difference between motherboard M3970AM-HP and M3970CM

[carolinagator]

I want to upgrade my motherboard which is the M3970AM-HP (Angelica).  I seen a motherboard with the model numbers M3970CM.  What is the difference?

[banhien · Accepted solution]

Hi,

They are the same from what I can see:

   http://support.hp.com/au-en/document/c03353629

   http://support.hp.com/au-en/document/c03117539

But the first one called Angelica2 and the second one called Angelica. Could be the first one is newer.

Regards.

[Ludes]

I understand this post is old..  But I'm trying to help a friend with his m3970CM.

Your reply above is worthless, both links take you to the M3970AM product description..

People trying to find info on the "CM" motherboard will waste many minutes here only to get absolutely NO

pertinent information.. 

Perhaps just to be friendly you could remove this post since it does not show both the AM and CM models of the motherboard and comparing the two of them was the main idea..

I understand English is confusing at times.. but the AM and CM models are not the same.

[DxZen]

The only difference between the HP M3970CM & HP M3970BM (Angelica2) and HP M3970AM (Angelica) is that the Angelica2 can take up to 32Gb (8Gb x4) DDR3 RAM versus 16Gb (4Gb x4) DDR3 RAM for the Angelica. Angelica2 versions likely have a more recent, updated, completely different BIOS and updated AGESA source codes, but all 3 should take the same processors up to, I'm thinking, the FX-8350 with a 3rd party cooler like the Arctic Cooling i11 as an example because HP designed this motherboard's cooler to work with an Intel type LGA1155/LGA1156 mount that threads through the underside of the motherboard into 4 female threads. All 3 motherboards, though, are physically indistinguishable -- hence, the same uATX HP Gigabyte OEM motherboard.

The CM models most likely came preloaded with Windows 10 - 64 Bit and were tattooed for models with Windows 10 - 64 and the AM & BM models most likely all came pre-loaded with Windows 7 Home Premium - 64 Bit Operating system, some of the BM models maybe with Windows 8 - 64 Bit, but I'm not certain?

That said, with Windows 7 Home Premium - 64 Bit your RAM will be capped at 16Gb DDR3 regardless of how much RAM is actually, physically installed because Microsoft put in this memory limitation (of 16Gb) with the Windows 7 Home Premium - 64 Bit OS, which essentially forces you to upgrade.

With Windows 10 Home - 64 Bit you can maximize your installed RAM up to 32Gb DDR3 (8Gb x4) with the BM & CM (Angelica2) motherboard models yet the AM (Angelica) is only going to max out with 16Gb (4 x 4Gb) DDR3 because of the physical limitation with the board itself. Hope this helps...

[Ludes]

• Thank you DxZen...  That well explained and much more of a help☺

[DxZen]

You're welcome. That Arctic Freezer i11 works well with this board and will support 125W FX 8-core Processors such as the FX-8120 on up to the FX-8150...etc... without issues and no noise from the fan. I'm not 100% sure that the M3970AM (Angelica) will support the FX-8350 or not, but it should, considering the FX-8300 worked with it. The Angelica2 versions do support the FX-8350, but they have a different, updated BIOS. This board, as you know, has no standard AMD retention bracket -- you're actually going to use an aftermarket Intel 4-Pin LGA1155/LGA1156 cooler with PWM that screws into the underside backplate. You'll already put enough heat on the motherboard with a beast of a video card so go with an aftermarket cooler to keep the CPU temps down. The (RAM) memory cap issues are as noted for the M3970AM (Angelica) = 16Gb (4x4Gb) DDR3 and M3970BM & M3970CM (Angelica2) = 32Gb (4x8Gb) DDR3.  With the M3970BM & M3970CM (Angelica2), to circumvent the RAM cap, say you're running Windows 7 - 64 Bit, I'd upgrade to Windows 10 - 64 Bit to take advantage of all of your RAM past 16Gb on up to 32Gb DDR3.