If you have a computer equipped with modern processor manufactured by AMD, this means that you have a chance to significantly increase the performance of your PC without spending a penny on this goal. We are talking about a technology called “unlocking AMD processor cores.” This technology allows you to increase 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, to successfully carry out this operation, you only need a little knowledge of BIOS options, and, incidentally, 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. The fact is that each processor manufacturer within a certain line has several models that differ in both price and capabilities. Naturally, cheaper processor models have fewer cores compared to more expensive ones. However, in many cases it is irrational to specifically develop models with fewer cores, so many manufacturers, in this case, AMD, do it simpler - they simply disable unnecessary processor cores.

In addition, many AMD processors may have defective cores that have a number of disadvantages. Such processors are also not thrown away, and after disabling unnecessary cores, they are sold under the guise of cheaper varieties of processors. However, the discovered shortcomings 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 using a processor with such a core is quite possible.

It’s worth saying 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 certain 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 processors that can be unlocked belong to the Athlon, Phenom and Sempron lines. Typically, unlocking is possible for cores No. 3 and 4 out of the four available cores. In some cases, you can unlock the second core of a dual-core processor, and in some cases, the 5th and 6th cores of a quad-core processor.

Features of unlocking various series of processors

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

• Athlon X2 5000+ – cores No. 3 and 4 (selected copies)
• Athlon II X3 4xx series (Deneb/Rana core) – core No. 4 and cache memory
• Athlon II X3 4xx series (Propus core) – core No. 4
• Athlon II X4 6xx series (Deneb/Rana core) - only level 3 cache
• Phenom II X2 5xx series - cores No. 3 and 4
• Phenom II X3 series 7xx - core No. 4
• Phenom II X4 8xx series – only 2 MB of Level 3 cache can be unlocked
• Phenom II X4 650T, 840T, 960T and 970 Black Edition– cores No. 5 and 6 (separate copies)
• Sempron 140/145 - core No. 2

Which chipsets support unlocking processor cores?

It should be noted that not all motherboards support the ability to unlock cores AMD processors. You will only be able to unlock cores 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 following type:

• SB810
• SB850
• SB950

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

Unblocking method

To unlock the cores, the user must access the BIOS tools. In case of support motherboard ACC technology in most cases is sufficient to find in BIOS parameter Advanced Clock Calibration and set it to Auto.

For motherboards from specific manufacturers, some additional steps may also be required. On maternal ASUS boards 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 us 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 like CPU-Z. However, even if you verify 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 conduct thorough testing of all processor parameters. Also, the failure of the unlocking process may be indicated by malfunctions in the computer, and sometimes by the inability to boot it. In the latter case, you will have to resort to clearing the BIOS memory and resetting it to the factory default state (we talked about how to carry out this process in a separate article).

If new cores are found to be faulty, the user can disable them at any time using BIOS options. In addition, you should keep in mind that the operation of unlocking processor cores only works at the BIOS level, and not at the level of the processors themselves. If you install a processor with unlocked cores on another motherboard, they will still be locked.

And I would like to note one more point. Although unlocking a processor is not the same as overclocking it, however, increasing the number of working cores in your processor will automatically lead to an increase in 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, however, help the user realize the full potential of their computer hardware. This operation carried out by enabling the necessary BIOS options. Although unlocking cores is not always guaranteed to lead to success, nevertheless, like overclocking, it is not associated with significant risks, and can be tried in practice by any user.

The article will discuss the possibility of turning on the third and fourth cores, and will also present the practical results of such an action - that is, tests. After all, it’s very tempting to get a platform with a top-level processor for a hundred dollars.

Regarding, but one of the main consequences of AMD’s “poverty” is the RATIONAL use of die area.

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

So - the processor is done, but defects are still present from time to time, even with rich Intel (latest news - ). So AMD, for example, has suspicions that one core is not working. It is simply blocked and you buy some three or even dual core AMD Phenom II 560 X2 Socket AM3 3.3GHz 7MB 80W box or Athlon II X3 445. But physically, it is QUAD CORE!

How to unlock/enable AMD processor cores?

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

Do not forget that Athlone and Phenom cores are blocked for a reason and they may be faulty. Next, you should ALWAYS test ALL processor cores for stability, for example, as described in the article.

PRACTICE

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

This is what the processor looked like BEFORE unlocking:

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

Now we turn on the fourth core...

There was disappointment. The first test revealed that the enabled kernel was not working. It was there, it was functioning, but it malfunctioned under load. If you look closely at the picture, you will also see artifacts in 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 core is enabled, but also the extra 6MB of third-level L3 cache.

I decided not to give up and go to the end. Through trial and error, it was revealed that the PHYSICALLY faulty blocked core is the second in a row. What if the L3 cache is fully functional? To test this claim, the processor was unlocked again, but the second core was disabled from the application manager.

Let's take the test...

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

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

There is still a fly in the ointment in all this. Even though the cache and cores are not active, such processors still have a large die size and get noticeably hot. Take this into account.

WHAT PROCESSORS ARE SUITABLE FOR UNLOCKING?

Triple-core Atlons and two-triple-core Phenoms Athlon-II-X3 and Phenom-II-X2-3 are suitable. There is also a rumor that some quad-core models are unlocked into six-core ones, but there is no such experience yet. Then look for Phenoms on the Thuban core and you may very well be lucky.

CONCLUSION
In general, in this case I was unlucky, because I could have come across a 100% working copy. In this case, from a processor costing $65, I would get a quad-core Phenom II X4 costing $150. Agree - this lottery is worth it. And what’s especially pleasing is that even cheap motherboards can do this.

Turning the Athlon II X3 425 into a full-fledged Phenom II X4 925 with brief instructions by unlocking

There have always been components on the market that, with a certain approach to them, provided the user with much more performance than he paid for them. Such processors or video cards, and sometimes even motherboards, are “offcuts” from top-end products. It happens that, with a successful combination of circumstances, a budget processor can be turned into a flagship one.

Employees of the computer store PCShop Group conducted an interesting research experiment on unlocking the triple-core Athlon II X3 425 processor and turning it into a real quad-core Phenom II X4 925 chip.

As you know, AMD uses only three types of crystals to produce its processors: the four-core Deneb is made from it by cutting the L3 cache into Propus and the dual-core Regor. Athlon II X3 4XX processors can be either on a Deneb chip (the version for the Athlon II X3 4XX is called Rana) or on a Propus core.

CoreDeneb

Propus core

In other words, with some luck you can get a cutting from a Deneb crystal (Phenom II). And you can always get a physically trimmed Propus that simply doesn't have L3 cache. AMD Company does not provide any guarantee for the functionality of the unlocked cache or kernel. You buy exactly the model and with the specifications that are printed on the box or cover of the processor.

PCShop Group had at its disposal Athlon II X3 425 processors on the “correct” crystal – Deneb, which made it possible to unlock 6 MB of third-level cache memory along with the core.

After

Comparing the characteristics of the unlocked Athlon II X3 425 with the production model Phenom II X4 925, you can notice some differences:

	Athlon II X3 425	Phenom II X4 B25	Phenom II X4 925
Frequency, MHz
Number of Cores
L2 cache memory size, KB
L3 cache memory size, MB
Technical process, nm

Of course, you can find fault with the fact that the frequency does not match. But this is like the popular saying about a gift horse. Although, we will return to the frequency and show that it is possible to get a more powerful processor from the Athlon II X3 425 model even than the Phenom II X4 965 BOX Black Edition (3400 MHz). In addition to unlocking effective method There has always been overclocking to increase performance. The new Phenom II X4 B25 (Athlon II X3 425) was overclocked to a stable frequency of 3600 MHz (overclocked 33%). Thus, the Athlon II X3 425 processor became equal in speed to the not yet presented Phenom II X4 975 (3600 MHz).

Let us remind you that to unlock the processor, at a minimum, you must have a motherboard based on the SB710 or SB750 southbridge. You can also use some models of motherboards based on NVIDIA system logic for unlocking, as we have already reported in the news.

In this case, the processor was unlocked on the GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD3P motherboard. All that had to be done to convert the processor was to find the “Advanced Clock Calibration” setting in the BIOS and set it to “Auto”. Save BIOS settings and reboot your PC.

Then in the same Advanced section Clock Calibration you need to find “EC Firmware Selection” and select the “Hybrid” option.

Testing

Test stand:
Cooler - Zalman CNPS 9700 LED + ZM-CS4A
Motherboard – GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD3P;
RAM - GOODRAM PRO GP900D264L5
Video card - MSI Radeon HD 4890 (R4890 Cyclone);
Storage - Samsung HD252HJ;
Power supply - Seasonic S12D-850.

It is significant that the performance increase from unlocking the Athlon II X3 425 processor in the 3DMark06 test was 25% and is practically equal to the Phenom II X4 925 chip. The overclocked and unlocked Athlon II X3 425 shows excellent speed, which will become available to ordinary users only after the release of the Phenom processor II X4 975. Also notable are the test results of the SuperPi 1M, for which cache memory is important. In it, an unlocked and overclocked Athlon II X3 425 with 6 MB of third-level cache reached the 20-second mark!

Finally, we note that you should not forget that unlocking is a lottery. There are cases when the kernel is unlocked, but does not function stably. Or it may turn out that the Athlon II X3 processor is based on a Propus chip.

PCShop Group

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Is it possible to unlock 2 more cores on the Athlon 64 X2 5600+? If so, how?

Answer: Dabby, all sites say the same thing - the processor has 2 physical cores. There are no more cores and nothing can be unlocked

Question: Amd athlon II x2 220

I want to open 2 additional kernels. Help with advice
Iron:
Amd athlon II x2 220
MP msi 870-c45
OP 6 gigs
Geforce GT 440 graphics card

Answer: RTFM:

Athlon II X2 - there is nothing to unlock (only the model with index 220 can be found on a quad-core Deneb - look at the markings on the cover).

Phenom II, Athlon X2, Athlon II, Sempron: unlock/enable hidden cores/cache

Added after 21 minutes
BTW

What is ACC? What is NCC?

A technology for finely controlling the frequency and power of processor cores, created by AMD to increase the overclocking potential of its Stars (K10) architecture processors. For implementation, it uses seven contacts of the south bridge (GPIO) and six previously unused contacts in the processor socket. More detailed information AMD does not disclose this technology. It is also not known what exactly the percentage parameters are responsible for.
Setting up ACC consisted of activating it in the motherboard BIOS and adjusting it in the form of percentages. Negative provisions - a decrease in the frequency potential and power consumption of the processor, positive - an increase.

There are two implementations of the same technology:
Advanced Clock Calibration - original, on AMD chipsets.
Nvidia Core Calibration is a variation of ACC implemented later by Nvidia in its chipsets.
To unlock, you just need to activate the ACC/NCC itself.

Motherboard requirements. BIOS setup motherboard.

To begin with, the power harness corresponding to the processor.
There is no need to try to unlock and overclock a six-core Thuban on a cheap mATX motherboard with three-phase power. Get fireworks.
Just like buying a top-end motherboard with ten-phase (8+2) power to unlock Sempron 140 on dual-core Regor is a pointless waste of money.

The remaining requirements are:
- AMD: almost all motherboards with south bridges SB710, SB750.
- nVidia: chipsets GeForce 8200, GeForce 8300, nForce720D, nForce 980. But with regard to nVidia chipsets, be extremely careful: nVidia began adding NCC support to its chipsets only in 2009, so formally the same chipset can be with or without NCC, moreover, even if it is of the corresponding updated revision , the function may not be implemented in bios (use search engines and check the start date of release of a particular motherboard, also study the specifications of the motherboard on the manufacturer’s website, preferably in original English, since Russian-language mirrors are usually scarce and are updated with a delay, if updated at all).
It should also be noted that of all motherboards, only ASRock motherboards on chipsets with native ACC/NCC support allow you to disable the L3 cache, which can be useful on processors with working cores, but a broken L3 cache.

No other chipsets support either ACC or NCC.
However, many manufacturers nevertheless implemented the unlocking function using their own engineering developments (for example, Asrock UCC, Asus Core Unlocker, etc.) and in 2010-2011 released new models and revisions of motherboards based on these chipsets. I emphasize: NEW models and NEW revisions, this does not affect old products on these chipsets and simple bios firmware cannot implement this support (in any way).
It should be noted that it is necessary to check the official website of the manufacturer, because Even new motherboards based on these chipsets do not always have an unlock function.
It should be noted that on these motherboards the chance of successful unlocking is significantly lower than on motherboards based on AMD SB710 and 750. In particular, at the moment (September 2011) this applies to new motherboards based on AMD 9-series chipsets.

Question: The computer turns off ( AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 6000+, nVIDIA nForce 520D, NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT).

Hello, in general, when you turn on any games, the computer works a little and then turns off. What could cause this and what do you recommend?
This has been happening to my computer for a long time; I’ve already replaced two coolers. When we bought it it worked, then it started to shut down, then it was repaired, they said there were errors in Windows and they reinstalled it, it worked for a week - and again. Then again for repairs, they changed the cooler to a small AMD one, they said everything would be ok, it worked and again the same story. Then I changed the cooler, also to AMD, only more powerful and added extra. The cooler in the system unit still turns off. Only before it was switched off once, and then when I turned it on I could continue to play and it worked, but now it switches off every time and when I scan the antivirus too. But recently I cleaned my computer with Auslog and it seems to work when I scan it.

Operating system - Windows XP
Processor - AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 6000+, 3000 MHz
Chipset motherboard- nVIDIA nForce 520D, AMD Hammer
Video adapter - NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT (512 MB)

I made a screenshot of the SpeedFan program when normal operation- Here in Everest -

AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 6000+
NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT

Question: I'm building a cheap HTPC on an Athlon 5350, I have a question about storage...

Comrades, actually, subject,

I was tired of hosting a PLEX server on my laptop, so I decided to build a cheap HTPC - especially after I came across a bundle of Athlon 5350 + ITX mother at an indecently low price. I don’t have 4K TVs, the ultimate dream is 1080p (and most of the content I watch is generally 720p and lower). I want to place the device near the largest TV in the house, play movies from it via HDMI directly + “play” PLEX/Kodi on it, so that I can watch movies from the bedroom/kitchen, etc. on other TVs/tablets.

But then I started looking through different configurations/recommendations and this is not the first time I have come across such a message - such an HTPC should contain only the “brains” (i.e. a small SSD drive with the system), and the content itself should be stored online on a specialized separate NAS.
This puzzled me a little, because so far the plan was to insert a 3TB disk directly into this HTPC and use it as file storage. This seemed to me a completely logical and correct decision... (and my negative experience with separate slow NASs 5-7 years ago only reinforced this point of view).

What am I missing in my reasoning? Why do many insistently recommend storing “flies separately, cutlets separately”, separating the HTPC itself and the storage?

Thank you very generously in advance!

Answer:
Silly, DLNA itself does not guarantee playback of all common formats.
Manufacturers usually write what exactly, with what codecs and what bit rates it plays this model TV that supports DLNA.
that is why people are perverted with transcoding (from something that does not appear to be into something that can reproduce).

PS: Don't you have a TV?

I don't have a problem with this

Question: Problem with unlocking the kernel

Hello everyone, so I bought a computer and decided to open the 4th core on my AMD Athlon x3 450 processor, but that was not the case.

The fact is that before this the computer started up normally, then UCC was enabled in All Cores 6% mode
The system is as follows:

1. Athlon x3 450 @3.6 Ghz + Cooler Master V6 GT

2.AsRock M3N78D FX 140W+ (NForce 720D)

3.GoodRam Play 2x4GB 1600 Mhz

4. LogicPower 80 Plus 600W

The BIOS settings are as follows (before resetting):

Overclock Mode -
CPU FR - 240 Mhz
PCIE - 100 MHz

CPU/LDT Spreed - Enabled
Boot Failure Guard - Enabled
Boot Failure Guard Count()

Voltage Change - Manual
CPU FM x15 3600 Mhz
NB FM 2400Mhz
CPU Voltage 1.55V
CPU NB Voltage 1.35V
HT Bus Speed ​​2400Mhz

HT Bus Witch Auto (8/16Bit) ()

Chipset Voltage Auto (1.121 - 1255V)
HT Voltage Auto (1.21 -1.35V)

Nvidia Core calibration
(modes: Auto, All Cores, PerCore)()

Showed the following:
All Cores

Core 0 6%
Core 1 6%
Core 2 6%
Core 3 6%

If 4 did not work in the BIOS it would not light up, which means it sees.

I wanted to change the memory timings, the computer stopped booting, there were settings reset and now it won’t start at all with UCC.
I don’t know what to do with this... I tried turning off all energy-saving technologies, no effect. But it was launched before.. Help!

Answer: as I understand it, it won’t start even without unlocking now

Question: Unlocking AMD cores Athlon 5000+ DualCore

Good day, comrades.

This is my first time doing this. There are a lot of things that are not clear about this.
I read on the Internet that it is possible not only to overclock, but also to unlock the cores on my processor. I read a lot of guides, there are differences in all of them. I decided to turn to professionals, that is, to you.

Tell me what, where, and how.

When unlocking via ACC, the characteristics say AMD Phenom FX-5000 Quad-Core, but half of the programs do not start and artifacts appear on the screen.

Thank you.

Answer: krazy2013, woah woah... easy cowboy

Yeah, he lifted the tire to 225, that’s it, absolutely everything on the car, and he wonders why the acceleration is so low
For whom did the BIOS set the memory frequency to 900? For whom is the voltage per percent indicated?

I told you this is my first time doing this...

And anyway, what processor? There are a lot of things I don’t understand either

What planet are you from? 1 post

The overclocking potential, the ability to unlock the 4th core, will reveal the potential of any single-chip video card so it is quite suitable for an inexpensive gaming system.

Flaws

On the mat. On boards without ACC (advanced clock calibration), the chance of unlocking is very small. There is no level 3 cache.

A comment

In October 2011, I took under the bulldozer MSI 990FXA-GD80 4×4 GB CORSAIR Vengeance, thermallight archon...
I never bought the tractor well, this miracle doesn’t want to work normally without the L1 cache I decided to sit on this rock wait for the piledriver, which I don’t regret at all.
1. overclocked to 4GHz, nominally rated by Win7 6.9 points, my old C2D E6750(2.66)333×8@515×7(3605) rated by Win7 6.8 -
But..
2 Even without overclocking, I fully unlocked the potential of my GTX470 (733/1466/1700)
Finally I was able to play BF3 without lags and freezes the picture is smooth and, what is most surprising the picture in 3D applications has really improved!
comparison was carried out in WoT, BF2-BC, BF3, TES Skyrim, Left4Dead1/2, Dead Island.
Compared MSI P35 Platinum PCB1.1 bios 1.A
C2Duo E6750@515×7=3605+ 1.30v + Thermaltake BigT VX Mem Patriot 2×2gb.Patriot Memory CPU/Mem 1:1 PEP22G6400LLK 800@1033 5/5/5/12 2.2v
PALIT DAYTONA GTX470 Dual Fan 608/1216/900(0.975V)@733/1466/900(0.950V)
Creative XFi Extreme Music
Thermaltake PurePower 550Watt
win7 x64 SP1 ultimate
Dell U2311H@1920×1080 with AMD Athlon II X3 460@4GHz CORSAIR Vengeance CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9 DDR3 4×4gb 1333MHz MSI 990FXA-GD80 Thermalright Archon, THERMALTAKE Toughpower Grand TPG-750MPCEU, 750W
Example in WoT on the old system the score is 25-38, now 45-80 and higher, BF3 multiplayer generally flies on ultra.

20 6

Price, performance, overclocking potential, ability to unlock the 4th core (if you're lucky)

Flaws

In the tri-core version, they simply are not there.

A comment

The 4th core was unlocked, displayed as phenom II x4 B60. Windows rated the processor's performance at 6.9. These processors simply do not have a level 3 cache. During testing, a broken core was discovered, and in combination with a small cache (the cache is common to all cores), the pebble refused to work at 100% load and failed more than one test. In the game (tested on BF-3), there are glitches and lags. AMD is also no fool, they leave only 3 cores working for a reason. Out of grief, I returned the processor to its tri-core appearance and overclocked it to 3.8 GHz. Everything went as it should, clearly and stably. The processor is fast and productive, the games fly. So, if anyone has an incident with unlocking the 4-core, or after unlocking, there is no need to grieve too much, the processor already works well, and when overclocked, it’s just fairy tale.

Complain Was the review helpful? 17 4

High standard clock frequency, possibility of use on many old motherboards on socket AM2 / AM3, ability to unlock the 4th core, moderate heat dissipation.

Flaws A comment

I installed AsRock N68C-GS-FX on the board, used the UCC function to unlock the additional core and received a full-fledged Pass from Rana. I haven’t even tried to drive it yet, and so everything flies. The Windows7/64 performance index was 7.5. At idle the temperature is barely above room temperature, and under load it does not exceed 55 degrees. For 40 US rubles, this percentage is an excellent option for a very budget upgrade of systems on AM2 / AM3 sockets. Get it while you can - second-hand analogues are more expensive!