Anyone remember what mobo brands were safe and quality in the AMD AM3/AM3+ era?

[computerdude92]

I got too excited with the idea of rebuilding the PC I had after HS graduation, - - - that I mistakenly bought a Foxconn mobo! :-(

It's a Foxconn A88GMX. Newegg's page for it was frozen each time I loaded it, since this particular page is no longer maintained. Then, magically, after leaving the tab open for 5-10 minutes - it loaded and I was able to read the reviews. A number of reviewers complained about the Northbridge running way too hot and their board dying within 2 years or less.

Too late for me, I've already bought the board and it's on it's way to me. I'm going to put one of those old school PCI bracket "System Blowers" next to the chipset heatsinks so hopefully my mobo won't die and I can get rid of the PC while I try out a better AM3/AM3+ mobo.

Here's what the crapshoot looks like:

A88GMX Version:1.1 | Foxconn A88GMX AM3 Amd 880G DDR3 Hdmi

Lowest price on Foxconn A88GMX AM3 Amd 880G DDR3 Hdmi Model: A88GMX Version:1.1.

www.ascendtech.us

Here's the system blower I bought:

PCI Expansion Slot System Cooling Fan | Aluminum Extruded Cooler Manufacturer | EVERCOOL

FOX-1 System cooler solves the problem of heat accumulation inside the case. It is simply installed in the PCI slot of the case. Through the high-efficiency DC silent blower fan, the heat source inside the case is exhausted to the outside of the case to maintain the low temperature environment...

www.evercool.com.tw

I think I remember, back in the early 2010's, the brands to recommend are:

ASUS
MSI
ASROCK
GIGABYTE (Sometimes)

Brands to avoid are:

ECS - Although I was lucky with my AM3 A880GM-M6. It was the same mobo in my post-HS computer back then. It worked great, except Cool & Quiet didn't work.
FOXCONN
BIOSTAR

AM3 and AM3+ definitely deserve love and nostalgia! They are my favorite platform of all time. The mobos also come in many beautiful colors. I think they are the most beautiful mobos ever made and they make the best WinXP gamer systems. Tons of CPU options! I've no idea why AMD made more AM3 CPU models than any other computing era... Back when AMD was awesome! ;-)

So, what do you think are the best brands (And boards) to pick from that era?

Thank you kindly for any answers.

 

[eeproks]

Sample size of 1, but I've had a Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P AM3+ since around the time they came out and it's been without issue. Never ran Windows out it, however.

 

[Bentendo64]

I'll second the anecdotal evidence for Gigabyte - I've had a GA-870-UD3 since 2011 I think. Ran windows XP on it initially, then 7 shortly after. Have typically dual booted with some linux distro. I don't think I've booted it to Windows for any legitimate reason since 2021.

Originally bought a Phenom ii x2 and ran it unlocked to 4 cores for years. Early 2021 I upgraded to the x6 and bought two of those 16GB sticks of DDR3. I couldn't get that to play nice with my 4GB sticks though, haven't tried 8GB sticks. Works with my 2GB sticks, so currently has a ridiculous 36GB of RAM.

I think the only instability I've had is when trying to OC the "northbridge". Been rock solid otherwise the whole time.

It is a pretty cool board for the legacy stuff, too. It has a floppy controller and a PATA port. Tons of SATA and USB ports, as well as two USB3.0 ports.

 

[HoJoPo]

I'd look at the DIMM socket layout and if the motherboard has screw holes on the outer edge to support the memory sockets.

I have a Gigabyte Gaming X370 motherboard with a dead memory channel because the board flexes when installing memory since the outer edge isn't supported by stand offs. This is DDR4, not the DDR3 that an AM3/AM3+ board would use, but it's something to keep in mind.

 

[Unknown_K]

I purchased the last new Gigiabyte AM3+ motherboard Newegg had with a new FX-8350 many years ago and it still works fine. I also have a bunch of other AM3+ motherboards purchased used for overclocking AMD Phenom II CPUs and for a FX-4100. You need special boards for 5Ghz FX CPU's because of the current draw, but most still working AM3+ boards should be fine if overclocking is not your thing.

I can go look at the models I have laying around tomorrow. Prices are going up not down as people seem to be collecting those.

 

[Hak Foo]

I recall buying an ASRock 970-chipset board for a FX-8350. At the time, the support website said it supported the 8350. It was flaky from day 1, so I went over to Fry's and bought the top-end Gigabyte they stocked at the time, and that improved matters greatly. The website changed a couple months later to remove the 8350, and it soured me on the brand for years afterwards.

The CPU was also strangely dodgy; it seemed to only recognize 8Gb of the 16 installed, and one day died entirely. I wonder in retrospect if somehow the dodgy board had damaged the CPU in some way.

 

[GiGaBiTe]

I had a Foxconn AM3 motherboard once upon a time. I had endless trouble with it until Foxconn released a BIOS update, and it was perfectly fine after that. It ran for years until it got blown up by a lightning strike. Unfortunately, Foxconn closed their motherboard division well over a decade ago and closed the support website for them. It makes finding BIOS releases really difficult.

Their board quality was never really that bad. You have to remember that Foxconn literally made most of the components on the board, in addition to the board itself. The slots, connectors, plastic bits, heatsinks, etc. Many of them were also made in Foxconn factories. And Foxconn is a motherboard manufacturer for other vendors, it's how they got into selling motherboards in the first place. I wouldn't be surprised if most of their boards were just pilfered designs from other companies with their name slapped on.

 

[twolazy]

I have 2 Gigabyte 990FX and an Asrock 980DE3. Both brands have lasted longer then expected and been rock solid. I have a 990FX board I could part with, w/ box , manual and IO Shield if interested.