Comments on: AMD quad-core chip hits compatibility snag

AMD's high-end quad-core Phenom chips may have compatibility issues when circuit board makers mismatch the boards with companion chips.

[Mam00th]

Hmmm, this isn't very nice since you do expect you new CPU to work with you mother board since it have the same socket. I know this isn't great logic, but still...

[cschlise]

Give me a break. Matching the right motherboard, socket, memory type, etc, etc has been more of a challenge with Intel parts than AMD for a while. This "issue" is no more of problem than if you buy any Intel parts today.

Where AMD needs to watch out is creating too many of these "unique" configurations, because, let's face it, most people going with AMD are looking to build less expensive systems.

Getting a realitively "cheap" 9750/9850 Phenom and a 780G motherboard would have been a great combo at a great price. Going with the 790 X/FX boards adds about a $30-$50 premium to the price, plus you'll need to add a seperate graphics card since the 790 chipset doesn't come with integrated graphics. This means at a minimum another $40 for an HD 3000 series Radeon or NVidia equivalent.

[W2Kuser]

Death of AMD

Wow, this seemingly small side story could literally be spelling the death of AMD.

Thier new high-end CPU only works in low-end MBs? How retarded is that? This just shows how far out of touch and behind the curve AMD has fallen.

AMD will be out of business by 2010.

[ronch79]

I think Whitman's explanation that AMD never said you can use a 780G with high end Phenoms is so lame. 780G-based boards are supposed to support AM2+ CPUs along with HyperTransport 3.0. It's not the chipset, but rather, board makers not designing their boards to support 125W TDP Phenoms.

When I buy an AM2+ CPU and an AM2+ board, I expect them to work together, unless AMD explicitely warns me that I shouldn't get a 780G-based board for my 125W Phenom. They should clean up their AM2+ spec guidelines instead of coming up with such lame and stupid excuses. Now, I like AMD, but I think Jake should be given the pink slip. It's guys like him who make AMD look bad.

Then again, maybe they just wanna take the blame for it and avoid maddening the board makers by pointing the finger at them because they failed to provide clear AM2+ design guiidelines.