# ASUS M5A97 EVO AM3+



## cadaveca (May 31, 2011)

Released on May 31st by ASUS, the M5A97 EVO is a new AM3+ motherboard, boasting support for AMD's upcoming AM3+ CPUs, as well, as current AM3 Phenom II CPUs. Sporting the now familiar black and blue color scheme from ASUS, the M5A97 EVO seeks, like its brethern, to turn the competition black and blue too.

*Show full review*


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## Wyverex (Jun 8, 2011)

Thank you for doing the review, but wouldn't it be more helpful if you tested a 770 or 870 based motherboard too, with the same Phenom CPU, to actually see the impact of the motherboard?


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## darkangel0504 (Jun 8, 2011)

Thanks! nice  review


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## cadaveca (Jun 8, 2011)

Wyverex said:


> Thank you for doing the review, but wouldn't it be more helpful if you tested a 770 or 870 based motherboard too, with the same Phenom CPU, to actually see the impact of the motherboard?



Sure. Got a board to give me?

Seriously though, don't let the numbers fool you. I used a 45nm CPU, while the Intel products use 32nm CPU. Not exactly a fair compare in that regard, so your point is definitely valid.

But, take a look at the drive performance. Most of the other gains offered by this platform won't be realized until bulldozer hits the market.

Take a look at the software, VRM, and BIOS. Not much else to say...those areas are the biggest change, other than the black socket.

I'm just finishing up a 990X review, will be live soon, so it's not like this is the ONLY AM3+ board I'll be taking a look at. Over time a much better picture will be painted about the AM3+ platform.


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## Over_Lord (Jun 8, 2011)

dont see anything to complain since the price is just 109.99$

I hope you'll put up the Llano review on 14th.


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## blue.dot (Jun 8, 2011)

Very nice review, good reading! Thanks!
Btw, I'm planning to buy Phenom II 955 with M5A97 PRO. From what I read from ASUS site, the difference between EVO and PRO is only in lack of some switches, which I don't need, and few other things.
So I'm assuming, that PRO is nearly same as EVO, only in lack of few things and less richer equipment?
Thanks for reply


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## cadaveca (Jun 8, 2011)

thunderising said:


> dont see anything to complain since the price is just 109.99$
> 
> I hope you'll put up the Llano review on 14th.



Given that pricing, and the tonne of features, I really am left impressed by the M5A97 EVO, as the score reflects. The Digi+ VRM design is pretty awesome for an entry-level board, and the BIOS and software match it pretty well.

I do not have Llano-based products yet, but I'll be sure to be asking. Unless some miracle happens, and they show up at my door tomorrow. I am expecting some new products to be delivered today, but I doubt that what it is.

Postal Strike going on...no local mail service here. Thank god for couriers!



blue.dot said:


> Very nice review, good reading! Thanks!
> Btw, I'm planning to buy Phenom II 955 with M5A97 PRO. From what I read from ASUS site, the difference between EVO and PRO is only in lack of some switches, which I don't need, and few other things.
> So I'm assuming, that PRO is nearly same as EVO, only in lack of few things and less richer equipment?
> Thanks for reply



I do not have the PRO board, so unfortunately I cannot answer that question. This EVO board, @ just a bit over $100, is perfect for singlecard users that want a fairly decent overclock, but don't want to break the bank, so perhaps you might want to consider the M5A97 EVO, first. Plus, because I have the board, I can definitely help out when it comes time for setup and OC.


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## blue.dot (Jun 8, 2011)

I'll see when it will hit market at my place. If there will be small difference in price, I'll go for EVO.


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## Chaitanya (Jun 8, 2011)

I really didn't understand the 1st cons mentioned, this board does have a front panel usb 3.0 header.


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## cadaveca (Jun 8, 2011)

Chaitanya said:


> I really didn't understand the 1st cons mentioned, this board does have a front panel usb 3.0 header.



A header, yes, but nothing that allows use of that header without buying a new case, or a plug panel, of which there are very few available. Perhaps the wrong choice of words, my bad; I updated that to reflect what I really meant.


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## Halk (Jun 8, 2011)

I enjoyed reading the review - you've looked at some things other reviews miss, and it doesn't read like an advert.

However because you had gone in to so much depth I had my fingers crossed you would go into depth on the Fan Xpert software. What frustrates me with my Crosshair IV Formula is the software is great for the CPU fan, and allows me to control all of the chassis fans at once, but it doesn't offer any control over the other fans.. and BIOS isn't any better. 

I'd dearly like reviews of the new 9 series chipsets to mention in detail how much control over fan speeds exists. I must not be the only person who wants a nice quiet PC when I'm not gaming.


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## cadaveca (Jun 8, 2011)

Halk said:


> I enjoyed reading the review - you've looked at some things other reviews miss, and it doesn't read like an advert.
> 
> However because you had gone in to so much depth I had my fingers crossed you would go into depth on the Fan Xpert software. What frustrates me with my Crosshair IV Formula is the software is great for the CPU fan, and allows me to control all of the chassis fans at once, but it doesn't offer any control over the other fans.. and BIOS isn't any better.
> 
> I'd dearly like reviews of the new 9 series chipsets to mention in detail how much control over fan speeds exists. I must not be the only person who wants a nice quiet PC when I'm not gaming.



Ah, yes, Fan Xpert. Well, it's just the same here, with the CASE_FAN headers all controlled together, and the CPU separate. The PWR fan is not adjustable at all.

I did make note of what fan options were available in the screenshots of my next ASUS M5A-series board, which will be coming up shortly. However, I can simply say that the fan control offered is just the same.

I thought that the Crosshair series allowed for individual fan control in BIOS? I have not run one since the CrossHair III though, so I might not be fully up to date on that.

Also, I do beleive the Sabertooth boards offer individual fan control for each header, as part of the "Thermal Radar" stuff, but I haven't received my sample of those two upper-end boards just yet. I do hope to take on both the Sabertooth and the Crosshair V boards in the upcoming weeks, so hopefully I'll have more info on your specific question in the near future.

Thanks for the feedback, too...


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## Halk (Jun 8, 2011)

That's a bit of bad news :/

The Crosshair IV Forumula does allow control over the PWR and AUX1-3 fans in BIOS. However it just allows a duty cycle (no lower than 40%) and doesn't allow them to be "smart" in any way.

I have a CPU fan, PWM, which works well. I have 3 140mm case fans and 2 120mm case fans, so I'd like them controlled a little bit smarter.. what's good for the 140s isn't good for the 120s, so I had hoped the newer Asus boards would make the cut there... but no improvements, sadly.

I am hopeful of the Sabertooth, of the two premium boards that one appeals to me the most. However this board here would also do what I want, as I don't overclock much these days and just run a single 580. I can't see any real benefit in the 990fx chipset over it.

Again though thanks for a good review!


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## W1zzard (Jun 9, 2011)

thunderising said:


> I hope you'll put up the Llano review on 14th.



llano is athlon II class lower end processors, uses a different socket, too. interesting for notebook and htpc, not for high-performance desktop


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## cadaveca (Jun 9, 2011)

W1zzard said:


> llano is athlon II class lower end processors, uses a different socket, too. interesting for notebook and htpc, not for high-performance desktop



That's more than I knew.


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## Halk (Jun 9, 2011)

I've had a look at Sabertooth reviews elsewhere, and seen some BIOS screenshots that make it look like there's not much extra control over the standard boards. It makes this board look to be the right choice - there's £100 of a difference at OcUk who now seem to have a fair bunch of AM3+ listed

Twice the price seems to deliver add-ons I'd never use, and PCI-E lanes for Crossfire or SLI that again I'm not going to use. It'd be the first time in years I've bought anything but the most expensive.. but I'm starting to notice that the boards don't seem much different really.


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## cadaveca (Jun 9, 2011)

You'll have to keep reading my reviews to see the differences.


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## Halk (Jun 9, 2011)

Indeed!  They don't seem to be in stock in the UK, so I'll hang off. There is one more board that OcUk and Asus don't have listed. It appears to be the very bottom end of the range, the M5A79. Not Pro and not Evo. The spec sheet I've seen seems to show it doesn't have eSata. And that's one thing I do actually use.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Jun 9, 2011)

That vrm contact is a nice improvement.


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## cadaveca (Jun 9, 2011)

LAN_deRf_HA said:


> That vrm contact is a nice improvement.



That's also a side-effect of socket design, I think. Almost every Intel board I have tested has had a good warp in the VRM area, so I gotta put blame there. Perhaps OEMs could use better materials in some instances, for sure.

You also need to consider the differences in tolerances. on the AMD platform, I can pull 300W thorugh the 8-pin, no problem. On Intel, at least currently, 200W is a hard number to hit, and I doubt few have.

Intel VRMs have more phases, so the load is spread out more, too, lowering individual component temps, too.

Of course, it remains to be seen how these boards react with the new AMD CPUs, so I think I might have to revisit these boards in the future.


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## Halk (Jun 9, 2011)

If you do continue to review the 9xx series Asus boards, then you might want to create a separate review at the end to explain what each step up the path gets consumers - or something to the same effect when you review the last of them. When I read reviews of products I'm trying to find out what the difference between the different rungs on the ladder are, and it can be quite difficult trying to compare reviews to see the difference. Manufacturers do usually produce some kind of spec sheet, such as the one I linked up above but they quite often translate the actual specs into marketing speak.


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## filip007 (Jun 9, 2011)

What was Intel CPU, if you compared with P55, P67, it's honest question nothing else?


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## cadaveca (Jun 9, 2011)

filip007 said:


> What was Intel CPU, if you compared with P55, P67, it's honest question nothing else?



P55 was I7 870, P67 with 2600K, AM3+ with 1100T. I used the fastest CPU available for each socket.


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## Over_Lord (Jun 9, 2011)

W1zzard said:


> llano is athlon II class lower end processors, uses a different socket, too. interesting for notebook and htpc, not for high-performance desktop



Umm, I think I knew that yeah. But as I read this:

http://www.fudzilla.com/processors/item/23009-amd-llano-mobile-to-launch-on-14th-of-june

I got excited


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## cadaveca (Jun 9, 2011)

Halk said:


> Manufacturers do usually produce some kind of spec sheet, such as the one I linked up above but they quite often translate the actual specs into marketing speak.



I think i can provide more info than the spec sheet does. I mean, I could probably give a full rundown of obvious differences between all of the ASUS 9-series boards, but I think my testing can provide a bit more pertinent info than is on any specsheet alone.

Specsheets don't cover CPU VRM power usage, OC potential, etc...but those are also things I need the boards in my hands to find out, so until I get them all, I cannot make those compares.

I do compare the two M5A boards I have, partly, in the next review that comes up. W1zz takes care of editor duties for my reviews, but also has his own work to do, so it might be a few days or so before it goes live, but my end on the next review is done. W1zz has been pretty busy with Computex and stuff, and I've barely had the board for two weeks, but please do keep an eye on the front page for the next review for more of the info your are looking for.



thunderising said:


> Umm, I think I knew that yeah. But as I read this:
> 
> http://www.fudzilla.com/processors/item/23009-amd-llano-mobile-to-launch-on-14th-of-june
> 
> I got excited



I do motherboard reviews, not CPU reviews, so if this is an "embedded" platform, I'm not likely to play with it much.


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## Baam (Jun 10, 2011)

In stock at SuperBiiz.

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...CrossFireX-SATA3-USB3-0-A-GbE-ATX-Motherboard


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## cadaveca (Jun 10, 2011)

You'd almost think these boards didn't launch on the 31st of May...

MAybe they had to wait for my review. LuLz.


As if.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Jun 11, 2011)

Nice price.


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## cadaveca (Jun 11, 2011)

The board definitely does offer alot for the dollar...almost too much, even.


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## blue.dot (Jun 11, 2011)

Newegg TV: ASUS AMD AM3+ 900-series Chipset Motherboards


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## Maban (Jun 13, 2011)

Still looking for the naked full board shot.


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## Athlonite (Jun 13, 2011)

those UEFI screenies just make looking at my normal old bios screens feel really naff now 

I'd have to agree with the no x8/x8 CF personally I'd rather see x16/x16 and nothing less for 2x PCIe x16 slots


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## MatthewH12 (Jun 14, 2011)

Would I see any significant speed boosts switching to this board with 4GB of DDR3, from a m4n82 (980a) board with 4GB DDR2? (SLI is not important to me as I only run one 9800GT).

Here's my current full specs:
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Processor @ 3200MHz (M4N82 DELUXE mainboard), 4GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT (512MB), Windows 7 Ultimate (SP1) 64-bit, 96GB V100+ SSD Boot drive, plus multiple other drives for apps and backups.


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## Franjul08 (Jun 14, 2011)

Comparing this with intel mb's??i dont get it


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## MatthewH12 (Jun 14, 2011)

Franjul08 said:


> Comparing this with intel mb's??i dont get it



980a is the last nForce chipset for AMD cpu's.


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## Halk (Jun 14, 2011)

You would not, Matthew.


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## cadaveca (Jun 14, 2011)

MatthewH12 said:


> Would I see any significant speed boosts switching to this board with 4GB of DDR3, from a m4n82 (980a) board with 4GB DDR2? (SLI is not important to me as I only run one 9800GT).
> 
> Here's my current full specs:
> AMD Phenom II X4 955 Processor @ 3200MHz (M4N82 DELUXE mainboard), 4GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT (512MB), Windows 7 Ultimate (SP1) 64-bit, 96GB V100+ SSD Boot drive, plus multiple other drives for apps and backups.


I do beleive you'll get a large boost, but maybe a little bit. It's mroe about Bulldozer support, as well as USB 3.0, SATA 6 Gb/s, and power saving features, as well as the UEFI BIOS that this board offers, as well as excellent VRM customization capabilities. HOwever, this board will be tuned for Bulldozer, while the 8-series are more for quads and hexacores.



Franjul08 said:


> Comparing this with intel mb's??i dont get it



Sure, why not? Clearly perforamnce numbers aren't indicitive of all the board offers, but at the same time, you must also consider that this is a $100 product, and the majority of other boards I have tested so far are twice that price.

The clear performance indicators and differences that can be compared are:

1. Onboard components
2. BIOS
3. Software Package
4. Drive performance

all of which CAN be compared across ANY platform. 

Yes, it kind of sucks that this is the only AMD board in the compare, however, there will be another review going live soon, with another 9-series motherboard, and over time, as OEMs send me more products, and clearer picture will emerge as to AMD board direct comparisons.

I don't really have any control, per se, as to what products I review...I cover what ends up on my doorstep. If you'd like me to compare specific products, please go to the OEM's facebook page, or thier website, and tell them to send them to me! 

So, next up is another AMD 9-series product, then a Z68 board.


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## blue.dot (Jun 15, 2011)

Just received an e-mail from my local vendor. Product manager of ASUS for Czech Rep./Slovakia emailed them, that they don't have M5A97 EVO listed, only PRO. "It is possible that MB will be available after some time..." Oh great


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## cadaveca (Jun 15, 2011)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I got one of the first off of the assembly line. Like literally two weeks after the chip on the board was "minted", i had the board in my hands. I'm just and over-acheiver that gets reviews done FAST. If I had known that the launch was May 31st, I woulda been done for then, even.

Sheesh, for all I know, I'm the only reviewer with one.


So be patient. This board is pretty damn good for it's cost.


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## blue.dot (Jun 27, 2011)

ASUS M5A97 EVO won't be sold in EU - nearly official - got this in reply on Facebook from ASUS Czech & Slovakia.
Well, never mind, I'm after PRO, which is almost the same as EVO.


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## blue.dot (Jul 1, 2011)

I heard that UEFI (EFI) has some kind of DRM protection (on DVDs etc.). I cant find any link on that, supposedly it is on some Asus Sabertooth review (dunno if AMD or Intel platform)
Has anyone heard of this?


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## cadaveca (Jul 1, 2011)

blue.dot said:


> I heard that UEFI (EFI) has some kind of DRM protection (on DVDs etc.). I cant find any link on that, supposedly it is on some Asus Sabertooth review (dunno if AMD or Intel platform)
> Has anyone heard of this?



No, I have not heard of anything like this. I will check it out and get back to you.


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## bad2thequark (Jul 6, 2011)

After reading your review, I decided to go ahead and get the M5A97 Evo, but when it arrived, the list of compatible memory didn't include this RAM I had bought. While the manual lists:
CMP8GX3M2A1600C9
CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9
CMX8GX3M4A1600C9
CMX8GX3M2A1333C9
all of which are really similar to mine:
CMX8GX3M2A1600C9
Will my RAM still work?


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## cadaveca (Jul 6, 2011)

It should. ASUS and Corsair are generally pretty friendly with each other at the hardware level.

On the sticks themselves, it will have a revision number, like v2.1, or v7.2. With Corsair sticks, that usually refers to the actual ram IC under the heatspreaders. Chances are one of those other sets is just the same but either has a differnt PCB, or heatspreader type.


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## devguy (Jul 7, 2011)

I just got my m5a97 Evo in a couple days ago.  I've installed it in my PC and was immediately concerned by the idle temperature in the UEFI.  However, looking through your review, I see you also had the ~44C idle temperature report that I'm seeing.  Later in your review where you show the ASUS windows software, you show the CPU temperature reported as ~33C.  I'll verify and see if I see the same thing tonight.  Might just have a BIOS bug.

On a slightly different note, I'd like to say that I was fully able to carry my RAID arrays over from my SB750 motherboard to this SB950 motherboard (RAID 0 and RAID 1 arrays).  I just had to make sure that they were plugged into the exact same ports on the motherboard (in my case, SATA_3 & SATA_4).  Just a heads up for others who might've been wondering (or maybe I just got lucky).


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## phobosq (Jul 13, 2011)

I am considering purchasing M5A97 EVO, but the thing is - does it support core unlocking? I would like to use my X2 550 @ X4 B50 for some time before I order a Bulldozer.


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## cadaveca (Jul 13, 2011)

Yes, the option is there in BIOS, but I have only 1100T, so have not been able to confirm if it is as successful as with past chips. Do you need a BIOS screenshot? Say the word, and I'll toss one up for ya.


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## phobosq (Jul 13, 2011)

If it's no problem....


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## cadaveca (Jul 13, 2011)

Sure give me about 10 minutes to pull the board outta the box and get a cooler and CPU in it.

OK, here you go,
Under "Advanced" tab, "CPU Core On/Off Function"






And here are the options:


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## phobosq (Jul 13, 2011)

Splendid. It's officially on my purchase list


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## Athlonite (Jul 14, 2011)

gezz I can wait to get an mobo with UEFI those shots are just porno after years of shitty old bios screens


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## FanOfAMD (Jul 23, 2011)

*Does not like all Corsair RAM*

Got the EVO board and it is absolutely fantabulous! Except that it is pickier with RAM than I expected. I got two CMX4GX3M1A1600C7 and the board just does not like them. After clearing CMOS I can manage to get into the BIOS and the SPD data is read correctly. After saving the default settings the restart hangs with a memory error. The DRAM LED is on and pressing the MemOK button doesn't do anything (so much for MemOK). 
The modules are back to the store (damn restocking fees) and next try will be the G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL combo. The specs of that are not as great as for the Corsair, but it is cheaper and it is on the list of tested modules. Keeping my fingers crossed that it works.

In case that I run into problems again, any good advice on what to set the RAM options to so that the system runs stable? My goal is to get it working reliably first and install an OS. I can always break things later, hehe.

Running this board with a Phenom II X4 945 and a Zotac 9800GT. Should be a really nice mid level system. Looking forward to what it can do.


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## cadaveca (Jul 23, 2011)

Sounds like maybe some bad sticks. I've noticed the same odd behavior with another user of the exact same ram, actually. Turns out the sticks were bad for him, hopefully you ran into hte smae problem, and there isn't some other weird issue...It's also worth noting that some older ram, like those sticks, just doesn't play well with AMD.


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## FanOfAMD (Jul 27, 2011)

OK, finally got the G.Skill memory that is on the approved memory list. Installed it...and get the same results. After clearing CMOS the system boots up and I can get into BIOS, but after saving BIOS settings or any other means of reset the board hangs with a memory error.
I turned off ECC mode and also lowered the frequency from 1600 to 1333, but nothing helps. Again, pressing the MemOK switch doesn't do anything to help either.

Any suggestion will be greatly appreciated.


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## cadaveca (Jul 28, 2011)

what CPU are you using?(nvrmind, read your other post agian) maybe just try setting memory voltage and primary timings manually. you might need to up CPU_NB volts a bit too.


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## FanOfAMD (Jul 28, 2011)

Checked the timings and they are exactly as the module specs state, same for the voltage. I'll try inching up the CPU_NB volts a bit.
So much for approved memory, MemOK, and SPD. This is supposed to work right out of the box. *sigh*


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## FanOfAMD (Jul 28, 2011)

Got some more interesting observations. When I turn the main switch on the PSU off (same as pulling the mains cable out), wait a minute, then turn everything back on, the system boots without problem.
Could that be a PSU issue? I use a brand new Antec Neo Eco 520C.


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## Athlonite (Jul 28, 2011)

Most likely it is... when you first start your PC everything is running at full noise until it's been checked by the POST maybe it's putting your PSU into an overdraw situation and making the Volts a bit wonky causing mem errors


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## FanOfAMD (Jul 28, 2011)

While I still think it is an option, it isn't because of the PSU being too weak. If anything, it is oversized. Interestingly, after installing W7 and performing several reboots it appears to work fine....probably jinxed it now.
Thanks for all your help.


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## phobosq (Jul 30, 2011)

And I bought M5A97 PRO... can't run quad-core stable - Windows boots, but any stability testing (Prime, Orthos, OCCT) fails instantly. Tri-core is OK (both cores 1/2/3 and 1/2/4), but quad is no go.
I'm considering flashing PRO with newer BIOS for vanilla M5A97.


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## FanOfAMD (Jul 30, 2011)

What exactly is the issue?

I did find a workaround for my problem. When I turn off the PSU completely (has a switch, unplugging the power cable would do the same), wait a minute, then try again, I get the system to boot without problem. Well, sort of, the BIOS screen appears claiming that overclocking failed, but I run the default settings and didn't overclock anything. That requires opening up the BIOS screen, but when leaving immediately, the whole box boots up fine and is not only rock solid, but also blazingly fast.
My plan is to never turn the system off and instead use sleep mode, which works out fine so far. The system comes back to life within a few seconds.

As far as I can tell, the memory check routine in BIOS has a flaw and MemOK is useless in this case. I did read in other forums (G.Skill, Asus) that many other people have the same problem. Given that the board is rather new to the market I expect this to come up more often in the future.
I sent out two support requests to Asus, which did not get answered within the promised 48 hours and the escalation to high priority appears to be useless. In the past Asus support was rather good, so not sure what happened. I'll give it another week before I write to the CEO. The support department is obviously dysfunctional, so there is no point in dealing with them any longer.

So except for this rather annoying flaw the board is really nice and I am happy with it.


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## blue.dot (Jul 30, 2011)

phobosq said:


> And I bought M5A97 PRO... can't run quad-core stable - Windows boots, but any stability testing (Prime, Orthos, OCCT) fails instantly. Tri-core is OK (both cores 1/2/3 and 1/2/4), but quad is no go.
> I'm considering flashing PRO with newer BIOS for vanilla M5A97.



Wait. You bought Athlon X3, and unlocked the 4th disabled core?
Then I think that 4th core is really crippled and its not caused by mobo
But I can be wrong


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## Athlonite (Jul 30, 2011)

I'd have to agree with blue.dot  personally why didn't you just shell out the wee bit extra for an proper X4 if you wanted stability DUH!!!


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## cadaveca (Jul 30, 2011)

it's possible a BIOS update is needed for unlocking. I don't have any chips that need unlocking to test with.


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## phobosq (Jul 30, 2011)

blue.dot said:


> Wait. You bought Athlon X3, and unlocked the 4th disabled core?
> Then I think that 4th core is really crippled and its not caused by mobo
> But I can be wrong



I have Phenom II X2 which used to run for two years as X4 rock stable.


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## Athlonite (Jul 31, 2011)

phobosq said:


> I have Phenom II X2 which used to run for two years as X4 rock stable.



the only thing that proves is it's the luck of the draw as some of the PII x2 were good x4's with 2 cores disabled... That certainly doesn't mean that every chip with an disabled core will be good when unlocked if a core is to borked than no amount of tweaking is ever going to get it to run stable


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## rodrigobiz (Aug 8, 2011)

Can this mobo unlock L3 cache in a atlhon 2 x4 620?


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## Athlonite (Aug 9, 2011)

that 'll make it an Phenom II x4 920 then


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## blue.dot (Aug 14, 2011)

Could someone help with BIOS/CPU settings?
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150534
Thanks


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## cadaveca (Aug 14, 2011)

Replied to ya. 

Also keep in mind that if you want direct help, Erocker has a teamspeak server set up, just send me a PM or something, and I can hop in and help ya out with anything.


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## cyba (Aug 21, 2011)

> USB 3.0 drive performance failed to put the M5A97 EVO on top, most likely due to it employing the Asmedia USB 3.0 controllers, much different from the NEC/Renesas and Etron products on the other boards. The complete result almost seems to show a bandwidth
> limitation when we tested using the ports on the rear I/O, so we repeated our tests using the front panel header, and we received the exact same numbers. We are not too sure why the ASUS M5A97 PRO seems to come up short here


 TechPowerUp



> Last, but certainly not least is the new ASMedia ASM1042, a USB 3.0 host controller that offers much better performance than the widely-used NEC/Renesas D720200F1 chip that is found on most motherboards.


 Hardware Zone



> *ASMedia ASM1051 USB 3.0 controller shows actual 10x increase over USB 2.0 *
> ASMedia ASM1051 USB 3.0 controller shows actual 10x increase over USB 2.0 During our testing of various USB 3.0 devices so far, we've seen roughly 3 - 4 times performance improvements over USB 2.0. The results we've seen have not been as impressive as first expected by all the 10x performance gains by everyone who makes any sort of USB 3.0 product. The ASMedia ASM1051 controller chip achieved just over a 10x performance improvement with the Crucial SSD compared to the same setup with USB 2.0. This is the first time we've seen a product able to meet the claims of a 10x boost for USB 3.0 and we think it is exciting to see and we think it is also a good sign of things to come in the future.


 (Tweaktown)

Hardware Zone suggests the ASMedia controller - note, ASM1042 - is superior to NEC but they haven't, as yet, tested the performance of the M5A97 EVO. Tweaktown, however, mentions the ASMedia ASM1051 controller, which appears to be a later version. Apart from a driver issue this may explain the slower USB 3.0 performance in TecPowerUp's review of the M5A97 (ASM1042), though they don't say what drive(s) they were testing in the back and front USB ports and whether it/they were the same for all the boards they compare.  
Rev 1.0 releases are usually always improved, e.g. the very good GigaByte AM3 8+2 Phase GA-870A-UD3 which had three v2.0 revs and two version 3.0s, i.e. five upgrades after the initial rev 1.0. Who would want the first (which, incidentally, is still being sold where I am)?


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## cadaveca (Aug 21, 2011)

cyba said:


> Apart from a driver issue this may explain the slower USB 3.0 performance in TecPowerUp's review of the M5A97 (ASM1042), though they don't say what drive(s) they were testing in the back and front USB ports and whether it/they were the same for all the boards they compare.



The drive's model and type for all interfaces are listed in the Test System configuration table. I use the same hardware for testing all boards, minus CPU(as AMD boards cannot use Intel CPUs, etc). The one thing that changes is ram, but all ram I have( 6 kits) is tested in each board looking for compatibility issues.

Here on the top of page 8 is the test system config:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/M5A97_EVO/8.html


Are you telling me they have updated the USB3.0 controller in this ASUS board?

You post makes no real sense to me, otherwise.


Also, Tweaktown advertizes 10X USB3.0 vs USB 2.0, but that is only really going to happen if you are using an SSD in a USB 3.0 enclosure, or a drive that offers 10x performance than what USB2.0 allows. You'll never find me making marketing statements like that. MY USB3.0 native drive is NOT 10x faster on USB3.0 over USB2.0, unfortunately! USB 3.0 for the drive only offers 2x performance, yet performance suffered.




Yes, it could have been a driver issue that gave lower numbers, as I had these boards, and was testing them, long before they were in retail, and long before any other reviewer had them. Many many times issues I have during test pre-release boards, like the G1Sniper2 I'm working on now, and the MSi board I finished with last week, are fixed before launch. part of what I do is report the issues I encounter to the OEMs in hopes they fix things when the actual product has been sent to stores.

I has an issue with the MSi board...all boards are now shipping with an updated BIOS that I didn't ahve access to when testing. I had to redo some testing once I got the BIOS.

Gigabyte board I have now didn't come with all teh pqackage accessories, maknig my reivew partially incomplete. There is also a very big issue that is already known about, and will be fixed with a BIOS...after my review of it goes live. 

Because of problems like this, things liek BIOS version and all the parts used for testing, are listed in my reviews.


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## blue.dot (Aug 31, 2011)

Guys new BIOS is avaible! BD is comming!


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## phobosq (Aug 31, 2011)

Yes, and it solved my core unlock stability issues.


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 31, 2011)

blue.dot said:


> Guys new BIOS is avaible! BD is comming!





phobosq said:


> Yes, and it solved my core unlock stability issues.



Oooh! Guess I will be flashing mine when it comes.


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## blue.dot (Aug 31, 2011)

Hmm I wonder if it add more stability to system, but maybe that's only Windows fault. I maybe try it.
/Omg, just uninstalled AiSuite II and system is running normally again.. God...


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## JrRacinFan (Sep 6, 2011)

I must say, those who own this board with unlockable cpu's, flash Bios 0705. Was able to obtain the same clocks locked to x2 on the same bios as unlocked to x4.

This board is solid and would definitely recommend it to others who are ready to build off AM3+.


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## blue.dot (Sep 24, 2011)

Guys, I've always forgotten to ask this. Where I can set USB 2 power options? 
The thing is, that on my old system, I was able to charge my MP4 player when my PC was off. But now I can't. The only setting in BIOS is for USB 3.0, which I didn't tried. Can I plug my old USB cable in 3.0? And will it work on old player? But still, there are only 2 of 3.0 at back.
And also I have my wheel connected to the PC. But because of this, it always resets and then I have to re-calibrate it every time.


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## blue.dot (Sep 27, 2011)

Nobody knows? :/


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## cadaveca (Sep 28, 2011)

you cna use USB 3.0. the other answer I am not sure right this second, would have to check.


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## de.das.dude (Dec 30, 2011)

got this for one of my clients. looks good.


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## JrRacinFan (Dec 30, 2011)

Its pretty darn good d. I love mine just about to switch it out though,  just weighing my options to go sli or more powerful single card.


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## de.das.dude (Dec 30, 2011)

yeah it cost around 170$ here tho.


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