Gigabyte

Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P AM3+ Motherboard SATA 6Gbps USB 3.0

4.5 (4975 reviews)
USB 3.0USB 2.0PCIEX16PCIEX4

Build a Powerful System with the Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P Motherboard The Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P motherboard supports AMD AM3+ FX and AM3 Phenom II/Athlon II series processors, offering a solid foundation for your gaming or workstation PC. With features like UEFI Dual BIOS, Ultra Durable 4 Classic te...

$128.02*
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*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jun 04, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.

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Overview

Build a Powerful System with the Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P Motherboard

The Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P motherboard supports AMD AM3+ FX and AM3 Phenom II/Athlon II series processors, offering a solid foundation for your gaming or workstation PC. With features like UEFI Dual BIOS, Ultra Durable 4 Classic technology, and support for AMD CrossFire, this ATX motherboard delivers reliability and performance.

Specifications:

  • Socket Type: AM3+
  • Chipset: AMD 970 (North Bridge) & AMD SB950 (South Bridge)
  • Memory: 4x DDR3-2000(OC)/1866/1600/1333/1066 DIMM Slots, Dual Channel, Max 32GB
  • Expansion Slots: 2x PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (one at x4), 3x PCI-Express 2.0 x1, 2x PCI
  • Storage: 6x SATA3 ports (6Gbps), RAID 0/1/5/10 support
  • USB: 4x USB 3.0 ports, Up to 12 USB 2.0/1.1 ports
  • LAN: Realtek GbE LAN chip (10/100/1000 Mbit)
  • Form Factor: ATX

Key Features

CPU: AMD AM3+ FX processors; AMD AM3 Phenom II processor/ AMD Athlon II processor

Memory: 4x1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 32 GB of system memory; DDR3 2000(O.C)/1866/1333/1066 MHz

LAN: Realtek GbE LAN chip (10/100/1000 Mbit)

Expansion Slots: 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16 (PCIEX16); 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x4 (PCIEX4);3 x PCI Express x1 slots; 2 x PCI slots

Storage Interface: 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors supporting up to 6 SATA 6Gb/s devices; Support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and JBOD

USB: Up to 12 USB 2.0/1.1 ports; 4 USB 3.0/2.0 ports

Specifications

CPU Socket
AMD AM3+
Supported CPUs
AMD AM3+ FX processors, AMD AM3 Phenom II processor, AMD Athlon II processor
Memory Sockets
4 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM
Maximum Memory
32 GB
Supported Memory Speeds
DDR3 2000(O.C)/1866/1333/1066 MHz
LAN Chip
Realtek GbE LAN chip
LAN Speed
10/100/1000 Mbit
PCI Express x16 Slots
1 (running at x16), 1 (running at x4)
PCI Express x1 Slots
3
PCI Slots
2
SATA 6Gb/s Connectors
6
RAID Support
RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, JBOD
USB 2.0/1.1 Ports
Up to 12
USB 3.0/2.0 Ports
4

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • Supports a wide range of AMD processors, including AM3+ FX and AM3 Phenom II/Athlon II, offering broad compatibility.
  • Features four 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets, capable of supporting up to 32 GB of system memory for robust multitasking.
  • Compatible with high-speed DDR3 memory modules up to 2000(O.C)MHz, enabling enhanced system performance.
  • Equipped with a Realtek GbE LAN chip, providing reliable 10/100/1000 Mbit Ethernet connectivity for fast networking.
  • Includes six SATA 6Gb/s connectors and support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and JBOD, offering flexible storage solutions.

👎 Cons

  • The motherboard exclusively supports DDR3 memory, which is an older standard and not compatible with newer, faster DDR4 or DDR5 RAM.
  • It utilizes the AM3+ socket, limiting upgrade paths to older generation AMD processors rather than current Ryzen series CPUs.
  • While it offers multiple PCI Express slots, only one runs at x16, potentially limiting configurations for multiple high-performance graphics cards.
  • The USB connectivity is primarily focused on USB 2.0/1.1 with only four USB 3.0/2.0 ports, which might be insufficient for modern peripherals.
  • The motherboard's feature set is geared towards an older platform, making it less ideal for building a cutting-edge gaming or workstation PC.

Frequently Asked Questions

This motherboard is compatible with AMD AM3+ FX processors, as well as AMD AM3 Phenom II and AMD Athlon II processors.
The Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P motherboard supports up to 32 GB of system memory across its four 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets.
Yes, it supports DDR3 memory modules at speeds up to 2000(O.C)/1866/1333/1066 MHz.
It features a Realtek GbE LAN chip, providing 10/100/1000 Mbit Ethernet connectivity for fast wired networking.
The motherboard has six SATA 6Gb/s connectors and supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and JBOD configurations for flexible storage options.