If you have a computer equipped with a modern processor manufactured by AMD, then this means that you have a chance to significantly increase the performance of your PC without spending a penny on this purpose. This is a technology called “unlocking the cores of AMD processors”. This technology increases 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 understand the question of why AMD needed to “hide” the processor cores from the user at all. The fact is that each processor manufacturer 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, it is in many cases irrational to specifically develop models with fewer cores, therefore many manufacturers, in this case, AMD, do it easier - they just turn off unnecessary processor cores.

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

It should be said right away that the success of the core unlocking operation largely depends not only on the AMD processor line and its model, but also on a specific 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 kernel itself, but only the cache associated with it.

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

Features of unlocking various series of processors

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

• Athlon X2 5000+ - cores # 3 and 4 (individual copies)
• Athlon II X3 series 4хх (Deneb / Rana type core) - core # 4 and cache memory
• Athlon II X3 4xx series (Propus-type core) - core # 4
• Athlon II X4 6xx series (Deneb / Rana core) - only L3 cache
• Phenom II X2 5xx series - cores # 3 and 4
• Phenom II X3 7xx series - 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 (individual copies)
• 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 the cores if your BIOS supports Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC) or similar technology.

ACC technology is used in the following chipsets:

• GeForce 8200
• GeForce 8300
• nForce 720D
• nForce 980
• Chipsets with south bridge type SB710
• Chipsets with southbridge type SB750

There are also several AMD chipsets that do not support ACC technology, but instead support similar technologies. These chipsets include chipsets with south bridges of the type:

• SB810
• SB850
• SB950

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

Unblocking technique

To unlock the cores, the user needs to access the BIOS tools. In case of support motherboard ACC technology in most cases is sufficient to find in BIOS parameter Advanced Clock Calibration and set it to Auto.

When motherboards individual manufacturers may also require some additional steps. On ASUS motherboards, in addition to ACC, you must enable the Unleashed mode option, on MSI boards - the Unlock CPU Core option, on NVIDIA boards - the Core Calibration option. On Gigabyte boards, 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. Let's briefly list 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 check and core testing

In order to make sure that the unlocked cores of AMD processors are actually working, it is best to use information utilities type CPU-Z. However, even if you verify that the unlocking was successful, this does not mean that the unlocked kernels will work without problems. In order to fully check their performance, it is recommended to thoroughly test all processor parameters. Also, the failure of the unlocking process may be indicated by malfunctions in the computer, and sometimes the inability to load it. In the latter case, you will have to resort to clearing the BIOS memory and resetting it to the factory default state (we described how to carry out this process in a separate article).

In the event of a malfunction of the new cores, the user can disable them at any time using the BIOS options. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the operation of unlocking processor cores only works 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 I would like to note one more point. While unlocking the processor is not equivalent to overclocking it, increasing the number of working cores in 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 processor-cooling cooler.

Conclusion

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

The article will discuss the possibility of including the third and fourth cores, and also the practical results of such an action will be given - that is, tests. After all, it is very tempting to get a platform with a top-end processor for a hundred dollars.

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

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

So - the processor is made, but the marriage is still present from time to time even in a 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 a 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 do I 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 nuclei for Athlones and Phenomas are blocked for a reason and they can be malfunctioning. Next, you MUST test ALL processor cores for stability, for example, as described in the article.

PRACTICE

An Athlon II X3 425 processor was taken and with the help of AsRock's cheap motherboard option - Bios Unlock CPU Core, a fourth core was enabled.

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 ...

Disappointment awaited. The very first test revealed the inoperability of the included kernel. It was functioning, but under load it failed. Looking closely at the picture, you will also see artifacts of the desktop image. But another thing is noteworthy - the Athlon II X3 processor has turned not into a quad-core Athlon, but into Phenom II X4 !!!

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

I decided not to give up and go all the way. Through trial and error, it was revealed that the PHYSICALLY malfunctioning locked core is the second in a row. What if the L3 cache is perfectly functional? To verify this assertion, the processor was unlocked again, but the second core was disabled from the application manager.

We are passing the test ...

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

That is, first we will forcibly unblock everything that can be unblocked, and then we block what is inoperable)))))))))))))))

There is still a fly in the ointment in all this. Even in spite of the fact that the cache and cores are inactive, such processors still have a large die size and noticeably heat up. Consider this.

WHICH PROCESSORS ARE SUITABLE FOR UNLOCKING?

Three-core Athlones and two-three-core Athlon-II-X3 and Phenom-II-X2-3 are suitable. There is also a rumor that some quad-core models are unlocked into six-cores, but there is no such experience yet. Then look for the Phenomes on the Thuban core and it is quite possible that you will be lucky.

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

Converting Athlon II X3 425 to Full Phenom II X4 925 with Quick Unlock Instructions

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

The employees of the PCShop Group computer store carried out an interesting experiment-study on unlocking a triple-core Athlon II X3 425 processor and turning 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: a four-core Deneb from it by cutting the L3 cache get Propus and a dual-core Regor. Athlon II X3 4XX processors can be both on the Deneb crystal (the version for Athlon II X3 4XX is called Rana) and on the Propus core.

CoreDeneb

Propus core

In other words, with some luck, you can get a cut from a Deneb crystal (Phenom II). And it's always possible to get a physically clipped Propus that just doesn't have L3 cache. AMD makes no warranty of any kind as to 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" crystal - Deneb, which made it possible to unlock 6 MB of L3 cache along with the core.

After

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

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

Of course, you can find fault with the fact that the frequency does not match. But here, as in the popular saying about a gift horse. Although, we will return to the frequency later and show that it is possible to get a more efficient processor from the Athlon II X3 425 even than the Phenom II X4 965 BOX Black Edition (3400 MHz). Besides unlocking, overclocking has always been an effective method of increasing 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 Athlon II X3 425 processor has become equal in speed to the yet unrepresented Phenom II X4 975 (3600 MHz).

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

In this case, the processor was unlocked on the GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD3P motherboard. All that had 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 your PC.

Then, in the same Advanced Clock Calibration section, 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);
Storage - Samsung HD252HJ;
Power supply unit - Seasonic S12D-850.

It is significant that the performance gain from unlocking the Athlon II X3 425 in the 3DMark06 test was 25% and is practically equal to the Phenom II X4 925. The overclocked and unlocked Athlon II X3 425 shows excellent speed, which will become available for ordinary users only after the release of the Phenom processor II X4 975. Also noteworthy are the results of the SuperPi 1M tests, 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 went beyond 20 seconds!

Finally, we note that do 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 the Propus die.

PCShop Group

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1. General information.
2. What is ACC? What is NCC?
3. Requirements for the motherboard. Configuring the BIOS of the motherboard.
4. A small list of the most common questions and answers.
5. Related news, articles and polls
6. List of motherboards on which the ability to unlock with a certain bios version is confirmed

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 "honest" 350-400W of power at least, which it really does (and not a "veteran" of the times of Socket 754). With questions like "Is this PSU enough for me?" refer to the appropriate forum "Cases, power supplies, modding".

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

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

At the 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 (no L3 cache) Propus and dual-core Regor (i.e. all Semprons are originally based on a dual-core crystal, just one core is disabled).

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

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: added hardware support for C1E, L2 cache has become 1024Kb per core (Deneb - 512Kb)
3. Athlon II X2 215/220 have only 512KB L2 cache.

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

Previously, it was possible to distinguish which core hit a particular processor by the CPUID of the processor: in the case of Deneb, the processor has a CPUID of 00100F42h, in the case of Propus - CPUID of 00100F52h. The CPUID can be seen when the system boots up on the POST screen. Also this information can also be seen from the OS environment: in the Windows environment - in CPU-Z on the "CPU" tab - in the "Model" graph ("4" in the first case, "5" - in the second); on Linux - by the output of the cat / proc / cpuinfo command (the model line, 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 expandable 6MB L3 cache.

Only by marking the processor on the lid can you determine if there is a chance of unlocking the L3 cache:

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

The list is incomplete (AMD is constantly releasing new ones), so let the author know if you have information about new ones.

From the above, you can see what can be unlocked 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 - the fourth core + in the case of the Deneb core - L3 cache;
• Athlon II X2 - there is nothing to unlock(only the model with the index 220 can be found on the four-core Deneb - see the markings on the lid).
• Sempron 140/145 - second core.

The list of such motherboards is given below.

The availability of the ability to control the unlocking function itself must be clarified either by the manual for the motherboard, or read the FAQ and user messages in the thread on the corresponding motherboard in the Motherboards section. Studying 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.

Settings in bios motherboard boards:

AsRock

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

Activate Advanced Clock Calibration, then reboot. After that, various options for activating kernels 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 motherboards supporting UCC technology
OC Tweaker -> ASRock UCC
Core control: CPU Active Core Control.

Asus

On the south bridges AMD SB710, SB750
Advanced -> CPU Configuration -> Advanced Clock Calibration from Disabled to the desired position. After that, the Unleashing Mode option appears. Setting this option to Enabled activates the unlock.

On the south bridges AMD SB810, SB850
Advanced -> ASUS Core Unlocker and CPU Core Activation.

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

Biostar

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

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

Diamond Flower Inc (DFI)

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

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

Foxconn

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

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

Gigabyte

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

On the south bridges AMD SB810, SB850
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. Obviously, with limited processors (some of the cores are broken), a combination of these parameters should be used. There is no option responsible for unlocking a separate L3 cache, it is always unlocked when the CPU Unlock option is activated.

MicroStar (MSI)

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

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

On the nVidia chipset
Cell Menu -> Set Nvidia Core Calibration to Enabled.

Zotac, Sapphire, Jetway

No data on unlocking has been reported. 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. However, then the policy changed.

On the south bridges AMD SB710, SB750
M.I.B. II (MB Intellegent BIOS II) -> Advanced Clock Calibration.

On the south bridges AMD SB810, SB850
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 by the motherboard manufacturer separately, these parameters are not available):

We started to change the ACC setting to modes other than Auto, using the All Cores option. By changing it in 2% increments, we were able to bring the fourth core back at -6%. And while the system was previously unable to pass the Prime95 test at all, in this case it worked normally 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 at the processor and / or the built-in memory controller (NB Core).

3. Understate Hyper Transport frequency and / or random access memory.

If suddenly you, after unlocking the processor cores, observe that the processor is detected as unlocked in the bios (the kernels, the cache are displayed on the POST screen, as well as in the characteristics in the bios), but after loading into Windows number processor cores remained unchanged (in CPU-Z, for example), then follow the following simple procedure.

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

Save changes and reboot.

After that, all kernels should be displayed.

Unlocked processor testing.

Processor tests

Prime95:
Free. English only interface.

Secret files
I remember that processor manufacturers were tormented by the question of how to make multi-core CPUs. At first, two crystals were "cut out" and placed side by side on the wafer. Then, two different chips were selected in one package, matching each other in frequency. But in the end, the more honest way of multicore architecture won out, when the maximum number of cores was designed on one monolithic die. And then a curious situation developed. On the one hand, it is expensive to design and develop different logic for dual-core and quad-core chips. But on the other hand, you need to release processors with a different number of cores to work in all price categories.
AMD decided to “save money”. We made a successful Deneb crystal on four cores and got carried away with cutting. Carrying one nucleolus - we get Heka (known as Phenom II X3), carrying the second - we get Callisto (known as Phenom II X2), carrying a third-level cache - this is the basis for the Athlon II processor family. However, American marketers miscalculated, because you cannot get under the crystal cover with a hacksaw / scalpel / soldering iron (underline the necessary) and physically disable unnecessary 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. Remember the triumphant appearance in the spring of 2005 of the first dual-core AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors. They were compatible with any motherboard supporting Athlon64 and Athlon FX CPUs (Socket 939). And at the moment of starting the PC, 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 the second core started working with the new firmware in the operating system.
Now about the secret behind seven seals. At the time of system initialization during internal memory processor, depending on the CPUID, the so-called function map is loaded from the same code for the CPU. There are keys that activate certain components of the crystal. The smartest motherboard manufacturers have guessed to store different variants microcode. As a result, at your own peril and risk, you can enable locked cores and the third-level cache. According to our information, the most daring pioneers were engineers from Gigabyte, and it was their GA-880GA-UD3H board that formed the basis for today's experiments.
But do not think that core unlocking is available to users only on Gigabyte motherboards - this is not the case. That's just, u different manufacturers nuclear unlocking technologies are called by different names. For Gigabyte this is Auto Unlock, for AsRock, Biostar, DFI, Foxconn, Asus the function is called Advanced Clock Calibration, for MSI you need to use the Unlock CPU Core method, etc.
Looking at AMD's second generation 45nm desktop processor product line opens up the following avenues for enthusiasts. You can take the AMD Phenom II X4 820/810/805 models and "increase" the L3 cache from 4 to 6 MB. When purchasing AMD Phenom II X3 740/720/705/700 models, you should try 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 to 2 MB. As for the AMD Athlon II X4 grouping, there is a chance to enable 6 MB L3 cache. The most profitable thing seems to be working with AMD Athlon II X3 models. Here you can activate the fourth core, with the attached 512 MB L2 cache, and enable the L3 cache (if it is physically available). 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 are narrating with some degree of doubt. First, in the process of manufacturing crystals, AMD specialists weed out “expensive” CPUs from “cheap” ones after qualification tests, although they do it selectively. Second, some time ago at the AMD factory they launched the production of simplified crystals on four cores without L3 cache. Third, motherboard manufacturers can easily exclude working with locked cores in latest versions their firmware.

How we tested
For experiments on unlocking the cores, we purchased four AMD Athlon II X3 425 processors from the same batch (marking the first line ADX425WFK32GI, the second - AACYC AC 0923EPMW). The CPUID-number (hexadecimal) of the crystal is the same for all - 00100F52. CPU # 1 had serial number 9063917F90048, CPU # 2 was 9063917F90033, CPU # 3 was 9063917F90050, CPU # 4 was 9063917F90046.
All core unlocking and processor tests were performed using Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H motherboard (F1 firmware). Used Transcend memory 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), optical drive Plextor DVDR PX-810SA, Tagan SuperRock TG880-U33II power supply unit (880 W). The test work was carried out with a connected Samsung SyncMaster PX2370 monitor with a graphics resolution of 1920x1080.
Software tests were carried out under Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. We used measuring complexes PCMark Vantage 1.0.2, SiSoftware Sandra Pro 2010 SP2. Control over the execution of multithreaded code was carried out on the basis of the WinRAR x64 program version 3.93 within the SmartFPS.com CPU v1.9 and. Crysis, Serious Sam 2, The Chronicles of Riddick: EFBB and Enemy Territory - QUAKE Wars were used as gaming tests. The game applications were launched using the SmartFPS.com v1.11 utility.

"Mom" is an important word
Processor innovation tests are only possible on the basis of modern motherboards. Moreover, they are not necessarily the most expensive ones.
So today's tests are built around the affordable Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H platform, featuring an AMD 880G chipset with integrated graphics. ATI Radeon HD 4250. Other options with graphics cores could be GA-890GPA-UD3H, GA-880GMA-UD2H and GA-880GM-UD2H mainboards.
The main differences between expensive platforms based on AMD 890GX chips from those available on AMD 880G are in improved characteristics of graphic nodes and a different scheme for using PCI Express 2.0 lines.
The Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H model is built on a combination of AMD 870 and AMD SB850 system chips, produced 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 connectors and three outdated PCI ports.
The four DIMM slots on the GA-880GA-UD3H can accommodate up to 16GB of RAM (in dual channel DDR3 mode). The Hyper Transport bus has a throughput of 5200 MT / s.
8 SATA hard drives can be connected to the Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H platform, c throughput up to 3 Gbps, and 2 hard disk SATA, with bandwidth up to 6 Gb / s. Plus one familiar connector for the PATA cable.
The GA-880GA-UD3H is particularly proud of the two blue USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel. The trendy "feature" became possible thanks to the certified NEC D720200F1 microcircuit.

What the tests showed
Let's start with the main thing. Of the four purchased AMD Athlon II X3 425 processors, we were pleased with three of them - the fourth core was unlocked without any problems. Moreover, we were doubly lucky, since the test subjects were produced relatively long ago (23 week of 2009) and a full-fledged Deneb crystal was hidden under their lid. As a result, the third level cache was added to the extra nucleolus.
Note that the upgraded processors worked for several days without any complaints. Apparently, these crystals were “discarded” by AMD specialists in vain.
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 normal mode operating system I saw 3 working cores without a third-level cache - as planned by AMD engineers. Switching the CPU Unlock to the Enabled position crushed any hopes - there were no signs of the life of the test bench, it was necessary to reset the BIOS settings to the initial ones. Manipulations with the items CPU Core Control and CPU core X do not help - it is obvious that processor # 3 was locked in 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 staggering performance gain. In the set of PCMark Vantage test tracks, we will highlight 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 outright "synthetics" of SiSoftware Sandra 2010 - pay attention to all processor tests, including tests of inter-core efficiency. Moreover, individual tests of SiSoftware Sandra for latency in data transfer between cores demonstrate the usefulness of the included nucleolus - no lapses 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 hints of multi-threaded encoding) 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 the curious picture in the results of the multithreaded algorithm of the WinRAR program. Here, the script module SmartFPS.com CPU has created a certain number of parallel computations. In the normal operating mode of AMD Athlon II X3 425, there is a step-by-step progress when switching from thread 1 to threads 2, 3 and 4. If we go further and switch to threads 5 and 6, we get a regression. All three cores of the crystal were fully loaded on 4 more threads, and the extra branches of computation interfere with the executor (in terms of the final performance). In "unlocked" mode Athlon II X3 425 stalls when switching 5 threads to 6. On the face of it, 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. Without even touching the frequency of the Athlon II X3 425 triple-core CPU, after unlocking all cores and cache, the $ 80 processor turns out to be similar to the $ 155 Phenom II X4 925 CPU. That is, thanks to the useful Gigabyte Auto Unlock technology and "myopia "AMD marketers get a double win in 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 "Abusive" technologies are wanted ") and AMD Turbo CORE (see the article" AMD Turbo CORE: the successor of the turbo button ").
At the end of the article, we will retell some associations with the results of the experiments carried out. 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 in the two-wheeled world have been fueled by Japanese manufacturers Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki for the past 30 years. So what have German marketers come up with to quickly enter the competitive sports bike segment?
First, the price of the BMW S 1000 RR was made very affordable. Secondly, the novelty was stuffed with all kinds of electronics, such as integral racing ABS and dynamic traction control. And thirdly, they made a cut-off version of the S 1000 RR, in which they offered only 107 hp, instead of 193. Of course, the "strangled" BMW costs less, the annual taxes are at a minimum, it consumes "nothing at all" gasoline, and even break into it is difficult. But most importantly, the S 1000 RR control unit can be easily re-requested new program and a BMW motorcycle turns into a full-bodied sports bike in just five minutes. Doesn't it look like anything?
Apparently the idea of ​​"free" overclocking is so popular among consumers that soon "locked" TV sets and "strangled" air conditioners will appear in stores. And experienced PC users can be proud of this, because it all started with computer hardware.

Just the facts: AMD processor specs

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
Core	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 benchmark results

Challenge \ 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
Challenge \ Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Increase in productivity,%
General 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, MB / s	-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
Challenge \ Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Increase in productivity,%
General 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, MB / s	-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
Challenge \ Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Increase in productivity,%
General 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, MB / s	-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
Challenge \ Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Increase in productivity,%
General 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, MB / s	-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
Challenge \ Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Increase in productivity,%
General 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, MB / s	-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
Challenge \ Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Increase in productivity,%
General 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, MB / s	-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
Challenge \ Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Increase in productivity,%
General 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, MB / s	-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
Challenge \ Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Increase in productivity,%
General 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, MB / s	-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
Challenge \ Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Increase in productivity,%
General 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, MB / s	-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
Challenge \ Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Increase in productivity,%
General 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, MB / s	-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 Benchmark Results

Challenge \ Mode	Normal mode (3 cores)	Advanced mode (4 cores)	Increase in productivity,%
Processor arithmetic test
Dhrystone ALU, GIPS	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
Data transfer rate, GB / s	3	4,5	50,0
Latency, ns	101	99	2,0
Cryptographic performance
Cryptography speed AES256-ECB CPU, MB / s	415	554	33,5
Hash rate SHA256 CPU, 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

Challenge \ 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 latency, 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 / clock	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)	Increase in productivity,%
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

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

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