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AMD PHENOM II CORE UNLOCKING GUIDE
Introduction
Core unlocking of AMD chips has been a very hot topic of discussion. The possibility of spending a mere $100 dollars for a Phenom II X2/X3 chip and unlocking the disabled cores to yield a $200 dollar X4 chip is exactly like the goal of every overclocker around - spend the least amount of money possible and get the most bang for your buck. I have written this guide to consolidate the information surrounding core unlocking, and to answer any questions you guys might have.
Remember, core unlocking is NOT GUARANTEED. However, the aim of this guide is to help everyone increase their chances of successful unlocks.
DISCLAIMER: I am no means an expert. I’m just extremely interested in the subject. My experience is limited to the X2 550BE and the X3 720BE. As a result, for the gurus out there, I welcome you to chime in and correct me. I will keep this post updated with new information and corrections.
Background
The current Phenom II architecture is very unique, and is AMD’s answer to Intel’s Core2Duo and Core2Quad series. Unlike the Core2Quad, which is essentially two Core2Duo’s bridged together, AMD’s Phenom II is a chip with four individual cores.
Like all manufacturing processes, chip fabrication is no different. There are always parts which don’t make the quality cut. In the case of the Phenom II Quad cores, these parts may have defective cores or cache. Rather than throwing these defective Quad cores out, AMD decided to repackage these chips as Dual cores or Tri core processors. It was a win-win scenario for AMD. They would sell these processors for a cheaper price, and minimize wasted parts.
When the Phenom II X3 720BE was released, it was highly popular among mainstream enthusiasts. Like all BE processors, the 720BE had an unlocked multiplier, which made overclocking it an extremely simple process. Furthermore, it was priced competitively against Intel’s Core2Duo E6xxx series, but performance actually rivaled the E8xxx series. Why would you pay Intel for a Dual core when you can get a Tri core from AMD?
However, the surge in demand for 720BE processors started when a Korean overclocker first discovered that the “defective” core could be unlocked. He used a motherboard with a SB750 southbridge which supported Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC): the Biostar TA790GX. Soon after, others reported similar success in unlocking the 720BE. This phenomenon eventually extended to include X3 710 and X2 550BE processors as well.
Unoffically, AMD reported record sales of X3 processors, no doubt, in part due to fourth core unlocking. Many believe that the increasing rates of successful unlocks is due to AMD purposedly binning perfectly working X4s as X3s to sastify market demands. What does this mean for you? Your chances of getting an unlockable X3 chip just got better.
Quick overview of parts needed
AMD Phenom II processors – Codename Heka (Tri-cores) or Callisto (Dual-cores).
**Athlon II processors DO NOT APPLY.
Motherboard with ACC support (SB710 or SB750 southbridge) or NCC (Nvidia’s answer to ACC) AND supports core unlocking. More on specific boards and manufacturers later.
A little bit of luck
Choosing the right processor
As previously mentioned, all of AMD’s Phenom II processors contain four cores. X2 processors are X4 processors with two disabled cores, and X3 processors are X4 processors with one disabled core. There is a possibility of unlocking those disabled cores using ACC and the right motherboard.
In terms of which steppings you should choose, I can’t really comment. I have noticed no “guaranteed” stepping. This leads me to believe that a) Either all chips are unlockable with the right tools, or b) The unlocking process is random. This is where a little bit of luck plays in.
Regardless, choose from the following models. Even if you don’t end up unlocking the 4th core by following this guide, you can’t go wrong because you still would have gotten the best bang for your buck. These chips are proven overclockers.
AMD Phenom II X2 550BE
AMD Phenom II X3 720BE
Choosing the right motherboard:
In my opinion, this is the determining factor of whether you can unlock your processor. My personal motherboard of choice is the Biostar TA790GX 128M with 78DEA113 BIOS. I have successfully unlocked my X2 550BE and X3 720BE with this board. Other popular choices include the Gigabyte line of products listed below.
In general, make sure the motherboard has a SB710 or SB750 southbridge and ACC is supported before purchasing. However, there are exceptions, as some motherboard manufacturers have disabled ACC core unlocking features. Rumors were floating around that AMD discouraged the unlocking of cores. Hopefully the following list will clarify which motherboards work and which ones don't. Keep in mind that the BIOS revision plays an important role in unlocking. For example, with the Biostar TA790GX 128M motherboard, only 78DEA113 bios unlocks cores. The 78DEA525 bios DOES NOT UNLOCK ANYTHING.
Special Note about Asus Motherboards
The Asus M4A series also “claims” to support 4th core unlocking. In their recent BIOS updates, they have added an “unleashing” mode. My personal experience with it has been far from perfect. Unlike the Biostar motherboard which “just works”, the Asus motherboard requires a lot of hair pulling and tinkering. Here's how you do it.
When "unleashing" mode is enabled, the computer cannot cold boot. To unlock the "defective" cores, you must first boot as a X2/X3 chip and make your voltage modifications as suggested later on in the guide. Afterwards, restart and enable "unleashing mode", save and exit, and then turn off the computer. Turn on the computer again. Unleashing mode does not work 100% of the time. If the computer doesn't POST, continue to hit the reset button at 5 second intervals until it will POST again. You will then see an error message "Unleashing mode failed." Enter BIOS, and activate "unleashing mode" again, save and exit, and turn off the computer. Turn on the computer again. Repeat the process until you see no error messages, or only the "Overclocking failed" message shows up. If you enter BIOS now and go to the "CPU configuration" menu, you will see that your processor has a X4 designation. Save settings, reboot, and you should boot into windows. Afterwards, do not turn off your computer, or you will have to repeat those steps again.
THE LIST: (Ongoing work)
Asus
790FX/SB750
M3A79-T Deluxe – 0030 Mod Bios - SUCCESS!!
M4A79 Deluxe – 1602 Official Bios – SUCCESS!!
M4A79T Deluxe – 0079 Mod Bios – SUCCESS!!
Crosshair III Formula - ???
790GX/SB750
M3A78-T – 0023 Mod Bios – SUCCESS!!
M4A78-E – 1204 Official Bios – SUCCESS!!
M4A78-E SE – 0023 Mod Bios – SUCCESS!!
M4A78T-E – 1402 Official Bios – SUCCESS!! - SUCCESS #2!! *Thanks AMDRick*
Asrock
790GX/SB750
AOD790GX/128M – 1.40 Bios – SUCCESS!!
A790GMH/128M - ???
A790GXH/128M – 1.20 Bios - SUCCESS!!
A790GX/128M - ???
Biostar
790GX/SB750
TA790GX A3+ - 78DAA616 Mod bios – SUCCESS!!
TA790GX 128M – 78DEA113 Official bios – SUCCESS!!
DFI
790X/SB750
DK 790X-M2RS - ???
790FX/SB750
DK 790FXB-M3H5 – 04/02/2009 Bios – SUCCESS!!
DK 790FXB-M2RSH – 03/10/2009 Bios- SUCCESS!!
DK 790FXB-M2RS - 02/24/2009 Bios - SUCCESS!! *Thanks eXe.Lilith*
790GX/SB750
DK 790GX-M2RS - ???
JR 790GX-M2RS – 10/30/2008 Bios – SUCCESS!!
Gigabyte
770X/SB710
GA-MA770T-UD3P - F2c Bios - SUCCESS!! *Thanks Miked270*
790X/SB750
GA-MA790X-DS4 - ????
GA-MA790X-UD3P - ???
GA-MA790X-UD4 – F3 Bios – SUCCESS!! *Thanks kromar*
GA-MA790X-UD4P – F5 Bios – SUCCESS!!
GA-MA790XT-UD4P - F4G Bios - SUCCESS!! *Thanks Broodman*
790FX/SB750
GA-MA790FX-UD5P - ???
GA-MA790FXT-UD5P – F3b/F5 Bios – SUCCESS!! / SUCCESS!! *Thanks jbranton*
790GX/SB750
GA-MA790GP-DS4H – F3h Bios – SUCCESS!!
GA-MA790GP-UD3H - ???
GA-MA790GP-UD4H – F3h Bios – SUCCESS!!
GA-MA790GPT-UD3H - ???
MSI
For MSI special bioses for core unlocking, visit this thread: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=228417
770X/SB710
770-C35 - Special Bios – ???
770-C45 – 1.3B2 Special Bios – SUCCESS!!
790X/SB710
790XT-G45 - ???
790FX/SB750
790FX-GD70 – 1.5B1/1.5B2/1.5B3 Bios – SUCCESS!! - (Solves previous 1.4 bios lockup problems, but 1.5B2 and 1.5B3 has HT link stuck at 8x and 10x multiplier respectively. See thread for details.)
790GX/SB750
790GX-G65 – 1.4B2 Special Bios - SUCCESS!! *Thanks mr.05'rsx*
DKA790GX - ???
DKA790GX Platinum – Special Bios available - ???
KA790GX - FAILURE
KA790GX-M - FAILURE
Special note about KA790GX/KA790GX-M motherboards: Even though these two motherboards have a SB750, the traces to activate ACC are not soldered on the PCB. As a result, they WILL NOT unlock anything.
The Unlocking Process
In terms of unlocking your “defective” cores, the process is actually very simple.
Once you have assembled your computer, simply enter BIOS, and set Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC) to auto. On Asus and Gigabyte motherboards with newer BIOS revisions, once ACC is enabled, you must also enable "Unleashing" or "EC Firmware Hybrid" mode. Afterwards, restart your computer.
If it was successful, your processor should have a new designation starting with X4. Congratulations, because you just unlocked your processor.
If your computer didn't POST, don’t despair. It is possible that your processor requires a bit of a voltage boost. Reset your CMOS, and enter bios again. Give Vcore a bit of a boost from 1.325v to 1.35v. Set ACC to auto again, and try. If it still doesn’t work, keep increasing Vcore to 1.4v.
If you are still having trouble, you can try to bump up the CPU-NB voltage. Stock is 1.2v, and I would keep increasing it until 1.35v. On my own X3, I never got it to unlock until I boosted CPU-NB voltage to 1.25v.
*For those with Asus motherboards, please see note above in the Motherboard section*
If the unlocking process still doesn't work out, then you may consider dropping the multiplier of the chip. Decrease it by 1x and attempt to boot. Continue to drop it until you reach 10x. In my opinion, this should be a very last resort, and is not worth doing as you are significantly lowering your cpu clock speed.
From my own personal experience, the unlocking process usually works without a Vcore/Vcpu-nb boost. However, the voltage boost is needed when making the fourth core stable enough to boot into windows.
An unlocked AMD X3 720BE to X4 using an Asus M4A78-E with 1204 BIOS. Vcore = 1.35v. Vcpu-nb = 1.25v.
http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=599393
Anyway, good luck with Phenom II core unlocking. The take-home point however, is the following:
AMD Phenom II X2 and X3 processors have defective cores which can be unlocked using the right motherboard and BIOS. Ultimately, however, those cores were disabled for a reason. Whether you are able to get those unlocked cores stable is where luck plays a part. Good luck.
I will continue to make changes and edit this thread as needed. I hope to generate a full list of supported motherboards in the end.
ทั้งนี้ก็ขึ้นอยู่กับดุลพินิจทุกๆท่านน่ะครับ ถ้ากระทู้นี้รบกวนหรือซ้ำก็ Pm บอกผมด้วยน่ะครับจะได้ลบออก
credit http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/53...ing-guide.html
Introduction
Core unlocking of AMD chips has been a very hot topic of discussion. The possibility of spending a mere $100 dollars for a Phenom II X2/X3 chip and unlocking the disabled cores to yield a $200 dollar X4 chip is exactly like the goal of every overclocker around - spend the least amount of money possible and get the most bang for your buck. I have written this guide to consolidate the information surrounding core unlocking, and to answer any questions you guys might have.
Remember, core unlocking is NOT GUARANTEED. However, the aim of this guide is to help everyone increase their chances of successful unlocks.
DISCLAIMER: I am no means an expert. I’m just extremely interested in the subject. My experience is limited to the X2 550BE and the X3 720BE. As a result, for the gurus out there, I welcome you to chime in and correct me. I will keep this post updated with new information and corrections.
Background
The current Phenom II architecture is very unique, and is AMD’s answer to Intel’s Core2Duo and Core2Quad series. Unlike the Core2Quad, which is essentially two Core2Duo’s bridged together, AMD’s Phenom II is a chip with four individual cores.
Like all manufacturing processes, chip fabrication is no different. There are always parts which don’t make the quality cut. In the case of the Phenom II Quad cores, these parts may have defective cores or cache. Rather than throwing these defective Quad cores out, AMD decided to repackage these chips as Dual cores or Tri core processors. It was a win-win scenario for AMD. They would sell these processors for a cheaper price, and minimize wasted parts.
When the Phenom II X3 720BE was released, it was highly popular among mainstream enthusiasts. Like all BE processors, the 720BE had an unlocked multiplier, which made overclocking it an extremely simple process. Furthermore, it was priced competitively against Intel’s Core2Duo E6xxx series, but performance actually rivaled the E8xxx series. Why would you pay Intel for a Dual core when you can get a Tri core from AMD?
However, the surge in demand for 720BE processors started when a Korean overclocker first discovered that the “defective” core could be unlocked. He used a motherboard with a SB750 southbridge which supported Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC): the Biostar TA790GX. Soon after, others reported similar success in unlocking the 720BE. This phenomenon eventually extended to include X3 710 and X2 550BE processors as well.
Unoffically, AMD reported record sales of X3 processors, no doubt, in part due to fourth core unlocking. Many believe that the increasing rates of successful unlocks is due to AMD purposedly binning perfectly working X4s as X3s to sastify market demands. What does this mean for you? Your chances of getting an unlockable X3 chip just got better.
Quick overview of parts needed
AMD Phenom II processors – Codename Heka (Tri-cores) or Callisto (Dual-cores).
**Athlon II processors DO NOT APPLY.
Motherboard with ACC support (SB710 or SB750 southbridge) or NCC (Nvidia’s answer to ACC) AND supports core unlocking. More on specific boards and manufacturers later.
A little bit of luck
Choosing the right processor
As previously mentioned, all of AMD’s Phenom II processors contain four cores. X2 processors are X4 processors with two disabled cores, and X3 processors are X4 processors with one disabled core. There is a possibility of unlocking those disabled cores using ACC and the right motherboard.
In terms of which steppings you should choose, I can’t really comment. I have noticed no “guaranteed” stepping. This leads me to believe that a) Either all chips are unlockable with the right tools, or b) The unlocking process is random. This is where a little bit of luck plays in.
Regardless, choose from the following models. Even if you don’t end up unlocking the 4th core by following this guide, you can’t go wrong because you still would have gotten the best bang for your buck. These chips are proven overclockers.
AMD Phenom II X2 550BE
AMD Phenom II X3 720BE
Choosing the right motherboard:
In my opinion, this is the determining factor of whether you can unlock your processor. My personal motherboard of choice is the Biostar TA790GX 128M with 78DEA113 BIOS. I have successfully unlocked my X2 550BE and X3 720BE with this board. Other popular choices include the Gigabyte line of products listed below.
In general, make sure the motherboard has a SB710 or SB750 southbridge and ACC is supported before purchasing. However, there are exceptions, as some motherboard manufacturers have disabled ACC core unlocking features. Rumors were floating around that AMD discouraged the unlocking of cores. Hopefully the following list will clarify which motherboards work and which ones don't. Keep in mind that the BIOS revision plays an important role in unlocking. For example, with the Biostar TA790GX 128M motherboard, only 78DEA113 bios unlocks cores. The 78DEA525 bios DOES NOT UNLOCK ANYTHING.
Special Note about Asus Motherboards
The Asus M4A series also “claims” to support 4th core unlocking. In their recent BIOS updates, they have added an “unleashing” mode. My personal experience with it has been far from perfect. Unlike the Biostar motherboard which “just works”, the Asus motherboard requires a lot of hair pulling and tinkering. Here's how you do it.
When "unleashing" mode is enabled, the computer cannot cold boot. To unlock the "defective" cores, you must first boot as a X2/X3 chip and make your voltage modifications as suggested later on in the guide. Afterwards, restart and enable "unleashing mode", save and exit, and then turn off the computer. Turn on the computer again. Unleashing mode does not work 100% of the time. If the computer doesn't POST, continue to hit the reset button at 5 second intervals until it will POST again. You will then see an error message "Unleashing mode failed." Enter BIOS, and activate "unleashing mode" again, save and exit, and turn off the computer. Turn on the computer again. Repeat the process until you see no error messages, or only the "Overclocking failed" message shows up. If you enter BIOS now and go to the "CPU configuration" menu, you will see that your processor has a X4 designation. Save settings, reboot, and you should boot into windows. Afterwards, do not turn off your computer, or you will have to repeat those steps again.
THE LIST: (Ongoing work)
Asus
790FX/SB750
M3A79-T Deluxe – 0030 Mod Bios - SUCCESS!!
M4A79 Deluxe – 1602 Official Bios – SUCCESS!!
M4A79T Deluxe – 0079 Mod Bios – SUCCESS!!
Crosshair III Formula - ???
790GX/SB750
M3A78-T – 0023 Mod Bios – SUCCESS!!
M4A78-E – 1204 Official Bios – SUCCESS!!
M4A78-E SE – 0023 Mod Bios – SUCCESS!!
M4A78T-E – 1402 Official Bios – SUCCESS!! - SUCCESS #2!! *Thanks AMDRick*
Asrock
790GX/SB750
AOD790GX/128M – 1.40 Bios – SUCCESS!!
A790GMH/128M - ???
A790GXH/128M – 1.20 Bios - SUCCESS!!
A790GX/128M - ???
Biostar
790GX/SB750
TA790GX A3+ - 78DAA616 Mod bios – SUCCESS!!
TA790GX 128M – 78DEA113 Official bios – SUCCESS!!
DFI
790X/SB750
DK 790X-M2RS - ???
790FX/SB750
DK 790FXB-M3H5 – 04/02/2009 Bios – SUCCESS!!
DK 790FXB-M2RSH – 03/10/2009 Bios- SUCCESS!!
DK 790FXB-M2RS - 02/24/2009 Bios - SUCCESS!! *Thanks eXe.Lilith*
790GX/SB750
DK 790GX-M2RS - ???
JR 790GX-M2RS – 10/30/2008 Bios – SUCCESS!!
Gigabyte
770X/SB710
GA-MA770T-UD3P - F2c Bios - SUCCESS!! *Thanks Miked270*
790X/SB750
GA-MA790X-DS4 - ????
GA-MA790X-UD3P - ???
GA-MA790X-UD4 – F3 Bios – SUCCESS!! *Thanks kromar*
GA-MA790X-UD4P – F5 Bios – SUCCESS!!
GA-MA790XT-UD4P - F4G Bios - SUCCESS!! *Thanks Broodman*
790FX/SB750
GA-MA790FX-UD5P - ???
GA-MA790FXT-UD5P – F3b/F5 Bios – SUCCESS!! / SUCCESS!! *Thanks jbranton*
790GX/SB750
GA-MA790GP-DS4H – F3h Bios – SUCCESS!!
GA-MA790GP-UD3H - ???
GA-MA790GP-UD4H – F3h Bios – SUCCESS!!
GA-MA790GPT-UD3H - ???
MSI
For MSI special bioses for core unlocking, visit this thread: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=228417
770X/SB710
770-C35 - Special Bios – ???
770-C45 – 1.3B2 Special Bios – SUCCESS!!
790X/SB710
790XT-G45 - ???
790FX/SB750
790FX-GD70 – 1.5B1/1.5B2/1.5B3 Bios – SUCCESS!! - (Solves previous 1.4 bios lockup problems, but 1.5B2 and 1.5B3 has HT link stuck at 8x and 10x multiplier respectively. See thread for details.)
790GX/SB750
790GX-G65 – 1.4B2 Special Bios - SUCCESS!! *Thanks mr.05'rsx*
DKA790GX - ???
DKA790GX Platinum – Special Bios available - ???
KA790GX - FAILURE
KA790GX-M - FAILURE
Special note about KA790GX/KA790GX-M motherboards: Even though these two motherboards have a SB750, the traces to activate ACC are not soldered on the PCB. As a result, they WILL NOT unlock anything.
The Unlocking Process
In terms of unlocking your “defective” cores, the process is actually very simple.
Once you have assembled your computer, simply enter BIOS, and set Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC) to auto. On Asus and Gigabyte motherboards with newer BIOS revisions, once ACC is enabled, you must also enable "Unleashing" or "EC Firmware Hybrid" mode. Afterwards, restart your computer.
If it was successful, your processor should have a new designation starting with X4. Congratulations, because you just unlocked your processor.
If your computer didn't POST, don’t despair. It is possible that your processor requires a bit of a voltage boost. Reset your CMOS, and enter bios again. Give Vcore a bit of a boost from 1.325v to 1.35v. Set ACC to auto again, and try. If it still doesn’t work, keep increasing Vcore to 1.4v.
If you are still having trouble, you can try to bump up the CPU-NB voltage. Stock is 1.2v, and I would keep increasing it until 1.35v. On my own X3, I never got it to unlock until I boosted CPU-NB voltage to 1.25v.
*For those with Asus motherboards, please see note above in the Motherboard section*
If the unlocking process still doesn't work out, then you may consider dropping the multiplier of the chip. Decrease it by 1x and attempt to boot. Continue to drop it until you reach 10x. In my opinion, this should be a very last resort, and is not worth doing as you are significantly lowering your cpu clock speed.
From my own personal experience, the unlocking process usually works without a Vcore/Vcpu-nb boost. However, the voltage boost is needed when making the fourth core stable enough to boot into windows.
An unlocked AMD X3 720BE to X4 using an Asus M4A78-E with 1204 BIOS. Vcore = 1.35v. Vcpu-nb = 1.25v.
http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=599393
Anyway, good luck with Phenom II core unlocking. The take-home point however, is the following:
AMD Phenom II X2 and X3 processors have defective cores which can be unlocked using the right motherboard and BIOS. Ultimately, however, those cores were disabled for a reason. Whether you are able to get those unlocked cores stable is where luck plays a part. Good luck.
I will continue to make changes and edit this thread as needed. I hope to generate a full list of supported motherboards in the end.
ทั้งนี้ก็ขึ้นอยู่กับดุลพินิจทุกๆท่านน่ะครับ ถ้ากระทู้นี้รบกวนหรือซ้ำก็ Pm บอกผมด้วยน่ะครับจะได้ลบออก
credit http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/53...ing-guide.html
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