AMD PHENOM II CORE UNLOCKING GUIDE*
*As of 12/11/09, some Athlon II processors also apply.
Introduction
Core unlocking of AMD chips has been a very hot topic of discussion. The possibility of spending a mere $100 dollars for a Phenom II X2/X3 chip and unlocking the disabled cores to yield a $200 dollar X4 chip is exactly like the goal of every overclocker around - spend the least amount of money possible and get the most bang for your buck. I have written this guide to consolidate the information surrounding core unlocking, and to answer any questions you guys might have.
Remember, core unlocking is NOT GUARANTEED. However, the aim of this guide is to help everyone increase their chances of successful unlocks.
DISCLAIMER: I am no means an expert. I’m just extremely interested in the subject. My experience is limited to the X2 550BE and the X3 720BE. As a result, for the gurus out there, I welcome you to chime in and correct me. I will keep this post updated with new information and corrections.
Background
The current Phenom II architecture is very unique, and is AMD’s answer to Intel’s Core2Duo and Core2Quad series. Unlike the Core2Quad, which is essentially two Core2Duo’s bridged together, AMD’s Phenom II is a chip with four individual cores.
Like all manufacturing processes, chip fabrication is no different. There are always parts which don’t make the quality cut. In the case of the Phenom II Quad cores, these parts may have defective cores or cache. Rather than throwing these defective Quad cores out, AMD decided to repackage these chips as Dual cores or Tri core processors. It was a win-win scenario for AMD. They would sell these processors at a cheaper price to recover costs and also minimize wasted parts.
When the Phenom II X3 720BE was released, it was highly popular among mainstream enthusiasts. Like all BE processors, the 720BE had an unlocked multiplier, which made overclocking it an extremely simple process. Furthermore, it was priced competitively against Intel’s Core2Duo E6xxx series, but performance actually rivaled the E8xxx series. Why would you pay Intel for a Dual core when you can get a Tri core from AMD?
However, the surge in demand for 720BE processors started when a Korean overclocker first discovered that the “defective” core could be unlocked. He used a motherboard with a SB750 southbridge which supported Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC): the Biostar TA790GX. Soon after, others reported similar success in unlocking the 720BE. This phenomenon eventually extended to include X3 710 and X2 550BE processors as well.
Unoffically, AMD reported record sales of X3 processors, no doubt, in part due to fourth core unlocking. Many believe that the increasing rates of successful unlocks is due to AMD purposedly binning perfectly working X4s as X3s to sastify market demands. What does this mean for you? Your chances of getting an unlockable X3 chip just got better.
Quick overview of parts needed
Choosing the right processor
As previously mentioned, all of AMD’s Phenom II processors contain four cores. X2 processors are X4 processors with two disabled cores, and X3 processors are X4 processors with one disabled core. There is a possibility of unlocking those disabled cores using ACC and the right motherboard.
Choose your CPU from the following models. Even if you don’t end up unlocking the 4th core by following this guide, you can’t go wrong because you still would have gotten the best bang for your buck. These chips are proven overclockers.
the main link
http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/535501-amd-phenom-ii-core-unlocking-guide.html
*As of 12/11/09, some Athlon II processors also apply.
Introduction
Core unlocking of AMD chips has been a very hot topic of discussion. The possibility of spending a mere $100 dollars for a Phenom II X2/X3 chip and unlocking the disabled cores to yield a $200 dollar X4 chip is exactly like the goal of every overclocker around - spend the least amount of money possible and get the most bang for your buck. I have written this guide to consolidate the information surrounding core unlocking, and to answer any questions you guys might have.
Remember, core unlocking is NOT GUARANTEED. However, the aim of this guide is to help everyone increase their chances of successful unlocks.
DISCLAIMER: I am no means an expert. I’m just extremely interested in the subject. My experience is limited to the X2 550BE and the X3 720BE. As a result, for the gurus out there, I welcome you to chime in and correct me. I will keep this post updated with new information and corrections.
Background
The current Phenom II architecture is very unique, and is AMD’s answer to Intel’s Core2Duo and Core2Quad series. Unlike the Core2Quad, which is essentially two Core2Duo’s bridged together, AMD’s Phenom II is a chip with four individual cores.
Like all manufacturing processes, chip fabrication is no different. There are always parts which don’t make the quality cut. In the case of the Phenom II Quad cores, these parts may have defective cores or cache. Rather than throwing these defective Quad cores out, AMD decided to repackage these chips as Dual cores or Tri core processors. It was a win-win scenario for AMD. They would sell these processors at a cheaper price to recover costs and also minimize wasted parts.
When the Phenom II X3 720BE was released, it was highly popular among mainstream enthusiasts. Like all BE processors, the 720BE had an unlocked multiplier, which made overclocking it an extremely simple process. Furthermore, it was priced competitively against Intel’s Core2Duo E6xxx series, but performance actually rivaled the E8xxx series. Why would you pay Intel for a Dual core when you can get a Tri core from AMD?
However, the surge in demand for 720BE processors started when a Korean overclocker first discovered that the “defective” core could be unlocked. He used a motherboard with a SB750 southbridge which supported Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC): the Biostar TA790GX. Soon after, others reported similar success in unlocking the 720BE. This phenomenon eventually extended to include X3 710 and X2 550BE processors as well.
Unoffically, AMD reported record sales of X3 processors, no doubt, in part due to fourth core unlocking. Many believe that the increasing rates of successful unlocks is due to AMD purposedly binning perfectly working X4s as X3s to sastify market demands. What does this mean for you? Your chances of getting an unlockable X3 chip just got better.
Quick overview of parts needed
- AMD Phenom II processors – Codename Heka (Tri-cores) or Callisto (Dual-cores).
**As of 12/11/09, some Athlon II processors DO APPLY. - Motherboard with ACC support (SB710 or SB750 southbridge) or NCC (Nvidia’s answer to ACC) AND supports core unlocking. More on specific boards and manufacturers later.
- A little bit of luck
Choosing the right processor
As previously mentioned, all of AMD’s Phenom II processors contain four cores. X2 processors are X4 processors with two disabled cores, and X3 processors are X4 processors with one disabled core. There is a possibility of unlocking those disabled cores using ACC and the right motherboard.
Choose your CPU from the following models. Even if you don’t end up unlocking the 4th core by following this guide, you can’t go wrong because you still would have gotten the best bang for your buck. These chips are proven overclockers.
- AMD Phenom II X2 550BE
- AMD Phenom II X3 720BE
http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/535501-amd-phenom-ii-core-unlocking-guide.html
