CPU/Mobo AMD Phenom II Core unlocking ?

[bs0409]

I found out that AMD phenom 2 x2 550 and x3 720 processors have actually 4 cores. They disable 1 or 2 cores for some reason and sell it as a dual/triple core processor. Is it always safe to unlock the locked cores on this kind of processor?

Is stability ensured after unlocking?

 

[YashBhatt]

I found out that AMD phenom 2 x2 550 and x3 720 processors have actually 4 cores. They disable 1 or 2 cores for some reason and sell it as a dual/triple core processor. Is it always safe to unlock the locked cores on this kind of processor?

Is stability ensured after unlocking?

Not all processors can be unlocked plus you need the right Mobo combo with your X2/X3 to do the unlocking
As far as the stability is concern it all depends upon ur system

 

[anfjavid]

u can hardly get those unlockable proccies nowadays dude. most of those batches are stopped. In richie st., no chance of getting.

Dont know in which locality u reside.

Even if u get the correct batch with the correct mobo, sometimes u wont succeed. It never works for all. So its a waste. There is a chance of screen going blank and u will have to reset the bios.

Moreover the other 2 cores which get unlocked are dummy cores. I think u wont find much diff. even if u unlock them. for unlocking u need to get a particular mobo too. For this purpose u will have to lose ur favourite mobo also.

So forget about it .

 

[Dark Star]

Even if u get the correct batch with the correct mobo, sometimes u wont succeed. It never works for all. So its a waste. There is a chance of screen going blank and u will have to reset the bios.

Heh :| ! If one has got correct mobo [that unlocks] and the correct bath [capable of unlocking] then it will 100% unlocks. There is no chances of getting failed if you have the right combo.

And the core are not dummy They work and perform as better as a full blow Quad Core. the performance gap is really huge between X2 550 and X4 B50

IINM almost all the currently available Mb support unlocking. Mostly it depends on the batch of the processor, you can even unlock in the top of the line Asus and Gigabyte boards with stability even after 1Ghz oc or more

 

[Dark Star]

Even if u get the correct batch with the correct mobo, sometimes u wont succeed. It never works for all. So its a waste. There is a chance of screen going blank and u will have to reset the bios.

Do you even know what you are saying ? If one has got correct mobo [that unlocks] and the correct bath [capable of unlocking] then it will 100% unlocks. There is no chances of getting failed if you have the tight combo.

And the core are not dummy They work and perform as better as a full blow Quad Core. the performance gap is really huge in X2 550 and X4 B50

IINM almost all the currently available Mb support unlocking. Mostly it depends on the batch of the processor, you can even unlock in the top of the line Asus and Gigabyte boards will stability even after 1Ghz oc or more

 

[nanoneo]

It isn't all mobos. Basically, anything with the 750/710 Southbridge that supports Advanced Clock Calibration. I have the Biostar 790GX, a board that's fine for unlocking.

The problem is finding the right CPU batch. Those batch numbers aren't available anymore and I've more or less given up. Time to buy the vanilla X2 550 B.E tomorrow.

 

[Spectre]

Does this unlocking void warranty

or can it easily reset again to X2 with a bios reset

 

[bs0409]

Is there any chance of the processor or motherboard getting fried???

Are there any other risks involved...??

 

[dOm1naTOr]

There arn't much of a risk involved. Clock caliberation is primarily built for better ocing in which u can set the tolerence level manually for each cores. It means, CPu wont hang up with the error being lower than the tolerence value we have set.
So the disabled cores, which migh have some erros or just masked get activated, provided the error ratio is lower than the tolerance.
We casn set tolerence from -12 to +12%.
Practically AMD makes all CPUs together, i mean the Phenom IIs. They checks the workability of the cpus, each cores individually. Those with one or two cores having slight higher error are made X2 or X3 by locking the cores.
But to meed the market demand, they lock cores of fully functional x4 cpus too and sell as X2 and X3. Good batches means, they have fully functional cores at heart. If u are lucky to find such batch, dont wait and enable ACC, and try Auto, and if not successful, go up the value to 12% max.
You will have to reset bios many times in the procedure, but dont worry, u not gonna fry nythin.

please dont quote this, as i am not exactly sure bout the working of this ACC thing:bleh:

And one more thing. The unlocking is temporary, ie just for that boot. If you reset the bios or turned ACC off on next boot, it ll back to x2 or X3. Same is tha case if you change the mobo to some 780 or 760/740 later. And unlocked proccy cud heat up more easily than the stock ones. So keep an eye on 8it, and most probably unlocked cores will fail to address temps. Use manual methods by some temp sensing chips or make sure its running cool by6 attaching good cooler and maintaining good airflow in chassis.

@bs0409

btw, the unlockable batch of x2 550 is now in stock with amarbir. i have ordered one.
.
ill be getting an X2 550 0922apmw in a day or two, which has 99% probability of unlocking. Will try different settings and will inform you guys.

will try to log the temps using an external sensor touching the heatsink part close to the CPU-heatsink junction. Many reviews says the unlocked PII runs pretty hot on stock cooler. Will check that.

 

[sharangaba]

tried it friday night it hangs up on bios..won't even let me go on to the settings any solution to it ? should clearing cmos do the trick ? or any other alternative ?

 

[sabby]

tried it friday night it hangs up on bios..won't even let me go on to the settings any solution to it ? should clearing cmos do the trick ? or any other alternative ?

yeah, just take out the battery and put it back after 15-30 s. that is the most stupid but simple thing which I do and if you have a gfx card which covers the BIOS jumper then its the only thing you can do.

@topic
I bought my X2 550 on 16th june (probably the 1st in TE) and tried various methods and settings but all went in vain. The most I could do is loading the GRUB. Neither of XP,Vista or openSUSE could be loaded. Only the BIOS shows that it is a X4 B50 processor. I tried with modded BIOS. I tried for the last time today and its over. I am not gonna do it again. But I am not disappointed. As a dual core its the best chip in that price range. I could OC it upto 3.8Ghz @ Stock HSF though didn't run OCCT. Temp went upto 56C. When I bought my chip(0919EPMW,unlocking rate about 70%) , the cherry batch(0922APMW) wasn't there. Anyway, good luck to the fellows who wish to buy X2 550. Try to find the 0922APMW. If you can't, no problem as its the best VFM dual core in the market.