---Stepping Explanation---

[Starfoxer]

i noticed a lot of people asking what a stepping was so here
is my explanation. feel free to add what you will, and correct
me if anything is wrong.


Stepping


CPU's/Processors are made in batches like cookies

each batch is is given a certain name which is called a stepping

some batches overclock better than others such as AGOIA, AROIA..etc...

steppings are just the names given to certain batches

steppings can be found on the directly on the AMD CPU core.

this stepping would be read as a

AGOIA F


Year 2002 (02) Week 12 (12)





if you own a Tbred, then your stepping will be found on a little tab, below the die as pictured. the code will be read the same way as above.

i hope this clears some stuff up for yall. please feel free to add what you want, and correct anything that i have missed.

peace!


------------------------known AMD XP Palomino Steppings (thanks Pinky)

XP1500+  AGKGA (10) AGOGA (8) AGKFA (6) AGNGA (4)
XP1600+  AGOIA (10) AROIA (9) AGKGA (8) AGOGA (7) ARKGA (6) AGNGA (5) AGLHA (4) AROGA (3) ARNGA (2)
XP1700+  AGOIA (10) AROIA (9) AGKGA (8) AGOGA (7) ANGKA (6) ARKGA (5) AGNGA (4) ARNGA (3)
XP1800+  AGOIA (10) AROIA (9) AGKGA (8) AGOGA (7) AKYGA (6) AGLHA (5) ARKGA (4) AGNGA (3) 
XP1900+  AGNGA (10) AROIA (9) AGKGA (8) AGOGA (7) AGLHA (6) AGOIA (5) AGKGA (4) 
XP2000+  AGOIA (10) AROIA (9) AGOGA (8) AGNGA (7) 
XP2100+  AGOIA (10) AGOGA (9) AGTIA (?)

 

[RnPgrosz]

Very nice little guide Starfox. cough* Sticky? cough*

 

[Starfoxer]

thanks RnP

was kinda shocked to not see one already stickied, hope this helps!

 

[residentevil2]

I was readin the other thread and when u explained the stuff to the guy he said this needs to be a sticky and i agree this will answer alot off question to new people and older people wanting to catch up.


Also the current steppings that i know are these going in the order from old to new starting with the xp cpu's remember each cpu has its own week number cpu code like agoia "Y" or agoia "9" for exsamples.

ATHLON XP PALAMINO CPU'S Models 1500+ and up to 2100+

AGKGA

AGNGA

AGOGA

AGOIA

AROIA

ATHLON XP T BRED "A" Models 2200+ and under (Remember this is a Tbred not Palamino so when i say under they have Tbred's in lower models.

AIRCA

AIRGA

AIRDA

ATHLON XP T BRED "B" Models 2400+ and up

AIUAB

AIUCB

 

[water_cooler 20]

what is the best Stepping for an amd xp 2400

 

[The Coolest]

IMHO this thread is a great idea and deserves a sticky.

I've never heard of the AIUCB, but if its real, and existing my bet is on it, cause the reviewers were getting the "older" AIUAB, which was the first revision B tbred.
residentevil2, I think u got a typo, its not an AGOGO, but its an AGOGA

Nice guide indeed, I think you covered most of the stuff. Except the first line. I'll try and interpret it

AXxx00 means you got AthlonXP w/ PR of xx00+.
D, unsure, might be package type (Organic packaging).
M means the vcore, S = 1.5, U = 1.6, P = 1.7, M = 1.75, N = 1.8
S means the max case temp (b4 the CPU begins its frying), Q = 60, X = 65, R = 70, Y = 75, T = 90, S = 95. I'm not sure about the Q through Y tho, never saw them in use.
3 means the amount of L2 cache the proc will have, 1 = 64KB, 3 = 256KB.
C means the FSB speed, B = 100MHz (200FSB), C = 133MHz (266FSB), D = 166MHz (333FSB).

I just looked at the markings on the TBred and I'm really not sure on how they are interpreted...
hope this helps a bit too

 

[Yodums]

stompah's AMD FAQ which is a sticky includes how to find your stepping and all but it doesn't go beyond the XP to find out how to identify the T-Bred's.

Perhaps you should drop him a PM>

 

[Emericana]

Well on the pallys there are a lot of weird steppings that are really rare. most of em dont oc welll...
ARKGA
AROGA
and a bunch more of random ones that do not oc much better than the AGOGA stepping.

 

[Starfoxer]

resident, the TBRED is an XP. it just has the TBRED core, while the older XP's that we know now have the PALOMINO core.

does anyone mind if i use there stuff in the posts and post it on the first post?

 

[residentevil2]

yes thats why i said Athlon xp tbred lol

oops isee what u ment i changed it to Palamino

 

[residentevil2]

what is the best Stepping for an amd xp 2400

The best or the latest one i know of is the AIUCB

 

[Starfoxer]

sticky!

 

[residentevil2]

bumpin this up ok

 

[TheFrag]

this should be stickified, or at least there should be a directory on the front page...

 

[Starfoxer]

2nd page bump!

 

[residentevil2]

i sure do hope this will become a sticky i kinda get tired of explaining things like this uhg

 

[papounet]

Stepping are for recipes not for batch ??

dear

while finding an analogy is important, I am of the impression that a stepping is a different matter than a batch as for cookie.
It is rather like a recipe.

from a manufacturing point of view, each waffer is a batch.
a waffer may be produced 3 month later than another one and still be of the same stepping.

In fact, the clue is the week code used by manufacturer, which , (at least to me) implies that the manufacturer thinks of weekly batch.

On the other hand, the exact layout or the trace width, or another parameter (like resin-type), may change whitout changing the functionnal description of the processor, in that case, the stepping is more the exact recipe.

So, let's just say that from time to time, the master cook (the CPU manufacturer) tweaks the recipe

my understanding is based on
http://www.sematech.org/public/news/mfgproc/mfgproc.htm

and other readings..


feel free to correct me

papounet

 

[residentevil2]

you have the basic idea thier its not like a batch of cookie's but more like a changed recipie going from 1 teespoon of sugar to 2.

All each new stepping does is try to take the bugs outa the cpu for better performace.

 

[Rabid Snail]

Sticky this. This is a very helpful thread. (cant think of anything else to say really....)

 

[Starfoxer]

thanks for the upness