Motherboard based on AM3 + platform fromAMD companies, mid-level, with a good functional set and a very modest cost - this is ASUS M5A78L. Its characteristics, specifications and other important information related to the configuration and operation of this solution will be discussed in the proposed material.
Equipment
The motherboard considered in this material can boast a familiar list of configuration. In this list, the manufacturer included the following:
- Motherboard M5A78L.
- Metal plate plug for the back side of the PC case.
- Comprehensive installation, switching and configuration guide in multilingual design.
- Disk with diagnostic software and drivers. Also on it you can find an electronic version of the documentation for the M5A78L.
- A set of interface cords for connecting drives.
- Warranty card.
A similar list of configuration boasts andthe youngest modification of the ASUS M5A78L - LX3 motherboard, which also belongs to this model range. The key difference in size: the solution without the LX3 prefix comes with ATX sizes, and the younger board comes in microATX format.
Connector for installation of the processor unit. Chipset
This motherboard is focused oninstallation of AM3 + family processors. This is the first and second generation of FX processors from AMD. But this motherboard can also work quite successfully with previous generation processors that belong to the AM3 computing platform. The chipset in ASUS M5A78L-M consists of two components: the north bridge - 760G and the south bridge - 710SB.
Processors
As noted earlier, two-generation processors support ASUSM5A78L. The first generation is solutions based on AM3. It includes the following models of central processing units:
- Наименее производительные чипы принадлежали к Septron family. They had low speed and perfectly suited for office tasks. Mostly on their semiconductor substrate was only one computational core, at least - two.
- Higher in the hierarchy were the Athlon processors.In this case, the number of computing modules was 2, 3, or 4. The values of the clock frequency also increased, and the size of the cache increased. This made it possible to use them even in primary-class gaming systems.
- The flagship chips in this case were the Phenom series CPU. A higher level of performance was achieved due to the integration of the third level of the cache on the semiconductor chip of the CPU.
Also, this motherboard supports AM3 + family processors. These are FX series chips with 4-8 cores and faster performance.
RAM and its features
ASUS M5A78L motherboard allowedInstall up to 32 GB DDR3 RAM. The maximum clock frequency of RAM chips could reach, according to the manufacturer, 2000 MHz. In reality, in nominal mode, this value could not exceed 1,866 MHz due to the fact that AMD processors could not interact with RAM at a higher frequency. The number of slots on the system board was equal to 4. In this case, in the maximum configuration it was possible to install 4 strips of 8 GB each.
Separately, it is necessary to note the moment thatThe controller, which is part of the north bridge of the system logic set, is a two-channel controller. Therefore, it is more correct to install two smaller modules in such a personal computer than one large one. For example, the performance of a computing system will increase by 10-15 percent if, instead of 1 module for 8 GB, install 2 modules of 4 GB each.
Slots for installing internal controllers
The following expansion slots for installing internal controllers can be found on the M5A78L mainboard:
- 1 PCI-Express format connector 16X forinstallation of a discrete graphics system. Accordingly, it was not necessary to rely on the installation of the second adapter and it was necessary to immediately buy one high-performance accelerator.
- 3 PCI slots allowed the installation of various internal controllers. It could be a sound card, and a network adapter, and even a TV tuner.
- It was also possible to install an internal controller in such a board in a new version. For these purposes, a single PCI-Express 1X slot was provided.
A similar set of expansion slots could boast of the younger model - ASUS M5A78L-LX3. Only it came in the microATX format, and by reducing the size of it, instead of three PCI slots, there was only one.
Overclocking options
Impressive overclocking capabilitiesimplemented in ASUS M5A78L. This board supports almost all chips for AM3 +. Only processors with a thermal packet over 125 W are not included in this list, and these are the flagship CPUs of the FX-9XXX series. Otherwise, it should be noted that all processors of the AM3 + computing platform have an unlocked clock frequency multiplier. Therefore, they can be overclocked easily and simply by raising the value of the multiplier.
При этом необходимо учесть то, что в компьютере An advanced cooling system and power supply should be installed with a large margin of safety. As practice shows, in air cooling, such processors can be overclocked to 4.8-5 GHz. If we replace the air system of the heat sink with a liquid one, then we can fully expect to achieve 5.5 GHz.
Outcomes
Indeed, a universal solution withinAM3 and AM3 + platforms were ASUS M5A78L. It could be used as part of entry-level personal computers. And advanced specifications and characteristics, in turn, could be involved in creating a high-performance computing system. Similarly, the younger model could also be used - the ASUS M5A78L-M LX3.
