***4 Cores Activated!*** Help!

[JKessell]

Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131647

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808


When the ASUS yadda yadda started up at the bottom I saw it said hit 4 to unlock ASUS Core Unlocker.

Unfortunately at my curiously stupid nature I hit 4, the computer restarted and now says: ****4 CORES ACTIVATED!****

All of a sudden CPU-Z won't read my CPU temperatures.

I'm getting kind of nervous what should I do?

 

[EarthDog]

I didnt know CPUz read temperatures.. Get Coretemp and see what that says.

 

[JKessell]

CoreTemp and CPU-Z are working again.

I panicked like a baby and reset all my BIOS settings and the Core Unlocker got turned off.

I'm apprehensive about having that on because I'm still running the stock heat sink.

 

[EarthDog]

The heatsink for a dual/tri is the same as a quad I believe. Just keep the load temp under 55C and you will be fine.

I would suggest reading hte overclocking guide linked in my signature.

 

[JKessell]

I'd hate to keep you in this thread but I really appreciate your valuable information man.

My temperatures running BFBC2 on highest settings 1680x1050 have been running my CPU at 62 degrees with the stock HSF.

It's time to get a real HSF eh?

 

[EarthDog]

Thats awfully warm for an AMD, so yes. That or improve your case airflow.

 

[RGone]

All of a sudden CPU-Z won't read my CPU temperatures.

1. Enabling 'core-unlocking' by AMD whitepapers, disables ability to read core temperatures.

2. Your cpu is 4 core cpu so there is no reason to try any unlocking methods.

3. I agree with "EarthDog" that 62c is rather warm for AMD cpu. Most peeps seem to report about 55c as the max for AMD cpu like yours as best for stability. Higher than 55c is asking for stability issues.

 

[EarthDog]

Hahaha.. wow, I didnt click on the CPU link. I had no idea thats a quad already.

Last I knew, which I dont know AMD to well, quads do not unlock to hex's.

 

[Seebs]

I'd hate to keep you in this thread but I really appreciate your valuable information man.

My temperatures running BFBC2 on highest settings 1680x1050 have been running my CPU at 62 degrees with the stock HSF.

It's time to get a real HSF eh?

A number of things:

1. Your cpu AMD 955BE is a quad core by default so there is no need for unlocking cores on it as it already has all the cores enabled and functional.

2. When you say CPU Temp is 62C while gaming.... Are you looking at CPU Temp or Core Temp.
There is usually a 10C difference between the two with CPU Temp being higher than Core Temp... So if you're hitting 62C at full load on the CPU Temps, your core temps are going to be lower than that by about 10C... Still high, but not as high as to be extremely dangerous.

Suggestions:
- Download HWMonitor and check temps with that program to see the actual Core Temps instead of the CPU Temp reported by the socket sensor on the motherobard.

- Get an afermarket cooler... The Hyper212 is probably the best alternative out there for under $40. And if budget is not too much of an issue, you could go with any of the "best" out there... Nocuta NH-D14, Thermalright Venomous X, Cogage True Spirit, Thermalright Silver Arrow, Thermalright Archon, etc...

 

[trents]

. . .
2. When you say CPU Temp is 62C while gaming.... Are you looking at CPU Temp or Core Temp.
There is usually a 10C difference between the two with CPU Temp being higher than Core Temp...

Not always so. My experience is that with large aftermarket coolers there is often a significant difference between CPU temp and core temp with CPU temp usually being higher, sometimes more than 10C but there are certainly exceptions. With small OEM coolers this is not so pronounced and may even be the other way around. There are quite a few variables, not the least of which is the accuracy of sensor calibrations in CPU and motherboard.

 

[Seebs]

Not always so. My experience is that with large aftermarket coolers there is often a significant difference between CPU temp and core temp with CPU temp usually being higher, sometimes more than 10C but there are certainly exceptions. With small OEM coolers this is not so pronounced and may even be the other way around. There are quite a few variables, not the least of which is the accuracy of sensor calibrations in CPU and motherboard.

I concur... A very easy way of determining your CPU Temp vs Core Temp delta would be to simply drop down to stock clocks/voltages and take note of CPU Temp and Core Temp readouts while at idle... And then do the same with the PC at load...
Doing those to, say five times each with full shutdowns in between and time for the PC to cool off would give you a very close approximation of what your temp differential is and based on that you could then estimate Core Temps based on CPU Temp readouts. This is entirely "unnecessary" for the OP since he has a X4 cpu and reading core temps directly will be available to him as opposed to those that have X2 cpus unlocked to X3 or X4 where the core temp sensors are disabled.

 

[QuietIce]

...

 

[kommanderkodiak]

Hahaha.. wow, I didnt click on the CPU link. I had no idea thats a quad already.

Last I knew, which I dont know AMD to well, quads do not unlock to hex's.

yes they do, if the an AMD X4 has a T on the end, denoting its capability of turbo core it is a an X6 that has had 2 of its cores disabled, if youre particularly lucky your processor was a perfectly good x6 that was pressed into service as an X4 to fulfill demand.

 

[Mjolnir]

If everything's back at 'stock' settings in the Bios. Isn't then entirely possible his Motherboard Bios (by default) is feeding extra voltage than required? If it's on 'auto-mode', I found with my X3 720 (on an admittedly crappy motherboard) it would put the voltage a good .05 above it's stock voltage. (give or take). In which case this could amount to the extra heat he's getting from a stock clocked CPU... Just a theory, dunno how that board handles the voltages.

 

[Seebs]

If everything's back at 'stock' settings in the Bios. Isn't then entirely possible his Motherboard Bios (by default) is feeding extra voltage than required? If it's on 'auto-mode', I found with my X3 720 (on an admittedly crappy motherboard) it would put the voltage a good .05 above it's stock voltage. (give or take). In which case this could amount to the extra heat he's getting from a stock clocked CPU... Just a theory, dunno how that board handles the voltages.

Yep... Some mobos will feed way more voltage than is needed to the cpu when left to their own devices. That is one voltage that needs to be set manually to 1.3 or a bit lower for stock clocks.

 

[EarthDog]

yes they do, if the an AMD X4 has a T on the end, denoting its capability of turbo core it is a an X6 that has had 2 of its cores disabled, if youre particularly lucky your processor was a perfectly good x6 that was pressed into service as an X4 to fulfill demand.

I had no idea! I searched the web and found waht you were talking about!

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/phenom-ii-x4-960t-zosma-core-unlocking,2627.html