Increase the performance of AMD processors by unlocking the cores. Phenom II, Athlon X2, Athlon II, Sempron: unlock, enable hidden cores, cache unlock amd

The article will discuss the possibility of including the third and fourth cores, and also the practical results of such an action will be given - that is, tests. After all, it is very tempting to get a platform with a top-end processor for a hundred dollars.

Regarding, but one of the main consequences of AMD's "poverty" is RATIONAL use of the crystal area.

AMD much earlier than Intel, and even on the old technical process, still managed to create the first quad-core processor on one die (Intel made its quads by soldering two dual-core processors).

So - the processor is made, but the marriage is still present from time to time even in a rich intel (fresh news - ). So AMD, for example, has suspicions that one core is not working. They simply block it and you buy some kind of three or even dual-core processor AMD Phenom II 560 X2 Socket AM3 3.3GHz 7MB 80W box or Athlon II X3 445. But physically - it is FOUR-CORE!

How do I unlock / enable AMD processor cores?

Save changes and reboot - if everything goes smoothly, then the first step will pass. But only the FIRST.

Do not forget that the nuclei for Athlones and Phenomas are blocked for a reason and they can be malfunctioning. Next, you MUST test ALL processor cores for stability, for example, as described in the article.

PRACTICE

An Athlon II X3 425 processor was taken and with the help of AsRock's cheap motherboard option - Bios Unlock CPU Core, the fourth core was enabled.

This is how the processor looked BEFORE unlocking:

As you can see, the CPU-Z utility determines that the processor has three active cores and each has half a megabyte of L2 cache.

Now we turn on the fourth core ...

Disappointment awaited. The very first test revealed the inoperability of the included kernel. It was functioning, but under load it failed. Looking closely at the picture, you will also see artifacts of the desktop image. But something else is noteworthy - the Athlon II X3 processor has turned not into a quad-core Athlon, but into Phenom II X4 !!!

The screenshot clearly shows from the utility's readings that not only the kernel was turned on, but also the extra 6MB of L3 cache.

I decided not to give up and go all the way. Through trial and error, it was revealed that the PHYSICALLY malfunctioning locked core is the second in a row. What if the L3 cache is perfectly functional? To verify this assertion, the processor was unlocked again, but the second core was disabled from the application manager.

We are passing the test ...

The test worked flawlessly. And at the same time, we also figured out the practical benefits of a large cache. In the 3D Mark 2006 test, its presence, other things being equal, in some places added + 10%. This is certainly not an extra core, but still an increase. Smart motherboard manufacturers, even specifically for such cases, provide for the associated shutdown of faulty cores.

That is, first we will forcibly unblock everything that can be unblocked, and then we block what is inoperable)))))))))))))))

There is still a fly in the ointment in all this. Even in spite of the fact that the cache and cores are inactive, such processors still have a large die size and noticeably heat up. Consider this.

WHICH PROCESSORS ARE SUITABLE FOR UNLOCKING?

Three-core Athlones and two-three-core Athlon-II-X3 and Phenom-II-X2-3 are suitable. There is also a rumor that some quad-core models are unlocked into six-cores, but there is no such experience yet. Then look for the Phenomes on the Thuban core and it is quite possible that you will be lucky.

CONCLUSION
In general, in this case, I was not lucky, because I could get a 100% working copy. In that case, I would get a $ 150 quad-core Phenom II X4 out of a $ 65 processor. Agree - this lottery is worth it. And it is especially pleasing that even penny motherboards can do this.

If you have a computer equipped with a modern processor manufactured by AMD, then this means that you have a chance to significantly increase the performance of your PC without spending a penny on this purpose. This is a technology called “unlocking the cores of AMD processors”. This technology increases the number of processor cores available to the system - usually from two to four or three.

Of course, such an operation is very tempting. Indeed, as tests show, in some cases the performance of the updated processor almost doubles. Moreover, for the successful implementation of this operation, you only need a little knowledge of the BIOS options, and, by the way, a little luck.

First of all, let's try to understand the question of why AMD needed to “hide” the processor cores from the user at all. The fact is that each processor manufacturer within a certain line has several models that differ both in price and in capabilities. Naturally, cheaper processor models have fewer cores than more expensive ones. However, it is in many cases irrational to specifically develop models with fewer cores, therefore many manufacturers, in this case, AMD, do it easier - they simply turn off unnecessary processor cores.

In addition, many AMD processors may have defective cores that have a number of drawbacks. Such processors are also not thrown away, and after turning off unnecessary cores, they are sold under the guise of cheaper varieties of processors. However, the discovered disadvantages of disabled kernels may not be critical for their functioning. For example, if the processor core has a slightly increased heat dissipation compared to the standard one, then the use of a processor with such a core is quite possible.

It should be said right away that the success of the core unlocking operation largely depends not only on the AMD processor line and its model, but also on a specific series of processors. In many series, only the cores in individual processors can be unlocked, while in other series, almost all processors can be unlocked. In some cases, it is possible to unlock not the kernel itself, but only the cache associated with it.

AMD's unlockable processors are from the Athlon, Phenom and Sempron lines. Usually unlocking is possible for cores # 3 and 4 out of four available cores. In some cases, you can unlock the second core in a dual-core processor, and in some cases, you can unlock the 5th and 6th cores in a quad-core processor.

Features of unlocking various series of processors

Here are some examples of AMD series of processors that can be unlocked, as well as their characteristic features of this process:

Athlon X2 5000+ - cores # 3 and 4 (individual copies)
Athlon II X3 series 4хх (Deneb / Rana type core) - core # 4 and cache memory
Athlon II X3 series 4хх (core of the Propus type) - core №4
Athlon II X4 6xx series (Deneb / Rana core) - only L3 cache
Phenom II X2 5xx series - cores # 3 and 4
Phenom II X3 7xx series - core # 4
Phenom II X4 8xx Series - Only 2MB L3 cache can be unlocked
Phenom II X4 650T, 840T, 960T and 970 Black Edition - cores # 5 and 6 (individual copies)
Sempron 140/145 - core # 2

Which chipsets support unlocking processor cores?

It should be noted that not all motherboards support the ability to unlock AMD processor cores. You will only be able to unlock kernels if your BIOS supports Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC) or similar technology.

ACC technology is used in the following chipsets:

GeForce 8200
GeForce 8300
nForce 720D
nForce 980
Chipsets with south bridge type SB710
Chipsets with south bridge type SB750

There are also several AMD chipsets that do not support ACC technology, but instead support similar technologies. These chipsets include chipsets with south bridges of the type:

SB810
SB850
SB950

The methodology for unlocking cores on these chipsets varies depending on the motherboard manufacturer.

Unblocking technique

To unlock the cores, the user needs to access the BIOS tools. If the motherboard supports ACC technology, in most cases it is enough to find the Advanced Clock Calibration parameter in the BIOS and set it to Auto.

In the case of motherboards from certain manufacturers, some additional steps may also be required. On ASUS motherboards, in addition to ACC, you must enable the Unleashed mode option, on MSI boards - the Unlock CPU Core option, on NVIDIA boards - the Core Calibration option. On Gigabyte boards, you need to find the EC Firmware Selection option and set it to Hybrid.

On those chipsets that do not support ACC technology, the unlocking method depends on the specific manufacturer. Let's briefly list the options that must be used in the case of each specific manufacturer:

ASUS - ASUS Core Unlocker
Gigabyte - CPU Unlock
Biostar - BIO-unlocKING
ASRock - ASRock UCC
MSI - Unlock CPU Core

Unlock check and core testing

In order to make sure that the unlocked cores of AMD processors really work, it is best to use information utilities such as CPU-Z. However, even if you make sure that the unlocking was successful, this does not mean that the unlocked kernels will work without problems. In order to fully check their performance, it is recommended to thoroughly test all processor parameters. Also, the failure of the unlocking process may be evidenced by malfunctions of the computer, and sometimes the inability to load it. In the latter case, you will have to resort to clearing the BIOS memory and resetting it to the factory default state (we described how to carry out this process in a separate article).

In the event of a malfunction of the new cores, the user can disable them at any time using the BIOS options. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the operation of unlocking processor cores works only at the BIOS level, and not at the level of the processors themselves. In the event that you put a processor with unlocked cores on another motherboard, they will still be locked.

And I would like to note one more point. While unlocking the processor is not equivalent to overclocking it, increasing the number of working cores in your processor will automatically increase the heat dissipation of the processor die. Therefore, perhaps, in this case, it makes sense to think about upgrading the processor-cooling cooler.

Conclusion

Unlocking the cores of AMD processors is a simple step that can nevertheless help the user to realize the full potential of their computing equipment. This operation is carried out by enabling the necessary BIOS options. Although unlocking the cores is not always guaranteed to lead to success, nevertheless, it is not associated, like overclocking, with significant risk, and can be tried in practice by any user.

General information.
What is ACC? What is NCC?
Requirements for the motherboard. Configuring the BIOS of the motherboard.
A small list of the most common questions and answers.
Related news, articles and polls
List of motherboards on which the ability to unlock with a certain bios version has been confirmed

general information

Attention! The main condition for the normal operation of the system as a result of unlocking the processor is a normal power supply unit with "honest" 350-400W of power at least, which it really does (and not a "veteran" of the times of Socket 754). With questions like "Is this PSU enough for me?" we turn to the corresponding forum "Cases, power supplies, modding".

Often, companies do not release new revisions of boards / microchips to release cut-down / lower-end models of their products, but use rejection that has not passed tests to work with the characteristics of older models. However, the rejection rate (which also decreases as production matures) is lower than sales of cut products. As a result, completely full-fledged products fall under the knife. Sometimes, by means of certain manipulations, you can activate the disabled.

Processors of the K8 / K9 generation (Windsor / Orleans / Lima / Brisbane, etc.) and older ones are not discussed here: there is simply nothing to unlock.

At the moment, for the release of all processors on the K10.5 architecture (these are Phenom II and Athlon II, as well as Sempron 140/145 and Athlon X2 5000+), AMD uses only four types of crystals: six-core Thuban, four-core Deneb, its stripped-down version (without L3 cache) Propus and dual-core Regor (i.e. all Semprons are originally based on a dual-core crystal, just one core is disabled).

The older Athlon X2 7750 BE can sometimes be unlocked, but in general it is no longer relevant as outdated (the AMD Athlon X2 7750 BE can include two more cores), based on the K10 architecture.

General characteristics (with the exception of Thuban, about them - below in the text):

Addition:

Phenom II X4 920 and 940, Athlon X2 5000+:
Connector: AM2 / AM2 + only
Memory support: DDR2 533/667/800/1066 only
The Regor core has been slightly improved compared to Deneb: hardware support for C1E has been added, L2 cache has become 1024Kb per core (Deneb - 512Kb)
Athlon II X2 215/220 have only 512KB L2 cache.

It should also be noted that, as you can see from the above characteristics, Athlon II X4 / X3 processors can be based on both the Deneb core and the Propus core.

Previously, it was possible to distinguish which core got into a particular processor by the CPUID of the processor: in the case of Deneb, the processor has a CPUID of 00100F42h, in the case of Propus - CPUID 00100F52h. The CPUID can be seen when the system boots up on the POST screen. Also, this information can be seen from the OS environment: in the Windows environment - in CPU-Z on the "CPU" tab - in the "Model" column ("4" in the first case, "5" - in the second); on Linux - by the output of the cat / proc / cpuinfo command (the model line, similarly - "4" in the first case, "5" - in the second). By release dates: from the 33rd to the 39th week of 2009, almost all processors are based on the Deneb core, later - Propus with rare exceptions. However, some processors of the latest batches with CPUID 00100F52h now also have a perfectly expandable 6MB L3 cache.

Only by marking the processor on the lid can you determine if there is a chance of unlocking the L3 cache:

Regor / Sargas (2 cores, no physical L3 cache): ** E ** series: AAEEC, CAEEC, AAEGC, NAE1C, etc.
Propus (4 cores without L3 cache physically): ** D ** series: CADAC, CADHC, AADAC, NADHC, NADIC, AADHC, etc.
Deneb (4 cores, L3 cache physically present on-chip): ** C ** series: CACYC, CACUC, CACVC, CACZC, CACAC, CACEC, CACDC, AACYC, AACSC, AACTC, AACZC, AACAC, etc.
Thuban (6 cores, L3 cache physically present on-die): ** B ** series: ACBBE, CCBBE, etc.

The list is incomplete (AMD is constantly releasing new ones), so let the author know if you have information about new ones.

From the above, you can see what can be unlocked on a particular processor model:

Phenom II X4 8хх - 2 Mb L3 cache;
Phenom II X3 7xx - fourth core;
Phenom II X2 5xx - 3rd and 4th cores;
Athlon II X4 - L3 cache in case of Deneb core;
Athlon II X3 - the fourth core + in the case of the Deneb core - L3 cache;
Athlon II X2 - there is nothing to unblock(only the model with the index 220 can be found on the four-core Deneb - see the markings on the lid).
Sempron 140/145 - second core.

The list of such motherboards is given below.

The availability of the ability to control the unlocking function itself must be clarified either according to the manual for the motherboard, or read the FAQ and user messages in the thread on the corresponding motherboard in the Motherboards section. Studying branches with reviews is more preferable: not all manufacturers update the instructions for the motherboard (and they do not always advertise this possibility), there are also features of the implementation of this function on specific motherboards.

Settings in the bios of motherboards:

AsRock

Advanced -> Chipset Configuration -> Advanced Clock Calibration or (on different models / bios versions in different ways)
OC Tweaker -> Advanced Clock Calibration.

Activate Advanced Clock Calibration, then reboot. After that, various options for activating kernels will become available.

On nVidia chipsets with NCC support
Advanced -> NVIDIA Core Calibration
Core management: Active Core Setup.
L3 Cache Management: L3 Cache Allocation.

On motherboards supporting UCC technology
OC Tweaker -> ASRock UCC
Core control: CPU Active Core Control.

Asus

On the south bridges AMD SB710, SB750
Advanced -> CPU Configuration -> Advanced Clock Calibration from Disabled to the desired position. After that, the Unleashing Mode option appears. Setting this option to Enabled activates the unlock.

On the south bridges AMD SB810, SB850
Advanced -> ASUS Core Unlocker and CPU Core Activation.

On the nVidia chipset
Advanced -> JumperFree Configuration -> NVIDIA Core Calibration

Biostar

On the south bridges AMD SB710, SB750
I warn you right away: for the motherboards of this company, for successful unlocking, sometimes you have to lower the HyperTransport frequency even when operating at nominal frequencies (HT is configured here: Performance Menu -> Hyper Transport Configuration -> HT Link Speed)
Advanced -> Advanced Clock Calibration.

On the south bridges AMD SB810, SB850
Advanced -> BIO-unlocKING
When the system starts up, the POST screen prompts you to press F2 to activate two cores, F3 to activate three cores, or F4 for four. Depending on the processor. If you skip the offer (the system does not ask for confirmation, but simply starts further), everything is automatically unlocked.

Diamond Flower Inc (DFI)

On the south bridges AMD SB710, SB750
Genue BIOS Setting -> CPU Feature -> Advanced Clock Calibration.

On the south bridges AMD SB810, SB850
No data. Let the author know if you have them!

Foxconn

On the south bridges AMD SB710, SB750
Fox Central Control Unit -> Fox Intelligent Stepping -> Advanced Clock Calibration.

On the south bridges AMD SB810, SB850
No data. Let the author of the FAQ know if you have them!

Gigabyte

On the south bridges AMD SB710, SB750
MB Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.) -> Advanced Clock Calibration -> Advanced Clock Calibration - to Auto or another value as needed, reboot the system, then, in the same place, set EC Firmware Selection to the Hybrid position.

On the south bridges AMD SB810, SB850
Advanced BIOS Features -> CPU Unlock
The CPU Unlock option, which is responsible for unlocking, works independently of the CPU core Control option and has only two positions - Enabled and Disabled. Obviously, with limited processors (some of the cores are broken), a combination of these parameters should be used. There is no option responsible for unlocking a separate L3 cache, it is always unlocked when the CPU Unlock option is activated.

MicroStar (MSI)

On the south bridges AMD SB710, SB750
On the AMD chipset: Set Cell Menu -> Unlock CPU Core and Advanced Clock Calibration to the Enabled position.
After that, additional settings appear that allow you to selectively enable / disable the processor cores.
Detailed instructions with pictures + a list of motherboards with support for this function) is available on the official MicroStar website: MSI "s Unlock CPU Core Technology Introduction (in Russian) (be careful - traffic due to screenshots).

On the south bridges AMD SB810, SB850
No data. Let the author know if you have them!

On the nVidia chipset
Cell Menu -> Set Nvidia Core Calibration to Enabled.

Zotac, Sapphire, Jetway

There were no data on the unlocking. Let the author know if you have them!

ECS (EliteGroup)

On September 8, 2009, official technical support announced that unlock support would not be implemented. However, then the policy changed.

On the south bridges AMD SB710, SB750
M.I.B. II (MB Intellegent BIOS II) -> Advanced Clock Calibration.

On the south bridges AMD SB810, SB850
No data. Let the author know if you have them!

Some tricks when unlocking.

1. Try to vary the values of ACC percentages (on chipsets where ACC support is initially not supported and it is implemented separately by the motherboard manufacturer, these parameters are not available):

We started to change the ACC setting to modes other than Auto, using the All Cores option. By changing it in 2% increments, we were able to bring the fourth core back at -6%. And while the system was previously unable to pass the Prime95 test at all, in this case it worked normally for an hour without errors before we turned off the computer. It looks like a more aggressive ACC setting can stabilize the unlocking of the fourth core.

2. Increase or decrease the voltage on the processor and / or the built-in memory controller (NB Core).

3. Understate the frequency of Hyper Transport and / or RAM.

If suddenly you, after unlocking the processor cores, observe that the processor was detected as unlocked in the bios (the kernels, the cache on the POST screen, and also in the characteristics in the bios were displayed), but after booting into Windows the number of processor cores remained unchanged (in the CPU- Z, for example), then follow the simple procedure below.

if the "Number of processors" checkbox is checked, uncheck it.
if the "Number of processors" checkbox is not checked, check it and specify the number of cores in the drop-down menu.

Save changes and reboot.

After that, all kernels should be displayed.

Unlocked processor testing.

Processor tests

Prime95:
Free. English only interface.

Introduction

History has to repeat itself often: manufacturer X, known for its flagship product Y, recently launched a mid-range product Z, which is built on a silicon crystal that for some reason does not reach Y. But instead of throwing out the crystal, X turns off his a certain part, and then sells it as Z - at a lower price.

As a rule, in most cases (but we do not know how large such a majority are), this is due to the fact that the kernel does have a defect. But sometimes a manufacturer just needs to release processors of a certain price level, which are in short supply. ATI Radeon HD 4830, nVidia GeForce GTX 260, AMD Phenom II X3 700 and 800 lines are all examples of products based on more expensive components.

AMD Phenom II

For testing purposes, we bought a retail version of the X3 processor. Click on the picture to enlarge.

A couple of months ago from Korea information came, which said that you can simply unlock the fourth core on the Phenom II X3 processor by enabling the Advanced Clock Calibration function on some motherboards, which turns the Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition for $ 135 (from 6 thousand rubles in Russia) into the Phenom II processor X4 920 (Black Edition) for $ 190 (from 6.9 thousand rubles in Russia) by changing the option in the BIOS. For now, we will bypass the question of whether it is worth saving to get a potentially unstable system.

Do you remember from our Phenom II market entry article AMD said that ACC technology does not technically change anything for the Phenom II, since it is already integrated into the Phenom II. The very same ACC technology allowed the Phenom to reach higher frequencies after overclocking. Now, this feature of the SB750 southbridge seems to have impacted the Phenom II in a different way.

How it all works remains a mystery to us. Two motherboard makers, ASRock and Biostar, have said they support the ability to unlock X3 processors, but neither company has explained how this happens. To be honest, this is unlikely to be due to any trick on the part of the companies, and something like this is probably happening: ACC can change the process of checking the CPU for errors, increasing error resistance and reducing the chance of failure under certain conditions. In this case, the increased robustness of the ACC made it possible to "revive" the disconnected silicon section.

We also bought a retail version of the X4 processor. Click on the picture to enlarge.

Biostar's product manager said that any board with the SB750 southbridge could have the same unlocking effect. ASRock confirmed this, and also provided us with its own test data for a certain number of processors, where there is a fairly even distribution on chips that are unlocked and work stably; chips that are unlocked but are unstable; chips that are not unlocked at all.

And here's what's interesting. AMD says the hype around the ACC / Phenom II X3 has boosted sales for a product line we thought was under-selling. After all, after the first release of X3, many applications simply didn't know what to do with the three cores. And the company says it has no plans to stop enthusiasts from unlocking the fourth X3 core by enabling ACC on the SB750.

But one motherboard manufacturer told us that AMD plans to end ACC support in the SB750 southbridge this month. Another vendor said AMD is pressuring it to update the onboard ACC controller firmware and publish an "updated" BIOS. And if the first is an assumption, then the second seems to be true. Indeed, free cheese only comes in a mousetrap. Proof? Slightly below.

Kernels and cache

It looks like the X3s aren't the only models that can do more. AMD chips from the Phenom II X4 800 line (those with 4MB of L3 cache instead of the full 6MB) can also be unlocked using the ACC trick, although the benefit seems questionable in this case. The Phenom II X4 810 processor cost $ 167 on Newegg.com (6.8 thousand rubles in Russia) at the time of publication of the article. Phenom II X4 920, working at 200 MHz faster, cost $ 189 (6.9 thousand rubles in Russia). Of course, the 810 belongs to the Socket AM3 generation, and the 900 line is currently limited to AM2 +, but AMD will update the Socket AM3 line with top models in the near future, so it hardly makes sense today to limit yourself to AM2 +, especially if you plan to switch to DDR3 in the future.

Click on the picture to enlarge.

But let's get down to the real hardware and see if we can get a stable system after unlocking less expensive processors. Of course, it hardly has to be repeated once again that even with the standard clock frequencies, here we have the same consequences as after overclocking. That is, no one will provide technical support for this step, except for the community of enthusiasts.

Not all motherboards are compatible

First, we decided to choose a Socket AM3 platform suitable for testing. We already knew that ASRock and Biostar are the two manufacturers who initially supported this idea. And in our Club of Experts, readers asked to conduct similar tests.

We started with tests of the Asus M4A79T Deluxe, which, judging by other sites, must work. But nothing worked. With ACC disabled, the board worked well. As soon as this feature was turned on, our Phenom II X3 720 (which we knew was successfully unlocked) started to constantly blue screen. We were using the latest BIOS from Asus, so we used a different motherboard with an older BIOS.

The next was the Gigabyte MA790XT-UD4P motherboard. We received this board with BIOS F2 dated January 16, 2009. However, this did not help to unlock our "successful" Phenom II X3. On March 10, Gigabyte released BIOS F2B, which was supposed to update the ACC code for the Phenom X3 processors. We updated the BIOS to the latest F3, but that didn't help either.

We contacted Gigabyte to find out what is meant by "ACC code update". According to the company, all manufacturers developing new BIOSes with the latest AMD microcode should disable the kernel / cache unlock feature, which at least explains why ASUS and Gigabyte motherboards with the latest BIOS have refused to cooperate with us. Why not use old microcode? The latest microcode fixes many other issues, including, for example, the accidental reboot issue. From the point of view of the motherboard manufacturer, releasing a more stable BIOS is still preferable to leaving the unsupported and potentially problematic hack feature. In general, if you want to keep your hacked Phenom II, you need to stick with the BIOS version before fixing it.

The ASRock M3A790GXH / 128M is the only board in our lab that was still able to unlock all Phenoms. Click on the picture to enlarge.

Finally, we took a board that should be guaranteed to work: ASRock M3A790GXH / 128M. Oddly enough, even with the ACC function set to Auto, the board included the fourth core Phenom II X3 720 under Windows. ASRock has released only one BIOS version for this motherboard - the original. Perhaps after a while there will be a BIOS update and the board will lose its unlock functions?

ASRock told us that the company is in no rush to include the latest microcode fixes. If AMD releases new processors or fixes bugs that it deems critical to a microcode update, then the consumer will be presented with two BIOS versions, and enthusiasts will be able to choose one or the other.

And not all processors either

In the end, we tested three Phenom II X4 810 processors and three Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition processors. One processor each was received from AMD as samples. We got one processor each from ASRock - these were guaranteed unlock models, which we used to test if we could unlock processors on other motherboards. Finally, we bought the last pair from Newegg to get an idea of the unlocking capabilities of retail processor versions.

Of course, we have successfully unlocked two processors from ASRock. The Phenom II X4 810 from AMD is working as well. But we couldn't unlock Phenom II X3 720 BE from AMD. The Phenom II X4 810 purchased from Newegg has been successfully unlocked. The Phenom II X3 720 failed.

The processors we were able to unlock normally had the ACC function set to "Auto" in the BIOS of ASRock motherboard. The X3 720 sample we sent to ASRock passed all of our tests perfectly at this setting, showing the performance advantage of enabling the fourth core. We then ran the Prime95 benchmark to test the stability. After just a few minutes, the platform froze, and after the reset it started reporting only three cores - even with the ACC function enabled.

We have already read about this behavior, when unlocking the processor "does not take root". Fortunately, this allowed us to find a way to get the unlock back, even if it fails, back.

Unlocked X3 720, ACC On.

Normal X3 720, ACC off.

We started to change the ACC setting to modes other than Auto, using the All Cores option. By changing it in 2% increments, we were able to bring the fourth core back at -6%. And while the system was previously unable to pass the Prime95 test at all, in this case it worked normally for an hour without errors before we turned off the computer. It looks like a more aggressive ACC setting can stabilize the unlocking of the fourth core.

However, ACC does not work miracles. On two of our Phenom II X3 720s, on which the core was not unlocked even in the "Auto" position, we changed the ACC setting from + 12% to -12%, and we still did not find any signs of a fourth core.

Unlocked X4 810, ACC included.

Normal X4 810, ACC off.

Processor Results

CPU	Model number #	Week and stepping	Unlocking capability
Phenom II X4 810 from AMD	HDX810WFK4FGI	0849 CPBW	Yes
Phenom II X4 810 by ASRock	HDX810WFK4FGI	0848 DPM	Yes
Phenom II X4 810 by Newegg	HDX810WFK4FGI	0903 CPAW	Yes
Phenom II X3 720 from AMD	HDZ720WFK3DGI	0849 CPMW	Not
Phenom II X3 720 by ASRock	HDZ720WFK3DGI	0849 CPMW	Yes
Phenom II X3 720 by Newegg	HDZ720WFK3DGI	0904 EPMW	Not

The results look best for the AMD Phenom II X4 810, regardless of when this processor was produced or what stepping it may have. In all three cases, we were able to unlock and add 2MB L3 cache on the ASRock motherboard.

Date of publication: 01.04.2015

We all know that computer hardware manufacturers put a lot of capabilities into their components. But greedy marketers sell it in chunks, turning off many features and hiding blocks from use. Let's learn how to enable hidden features.

ENABLE AMD PROCESSOR CORE

Many processors contain hidden cores

Almost all AMD processors, especially the Phenom II X6 and FX-series, are subject to this modification, since they have hidden cores.

As a rule, 1-2 hidden cores are turned on, and in the case of FHs, quad cores become FX-4300 => FX 6300 with six cores, FX 6350 = FX 8320 with eight cores, and FX 8350 => FX 9590 5GHz becomes a top processor !!! To do this, enable the UCC Unlocker function in the BIOS.

ENABLE INTEL PROCESSOR CORE

The same thing happens with INTEL processors, with the only difference that the L3 cache is often also enabled on lower processors. To activate, you need to update the BIOS to unlocked Unlock intel BIOS and enable the corresponding checkbox.

Overclocking CPU Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 without multiplier "K"

Alternative BIOS allows overclocking all Intel processors

Everyone also knows that Intel processors with an unlocked K multiplier are absolutely no different from those without a multiplier, except for an overpriced. However, they can be overclocked with the bus by increasing the base FSB from 100 MHz up to 200 MHz (i.e. 2 times!), Or open the multiplier by updating the BIOS with the same Unlock intel BIOS

INCREASE HDD CAPACITY

It's no secret that the platters for hard drives are made of STANDARD volume. Then WHETHER, you say, are multiple HDD capacities, say 750GB ???

That's right - the manufacturer simply locks on one or several platters the amount of hard disk that can and MUST be unlocked!

To unlock, we need the Acronis program.

1.) You should first change the type from MBR => GPT in the disk settings and make it dynamic so that hidden areas can be freely addressed by the operating system.

2.) You need to demagnetize your hard drive with a powerful magnet to erase the factory lock code.

3.) Using the Acronis utility, select any desired HDD size.

DISCONNECTING HDD BITLOCKS

It's always nice to programmatically fix the hard drive

The same manipulation, only in reverse order, should be performed to block the broken areas. In this case, even a sprinkled hard drive will work like a new one. That being said, remember that it is easy to recover any lost data on the HDD, as it is always backed up to hidden factory partitions. To do this, again, you just need to enable them as described in the chapter above.

ENABLE ALL SHADERS ON THE RADEON VIDEO CARD

R9 290X unlocked from a simple Radeon HD 7730 1Gb

Radeon and GeForce video cards, among other things, differ in that Nvidia is not lazy to make a separate chip for each new video card, but AMD usually simply turns off some of the shader units of older video cards to make the younger ones. Judge for yourself, video cards such as the Radeon HD 5850 and 5870 have the same chip, and the shaders are 1440 and 1600, respectively. The same goes for the R9 280-280X, etc.

To enable all Radeon shaders, you need to install the GeForce driver on it in safe mode as on a standard VGA device (overload by pressing F8).

Unlocking significantly increases the speed

ENABLE ALL CUDA Cores NVIDIA VIDEO CARD

Here it will be more difficult ... It is necessary to close the jumpers on the VGA port with penny resistors as shown in the figure.

This manipulation includes all blocks of GeForce graphics cards

The resistor parameters do not matter. This method also makes professional TESLA series out of all video cards, and also fights artifacts.

INCREASE IN POWER SUPPLY POWER

High voltage can KILL! Don't do this))

Almost all Chinese power supplies differ only in the size of the cooling radiators. Therefore, it is enough to simply open the cover and install another fan on the power supply unit, and you can even hang an SLI GeForce 780Ti or lower-end video cards unlocked before it on a 400W power supply unit.

Do not forget that the article was written solely as an April Fool's joke :) and we are not chasing the ball. It should be noted that in skillful hands, some things really do succeed. But there is much more benefit if you correctly configure the configuration and select the components specifically for your task.

Spring mood for you!