What AMD Socket currently available is likely to remain supported longest?

None.

Don't expect AMD to stick on the same socket for long. It's time for them to change.

APUs get a new socket each time a major architecture comes out. Because it is an evolving technology and it's tough to maintain backwards compatibility. Plus, they never get 8 core or 6 core high performance CPUs.

AM3+, I think should go now. AMD should ditch Piledriver and come up with a new architecture. Also, 2-3 years down the line, we'd be looking at DDR4 memory controller on CPUs. So, forget about backwards compatibility.

Nobody really upgrades CPU 2-3 years down the line, believe me.

I have had the same desktop assembled by myself more than 5 years back and it still serves my needs. (although it is getting long in the tooth now) Sometime last year the original ASUS motherboard fried and I had to buy a new one. Luckily a Biostar model was still available and it saved me from having to buy new CPU and RAM.
So the way I see it is not exactly for upgrading CPU but also availability of things associated too. In fact considering the way I am, it is unlikely that I will upgrade CPU by throwing out an existing working one.

Considering all this will FM2 socket be the best bet? Being a desktop I would most likely always have a separate graphics card and for emergencies I would always go with motherboards having integrated GPU so not really interested in APUs.

What is the successor to the AM3+ ? AM3+ has remained with us for a pretty long time, its only logical that it's successor should last as long..
The next FX lineup is named SteamRoller ? any updates on when its gonna come out or what socket it will use

sling-shot said:

I have had the same desktop assembled by myself more than 5 years back and it still serves my needs. (although it is getting long in the tooth now) Sometime last year the original ASUS motherboard fried and I had to buy a new one. Luckily a Biostar model was still available and it saved me from having to buy new CPU and RAM.
So the way I see it is not exactly for upgrading CPU but also availability of things associated too. In fact considering the way I am, it is unlikely that I will upgrade CPU by throwing out an existing working one.

Considering all this will FM2 socket be the best bet? Being a desktop I would most likely always have a separate graphics card and for emergencies I would always go with motherboards having integrated GPU so not really interested in APUs.

Click to expand...

FM2 has already been succeded by FM2+. Next series of APUs will have a new socket most likely.

The current generation APU Kaveri already has Steamroller cores. But it seems as if AMD is not planning to release Steamroller for AM3+.

For AM3+ I think, all AMD is planning to do is, stick with the current Piledriver for this year and also for the most part of the next year. And then they will change socket or unify APU and CPU socket. If anything is going to happen, it will happen in late 2015 or in 2016.

If you want to buy an AMD CPU now, you can go for FX-6300 + 970 chipset motherboard + GPU. FX-6300 is a really value-for-money CPU. Otherwise your only option is spending more and buying Intel.

ico said:

FM2 has already been succeded by FM2+. Next series of APUs will have a new socket most likely.

The current generation APU Kaveri already has Steamroller cores. But it seems as if AMD is not planning to release Steamroller for AM3+.

For AM3+ I think, all AMD is planning to do is, stick with the current Piledriver for this year and also for the most part of the next year. And then they will change socket or unify APU and CPU socket. If anything is going to happen, it will happen in late 2015 or in 2016.

If you want to buy an AMD CPU now, you can go for FX-6300 + 970 chipset motherboard + GPU. FX-6300 is a really value-for-money CPU. Otherwise your only option is spending more and buying Intel.

Click to expand...

+1 to this.
Buying Intel Z97 Mobo will provide support to upcoming Broadwell CPU also.This is more future proof than going with AM3+ or FM2+ sockets.

1. Physically how much bigger is an ATX board compared to MicroATX? (My current board is MicroATX and I am not sure my present can take a bigger board.
2. The 970 chipset based boards all seem to be ATX and without an integrated graphics. I have used only boards with integrated cards. These have helped me whenever there was some issue with the graphics card by allowing a fallback option in the form of inbuilt graphics. Is the system usable at all without external graphics?

More and more it looks like I am going to need to build a complete system. (Excepting monitor / HDD / Optical Drive / Peripherals)

^^ check the official website for dimension.
you wont be able to use your system without a dedicated gpu plugged in if you go with any 9XX chipset based boards.

New FX chips will still be AM3+ but with closed loop water coolers, however I wouldn't really keep my hopes up about the actual performance:
*i.imgur.com/ywlsSch.png

I am more concerned about availability of compatible components. Eg Motherboards, DDR3 RAM, CPU cooling fan etc in the future. I may not upgrade the CPU itself but when any of these components fail, it ideally should not force me to throw the system.

I understand it is very difficult to predict.

I have stumbled across this combination now

1. ASUS A88XM-A motherboard FM2+ socket ASUS A88XM-A review: A no-frills board for AMD Kaveri APUs - Tech2
Price Rs. 6000
2. AMD A10-7850K APU AMD APU A10 7850K: Amazon.in: Clothing & Accessories
Price Rs. 13,300

Does this make sense? I am not looking at a top of the line performance but average.

From my limited research the future for this setup is
a. Drivers and software will make better use of features of this APU thus improving in performance - Mantle, HSA etc.
b. Possibility of adding a Crossfire compatible discrete graphics card in the future to improve graphics performance.
c. Possibility of replacing the APU with a better one if it comes to that.

Advantage for me will be that I wont have to bother with a separate graphics card right now.