Compatibility Issues With AMD Quad-Core CPUs
CNET blogger, Brooke Crothers, reports that AMD is running into compatibility issues with its quad-core Phenom CPU. Some motherboard makers and system builders are mistakingly trying to pair the 125-watt, quad-core Phenon with motherboards that only support the lower-power, 95-watt AMD processors. Crothers includes these quotes from AMD spokesman, Jake Whitman:
"They've taken an enthusiast-class quad-core part and paired it with a mainstream motherboard..." "And not all motherboard manufacturers have tweaked their boards to support a 125-watt TDP..." "We've never made claims that 780G motherboards are enthusiast-class motherboards."
Enthusiasts and hobbyists have dealt with just these sort of challenges for years. Frequently a new processor is not compatible with even recently-released motherboard chipsets, due to voltage or feature incompatibilities. Users are being advised to pair the 9750 and 9850 processors with motherboards that use the AMD 790 chipset, and not the 780 chipset.
