I'm reading that "AMD Socket AM2+ motherboards are compatible with Socket AM3 based chips". But even the AM2+ Wikipedia article doesn't currently explain more than that.
As with AM2+ chips being 'backward compatible', but lacking in some features if placed in an AM2 board, are there similarities when putting an AM3 based chip in an AM2+ board?
What should I know?
(And, should I go ahead and get a more expensive AM3 board, rather than pinch pennies on a 'compatible' board?)
It all depends on the motherboard and which processors it claims to support. I personaly would go with AM3 due to the support for DDR3 and future compatibility. AM2/AM2+ only support DDR2 chipsets. Any AM2+ socket is going to be dependant on the motherboard manufactor releasing a BIOS update for their products, which can be hit and miss depending on the quality of the motherboard.
If your looking for a deal though, you might find a good price on an am2+ board as it is the last gen technology. Newegg and reputable sites post lots of technical details so you can make sure you buy a compatible processor.
