The AM3 socket by AMD is the successor to the AM2+ socket Motherboards. This 938 pin socket is compatible with both DDR2 and DDR3 memory motherboards. With all AM3 processors being back-ward compatible with the AM2+ Socket with a simple BIOS update on most motherboards the choice is clear. When you buy an AM3 Motherboard with the performance of the latest Phenom II processors, and with PCI-E and DDR3 support, your next value performance PC will clock the competition.