Complicated: NEED Advice: replace the MOBO or Processor?

[dagowar]

Sorry this is complicated.

Recently at the encouragement of a friend I bought parts to do my first solo computer build. The goal was to be a mid-range Gaming / entertainment computer with budget parts that can be expanded on. However I made a terrible mistake! I ordered a MSI AMD Radeon R9 270X 2GB GDDR5 for the Graphics card. 2X Kingston HyperX FURY 4GB 1866MHz DDR3 for the Memory. For storage I have a Basic WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive 3.5in 7200RPM. I am using a Power Supply from another rig that is a MODX Stream-pro 700W power supply that seems to never stop running.

THE PROBLEM is I bought a ATX Motherboard GA-F2A88X-D3H, but then slipped up and bought a FX-8320 FX-Series 8-Core Black Edition at the advice of a friend which happens to be a AM3+ socket processor 🙁 .

All parts including the Sentey® Bx1-4237 V2.2 Case were bought on Amazon Prime except for the MOBO....... and cost me under 550$ total because of holiday discounts at the time.

THE QUESTION? Do I return the 8 CORE processesor and find a processor that fits the FM2/FM2+ socket or do i keep the 8 core processor and try to get a new MOBO that supports AM3+ socket types. All the other components are being kept.

( Side note: the processor was much more expensive and do to AMAZONS great return policy easier to return then the MOBO which was bought from a third party vendor...... but I got a great deal on the processor.....)

Please help an ignorant fool out!

 

[ONKI]

what problem ru facing???
I had more or less the same specs few months back, im happy to switch to intel

 

[Wolfshadw]

I would definitely be swapping processors. If you can get the Athlon X4-860K, that would be your best bet (assuming a BIOS upgrade is easy to take care of).

-Wolf sends

 

[Tradesman1]

You've got a good CPU and GPU so return the mobo and get a AM3+ mobo - no real sense in getting a APU since you have a GPU. Not sure on budget but might look at the Asus M5A99FX PRO R2.0, M5A99X EVO R2.0, or M5A97 R2.0

 

[ONKI]

switch the mobo definitely.

 

[King Kevain]

You could return the FX 8320 and get the A10 7850K instead....there's not much difference between them price wise.

Performance wise, you're dropping 8 cores to 4, but that doesn't make as much difference as you'd think it does: http://cpuboss.com/cpus/AMD-FX-8320-vs-AMD-A10-7850K

That said though, it is a step back - You could return the MOBO instead and grab a new 990 chipset - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157281&cm_re=ASRock_%28990FX-EXTREME3%29_AM3%2b_AMD_990FX-_-13-157-281-_-Product
Or if you want to save $30-40 - get the older 970 chipset - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128627&cm_re=GA-970A-D3P_AM3%2b_ATX_Motherboard-_-13-128-627-_-Product

 

[dagowar]

what problem ru facing???
I had more or less the same specs few months back, im happy to switch to intel

The problem is really just my MOBO and my CPU are different sockets and I am fairly new so didn't have a good handle on which one to swap out / replace. ( the CPU came from AMAZON who has a great return policy so it would be easier to send back / replace, however the MOBO is pretty nice and supports up to 64 gigs of memory )

 

[damon9128]

My last build had an 8320 in a m5a99x evo rev 2.0 and I loved it. I would keep the 8320 it's a good cpu and pick up a 990x or fx board.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131874&cm_re=m5a99x-_-13-131-874-_-Product

$102 after a rebate.

 

[dagowar]

So half say swap the MOBO and half say swap the CPU. If I swap out the CPU the concencus seems to be get an AMD quad core being either a A10 7850K or a Athlon X4-860K. If I swap out the MOBO pretty much any option you guys have given me would work. Part of this will depend on what I can find out about returning them as well. Thanks for the advice I will post the final outcome. I really appreciate the help!

 

[dagowar]

So the place I bought the MOBO from has a 30 day no hassle return and as long as the new MOBO isn't more than 40 dollars difference from the old one they won't charge me (It is a wholesaler here in michigan that does warranties even on openbox / refurbished parts). SO I am returning the MOBO and my two choices I was looking at were a GIGABYTE Motherboard GA-990FXA-UD3 AM3 (Doesn't have a backplate) or a ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0 Motherboard FX AMD.

Which would you guys recommend? After that they said they could have it to me in 2 days and I will have my new rig!

I ended up getting a Asus M5A99FX PRO R2.0 for no additional cost. Thanks for all the help and very appreciated!