Turning Athlon II X3 425 into a full-fledged Phenom II X4 925 with quick unlock instructions

There have always been components on the market that, with a certain approach to them, provided the user with much more performance than he paid for them. Such processors or video cards, and sometimes even motherboards, are "cuts" from top products. It happens that with a successful combination of circumstances, a flagship processor can be made from a budget processor.

An interesting research experiment was conducted by the staff of the PCShop Group computer store to unlock the triple-core Athlon II X3 425 processor and turn it into a real quad-core Phenom II X4 925 chip.

As you know, AMD uses only three types of crystals for the production of its processors: the four-core Deneb from it, by cutting the L3 cache, get Propus and the dual-core Regor. Athlon II X3 4XX processors can be either on the Deneb chip (the version for the Athlon II X3 4XX is called Rana) or on the Propus core.

NucleusDeneb

Propus core

In other words, with some luck, you can get a cut from the Deneb crystal (Phenom II). And it's always possible to get a physically cropped Propus that just doesn't have the L3 cache. AMD makes no warranty on the performance of an unlocked cache or core. You buy exactly the model and with the characteristics that are printed on the box or processor cover.

At the disposal of the PCShop Group were Athlon II X3 425 processors on the most "correct" chip - Deneb, which made it possible to unlock 6 MB of L3 cache along with the core.

After

Comparing the specifications of the unlocked Athlon II X3 425 with the production model Phenom II X4 925, you can see some differences:

	Athlon II X3 425	Phenom II X4 B25	Phenom II X4 925
Frequency, MHz
Number of Cores
L2 cache size, KB
L3 cache size, MB
Process technology, nm

Of course, you can find fault with the fact that the frequency does not match. But here it’s like in the folk saying about a gift horse. Although, we will return to the frequency and show that it is possible to get a more efficient processor from the Athlon II X3 425 model even than the Phenom II X4 965 BOX Black Edition (3400 MHz). In addition to unlocking, overclocking has always been an effective method to increase performance. The newly minted Phenom II X4 B25 (Athlon II X3 425) was overclocked to a stable frequency of 3600 MHz (33% overclocking). Thus, the processor Athlon II X3 425 has become equal in speed to the yet unreleased Phenom II X4 975 (3600 MHz).

Recall that to unlock the processor, at least, you must have motherboard based on the southbridge SB710 or SB750. You can also use some models of motherboards based on the NVIDIA system logic to unlock, as we already reported in the news.

In this case, the processor was unlocked on a GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD3P motherboard. All that needed to be done to convert the processor was to find the “Advanced Clock Calibration” setting in the BIOS and set the value to “Auto”. Save BIOS settings and restart PC.

Then, in the same Advanced Clock Calibration section, you need to find "EC Firmware Selection" and select the "Hybrid" option.

Testing

Test stand:
Cooler - Zalman CNPS 9700 LED + ZM-CS4A
Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD3P;
RAM - GOODRAM PRO GP900D264L5
Video card - MSI Radeon HD 4890 (R4890 Cyclone);
Drive - Samsung HD252HJ;
Power supply - Seasonic S12D-850.

It is significant that the performance gain from unlocking the Athlon II X3 425 processor in the 3DMark06 test was 25% and it is practically equal to the Phenom II X4 925 chip. II X4 975. Also noteworthy are the results of tests SuperPi 1M, for which the amount of cache memory is important. In it, the unlocked and overclocked Athlon II X3 425 with 6 MB of L3 cache passed the 20 second limit!

Finally, we note that we should not forget that unlocking is a lottery. There are times when the kernel is unlocked, but does not function stably. Or it may turn out that the Athlon II X3 processor is based on a Propus chip.

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The article will focus on the possibility of including the third and fourth cores, as well as the practical results of such an action - that is, tests. After all, it is very tempting to get a platform with a top-level processor for a hundred dollars.

Regarding, but one of the main consequences of AMD's "poverty" is the RATIONAL use of the crystal area.

AMD managed to create the first quad-core processor on a single chip much earlier than Intel, and even on the old technical process (Intel made its quads by soldering two dual-core processors).

So - the processor is done, but marriage is still present from time to time even with rich Intel (fresh news - ). So AMD, for example, has suspicions that one core is not working. They just block it and you buy some kind of three or even dual-core processor AMD Phenom II 560 X2 Socket AM3 3.3GHz 7MB 80W box or Athlon II X3 445. But physically it is FOUR-CORE!

How to unlock/enable AMD processor cores?

Save changes and reboot - if everything goes smoothly, then the first step will pass. But only the FIRST.

Do not forget that the cores of Athlone and Phenomem are not blocked by chance and they can be faulty. Next, it is MANDATORY to test ALL processor cores for stability, for example, as described in the article.

PRACTICE

The Athlon II X3 425 processor was taken and, using the AsRock penny motherboard option - Bios Unlock CPU Core, the fourth core was included.

This is how the processor looked BEFORE unlocking:

As you can see, the CPU-Z utility determines that the processor has three active cores and each has half a megabyte of L2 cache.

Now we turn on the fourth core ...

There was disappointment. The first test revealed the inoperability of the included core. It was functioning, but failed under load. If you look closely at the picture, you will also see artifacts of the desktop image. But something else is noteworthy - the Athlon II X3 processor has turned not into a quad-core athlon, but into Phenom II X4!!!

The screenshot clearly shows that not only the kernel was turned on, but also the extra 6 MB of L3 cache.

I decided not to give up and go to the end. By trial and error, it was revealed that the PHYSICALLY faulty locked kernel is the second in a row. But what if the L3 cache is fully functional? To verify this statement, the processor was again unlocked, but the second core was disabled from the application manager.

Passing the test...

The test worked flawlessly. And at the same time, we also found out the practical benefits of a large cache. In the 3D Mark 2006 test, its presence, other things being equal, added +10% in some places. This is certainly not an extra core, but still an increase. Clever motherboard manufacturers, even specifically for such cases, provide for the incidental shutdown of failed cores.

That is, first we forcibly unlock everything that can be unlocked, and then we block what is inoperable)))))))))))))))

There is still a fly in the ointment in all this. Even despite the fact that the cache and cores are not active, such processors still have a large crystal size and noticeably heat up. Consider this.

WHAT PROCESSORS ARE SUITABLE FOR UNLOCKING?

Three-core Athlons and two-three-core Phenoms Athlon-II-X3 and Phenom-II-X2-3 are suitable. There is also a rumor that some quad-core models are being unlocked into six-core ones, but there is no such experience yet. Then look for Phenoms on the Thuban core and you may well be lucky.

CONCLUSION
In general, in this case, I was not lucky, because a 100% working copy could get caught. In this case, I would get a $150 quad-core Phenom II X4 from a $65 processor. Agree - this lottery is worth it. And it is especially pleasing that even penny motherboards can do this.

Secret files
I remember that processor manufacturers were tormented by the question of how to make multi-core CPUs. At first, two crystals were "sawed out" located next to each other on the wafer. Then, two different chips matching each other in frequency were selected in one case. But in the end, a more honest way of multi-core architecture won, when the maximum number of cores was designed on one monolithic crystal. And then a curious situation arose. On the one hand, designing and developing different logic for dual-core and quad-core chips is an expensive pleasure. But on the other hand, you need to release processors with a different number of cores in order to "work" in all price categories.
AMD decided to "save". We made a successful Deneb crystal on four cores and got carried away with circumcision. Cracking one core - we get Heka (known as Phenom II X3), cracking the second - we get Callisto (known as Phenom II X2), cracking the third level cache - that's the basis for the Athlon II processor family. However, American marketers miscalculated, because you can’t get under the crystal cover with a hacksaw / scalpel / soldering iron (underline as necessary) and physically turn off the extra nodes.
To exaggerate, then all the key information about the processors is hardwired into them, but in order to recognize the whole essence of the CPU, the motherboard must have comprehensive information. Think back to the triumphant appearance of the first dual-core AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors in the spring of 2005. They were compatible with any motherboard supporting Athlon64 and Athlon FX (Socket 939) CPUs. And at the moment the PC started, the CPUID number of the processor appeared on the screen, and next to it was an inscription, like Model Unknown - as before, everything was kept on one core. Then AMD sent the corresponding microcode to the platform manufacturers and with the new firmware the second core started working in the operating system.
Now about the secret behind seven seals. At the time of system initialization, the so-called function map from the same code for the CPU is loaded into the internal memory of the processor, depending on the CPUID. There are keys that activate certain components of the crystal. The most savvy motherboard manufacturers have guessed to store different versions of the microcode. As a result, at your own risk, you can enable locked cores and third-level cache. According to our information, Gigabyte engineers turned out to be the most daring pioneers, and it was their GA-880GA-UD3H board that formed the basis of today's experiments.
But do not think that unlocking cores is available to users only on Gigabyte motherboards - this is not so. That's just, different manufacturers of nuclear unlock technology are called differently. Gigabyte has Auto Unlock, AsRock, Biostar, DFI, Foxconn, Asus boards have the function called Advanced Clock Calibration, MSI needs to use the Unlock CPU Core method, etc.
Looking at AMD's 2nd generation desktop processor product line, made using the 45nm process, enthusiasts will be able to discover the following areas of creativity. You can take the AMD Phenom II X4 820/810/805 models and "grow" the L3 cache from 4 to 6 MB. Having purchased the AMD Phenom II X3 740/720/705/700 models, it is worth trying to unlock the fourth core (complete with 512 KB L2 cache). And with AMD Phenom II X2 555/550/545 processors, you can work on unlocking two cores at once, and at the same time increase the total volume of L2 caches up to 2 MB. As for the AMD Athlon II X4 grouping, there is a chance to include 6 MB L3 cache. The most profitable business seems to be working with AMD Athlon II X3 models. Here you can activate the fourth core, with a 512 MB L2 cache attached, and enable the L3 cache (if it is physically present). By the way, there is nothing superfluous inside Athlon II X2 - these processors are built on a special Regor crystal.
Now about why in the paragraph above we narrate with some degree of doubt. First, in the process of manufacturing chips, AMD specialists weed out "expensive" CPUs from "cheap" ones after qualification tests, although they do this selectively. Secondly, some time ago, the AMD factory launched the production of simplified crystals on four cores without L3 cache. Third, motherboard manufacturers can easily exclude locked cores from their latest firmware.

How We Tested
For experiments on unlocking the cores, we purchased four AMD Athlon II X3 425 processors from one batch (marking the first line ADX425WFK32GI, the second - AACYC AC 0923EPMW). The CPUID identification number (hexadecimal) of the chip is the same for all - 00100F52. CPU #1 was serial number 9063917F90048, CPU #2 was serial number 9063917F90033, CPU #3 was serial number 9063917F90050, CPU #4 was serial number 9063917F90046.
All tests for unlocking cores and testing of processors were carried out on the basis of the Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H motherboard (F1 firmware). Used memory Transcend TX2000KLU-4GK (DDR3, 1333 MHz, 4 GB, 9-9-9-24, dual-channel mode), video card Sapphire Toxic Radeon HD 5850 1 GB, HDD Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX (2 GB, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64 MB cache, 7200 rpm), Plextor DVDR PX-810SA optical drive, Tagan SuperRock TG880-U33II power supply (880 W). Test work was carried out with the connected monitor Samsung SyncMaster PX2370 with a graphic resolution of 1920x1080.
Software tests were carried out under Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. The measuring systems PCMark Vantage 1.0.2, SiSoftware Sandra Pro 2010 SP2 were used. Control over the execution of multi-threaded code was carried out on the basis of the WinRAR x64 version 3.93 program within the SmartFPS.com CPU v1.9 script and. Crysis, Serious Sam 2, The Chronicles of Riddick: EFBB and Enemy Territory - QUAKE Wars were used as game tests. Game applications were launched using the SmartFPS.com v1.11 utility.

"Mom" is an important word
Innovative tests of processors are possible only on the basis of modern motherboards. And not necessarily the most expensive.
So today's tests are built around the affordable Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H platform, which is distinguished by the presence of an AMD 880G chipset with integrated graphics ATI Radeon HD 4250. Other variants with graphics cores could be GA-890GPA-UD3H, GA-880GMA-UD2H and GA-880GM-UD2H motherboards.
The main differences between expensive platforms based on AMD 890GX chips and those available on AMD 880G are the improved characteristics of graphics nodes and a different scheme for using PCI Express 2.0 lanes.
The Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H model is built on a combination of AMD 870 and AMD SB850 system chips manufactured at TSMC factories using the 65 nm process technology. It has two PCI Express x16 ports (one works in x16 mode, the other in x4 mode), two PCI-E x1 interface slots and three obsolete port PCI.
The four DIMM slots on the GA-880GA-UD3H can accommodate up to 16 GB random access memory(in dual-channel DDR3 memory architecture mode). The throughput of the Hyper Transport bus is 5200 MT/s.
The Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H platform can be connected to 8 SATA hard drives with a bandwidth of up to 3 Gb / s, and 2 hard drives SATA, with bandwidth up to 6 Gb / s. Plus one familiar block for a PATA cable.
A special pride of the GA-880GA-UD3H model is represented on the rear panel by two blue USB 3.0 sockets. The trendy "feature" became possible thanks to the certified NEC D720200F1 chip.

What the tests showed
Let's start with the main one. Of the four purchased AMD Athlon II X3 425 processors, we were pleased with three copies - the fourth core was unlocked without problems. Moreover, we were doubly lucky, since the test subjects were produced relatively long ago (week 23, 2009) and a full-fledged Deneb crystal was hidden under their cover. As a result, the third-level cache was added to the extra nucleolus.
Note that the upgraded processor worked for several days without any complaints. Apparently, in vain these crystals were "rejected" by AMD specialists.
With regards to the "unsuccessful" CPU with serial number 9063917F90050. There were no difficulties in working with it, as long as the CPU Unlock switch was in the Disabled position in the BIOS program of the GA-880GA-UD3H board. In this regular mode, the operating system saw 3 working cores without a third-level cache - as intended by AMD engineers. Switching the CPU Unlock to the Enabled position crushed any hopes - there were no signs of life on the test bench, I had to reset the BIOS settings to the original ones. Manipulations with the CPU Core Control and CPU core X items do not help - it is obvious that processor No. 3 was "locked" to the place.
Let's close the sad topic and move on to the reborn crystals numbered 1, 2 and 4. All the tables with the results of numerous tests show a stunning increase in performance. In the set of PCMark Vantage test tracks, we select Data compression - + 100% performance, Windows Media Center - + 76%, Video transcoding - + 71%, Memories - + 44%, Web page rendering - + 40%, CPU gaming -- +29%, etc. A similar picture emerges in the results of frank "synthetics" of SiSoftware Sandra 2010 - pay attention to all processor tests, including tests of inter-core efficiency. Moreover, separate tests of SiSoftware Sandra on the delay in data transfer between the cores demonstrate the usefulness of the included kernel - no failures in time and clock cycles.
The results of gaming tests at low graphics resolution, which load the processor, are very indicative. Even in the outdated hits (without a hint of multi-threaded coding) Serious Sam 2 and The Chronicles of Riddick: EFBB we see amazing progress - +24% and +30, respectively. And all this became possible thanks to the opened cache of the third level.
Also pay attention to a curious picture in the results of the multi-threaded algorithm of the WinRAR program. Here, the scenario module SmartFPS.com CPU has created a certain number of parallel computations. In normal operation of AMD Athlon II X3 425, there is a gradual progress when moving from 1 thread to 2, 3 and 4. If you go further and switch to 5 and 6 computing threads, you get a regression. All three crystal cores were fully loaded on 4 more threads, and extra calculation branches interfere with the executor (in terms of final performance). In the "unlocked" mode, the Athlon II X3 425 stalls when switching from 5 to 6 threads. There is a benefit not only from the presence of a 6 MB L3 cache, but also from the "free" core in the CPU.
Let's look at specifications AMD processors. Even without touching the frequencies of the tri-core Athlon II X3 425 CPU, after unlocking all the cores and cache, the $80 processor is similar to the $155 Phenom II X4 925 CPU. That is, thanks to the useful Gigabyte Auto Unlock technology and “myopia » For AMD marketers, there is a two-fold win in terms of both performance and price. In our opinion, this approach to overclocking is much more interesting than alternative paths, such as AMD OverDrive / Gigabyte EasyTune (see the article "Substitute technologies are being sought") and AMD Turbo CORE (see the article "AMD Turbo CORE: successor to the turbo button").
At the end of the article, we will retell some associations with the results of the experiments. This year, the BMW S 1000 RR sports bike appeared on the world market - the first BMW sports bike in the history of the company. Unlike Bavarian cars, BMW motorcycle products are notorious among experienced motorcycle enthusiasts and Japanese manufacturers Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki have been running the two-wheeled world for the past 30 years. So what did German marketers come up with to quickly enter the competitive segment of sporbikes?
First, the price of the BMW S 1000 RR was made very affordable. Secondly, the novelty was stuffed with all sorts of electronics, such as integral racing ABS and dynamic traction control. And thirdly, they made a cropped version of the S 1000 RR, in which they offered only 107 hp instead of 193. it is difficult. But most importantly, the S 1000 RR control module is easily interrogated new program and the BMW motorcycle turns into a full-fledged sportbike in just five minutes. Doesn't it remind you of anything?
Apparently, consumers like the idea of ​​“free” overclocking so much that “locked” TVs and “strangled” air conditioners will soon appear in stores. And experienced PC users can be proud of this, because it all started with computer hardware.

Just the Facts: AMD Processor Specifications

Feature\Processor	AMD Athlon II X3 425	AMD Athlon II X4 620	AMD Athlon II X4 630	AMD Phenom II X3 720	AMD Phenom II X4 925
Nucleus	Rana	Propus	Propus	Heka	Deneb
Frequency, GHz	2,7	2,6	2,8	2,8	2,8
L2 cache, MB	1,5	2	2	1,5	2
L3 cache, MB	No	No	No	6	6
Syst. bus, MTransactions/s	4000	4000	4000	4000	4000
Memory type	DDR3/DDR2	DDR3/DDR2	DDR3/DDR2	DDR3/DDR2	DDR3/DDR2
Memory frequency, GHz	1333/1066	1333/1066	1333/1066	1333/1066	1333/1066
TDP, W	95	95	95	95	95
connector	AM3	AM3	AM3	AM3	AM3
revision	C2	C2	C2/C3	C2/C3	C2/C3
Technical process, nm	45	45	45	45	45
price, rub.	2400	3200	3300	3700	4600

PCMark Vantage test results

Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)
	6588	7704	16,9
PCMark Memories 1 points	16,81	18,67	11,1
	4,999	5,748	15,0
	56,502	60,627	7,3
PCMark Memories 2 points	3,22	4,04	25,5
	3,217	4,044	25,7
	4,08	5,17	26,7
	0,566	0,903	59,5
	29,429	29,588	0,5
	40,11	53,06	32,3
	53,952	95,062	76,2
Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
Generalized assessment of PCMark Suite, points	-1160,724745	-1344,6768	15,8
PCMark Memories 1 points	-1457,222582	-1689,712509	16,0
CPU image manipulation, MB/s	-1753,720418	-2034,748218	16,0
HDD - importing pictures to Windows Photo Gallery, MB/s	-2050,218255	-2379,783927	16,1
PCMark Memories 2 points	-2346,716091	-2724,819636	16,1
Video transcoding - VC-1 to WMV9, MB/s	-2643,213927	-3069,855345	16,1
PCMark TV and Movies 1 points	-2939,711764	-3414,891055	16,2
Video transcoding - VC-1 to VC-1, Mbps	-3236,2096	-3759,926764	16,2
Video playback - VC-1 HD DVD with SD commentary, fps	-3532,707436	-4104,962473	16,2
PCMark TV and Movies 2 points	-3829,205273	-4449,998182	16,2
HDD - Windows Media Center, MB/s	-4125,703109	-4795,033891	16,2
Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
Generalized assessment of PCMark Suite, points	-4422,200945	-5140,0696	16,2
PCMark Memories 1 points	-4718,698782	-5485,105309	16,2
CPU image manipulation, MB/s	-5015,196618	-5830,141018	16,2
HDD - importing pictures to Windows Photo Gallery, MB/s	-5311,694455	-6175,176727	16,3
PCMark Memories 2 points	-5608,192291	-6520,212436	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to WMV9, MB/s	-5904,690127	-6865,248145	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 1 points	-6201,187964	-7210,283855	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to VC-1, Mbps	-6497,6858	-7555,319564	16,3
Video playback - VC-1 HD DVD with SD commentary, fps	-6794,183636	-7900,355273	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 2 points	-7090,681473	-8245,390982	16,3
HDD - Windows Media Center, MB/s	-7387,179309	-8590,426691	16,3
Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
Generalized assessment of PCMark Suite, points	-7683,677145	-8935,4624	16,3
PCMark Memories 1 points	-7980,174982	-9280,498109	16,3
CPU image manipulation, MB/s	-8276,672818	-9625,533818	16,3
HDD - importing pictures to Windows Photo Gallery, MB/s	-8573,170655	-9970,569527	16,3
PCMark Memories 2 points	-8869,668491	-10315,60524	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to WMV9, MB/s	-9166,166327	-10660,64095	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 1 points	-9462,664164	-11005,67665	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to VC-1, Mbps	-9759,162	-11350,71236	16,3
Video playback - VC-1 HD DVD with SD commentary, fps	-10055,65984	-11695,74807	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 2 points	-10352,15767	-12040,78378	16,3
HDD - Windows Media Center, MB/s	-10648,65551	-12385,81949	16,3
Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
Generalized assessment of PCMark Suite, points	-10945,15335	-12730,8552	16,3
PCMark Memories 1 points	-11241,65118	-13075,89091	16,3
CPU image manipulation, MB/s	-11538,14902	-13420,92662	16,3
HDD - importing pictures to Windows Photo Gallery, MB/s	-11834,64685	-13765,96233	16,3
PCMark Memories 2 points	-12131,14469	-14110,99804	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to WMV9, MB/s	-12427,64253	-14456,03375	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 1 points	-12724,14036	-14801,06945	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to VC-1, Mbps	-13020,6382	-15146,10516	16,3
Video playback - VC-1 HD DVD with SD commentary, fps	-13317,13604	-15491,14087	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 2 points	-13613,63387	-15836,17658	16,3
HDD - Windows Media Center, MB/s	-13910,13171	-16181,21229	16,3
Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
Generalized assessment of PCMark Suite, points	-14206,62955	-16526,248	16,3
PCMark Memories 1 points	-14503,12738	-16871,28371	16,3
CPU image manipulation, MB/s	-14799,62522	-17216,31942	16,3
HDD - importing pictures to Windows Photo Gallery, MB/s	-15096,12305	-17561,35513	16,3
PCMark Memories 2 points	-15392,62089	-17906,39084	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to WMV9, MB/s	-15689,11873	-18251,42655	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 1 points	-15985,61656	-18596,46225	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to VC-1, Mbps	-16282,1144	-18941,49796	16,3
Video playback - VC-1 HD DVD with SD commentary, fps	-16578,61224	-19286,53367	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 2 points	-16875,11007	-19631,56938	16,3
HDD - Windows Media Center, MB/s	-17171,60791	-19976,60509	16,3
Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
Generalized assessment of PCMark Suite, points	-17468,10575	-20321,6408	16,3
PCMark Memories 1 points	-17764,60358	-20666,67651	16,3
CPU image manipulation, MB/s	-18061,10142	-21011,71222	16,3
HDD - importing pictures to Windows Photo Gallery, MB/s	-18357,59925	-21356,74793	16,3
PCMark Memories 2 points	-18654,09709	-21701,78364	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to WMV9, MB/s	-18950,59493	-22046,81935	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 1 points	-19247,09276	-22391,85505	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to VC-1, Mbps	-19543,5906	-22736,89076	16,3
Video playback - VC-1 HD DVD with SD commentary, fps	-19840,08844	-23081,92647	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 2 points	-20136,58627	-23426,96218	16,3
HDD - Windows Media Center, MB/s	-20433,08411	-23771,99789	16,3
Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
Generalized assessment of PCMark Suite, points	-20729,58195	-24117,0336	16,3
PCMark Memories 1 points	-21026,07978	-24462,06931	16,3
CPU image manipulation, MB/s	-21322,57762	-24807,10502	16,3
HDD - importing pictures to Windows Photo Gallery, MB/s	-21619,07545	-25152,14073	16,3
PCMark Memories 2 points	-21915,57329	-25497,17644	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to WMV9, MB/s	-22212,07113	-25842,21215	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 1 points	-22508,56896	-26187,24785	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to VC-1, Mbps	-22805,0668	-26532,28356	16,3
Video playback - VC-1 HD DVD with SD commentary, fps	-23101,56464	-26877,31927	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 2 points	-23398,06247	-27222,35498	16,3
HDD - Windows Media Center, MB/s	-23694,56031	-27567,39069	16,3
Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
Generalized assessment of PCMark Suite, points	-23991,05815	-27912,4264	16,3
PCMark Memories 1 points	-24287,55598	-28257,46211	16,3
CPU image manipulation, MB/s	-24584,05382	-28602,49782	16,3
HDD - importing pictures to Windows Photo Gallery, MB/s	-24880,55165	-28947,53353	16,3
PCMark Memories 2 points	-25177,04949	-29292,56924	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to WMV9, MB/s	-25473,54733	-29637,60495	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 1 points	-25770,04516	-29982,64065	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to VC-1, Mbps	-26066,543	-30327,67636	16,3
Video playback - VC-1 HD DVD with SD commentary, fps	-26363,04084	-30672,71207	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 2 points	-26659,53867	-31017,74778	16,3
HDD - Windows Media Center, MB/s	-26956,03651	-31362,78349	16,3
Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
Generalized assessment of PCMark Suite, points	-27252,53435	-31707,8192	16,3
PCMark Memories 1 points	-27549,03218	-32052,85491	16,3
CPU image manipulation, MB/s	-27845,53002	-32397,89062	16,3
HDD - importing pictures to Windows Photo Gallery, MB/s	-28142,02785	-32742,92633	16,3
PCMark Memories 2 points	-28438,52569	-33087,96204	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to WMV9, MB/s	-28735,02353	-33432,99775	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 1 points	-29031,52136	-33778,03345	16,3
Video transcoding - VC-1 to VC-1, Mbps	-29328,0192	-34123,06916	16,3
Video playback - VC-1 HD DVD with SD commentary, fps	-29624,51704	-34468,10487	16,3
PCMark TV and Movies 2 points	-29921,01487	-34813,14058	16,4
HDD - Windows Media Center, MB/s	-30217,51271	-35158,17629	16,4
Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
Generalized assessment of PCMark Suite, points	-30514,01055	-35503,212	16,4
PCMark Memories 1 points	-30810,50838	-35848,24771	16,4
CPU image manipulation, MB/s	-31107,00622	-36193,28342	16,4
HDD - importing pictures to Windows Photo Gallery, MB/s	-31403,50405	-36538,31913	16,4
PCMark Memories 2 points	-31700,00189	-36883,35484	16,4
Video transcoding - VC-1 to WMV9, MB/s	-31996,49973	-37228,39055	16,4
PCMark TV and Movies 1 points	-32292,99756	-37573,42625	16,4
Video transcoding - VC-1 to VC-1, Mbps	-32589,4954	-37918,46196	16,4
Video playback - VC-1 HD DVD with SD commentary, fps	-32885,99324	-38263,49767	16,4
PCMark TV and Movies 2 points	-33182,49107	-38608,53338	16,4

SiSoftware Sandra Professional Home 2010 Test Results

Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
CPU arithmetic test
Dhrystone ALU, gypsum	28,85	34,56	19,8
Whetstone iSSE3, GFLOPS	23,33	31,19	33,7
Multimedia processor test
Multi-Media Int x16 aSSE2 MPixel/s	94,14	126	33,8
Multi-Media Float x8 iSSE2 MPixel/s	58	77,12	33,0
Multi-Media Double x4 iSSE2 MPixel/s	31,57	42,12	33,4
Multi-core efficiency
speed data transmission, GB/s	3	4,5	50,0
Latency, ns	101	99	2,0
Cryptography performance
AES256-ECB CPU cryptography speed, MB/s	415	554	33,5
SHA256 CPU hash rate, MB/s	373	498	33,5
Memory Bandwidth
Int Buff "d iSSE2, GB /	12	12,48	4,0
Float Buff "d iSSE2, GB / s	12	12,54	4,5
Cache and memory
Cache/memory bandwidth, GB/s	35,79	45,66	27,6
Internal data cache, GB/s	130,33	175,2	34,4
Built-in L2 cache, GB/s	72,9	84,54	16,0
Built-in L3 cache, GB/s	n/a	33,3	--

SiSoftware Sandra Professional Home 2010 Memory Latency Test Results

Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)			Advanced mode (4 cores)
	Core 0	Core 1	Core 2	Core 0	Core 1	Core 2	Core 3
Benchmark Results
Memory delay, ns	94	93	92	89	87	87	87
Speed ​​factor, units	85,1	83,6	83	80	78,4	78,4	78,3
Test breakdown
1 KB range, ns/clock	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0
4 KB range, ns/clock	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0
16 KB range, ns/clock	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,1	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0
64 KB range, ns/clock	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0	1,1/3,0
256 KB range, ns/cycle	5,8/15,7	5,8/15,7	5,8/15,7	5,8/15,6	5,8/15,6	5,8/15,6	5,8/15,7
1 MB range, ns/clock	63,4/171,9	63,6/172,6	62,9/170,5	18,5/50,1	18,5/50,2	18,5/50,2	18,3/49,7
4 MB range, ns/clock	71,7/194,4	72,0/195,2	71,2/193,1	26,0/70,5	26,0/70,4	26,0/70,5	25,7/69,6
16 MB range, ns/clock	79,6/215,8	79,8/216,4	78,8/213,8	81,1/219,9	81,0/219,6	81,0/219,7	80,7/218,8
64 MB range, ns/clock	94,3/255,8	92,9/251,8	92,4/250,5	88,7/240,5	87,2/236,4	87,2/236,4	87,1/236,3

Results of gaming tests SmartFPS v1.11 in SVGA mode (800x600), fps

Game\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
crysis	60,6	68,8	13,5
Serious Sam 2	119,7	148,7	24,2
Enemy Territory - QUAKE Wars	81,7	90,4	10,6
The Chronicles of Riddick: EFBB	135,1	175,9	30,2

Results of archiving in WinRAR x64 version 3.93 in multi-threaded modes of SmartFPS.com CPU script v1.9, s (the less the better)

Test\Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Productivity increase, %
1 stream	84	69	17,9
2 streams	79	64	19,0
3 streams	54	44	18,5
4 threads	46	39	15,2
5 streams	53	35	34,0
6 streams	50	40	20,0

1. General information.
2. What is ASS? What is NCC?
3. Motherboard requirements. Motherboard BIOS setup.
4. A small list of the most common questions and answers.
5. Related news, articles and polls
6. List of motherboards that are confirmed to be unlockable with a specific bios version

general information

Attention! The main condition for the normal operation of the system as a result of unlocking the processor is a normal power supply unit with at least "honest" 350-400W of power, which it really gives out (and not a "veteran" of Socket 754 times). With questions like "Is this PSU enough for me?" we turn to the appropriate forum "Cases, power supplies, modding".

Often, for the release of stripped-down / junior models of their products, companies do not release new revisions of boards / microchips, but use a rejection that has not passed tests to work with the characteristics of older models. However, the rejection rate (which, moreover, decreases as production is mastered) is lower than sales of cut products. As a result, completely full-fledged products fall under the knife. Sometimes, through certain manipulations, you can activate the disabled.

Processors of generation K8/K9 (Windsor/Orleans/Lima/Brisbane, etc.) and older ones are not discussed here: there is simply nothing to unlock.

On the this moment, for the release of all processors on the K10.5 architecture (these are Phenom II and Athlon II, as well as Sempron 140/145 and Athlon X2 5000+), AMD uses only four types of crystals: six-core Thuban, four-core Deneb, its stripped-down version (without cache L3) Propus and dual core Regor (i.e. all Semprons are initially based on a dual core chip, just one core is disabled).

The older Athlon X2 7750 BE can sometimes be unlocked, but in general, it is no longer relevant as obsolete (In AMD Athlon X2 7750 BE, it is possible to include two more cores), based on the K10 architecture.

General characteristics (with the exception of Thuban, about them - below in the text):

Addition:

1. Phenom II X4 920 and 940, Athlon X2 5000+:
   Connector: AM2/AM2+ only
   Memory support: DDR2 533/667/800/1066 only
2. The Regor core has been slightly improved compared to Deneb: hardware support for C1E has been added, L2 cache has become 1024Kb per core (Deneb - 512Kb)
3. Athlon II X2 215/220 have only 512Kb of L2 cache.

It should also be noted that, as can be seen from the above characteristics, processors of the Athlon II X4/X3 family can be based on both the Deneb core and the Propus core.

Previously, it was possible to distinguish which core got into a particular processor by the CPUID of the processor: in the case of Deneb, the processor has CPUID 00100F42h, in the case of Propus - CPUID 00100F52h. The CPUID can be seen when the system boots on the POST screen. Also, this information can be seen from the OS environment: in the Windows environment - in CPU-Z on the "CPU" tab - the "Model" column ("4" in the first case, "5" - in the second); in the Linux environment - by the output of the cat /proc/cpuinfo command (line model, similarly - "4" in the first case, "5" - in the second). By release dates: from the 33rd to the 39th week of 2009, almost all processors are based on the Deneb core, later - Propus with rare exceptions. However, some processors of the latest batches with CPUID 00100F52h now also have a perfectly expanded L3 cache to a full-fledged 6MB.

Only by marking the processor on the cover can you determine if there is a chance to unlock the L3 cache:

• Regor/Sargas (2 cores, no physical L3 cache): **E** series: AAEEC, CAEEC, AAEGC, NAE1C, etc.
• Propus (4 cores without physical L3 cache): **D** series: CADAC, CADHC, AADAC, NADHC, NADIC, AADHC, etc.
• Deneb (4 cores, L3 cache physically present on the chip): **C** series: CACYC, CACUC, CACVC, CACZC, CACAC, CACEC, CACDC, AACYC, AACSC, AACTC, AACZC, AACAC, etc.
• Thuban (6 cores, L3 cache physically on-chip): **B** series: ACBBE, CCBBE, etc.

The list is incomplete (AMD releases new ones all the time), so let the author know if you have data on new ones.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that you can unlock on a particular processor model:

• Phenom II X4 8хх - 2 Mb L3 cache;
• Phenom II X3 7xx - fourth core;
• Phenom II X2 5xx - 3rd and 4th cores;
• Athlon II X4 - L3 cache in case of Deneb core;
• Athlon II X3 - fourth core + in case of Deneb core - L3 cache;
• Athlon II X2- there is nothing to unlock(only a model with an index of 220 can come across on a quad-core Deneb - see the marking on the cover).
• Sempron 140/145 is the second core.

A list of such motherboards is given below.

The ability to control the unlock function itself must be specified either in the manual for the motherboard, or read the FAQ and user messages in the thread on the corresponding motherboard in the section Motherboards. Studying the branches with reviews is more preferable: not all manufacturers update the instructions for the motherboard (and they do not always advertise this possibility), there are also features of the implementation of this function on specific motherboards.

Motherboard bios settings:

AsRock

Advanced -> Chipset Configuration -> Advanced Clock Calibration or (on different models/bios versions in different ways)
OC Tweaker -> Advanced Clock Calibration.

Activate Advanced Clock Calibration, then reboot. After that, various options for activating the cores will become available.

On nVidia chipsets with NCC support
Advanced -> NVIDIA Core Calibration
Core Management: Active Core Setup.
L3 Cache Management: L3 Cache Allocation.

On UCC-enabled motherboards
OC Tweaker -> ASRock UCC
Core Control: CPU Active Core Control.

Asus

On AMD SB710, SB750 southbridges
Advanced -\u003e CPU Configuration -\u003e Advanced Clock Calibration from Disabled is translated into the desired position. After that, the Unleashing Mode option appears. Setting this option to Enabled activates the unlock.

On AMD SB810, SB850 southbridges
Advanced -> ASUS Core Unlocker and CPU Core Activation.

On an nVidia chipset
Advanced -> JumperFree Configuration -> NVIDIA Core Calibration

Biostar

On AMD SB710, SB750 southbridges
I warn you right away: for motherboards from this company, for successful unlocking, sometimes you have to lower the HyperTransport frequency even at nominal frequencies (HT is configured here: Performance Menu -> Hyper Transport Configuration -> HT Link Speed)
Advanced -> Advanced Clock Calibration.

On AMD SB810, SB850 southbridges
Advanced -> BIO-unlocKING
At system startup, the POST screen prompts you to press F2 to activate two cores, F3 to activate three cores, or F4 to activate four. Depending on the processor. When you skip an offer (the system does not ask for confirmation, but simply starts further), everything is automatically unlocked.

Diamond Flower Inc. (DFI)

On AMD SB710, SB750 southbridges
Genue BIOS Setting -> CPU Feature -> Advanced Clock Calibration.

On AMD SB810, SB850 southbridges
No data. Let the author know if you have them!

foxconn

On AMD SB710, SB750 southbridges
Fox Central Control Unit -> Fox Intelligent Stepping -> Advanced Clock Calibration.

On AMD SB810, SB850 southbridges
No data. Let the FAQ author know if you have them!

gigabyte

On AMD SB710, SB750 southbridges
MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.) -> Advanced Clock Calibration -> Advanced Clock Calibration - set to Auto or another value as needed, reboot the system, then, in the same place, set EC Firmware Selection to Hybrid.

On AMD SB810, SB850 southbridges
Advanced BIOS Features -> CPU Unlock
The CPU Unlock option, which is responsible for unlocking, works independently of the CPU core Control option and has only two positions - Enabled and Disabled. It is obvious that with limitedly unlocked processors (some of the cores are broken), a combination of these parameters should be used. There is no option responsible for unlocking the L3 cache separately, it is always unlocked when the CPU Unlock option is activated.

MicroStar (MSI)

On AMD SB710, SB750 southbridges
On the AMD chipset: Cell Menu -> Unlock CPU Core and Advanced Clock Calibration to the Enabled position.
After that, they appear additional settings, allowing you to selectively enable / disable processor cores.
Detailed instructions with pictures + a list of motherboards with support for this function) are available on the official MicroStar website: MSI "s Unlock CPU Core Technology Introduction (in Russian) (beware - traffic due to screenshots).

On AMD SB810, SB850 southbridges
No data. Let the author know if you have them!

On an nVidia chipset
Cell Menu -> Nvidia Core Calibration set to Enabled.

Zotac, Sapphire, Jetway

There were no data on unlocking. Let the author know if you have them!

ECS (EliteGroup)

On September 8, 2009, official technical support announced that unlock support would not be implemented. But then the policy changed.

On AMD SB710, SB750 southbridges
M.I.B. II (MB Intelligent BIOS II) -> Advanced Clock Calibration.

On AMD SB810, SB850 southbridges
No data. Let the author know if you have them!

Some tricks when unlocking.

1. Try to vary the values ​​of the ACC percentages (on chipsets where there is no ACC support initially and it is implemented separately by the motherboard manufacturer, these parameters are not available):

We've started moving the ACC setting to modes other than "Auto" while using the "All Cores" option. By changing it in 2% increments, we were able to get the fourth core back at the -6% setting. And if before the system could not pass the Prime95 test at all, in this case it worked fine for an hour without errors before we turned off the computer. It looks like a more aggressive ACC setting can stabilize the unlocking of the fourth core.

2. Increase or decrease the voltage on the processor and / or on-board memory controller (NB Core).

3. Underclock Hyper Transport and/or RAM.

If suddenly you, after unlocking the processor cores, observe that in bios the processor was defined as unlocked (the cores, the cache were displayed on the POST screen, as well as in the characteristics in bios), but after booting into Windows, the number of processor cores remained unchanged (in the CPU- Z, for example), then follow the simple procedure below.

1. If the checkbox "Number of processors" is checked, then uncheck it.
2. if the checkbox "Number of processors" is not checked, check it and specify the number of cores in the drop-down menu.

Save changes and reboot.

After that, all cores should be displayed.

Testing an unlocked processor.

CPU tests

Prime95:
Free. English interface only.

If you have a computer equipped with a modern AMD processor at your disposal, then this means that you have a chance to significantly increase the performance of your PC without spending a penny on this goal. We are talking about a technology that is called "unlocking the cores of AMD processors." This technology allows you to increase the number of processor cores available to the system - usually from two to four or three.

Of course, such an operation is very tempting. Indeed, as tests show, in some cases the performance of the updated processor almost doubles. Moreover, for the successful implementation of this operation, you only need a little knowledge of the BIOS options, and, by the way, a little luck.

First of all, let's try to deal with the question of why AMD needed to "hide" the processor cores from the user at all. The fact is that each manufacturer of processors within a certain line has several models that differ both in price and in capabilities. Naturally, cheaper processor models have fewer cores than more expensive ones. However, in many cases it is irrational to specifically develop models with fewer cores, so many manufacturers, in this case, AMD, do it easier - they simply disable unnecessary processor cores.

In addition, many AMD processors may also have defective cores that have a number of flaws. Such processors are also not thrown away, and after disabling unnecessary cores, they are sold under the guise of cheaper varieties of processors. However, the detected shortcomings of disabled cores may not be critical for their functioning. For example, if the processor core has a slightly increased heat dissipation compared to the standard one, then the use of a processor with such a core is quite possible.

It should be said right away that the success of the operation to unlock the cores largely depends not only on the AMD processor line and its model, but also on a certain series of processors. In many series, only the cores in individual processors can be unlocked, while in other series, almost all processors can be unlocked. In some cases, it is possible to unlock not the core itself, but only the cache related to it.

Unlockable AMD processors are from the Athlon, Phenom, and Sempron lines. Usually, unlocking is possible for cores 3 and 4 of the four available cores. In some cases, you can unlock the second core on a dual-core processor, and in some cases, 5 and 6 cores on a quad-core processor.

Features of unlocking different series of processors

Here are some examples of AMD processor series that can be unlocked, as well as their characteristic features of this process:

• Athlon X2 5000+ - cores #3 and 4 (single instances)
• Athlon II X3 4xx series (Deneb/Rana core) - core #4 and cache
• Athlon II X3 4xx series (Propus type core) - core #4
• Athlon II X4 6xx series (Deneb/Rana core) - L3 cache only
• Phenom II X2 5xx series - cores #3 and 4
• Phenom II X3 series 7xx - core #4
• Phenom II X4 8xx Series - Only 2MB L3 Cache Can Be Unlocked
• Phenom II X4 650T, 840T, 960T and 970 Black Edition - cores #5 and 6 (selected)
• Sempron 140/145 - core #2

Which chipsets support unlocking processor cores?

It should be noted that not all motherboards support the ability to unlock AMD processor cores. You will only be able to unlock cores if your BIOS supports Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC) or a similar technology.

ACC technology is used in the following chipsets:

• GeForce 8200
• GeForce 8300
• nForce 720D
• nForce 980
• Southbridge Chipsets Type SB710
• Southbridge Chipsets Type SB750

There are also several AMD chipsets that do not support ACC technology, but instead support similar technologies. These chipsets include chipsets with southbridges like:

• SB810
• SB850
• SB950

The methodology for unlocking cores on these chipsets varies by motherboard manufacturer.

Unlock Method

To unlock the cores, the user needs to access the BIOS tools. If the motherboard supports ACC technology, in most cases it is enough to find the Advanced Clock Calibration parameter in the BIOS and set it to Auto.

In the case of motherboards from certain manufacturers, some additional steps may also be required. On ASUS motherboards, in addition to ACC, you need to enable the Unleashed mode option, on MSI boards– the Unlock CPU Core option, on NVIDIA boards – the Core Calibration option. On Gigabyte boards, you need to find the EC Firmware Selection option and set it to Hybrid.

On those chipsets that do not support ACC technology, the unlocking method depends on the specific manufacturer. We list briefly the options that must be used in the case of each specific manufacturer:

• ASUS - ASUS Core Unlocker
• Gigabyte - CPU Unlock
• Biostar - BIO-unlocKING
• ASRock - ASRock UCC
• MSI - Unlock CPU Core

Unlock verification and core testing

In order to make sure that the unlocked AMD processor cores really work, it is best to use informational utilities like CPU-Z. However, even if you make sure that the unlock was successful, this does not mean that the unlocked kernels will work without problems. In order to fully test their performance, it is recommended to carry out rigorous testing all processor parameters. Also, the failure of the unlocking process may be indicated by computer malfunctions, and sometimes the inability to boot it. In the latter case, you will have to resort to clearing the BIOS memory and resetting it to the factory default state (we talked about how to carry out this process in a separate article).

In the event of a malfunction of new cores, the user can disable them at any time using BIOS options. In addition, you should keep in mind that the operation of unlocking processor cores works only at the BIOS level, and not at the level of the processors themselves. In the event that you put a processor with unlocked cores on another motherboard, they will still be locked.

And one more thing I would like to note. Although unlocking a processor is not equivalent to overclocking it, however, increasing the number of working cores of your processor will automatically increase the heat dissipation of the processor die. Therefore, perhaps, in this case, it makes sense to think about upgrading the cooler cooling the processor.

Conclusion

Unlocking the cores of AMD processors is a simple operation, which, nevertheless, can help the user to realize the full potential of his computer equipment. This operation is carried out by enabling the necessary BIOS options. Although unlocking the cores is not always guaranteed to be successful, it is not associated with significant risk, like overclocking, and can be tried in practice by any user.