaking, the 730 is the entry level, the 750 is the mid grade and the 780s are the enthusiast level; and the 8200/8300s are a newer single chip solutions which have an integrated GPU built right on the chip.

In reality both the 720, 730 and 750 chipset all share the same Hybrid SLI features through an integrated GPU, but only the top dog has mult-SLI support, the mid grade supports SLI and the entry level has only one PCI-E slot for Hybrid SLI only. To put it another way; the three chipsets differ in how many PCI express lanes each has and how many graphics cards you can stick in it (though even the lowest end PCI 2.0 is still has more than enough bandwidth for any single core graphics card out there). Of course, motherboard manufactures may also add more features to the higher end boards than a lower end but this is to be expected.

This of course is glossing over the details of the various Nvidia chipsets, so to help you decide which chipset is right for you here is a more detailed breakdown of their capabilities:


730a

HyperTransport 3.0 Support
NO SLI technology support
PCI Express 2.0 support
1 x16, 3 x1
Up to 5 PCI Slots
Up to 6 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s drives
Up to 2 PATA drives (Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33)
RAID configurations 0, 1, 0+1, 5
12 USB Ports


750a

HyperTransport 3.0 Support
SLI technology support with two identical SLI Ready graphics cards
PCI Express 2.0 support
19 lanes, 4 links: 2 x8, 2 x1 or 1 x16, 3 x1
Up to 5 PCI Slots
Up to 6 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s drives
Up to 2 PATA drives (Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33)
RAID configurations 0, 1, 0+1, 5
12 USB Ports


780a


The 780a series by Nvidia is for enthusiasts who maninly want the biggest and the best when it comes to graphics (mulit SLI) and performance. For many years Nvidia was the only real choice for AMD enthusiasts and as such this chipset has a long and rich pedigree behind it. However, as it requires an additional chipset (namely the nForce 200) and a crossbar link to get all the features and it is getting a little long in the tooth in comparison to some of the new single chip solutions (especially in the heat and power consumption arena). However, if SLI is your main deciding factor it is the chip to own! Depending on the motherboard you chose your overclocking may only be limited by your CPU (or ram in some cases) and not due to this chipset. Are there reports of some glitches with this chipset and overclocking? Yes, but its many positive features do make a very strong case for it.

Basic Specs:

HyperTransport 3.0 Support
Quad SLI technology support with two dual-GPU NVIDIA graphics cards
3-way SLI technology support with three single core GeForce graphics cards
SLI technology support with two identical SLI Ready graphics cards
PCI Express 2.0 support
35 lanes, 7 links: 1 x16, 2 x8, 3 x1
Up to 5 PCI Slots
Up to 6 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s drives
Up to 2 PATA drives (Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33)
RAID configurations 0, 1, 0+1, 5
12 USB Ports


8200 / 8300


While technically the 8200/8300s are geared towards mainstream consumers who normally want more than integrated graphics offer but at the same time don't need the horsepower of a high end GPU either. This means that alot of HTPC enthusiasts are starting to take a closer look at this solution.

Even though it is a low to mid range chipset it still does pack a lot of features which we have come to know and love from Nvidia's AMD oriented chipsets. The combination of power and the ability the SLI with just one standalone board (aka Hybrid SLI) does make it a very good choice for consumers who are not interested in monster overclocks, high end gaming, etc. but are interested in a stable, all round good choice which leave them enough money in their pockets for other things (like more hard drives, better CPU, etc). For anyone who wants to know why we have lumped the 8200/8300 together it is because the only real difference is the speed/ power of the integrated GPU. In many ways you can consider the 8300 the successor to the 8200 or a higher clocked version of it at least!

Basic Specs:

HyperTransport 3.0 Support
Built in Video (DVI, HDMI, VGA)
Hybrid SLI (onboard + graphics card)
PCI Express 2.0 support
1 x16, 3 x1
Up to 5 PCI Slots
Up to 6 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s drives
Up to 2 PATA drives (Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33)
RAID configurations 0, 1, 0+1, 5
12 USB Ports


And Fighting in the Red Corner...

On the red (well, green too) side you also have another 700 series chipsets which are Phenom capable which allow you to Crossfire to your hearts content (770, 790X, 790FX for example). Once again the differences between the chipsets comes down to how many PCI Express lanes they have. 790FX is for the enthusiast who want to have loads of GPUs in their system, the 790x is more mainstream in its approach for people who may experiment with Crossfire but are probably only going to run 1 of the 2 GPUs allowed, and the 770 is you entry where Crossfire is not supported. The new kid on the block is the 790GX with the SB750 chipset which is the stand-in until the SB800 chipset is released.

Once again to help you decide which chipset is right for you here is a more detailed breakdown of the AMD chips capabilities:


790FX


The 790FX can be considered the premier ATI based chipset for the Phenoms. It would be very surprising to see any motherboard with this chipset not be Phenom 125W TDP (or even 140W) compatible as it is the heart and soul of the "Spider" platform. The 790FX really is the chipset to own if you are an enthusiast looking for the latest and greatest AMD has to offer.

With all this being said (and when compared to Nvidias line up), the 790FX really is a great low power, low heat choice which has unfortunately been paired with the older 600 series southbridge. Because of this uneven paring the 970FX does suffer from lack of RAID options and even lower USB capabilities. With the release of the SB750 this situation will shortly be fixed, so you may want to pay close attention in the coming months to what the manufactures are going to be offering.

The higher end 790FX based systems you have a lot more freedom, as the DFI we use is very good, and so is the Gigabyte DQ6 and the various ASUS options you have.

Basic Specs
HyperTransport 3.0 Support
PCI Express 2.0 support
Maximum four physical PCI-E x16 slots and discrete PCI-E x4 slot,
the chipset provides a total of 42 lanes solely in the Northbridge
1 xUltraDMA 133/100/66
Up to 6 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s drives
RAID configurations 0, 1, 10
10 USB Ports


790X


Unlike it bigger brother the 790X is more of a middle of the road / consumer grade chipset. It is still a great choice if you are not concerned with quad Crossfire; it does support Crossfire but its capabilities (i.e. the number of lanes it has) is severely curtailed. In fact the only issue we have with the 790X is earlier motherboards (and a some of new ones) can not support the 140W TDP Phenoms, nor even the 125s.

Based on our experience 790s boards, compatibility is hit or miss, but I personally would try the Gigabyte DS4 790x if I was forced to use (another) 790x + 125W TDP Phenom combination. As we mentioned earlier this is a situation AMD is aware of and we are sure they will get it sorted out with the manufactures...we hope.

Basic Specs:
HyperTransport 3.0 Support
PCI Express 2.0 support
CrossFire Support
Two physical PCI-E x16 slots
1 xUltraDMA 133/100/66
Up to 6 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s drives
RAID configurations 0, 1, 10
10 USB Ports


770

As with the 730a/750a from Nvidia we would be hesitant to recommend any motherboard as even higher end boards have troubles with 125TDP Phenoms. Also like the 730/750 the basic specs have been included for information purposes only.

Basic Specs:
HyperTransport 3.0 Support
PCI Express 2.0 support
NO CrossFire Support
One physical PCI-E x16 slot
1 xUltraDMA 133/100/66
Up to 6 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s drives
RAID configurations 0, 1, 10
10 USB Ports


780G


The 780G is a consumer grade chipset aimed directly at the same people the 8200 / 8300 chipset by Nvidia geared towards. It is one of the most popular chipsets for AMD's motherboard partners to use as an SFF (Small Form Factor) product. In the last few weeks we have seen everything from mATX to ITX boards using this chipset to great effect. Since it offers onboard graphics, Hybrid CrossfireX support, decent HD playback capabilities and an optional HDMI connector, many HTPC enthusiasts have been gravitating towards this chipset. To put it another way, not everyone is interested in multi-GPU setups and just want a good motherboard which has great feature yet doesn't break the bank and that describes the 780G perfectly.

Unfortunately, the 780G chipset is an older chipset and as such does have a lot of issues with the higher TDP Phenoms. Reports of high end Phenoms not working properly with the 780G was so prevalent AMD actually came out and stated the 780G was not intended for use with them! Here is the now (in)famous quote by Jack Whitman:

"What people have done, mistakenly, is paired a 780G (chipset-based) motherboard with the higher frequency Phenom--the 125-watt Phenom....They've taken an enthusiast-class quad-core part and paired it with a mainstream motherboard . . . And not all motherboard manufacturers have tweaked their boards to support a 125-watt TDP....We've never made claims that 780G motherboards are enthusiast-class motherboards."

Ouch! Though the good news is some motherboard manufactures have stepped up to the plate and delievered rock solid 780G motherboards which DO support the Phenom 9750! A great example of this is the M3A78-EM by ASUS.

Basic Specs:
PCI Express 2.0 support
One physical PCI-E x16 slot
Side-port memory as local frame buffer (DDR2 or DDR3)
1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66
Up to 6 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s drives
RAID configurations 0, 1, 10
12 USB Ports


790GX


The motherboards based on the new AMD 790GX / SB750 chipset are mostly geared towards the enthusiast crowd who want a full-featured heart to their new computer while having a modest onboard graphics processor. While this may be the new kid on the block, features like Hybrid CrossfireX (which uses a discrete GPU in combination with the integrated GPU to further increase 3D performance), standard CrossfireX and HDMI-out have made people stand up and take notice. These boards are AMD's answer to the Nvidia-based products which support SLI with AMD processors.

Basic Specs:
HyperTransport 3.0 Support
Hybrid Crossfire
PCI Express 2.0 support
Two physical PCI-E x16 slots at x8 bandwidth
Side-port memory as local frame buffer (DDR2 or DDR3)
1 xUltraDMA
Up to 6 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s drives
RAID configurations 0, 1, 0+1, 5
12 USB Ports


Unfortunately, this is not the end of the discussion when it comes to motherboards and Phenom’s. It seems that there was a communications breakdown between AMD and the various motherboard manufactures as not all motherboards (regardless of chipset used) are able to handle the loads the 125W TDP Phenoms would place on them. In the past it was fairly easy to pick the proper motherboard for your needs, as you just needed to figure out if you need the “basic”, the “mainstream” or the “enthusiast” class chipset and then picked the motherboard with the right one (which also fits your budget). Well, those days are long gone when it comes to AMD systems, as not all motherboards are created equal, and even some higher end 790X based motherboards are not rated to handle the high end Phenoms.