Asus M4A785TD-V Motherboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I primarily purchased this board to unlock certain cpu cores. The board pretty much has everything needed for a HTPC with hi-def audio and video through HDMI. I probably should have bought a different model without the on-board video as I am not taking advantage of it. If you pair this board with an ATI HD 3450($20 video card), you can crossfire with the on-board video memory and it actually performs 2x on light gaming for an extra $20.

Reason for 4 stars:
-I did not give this product a full 5 stars due to the documentation. It was not helpful in customizing and setting up the system. Through several days of researching, a couple of people mentioned there was a misprint in the manual for the RAM slots. Stick with the assigned color slots on the board instead of the manual when installing RAM modules.
-I still use a PS/2 keyboard and the numlock LED never shuts off after a complete shutdown. I couldn't find any answers regarding this except that there is power running to the motherboard even if it is shut down. One has to be concerned if it will be damaged during a power surge/outage.
-Not really why I gave it 4 stars but the RAM slots are so close to the CPU. I installed an aftermarket heatsink(Arctic Freezer Pro 64), which was big, and it covered part of the Black RAM slots. I had to install the RAM first before the heatsink. I also put everything on after I mounted the board to the case. It would be best to install everything before mounting it in the case as I didn't have a lot of room.

Overall, I was able to unlock the 4th core on the Phenom II 720 BE with just a couple of settings. I also overclocked my cpu from 2.8-3.2Ghz on stock volts and the board stays cool around 23C due to the heatsinks. I won't be able to crossfire on the PCI-E but I'm happy with my current configuration.

ASUS M4A785TD-V
PII 720 BE unlocked 4th core & OC'd 3.2GHz stock volts
Powercolor HD 4850
Mushkin DDR3 1600 7-7-7-20 1.86v
Corsair TX650W

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Product Description:
Asus M4A785TD-V EVO Socket AM3/AMD 785G/4DDR3-1800(OC)/ATI Hybrid CrossFireX/128MB DDR3 SidePort Memory/GbE/Raid/HDMI/7.1-CH ATX Motherboard

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Amd Phenom 9650 Quad Core Review

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(More customer reviews)Ok, I have to say, that this processor is very cool, but the best way to enjoy it is with an 64 bit OS, which is still difficult and I don't know why... There's some problems with windows and the compatibility of the programs (I have to say Windows Xp), I haven't tested my processor on Vista or Seven, maybe I'll try to install in a near future the seven, I hope there's available a new version of msn messenger for 64 bits... The processor is cool, but if you install a 32 bit OS maybe you can't feel the difference. Cheers for AMD!

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Product Description:
PHENOM QUAD CORE 9650 AM2+ CHIP2.3GHZ 4MB 65NM 95W 3600MHZ PIB

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AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0 GHz 4x512 KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail HDX945WFGMBOX Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It's pretty clear by now that Intel's desktop processors are at the top of the benchmark list and, accordingly, are the most expensive. That doesn't mean, however, that the value-oriented "build-it-yourselfers" among us are without appealing processor options for our builds. AMD is providing builders with some great performance at an attractive price through its Phenom II X4 quad-core lineup, and the 945 model is no exception. Because I was on a budget when I set out to undertake my PC build, I was aiming for a sub-$1,000 machine that, while not even remotely close to being the most maxed-out system in existence, would be powerful enough to handle my gaming needs. The reason I chose the 945 was because of its excellent performance-to-cost ratio, and its 95-watt power draw. I wanted a cool-running machine that was quiet and would not cost a fortune in electric bills. Here are my components:

AMD Phenom II X4 945 3.0 Ghz 95W
Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H AM3 motherboard
NZXT HALE90 550W 80 Plus Gold power supply
Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
Sapphire 100287VGAL Radeon HD 5670 512MB 128-bit DDR5 PCI express
HT Omega Striker 7.1 Channel PCI sound card
Corsair Nova CSSD-V32GB2-BRKT 2.5" 32GB SATA II internal solid state drive
Samsung Spinpoint 500 GB SATA II hard drive HD502HJ
Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro 92mm Ceramic CPU Cooler
Cooler Master Elite 310 ATX mid tower case
LG GH22LS5022X SATA LightScribe DVD+/-RW
AZiO AWD154a 802.11g 54Mbps Wireless PCI Adapter

I think the total cost of this build was roughly a shade over $900. Pretty darn good, in my book. (If I got rid of the solid state drive, which I use to speed up booting up and to run a game on for fast loading times, the cost would be around $815). This rig handles all my tasks flawlessly, and the 945 processor just flies along, whistling while it works. I have not overclocked this thing because there simply is no need for me to do so; the power it provides is more than ample. I do recommend replacing the stock heatsink and fan with something more robust. Although the reviews of the 945 I found online indicated that it ran fine with the included heatsink/fan, I opted to replace it, just to be safe. Running Windows 7 Pro Edition, 64-bit, the 945 gets a 7.3 on the Windows Experience Index. Every builder has his/her own budget to work with and unique purpose for the build, but I feel that the 945 is the best desktop processor out there for under $140. Folks who want great performance without breaking the bank should definitely consider it.

The last point I will make is that by purchasing a quad-core chip (as opposed to a dual core), you will be "future-proofing" your build to a certain extent, as it is likely that more software in the future will be written to fully take advantage of four core processors. At the current moment, most commonly used applications and games are programmed to take advantage of two cores, at most. Some more intensive specialty applications, such as video editing or rendering software, currently utilize four cores. Future games will likely utilize all four cores, as well. Another tangible benefit of a quad-core processor, at the present time, is that the user can run a ton of different applications at once, without any system slowdown. So, you can have twenty web browser windows open, rip a CD, play a game, etc., simultaneously, without any noticeable performance degradation.

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Product Description:
AMD Phenom II X4 945

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AMD HDZ965FBGIBOX Phenom II X4 965 3.4GHZ Central Processing Unit (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After buying pre-built systems for several years, I finally broke down and built my own this time. I think it is important to establish how I am using the processor, so here is my system.

I paired this processor with an MSI 790GX-G65 motherboard as the basis of my new system. The other portions are 1 GB Hitachi HDD, LG DVD RW, PNY GEFORCE GTS 250 video card, Windows 7 Professional, 8 Gb DDR3 memory, Antec 300 case, and Antec Truepower Trio power supply. I have five case fans, four input and one output.

Now, on to the processor itself.
- It comes with an "Approved" AMD heat sink. With aftermarket heat sinks, one has a separate tube of lubricant that goes on top of the CPU to seal the connection with the sink, but on this heat sink the sealer is applied to the base of the heat sink, which is very convenient. This sealant looks a bit like thin cardboard at the base of the heat sink; don't be fooled, it is supposed to be there and no additional paste is needed. The heat sink is large, with lots of copper.

- Installing the processor is quite simple, so long as you remember to line up the "notch" on one end of the processor with the "notch" on the CPU mount. Instructions are provided with the retail kit. Between those and the instructions that come with motherboards, you should have no problem installing the CPU.

- The CPU has a "Cool N Quiet" mode, if your motherboard supports it. Mine does, and in this mode the processors (there are four processor cores on the chip) work at varying speeds, depending upon the task loading of each core. From what I can tell the speeds are 800, 2400, and 3400 Mhz. Using this feature, my CPU temperature is generally around 30 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature I have seen the chip at is 51 C. Note that the "cool N quiet mode is NOT used when overclocking. The maximum operating temperature is 62 degrees C.

- Most motherboards have two memory modes: "Ganged" and "Unganged". The default seems to be unganged. The difference is that in "unganged" mode the memory is split up such that each CPU core gets a certain amount of memory, in my case, 2Gb per core. This mode is optimized for multiprocessing, whereas "Ganged" mode optimizes for one application. I mention this here because this CPU excels at multiple tasks, by which I mean that I have noticed a vast difference in performance from my last (single core) CPU, also a 3.4 Mhz. Running multiple applications is very smooth. This makes it great for business applications where one is multi-tasking constantly.

- The CPU pulls 140 watts at maximum speed, considerably less at the slower speeds. The point is that you need a good power supply; mine is a 550w version.

- This model is a "black" version, which means that the cores are unlocked and can be easily overclocked. I ran mine up to 3.8 without problems, but the temperature went to 40 degrees C at idle. Since I didn't really see any overall improvement, I went back to stock speeds and "cool n quiet". But if you are into speed, this model can go to 3.9 or so stock - after that I would recommend more aggressive cooling.

- The processor clocks at 7.4 on the Windows 7 "Calculations Per Second" ratings. This rating didn't change regardless of the over clocking, one of the reasons I went back to stock settings.

I actually looked for this unit when buying, although the lower models of the Phenom II X4 run at only slightly lower speeds, and would make a good buy. But for the price, the performance is great.

I highly recommend this product for anyone who needs a solid, dependable business processor. Pair it up with a good supporting system and it will do very well.

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Product Description:
Visual Experience:Live your life in HD. AMD Phenom II is for high definition entertainment, gaming, creativity, and beyond. With AMD Phenom II processors as the foundation, you will enjoy a new level of responsiveness and visual intensity. AMD puts high definition computing within everyone's reach.Superior technologies for HD video. Enjoy a superior high definition experience for HD videos on you PC. AMD Phenom II processor are the powerful engine behind your fidelity, high definition video entertainment experience. Only AMD puts the Ultimate Visual Experience for HD video within your reach.Enjoy entertainment beyond your media library. Get HD content online, offline, wherever you want it, however you want it. Your system can handle whatever you dish out - and serve it up on screen in full, high definition glory.Perfect chemistry. Combine AMD Phenom II processors and ATI Radeon HD graphics to really see the difference. Enjoy smooth video, brilliant videos and immersive games. AMD unleashes visual clarity and responsiveness for what you want to do.Performance:Do it all. AMD Phenom II processors have the power to do it all. Featuring next-generation quad-core design, they crush even the most demanding tasks. So design it, render it, play it, create it, stream it, HD it. With AMD Phenom II processors, if you can imagine it, you can do it.Energy Efficient:Make a choice you can feel good about. AMD Phenom II processors were designed with energy efficiency in mind. Capitalizing on AMD's leadership in energy efficiency, they incorporate all of the latest technology that gives you performance when you need it and save power when you don't.Look for ENERGY STAR with AMD. Thanks to AMD's power-saving innovations, you can count on machines based on AMD Phenom II processors for the energy efficiency you want and the performance you need.HD monitor required.

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