Need some advice, help, and tips (Motherboard, Cpu, Ram)

[kapi]

Hi neowin community!

 

I built my own pc and couple of months ago my motherboard stopped posting, say the least I was fairly depressed, thankfully I had my surface for comfort. Anyways I recently found out I still had warranty on the motherboard and I sent it in. MSI said the have no replacements in stock and offered 890FXA-GD70

 

My main question is it equal or better than my previous board?

 

My original board:

http://ca.msi.com/product/mb/790GX-G65.html

 

What they are offering:

http://ca.msi.com/product/mb/890FXA-GD70.html#/?div=Basic

 

Side note I know the G65 has an integrated video-card, but I already have a Raedon 6870 so the GD70 not having an integrated video-card is a non issue for me.

 

 

 

Processor I'm using AMD Phenom ll X6 2.8Ghz, 3.3Ghz Turbo Core  <- What does the turbo core do and to access that speed do I need to overclock?

 

A problem occured when taking out the processor to ship my motherboard, something a little weird happened. The thermal paste was so strong it took the fan took out the cpu right out of the board... I believe this is going to be an issue when locking the cpu into place. So any help in how to deal with this would be appreciated!

 

http://i.imgur.com/Ts2XjOX.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/vjoZZ14.jpg

 

now some general noob questions

Originally I only had 4GB of Ram (Corsair DDR3 1333MHz) then I went on to purchase another 8GB of ram (Patriot G2 Series )2 x 4GB 1600 MHz. Now I've been using all 3 before my motherboard died, I've read this is not the best way to utilize the Ram so my question is, what is the best way to use it?

 

Also note that the patriot box says the G2 series is specifically designed for Intel Core processors.

 

Edit: Random Question: My room seems to attract a lot of dust any solutions for that?

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

I think Turbo core is just a marketing gimmick, really doesn't mean a whole lot.  IMO

 

When taking off a heatsink, and the paste is strong, turn it clockwise before lifting it, that will break your seal.

 

Well, with the RAM, you are no longer in dual channel. But with the amount of RAM we have these days, it doesn't really matter. And you are using your 1600 RAM as 1333, because it defaults to your lowest chip. I would toss that Corsair into a different computer and just use the Patriot.

 

Again, "made for intel" is a marketing gimmick to make it sound better, you can use it in any system that accepts DDR3.

[kapi]

I think Turbo core is just a marketing gimmick, really doesn't mean a whole lot.  IMO

 

When taking off a heatsink, and the paste is strong, turn it clockwise before lifting it, that will break your seal.

 

Well, with the RAM, you are no longer in dual channel. But with the amount of RAM we have these days, it doesn't really matter. And you are using your 1600 RAM as 1333, because it defaults to your lowest chip. I would toss that Corsair into a different computer and just use the Patriot.

 

Again, "made for intel" is a marketing gimmick to make it sound better, you can use it in any system that accepts DDR3.

 

Thanks for the quick reply! would I need to reapply the thermal paste? If I do, can I buy it at any computer hardware store, and would I need to clean off the paste that it already has?

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Yep, clean it up from your CPU as well as your heatsink, then reapply the paste. Rice grain size of paste is recommended.

 

I think most entusiatic stores should have it. Where they sell bare motherboards and CPUs.

[Luc2k]

Take this opportunity to ask for a AM3+ replacement. If they don't want to, ask for a refund and buy one yourself.

 

Also have a look here when buying your next board.

[Andre S. Veteran]

Turbo Core means that each core can dynamically adjust its speed based on current workload. This means quite a lot for real-world performance, so it's not a gimmick. All AMD CPUs have that feature and Intel CPUs have a similar feature called Turbo Boost.

 

Unless you're using more than 8GB, it should be faster to use just the 2x4GB in dual channel than run all three sticks in single-channel. Run some benchmarks if you want to assess the trade-off.

 

The replacement motherboard they are offering looks just plain better than what you have.

[kapi]

Turbo Core means that each core can dynamically adjust its speed based on current workload. This means quite a lot for real-world performance, so it's not a gimmick. All AMD CPUs have that feature and Intel CPUs have a similar feature called Turbo Boost.

 

Unless you're using more than 8GB, it should be faster to use just the 2x4GB in dual channel than run all three sticks in single-channel. Run some benchmarks if you want to assess the trade-off.

 

The replacement motherboard they are offering looks just plain better than what you have.

 

Thanks I'll probably go with what they are offering just to avoid anymore delays thanks!