Best AMD Motherboard CPU Combos - Processors for 2012

When it comes to motherboards, socket size does count. For AMD's new line of Phenom II processors, it's as easy enough as making sure you get a socket AM3 motherboard to line up.

In this hub we'll review the top rated and bestselling AMD motherboards and CPU of 2011.

If you are hesitant to purchase an AMD processor over an Intel CPU, then read this article from AMD on Cores vs. Threads and Intel Vs. AMD. While I agree with most of their points, the i7 950 should probably be the comparison at this point. Intel definitely has a step up on AMD on their higher end processors (extreme etc..), but AMD has a niche in the 6 core category for price point vs. performance.

From AMD

"Unbeatable multi-core value with AMD Phenom™ II processors. They deliver The Ultimate Visual Experience™ for high definition entertainment, advanced multitasking performance, and power-saving innovations for smaller, cooler machines that are energy efficient."

Best AMD CPU 2011

Our choice for the best AMD CPU of 2011 was the AMD Phenom II X6 1090T. It's hard to beat this processor for any of the 3 p's; power, performance, and price. For 2012 you may want to look at the Phenom II X4 960T as a great budget option or take the leap and go for the FX-8120 Bulldozer.

Manufacturer's Product Details:

• Multi-Core: Six-core
• Operating Frequency: 3.2GHz/3.6GHz Turbo Core
• Socket: AM3
• L3 Cache: 6MB
• Power: 125W

What consumers are saying on Amazon about the AMD Phenom IIX6 1090T CPU:

" Overclocked to 3.8 GHZ without breaking a sweat and without much difficulty I'm sure could push further. I have mine paired on an 890gx motherboard, 8gb ddr3 and a Corsair H50 Water Cooler - CPU doesnt break at sweat no matter what you throw at it."

"I am truly an AMD customer for life now. It didn't take me long to decide on this processor after seeing what their competitor was offering for similarly matched processor. Like 3x's to 4x's the price for marginal performance differences. No longer will I be at the mercy of the "off the shelf" systems as I will build and customize my Desktops from now on."

"This cpu is like a goldmine for gamers..."

Phenom II X6 Series

I can't stress enough how great this processor is at its price point. AMD has made available six-core processing at the same price that you could expect to pay for four cores at Intel. The cores have 512k L2 Cahce, and share 6MB L3 Cache between all of them. There is also an ultra-wide 4000MT/s bandwidth for supporting all six cores evenly and effectively.

Inferior processors let you down when you try to take on multiple programs. With the Phenom II X6 you'll be able to run any game, video editing software, or program without any slowdown.

When looking for a motherboard you want to make sure first and foremost it has the next generation of technology. I recommend getting a motherboard that is DDR3, USB 3.0, and SATA 6Gb/s compatible. As Seagate has mentioned, solid state drives won't be mainstream for several years. There simply is not enough NAND flash drive for all of the portable devices that want them. For that reason SSD are super expensive! For now, making sure you have SATA 6Gb/s should be perfect with a 6Gb/s compatible hard drive.

Best AMD Motherboard for 2011:

We've chosen two top AMD motherboards for 2011. For value go with the ASUS M4A89GTD PRO. Gamer's would probably rather have the ASUS Crosshair IV Formula - AM3 - AMD 890FX. I would feature the second one, but it won't seem to show up on my list, so you'll have to see it by clicking on one of the Amazon featured products to the right.

What Customer's are Saying on Amazon:

"This is actually my first ASUS board. I have been using MSI products for the last few years with no issues, so why the change? Upon reading the specifications of the new MSI, I liked the fact that ASUS has more features including the core unlocker that allows all cores to achieve full performance capabilities, also I've heard from friends that ASUS makes some really good bios chipsets. This board has some really noticeable features like USB 3 and SATA 6 which don't have so much of an impact on users now, but will soon in the future."

ASUS M4A89GTD PRO motherboard:

Manufacturer's Technical Details:

• ASUS Core Unlocker ? Unlock extra cores for true core performance
• Turbo Key II Switch on the Potential, Turn up the Performance! Enjoy superb performance by auto-tuning processor to an extreme yet stable state.
• Simply activate a dedicated switch on the motherboard to unleash extra processing capabilities.
• USB 3.0 & SATA 6Gb/s RAID Support ? Fully unleash USB 3.0 & SATA 6Gb/s bandwidth
• HDMI/DVI/VGA outputs
• GPU Boost overclocks the integrated GPU in real time for the best graphics performance

ASUS Crosshair IV Formula - AM3 - AMD 890FX Motherboard

Manufacturer's Technical Details:

• ASUS Core Unlocker -Unlock extra cores for true core performance
• TurboV & Turbo Key for Easy O.C. -Simple and real-time O.C. tuning in OS environment; one button levels up the system performance
• GameFirst - Prioritize packets with an intuitive interface
• ROG Connect - Connect to a notebook and overclock!
• SupremeFX X-Fi audio card - Bring gaming to life with HD

We hope you've enjoyed this hub on the best AMD motherboard CPU combos for 2011. Please leave feedback in the comment section of this article. This allows me to see and respond to any trends that I miss along the way.

If you haven't found what you are looking for, then below I've listed some related links on building your own computer, and hubs that specifically review related content to this hub.