1.2.3Central Processing U�nit (CPU�)

The motherboard comes with an AM3+/AM3 socket designed for AMD® FX™ Series / Phenom™ II / Athlon™ II / Sempron™ 100 Series Processors.

M5A97 R2.0

M5A97 R2.0 CPU socket AM3+

Ensure that all power cables are unplugged before installing the CPU.

The AM3+ socket has a different pinout from the 940-pin socket designed for the AMD Opteron processor. Ensure that you use a CPU designed for the AM3+ socket. The CPU fits in only one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the connectors on the socket and damaging the CPU!

1.2.4System memory

This motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 3 (DDR3) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets. A DDR3 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR2 DIMM but is notched differently to prevent installation on a DDR2 DIMM socket. DDR3 modules are developed for better performance with less power consumption. The figure illustrates the location of the DDR3 DIMM sockets:

DIMM_A1 DIMM_A2

DIMM_B1 DIMM_B2

1 Chapter

M5A97 R2.0

M5A97 R2.0 240-pin DDR3 DIMM sockets

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Chapter 1: Product introduction