Introduction

AM3 is AMD's big cash cow now and while this CPU isn't really able to compete with the Intel Core i7 on performance, its price point really has a major plus amongst the more budget conscious users, especially in the global financial crisis. Saving as many dollars as you can really means a lot more than it did the same time last year and to this end AMD really has a leg up here.

The other big plus, and this is where I personally really thank AMD, is that they have not just thrown away their older users. AM3 based processors can be run in any AM2+ based board thanks to its dual mode memory controller. AM3 CPU's have a dual channel DDR2 and a dual channel DDR3 memory controller. This means that you can slap one of the newest AMD Phenom II processors in your already setup AM2+ boards and continue to use your existing hardware and later on you an upgrade to an AM3 board with DDR3 and newer technologies and still keep your CPU; it's just that simple and AMD has really thought of everything.

With that said and done, we have already started to look at the various AM3 boards out there. Today's one is an AM3 compatible board while still supporting AM2 processors. That's right, it's a DDR2 offering supporting Phenom II AM3 processors and this one is from GIGABYTE. Designated the MA790GP-UD4H, this board comes in at 129.99 USD from Newegg and has a definite price advantage. How well does it work and what does it have? Let's move on and see.