AMD Denies Locking Down Cores

[AngelfireUk83]

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1271181/amd-denies-locking-cores

RUMOURS OF a microcode update that will lock down cores in AMD's new processors have been thoroughly refuted by the company.

AMD reps have come forward and denied any attempt to lock down clock rates on Phenom II cores, although the company will be putting out a micro-code update to correct a Cool'n'Quiet bug that has been reported on just the Athlon II X2 model 250 processor. As Athlon II X2 is a pure dual-core die, there is no chance of "unlocking" hidden cores as there aren't any hidden in there at all.

The Athlon II X2 does derive from the Phenom II architecture, said AMD, but the company opted to decrease the amount of L3 cache in favour of more L2 cache, lowering the overall die size and making the chip's 65W thermal design power (TDP) possible.

Core unlocking, on the other hand, is seen by AMD as something that's relatively benign, enabled in BIOS through ACC and giving users a shot at adding a bit of performance on the side. Anyone would be "lucky" if they managed to unlock all the cores on, say, a Phenom II X2, said Antal Tungler, Technical PR Manager for AMD in Euroland.

The real trick to core unlocking is in BIOS and using AMD Overdrive (AOD) 3.0. With AMD Overdrive you can tweak core performance individually, setting affinities and overclocking individual cores, or downclocking the unlocked ones to get a stable unlock. That way you can avoid upsetting the thermal design, keeping the "poorer" silicon happily stable at lower clock rates.

So, unlocking is possible, and will continue to be. AMD won't actively seek to block cores, as we're sure AMD wouldn't like to harm its potential sales on this dual-core-made-quad gold mine.

We've reported on this matter before, and ECS has even sent us a new BIOS for their A790GXM-AD3 Black Series mainboard that we'll be testing later in the day.

Anyone who got that update been locked out?

 

[petteyg359]

IMNSHO, this shouldn't be news, whether the "lock" rumor is true or not. Anybody who pays for a dual core should expect to get a dual core. Complaining about a company selling their product as advertised is immature whining.

 

[Shiggity]

Um, don't they lock cores for a reason?

Namely locking defective cores?

I'm going to laugh if someone unlocks their laptops CPU cores and melts their chipset =D

 

[Firestrider]

Um, don't they lock cores for a reason?

Namely locking defective cores?

I'm going to laugh if someone unlocks their laptops CPU cores and melts their chipset =D

AMD doesn't have any Phenom II laptop processors

 

[Shiggity]

AMD doesn't have any Phenom II laptop processors

I don't know much about their laptop platforms, but you get my point =D

They are locked for a reason.

 

[cadman420]

why is everyone on this kick about unlocking bad cores? If the cores would have been good of the line then AMD would have sold them as Quad cores, they are just trying to make some money on a chipset that still has 2 good cores and in my opinion they are selling them at a very low cost for the performance.

 

[Neuromancer]

Im 30 minutes into a stress test on my quad core 550 at 3.1GHz. I figured I would give it a try, no sweat if it did not unlock, but if it did, bonus!

Only "benchmark" I have run was the System performance test and scored a 7552 (A quick google showed a stock 940BE at 7220 so I am thinking it is unlocked)

 

[ou_phidelt]

why is everyone on this kick about unlocking bad cores? If the cores would have been good of the line then AMD would have sold them as Quad cores, they are just trying to make some money on a chipset that still has 2 good cores and in my opinion they are selling them at a very low cost for the performance.

I completely agree. Beyond that the source is complete junk, they just pull crap out of their tales.

 

[Psykoikonov]

why is everyone on this kick about unlocking bad cores? If the cores would have been good of the line then AMD would have sold them as Quad cores, they are just trying to make some money on a chipset that still has 2 good cores and in my opinion they are selling them at a very low cost for the performance.

Just because they are locked does not mean they are defective at all.

They are locked because a)they are defective or b)they are selling more dual and triple cores than quad cores. If AMD need more triple or dual cores because of supply and demand AMD simply locks down a few good quad cores and ships them out.

Most likely there are few that will take advantage of the fact that there dual or triple core is actually a quad core locked down and even fewer that will get a good unlock/overclock out of there unlocked cores.

I got lucky and my 720BE which is actually a "good" 940BE in disguise, I have also seen a handful of dual 550BE unlock to 955BE quad core and overclock quite well.

 

[ChanceCoats123]

I bought a 720, I have a 720 x3, and I don't care if there is a sleeping core on my die.

 

[Malakai]

Um, don't they lock cores for a reason?

Namely locking defective cores?

I'm going to laugh if someone unlocks their laptops CPU cores and melts their chipset =D

This is why its hit or miss. Most cores became X3's or X2's because a piece of hardware on the chip was defective. A core or 2, different parts and types of cache, whatever fails QC can be disabled and used as another product. Great planning on AMDs part I must say.

So yeah if you get a chip where everything disabled works, cheers for you! Its like a little additional incentive beyond the great price/performance these chips offer at stock. I mean, you pay 100 bucks for one of the fastest dual cores there is, already a great deal, and theres a small chance you may double its power for free if you are lucky. Who wants a core2duo that costs more, probably won't o/c as far, and has no chance of ever enabling extra cpu features as they aren't there. And a bunch of c2d's dont support virtualization extenstions which will be needed in win7.
Same for the X3's. Just adds value to an already great value cpu. Its like a lottery with a small chance to win an X4 for the price of your X3/X2 that you enter when you buy the chip at no extra cost. Again intel has nothing like this, its great, the P2 X2's and X3's are already cheaper than most c2d's and there are many great reasons go with the Phenom 2 instead (speed at stock, oc'ability, chance to unlock more cores, ddr2 or 3 with on die controllers, more future proof being a modern socket and chipset, all support cpu virtualization, power usage, UNLOCKED MULTI'S, I'm sorry intel who?)

 

[jd2010]

thanks for this guys... may buy a cheap x3 now and hope I can get lucky... I like to gamble, haha

 

[Niku-Sama]

its possible that amd got mad at mobo makers and the mobo makers did something to keep amd off their backs aswell. amd may not have said any thing but got hella ****ed.

either way source = with a grain of salt

 

[AlabamaCajun]

Remember the Athlon II X2 (250) is a true dual, nothing to unlock there.

 

[ChanceCoats123]

I bought a 720, I have a 720 x3, and I don't care if there is a sleeping core on my die.

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