[emboss]

OK, this is something I've been wondering for a while ... are the XP-M's die-locked? In other words, if you break the 3rd L5 bridge (ie: the mobile bridge) on a post week-39 XP-M, are you then left with a die-locked CPU? Given that the mobile and desktop CPUs are so similar in all other ways, I would be surprised if it wasn't die-locked, but I've never seen any evidence either way.

I've looked through the first couple-hundred posts in the huge Mobile Barton thread, and various other threads in the AMD and SMP forums, but quite possibly I missed something

<begin slight rant>
All I can find is stuff like the first post in the giant mobile thread, where felinusz says "mobile support requires multiplier change therefore they are unlocked", though not in those words. IMO this is INCORRECT as the multiplier lock and software multiplier adjustment are two separate things. You do not have to have an unlocked chip to use software multiplier adjustments, as demonstrated by the ability to rejoin the 3rd L5. And having PowerNOW enabled does not give you the ability to change the multipler unless your chipset/BIOS/OS supports it.
<end rant>

[{PMS}fishy]

THE MOBILES ARE FULLY UNLOCKED FOR THE 100th TIME.

[emboss]

This is what everyone says, but I've yet to find anyone who actually has tested by cutting the L5 bridge (or has a link to someone who has). They all seem to base it on the logic in my semi-rant. Do you have a link by any chance?

[emboss]

Actually, this brings an interesting test to mind. Since the L2 cache size (the L2 bridges) was locked at the same time as the L3 (multiplier) bridges, I wonder if the L2 bridge cache trick still works on the Thorton Mobiles (assuming they exist)? Be great if it did.

[The Coolest]

They are fully unlocked, because on locked chips, even when you join the L5 bridge you still can't change the multiplier using your BIOS or dipswitches.
On these chips you CAN use your BIOS to change your multiplier, and that means UNLOCKED (for the 101st time )

[emboss]

OK, thanks for the difference between a L5 modded chip and a mobile. This is exactly what I was looking for, but couldn't find

[felinusz]

All I can find is stuff like the first post in the giant mobile thread, where felinusz says "mobile support requires multiplier change therefore they are unlocked", though not in those words. IMO this is INCORRECT as the multiplier lock and software multiplier adjustment are two separate things.

If you modify a locked Desktop Barton to make use of PowerNow!, making it a mobile processor, it will still be hard-locked, and you will still be unable to change the multiplier in your BIOS, or via external means - as The Coolest said.

Here's an article I think might be worth your time to take a look at

Cick HERE

I see what you are saying - if PowerNow! software multipier changing can work even with a hard-locked chip, then why has AMD not hard-locked the Mobile Bartons?

"mobile support requires multiplier change therefore they are unlocked"

My logic is based partly on a assumption - noone has really sat down with a Hard-locked desktop Barton modified to support PowerNow!, and an unlocked Mobile Barton - and then tested the two in an actual laptop system, at least not as far as I know. The article above aproaches the ideas however, and is *really* worth reading .

[thinksnow]

felinusz, I had read that before, but I guess I was under the impression that those mods were out the window anymore.

On that note, and to stress that I'm new to AMD, what is the difference between a Mobile Athlon and an Athon-MP?

[The Coolest]

Athlon MP is basically an XP for a dualie while the mobile is obviously meant for a laptop/notebook PC.
The mod of a desktop chip into a mobile one is not yet out of the window, its true that it doesn't work on nForce2 motherboards, but its good for anyone with a SiS or VIA (KT266 or up) mobo, some those people can also benefit from the mobile mod, becase their mobos might not have multiplier adjustement, like on many ECS boards.

[thinksnow]

So the high recommendation I had been getting from buddies of mine for the nV2 Ultra 400 is looking less and less great. Damn.


And thanks for the clarification.

[{PMS}fishy]

Originally posted by emboss
This is what everyone says, but I've yet to find anyone who actually has tested by cutting the L5 bridge (or has a link to someone who has). They all seem to base it on the logic in my semi-rant. Do you have a link by any chance?

There are no needs to cut bridges or post links.

I have one, and I can go into the BIOS and selected any multi. Thus supporting the defination of the Mobiles being fully unlocked.

What people are doing to the desktop Bartons is not the same as having an unlocked chip.

[Hagakure]

Originally posted by thinksnow
So the high recommendation I had been getting from buddies of mine for the nV2 Ultra 400 is looking less and less great. Damn.


And thanks for the clarification.

Nothing personally but I don’t know that you really understood what he was saying.

He’s talking about modding a desktop AMD XP into a mobile, which has been found to work better on some boards than others but has never been shown to completely work at all. He’s not saying putting a mobile AMD on an NFII ultra 400 board is a bad idea or anything, in fact a lot of people have found the various NFII boards to be great for modding these chips.

From what I’ve seen and heard, the DFI NFII ultra 400 B mobo is a great choice for O\Cing a mobile chip because it’s got such great BIOS that allow for a ton of tweaking.

[glock19owner]

Originally posted by thinksnow
So the high recommendation I had been getting from buddies of mine for the nV2 Ultra 400 is looking less and less great. Damn.


And thanks for the clarification.

Its better to run a NF2 anyways...since it has the AGP/PCI bus speeds locked...unlike the KT266 up to Kt600 MB's...no locks on eihter AGP or PCI...so this means limited OCing before you get the famous HD Corruption for going past the PCI Mhz limit that your HD can handle...or buring up your video card from too high of AGP Mhz...

So even if you run a locked CPU on the NF2...the OC and performance will still be better then a unlocked CPU in a limited OCing motherboard...

[thinksnow]

Hagakure Nothing personally but I don’t know that you really understood what he was saying.

No offense taken, but I did understand the article.

My point was that, given what The Coolest said, my choice of an ASUS board, combined with my choice of CPU, was looking rather grim.

[The Coolest]

If you get an Abit NF7 then you won't have any problems changing multipliers or overclocking your system. On an ASUS motherboard you would have to do a wire trick to get to the higher multiplier range, but depending on your FSB overclock, RAM, and max CPU speed, you might not even need more than x12.5 for your OC.
The mobile Barton is 100% unlocked on ANY motherboard, the only difference with NF2 boards is that you can't change multipliers with SOFTWARE from within windows, but in the BIOS the multiplier changes just like on a normal unlocked CPU.

[thinksnow]

Okay, I'm confused again:

The mod of a desktop chip into a mobile one is not yet out of the window, its true that it doesn't work on nForce2 motherboards,

On an ASUS motherboard you would have to do a wire trick to get to the higher multiplier range

So, given that I have a locked 2500+ (not mobile, not hacked in any way...yet), and an Asus A7N8X-X (nF2, Ultra 400), can I do the wire trick to get the higher multipliers?

Signed,
-Befuddled in Ohio.

[Gnufsh]

If it's locked, no. If it is unlocked, but you can only access half of the multipliers, then that trick is for you. It is not for unlocking the cpu, but for getting around motherboards that don't proerly support multipliers on AXPs (ie they work with 4 of the 5 fid bits).

[TheTick]

Originally posted by thinksnow
Okay, I'm confused again:
So, given that I have a locked 2500+ (not mobile, not hacked in any way...yet), and an Asus A7N8X-X (nF2, Ultra 400), can I do the wire trick to get the higher multipliers?

Signed,
-Befuddled in Ohio.

You can not do anything to the new locked desktop 2500's. period

They were talking about if you have a mobile 2500 or an unlocked 2500 you could use the wire trick for your ASUS, because ASUS doesnt let you put the multi higher than 12.5 in the bios. (which is still overkill for an ASUS)

[The Coolest]

I thought you were reffering to a Mobile 2500+ as "Your choice of CPU". If you have a locked one, then you're stuck at the default multiplier no matter what, unless you have a VIA/SiS board and you moded ur chip into mobile.

[felinusz]

I thought you were reffering to a Mobile 2500+ as "Your choice of CPU". If you have a locked one, then you're stuck at the default multiplier no matter what, unless you have a VIA/SiS board and you moded ur chip into mobile.

At which point you are still limited to software (in windows) multiplier changing.