AMD Phenom X3 710 --> X4

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: Redmist
I got my X3 720 BE today,
set ACC to auto on my gigabyte MA790X-UD4P and no fourth core appears,
i checked task manager, latest versions of cpuz, coretemp, hardware monitor, and amd overdrive.
i have no batch number

I guess I wan't so lucky but this still blows my old X2 away,
I used the x2's stock cpu http://www.frostytech.com/arti...iew.cfm?articleID=1962
idle temps are 30C load is 37C,
plenty of room for OC'ing

Could be the Gigabyte MA790X-UD4P won't work because it has the 790X chipset, not the 790GX, or perhaps the BIOS revision won't perform the unlock.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: nyker96
I am curious, is the activated 4th core completely functional? i mean passes all burn tests? if that is so, then amd is in effect shipping x4 disabling one core and name it x3.

Yup. Earlier in this thread, I detailed my various Prime95/OCCT tests, and the 4th core has been fully functional.

However, there are plenty of X3's where the 4th core is not operational, or operational with errors (instability).

 

[Summer]

720x3 with 4 cores 790gx. Initial testing showed possible stability at 3.5ghz @ 1.45v nb 1.3v (with one complete run through Prime95). Unfortunately enabling the 4th core messed up the core temperature reading so I had to go with the motherboard's CPU reading instead. SPEEDFAN indicated a blistering 57c at load so I backed off running any more stress test until I can get a better cooler. I'm currently at 3 cores right now stable at 3.6 @ 1.45v.

I have a question: What CPU reading gives the most accurate temperature? The "Core" reading or the "CPU"? At idle on 3 cores at 3.6, the core is at 25c while the CPU temperature is at 34c (10c difference!). At load on 3 cores, the core temp is at 45c while the CPU temp is only at 49c (barely 5c more). So which one do I use? I ask because I'm having a hard time figuring out what the core temperature will read when I enable the 4th core. How do I compensate for the difference in temperature if the core reading is more accurate?

 

[Denithor]

ASRock pushing the unlock of X3 -> X4 as a feature of their motherboards!

Less than a month after it was revealed that you could unlock the fourth core on some Phenom II X3 CPUs, budget motherboard manufacturer ASRock has jumped on the feature as a selling point for its motherboards. As well as claiming to be able to unlock the fourth core on some and Phenom II X3 CPUs, the company also claims that some of its motherboards can also unlock the full 6MB of Level 3 cache on some low-end Phenom II X4 CPUs.

The company says that both features can be enabled by selecting the AOD-ACC (AMD OverDrive - advanced clock calibration) feature in the BIOS, which was the same method used by Playwares to enable the fourth core on a Phenom II X3 710 using a Biostar TA790GX 128M motherboard.

ASRock says that the AOD-ACC feature unlocks 2MB of extra Level 3 cache on the Phenom II X4 805 and 810 CPUs, upping the L3 cache from 4MB to 6MB. Meanwhile, the motherboard manufacturer also says that the AOD-ACC feature will unlock the fourth core on Phenom II X3 710 and 720 Black Edition CPUs, which are basically quad-core CPUs with one of the cores disabled. The company has released CPU-Z screenshots with AOD-ACC enabled and disabled as evidence that the feature works.

However, although ASRock is marketing this as a feature of its motherboards, the company points out that your CPU won?t necessarily unlock with AOD-ACC enabled. ?The success rate of this trick depends on the CPU version,? says ASRock, pointing that it?s tested a number of CPUs with mixed results. ASRock didn?t provide any figures for the success rate, but did say that a ?certain percentage? of CPUs failed.

The company has listed seven motherboards that it?s successfully used to unlock the extra features of the aforementioned processors. This includes those based on AMD?s 790GX chipset, as well as some boards based on AMD?s 780G chipset with an SB710 Southbridge. ASRock is particularly proud of the latter combination on its A780GXH/128M motherboard, saying that the chipset?s support for AOD-ACC is an ?Exclusive Worldwide First.?

 

[AstroManLuca]

Man, I got a really crappy 720. Not only is the fourth core truly dead, but I can't even do 3.4 GHz @ 1.504v without HyperPi crashing seconds after starting. I even tried downclocking the RAM and HT but it still didn't help. The highest I can go is 3.3 GHz @ 1.5v or 3.2 GHz at 1.35v. Of course, the system will still boot at 3.4 GHz and possibly even at 3.5 GHz, but HyperPi kills it.

 

[imported_Redmist]

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle

Originally posted by: Redmist
I got my X3 720 BE today,
set ACC to auto on my gigabyte MA790X-UD4P and no fourth core appears,
i checked task manager, latest versions of cpuz, coretemp, hardware monitor, and amd overdrive.
i have no batch number

I guess I wan't so lucky but this still blows my old X2 away,
I used the x2's stock cpu http://www.frostytech.com/arti...iew.cfm?articleID=1962
idle temps are 30C load is 37C,
plenty of room for OC'ing

Could be the Gigabyte MA790X-UD4P won't work because it has the 790X chipset, not the 790GX, or perhaps the BIOS revision won't perform the unlock.

I did try using the older bios and setting ACC to auto in bios but it still did not unlock the fourth core.
On the product page for my mobo, in the bios updates there is this one: F2B 2009/03/10

1. Update ACC code for Phenom X3 CPU

but still using FR didn't work with auto, does it work with setting to 0 or -2%?

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: Summer
720x3 with 4 cores 790gx. Initial testing showed possible stability at 3.5ghz @ 1.45v nb 1.3v (with one complete run through Prime95). Unfortunately enabling the 4th core messed up the core temperature reading so I had to go with the motherboard's CPU reading instead. SPEEDFAN indicated a blistering 57c at load so I backed off running any more stress test until I can get a better cooler. I'm currently at 3 cores right now stable at 3.6 @ 1.45v.

I have a question: What CPU reading gives the most accurate temperature? The "Core" reading or the "CPU"? At idle on 3 cores at 3.6, the core is at 25c while the CPU temperature is at 34c (10c difference!). At load on 3 cores, the core temp is at 45c while the CPU temp is only at 49c (barely 5c more). So which one do I use? I ask because I'm having a hard time figuring out what the core temperature will read when I enable the 4th core. How do I compensate for the difference in temperature if the core reading is more accurate?

Unfortunately, enabling the 4th core borks the core temp sensing. My own method - and this is based on nothing except past experience - is that I take the CPU temp and add 10C to get an estimate of the core temp. Not happy with having to do that, but oh well.

 

[imported_Redmist]

I waited on my upgrade and went with this cpu, before the phenom II's came out I was considering switching over to intel to get the e8500, im glad I didn't!

I just got my gtx 285 card today and did some testing and I see with the x3 720 it does not hold this card back like the e8500 does, at least not as much.
Oh my old 8800GT and this cpu I would get the same graphics scores on 3dmark06 no matter if my cpu was at stock 2.8 or OC'd to 3.6. So that shows my video card wasnt bottlenecked by my cpu.
With this card my video scores increased as I OC'd the cpu to the max I can get mind stable is 3.6 and my scores were:

AMD Phenom(tm) II X3 720 Processor 3607 MHz
SM 2.0 Score 7173
SM 3.0 Score 8115
CPU Score 3962
NVIDIA GeForce GTX285

These are the scores on the e8500 OC'd to 4GHz http://service.futuremark.com/...8&compareResultType=14
SM 2.0 Score 7402
SM 3.0 Score 7235
CPU Score 3691
NVIDIA GeForce GTX285


I can also finally play crysis and warhead on stock highest settings without having mess with tweaks and configs

 

[geokilla]

Originally posted by: Redmist
I just got my gtx 285 card today and did some testing and I see with the x3 720 it does not hold this card back like the e8500 does, at least not as much.
Oh my old 8800GT and this cpu I would get the same graphics scores on 3dmark06 no matter if my cpu was at stock 2.8 or OC'd to 3.6. So that shows my video card wasnt bottlenecked by my cpu.

AMD Phenom(tm) II X3 720 Processor 3607 MHz
SM 2.0 Score 7173
SM 3.0 Score 8115
CPU Score 3962
NVIDIA GeForce GTX285

These are the scores on the e8500 OC'd to 4GHz http://service.futuremark.com/...8&compareResultType=14
SM 2.0 Score 7402
SM 3.0 Score 7235
CPU Score 3691
NVIDIA GeForce GTX285

So you're saying that with your E8500 and 8800GT, your GPU scores were the same regardless of whether your E8500 was overclocked or not? Yea, I'm pretty sure that's an indication that you were being GPU limited, not CPU limited.

 

[Summer]

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle
Unfortunately, enabling the 4th core borks the core temp sensing. My own method - and this is based on nothing except past experience - is that I take the CPU temp and add 10C to get an estimate of the core temp. Not happy with having to do that, but oh well.

Maybe there's something wrong with my CPU. My "Core" reading is 8-10c lower than my "CPU" motherboard reading at idle. The gap drops to +/- 3-5c at load.

 

[imported_Redmist]

Originally posted by: geokilla

Originally posted by: Redmist
I just got my gtx 285 card today and did some testing and I see with the x3 720 it does not hold this card back like the e8500 does, at least not as much.
Oh my old 8800GT and this cpu I would get the same graphics scores on 3dmark06 no matter if my cpu was at stock 2.8 or OC'd to 3.6. So that shows my video card wasnt bottlenecked by my cpu.

AMD Phenom(tm) II X3 720 Processor 3607 MHz
SM 2.0 Score 7173
SM 3.0 Score 8115
CPU Score 3962
NVIDIA GeForce GTX285

These are the scores on the e8500 OC'd to 4GHz http://service.futuremark.com/...8&compareResultType=14
SM 2.0 Score 7402
SM 3.0 Score 7235
CPU Score 3691
NVIDIA GeForce GTX285

So you're saying that with your E8500 and 8800GT, your GPU scores were the same regardless of whether your E8500 was overclocked or not? Yea, I'm pretty sure that's an indication that you were being GPU limited, not CPU limited.

I was considering getting a e8500 setup a few months ago before phenom II's were released and IM saying Im glad I didnt.
im saying reviewers compare the x3 720's price/performance ratio to e8400 cpus and im saying the amd one is less of a bottleneck on the gtx285 than an e8500 which is a step up from the e8400.

 

[topjimmy]

Just got my order from the egg

AMD PII 720x3 caczc ac 0904epmw
Gigabyte MA790gp-UDH4
GSKILL 2x2gig

Question: The stock cooler looks like a joke. What do you think the chances of my 939 cooler working? It's a Thermalright SI 120, which I love. I know the clamps are probably in the wrong place. If not what cooler do you all suggest?

Wish me luck on my unlock of the 4th core.

Later
JimC

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: topjimmy
Just got my order from the egg

AMD PII 720x3 caczc ac 0904epmw
Gigabyte MA790gp-UDH4
GSKILL 2x2gig

Question: The stock cooler looks like a joke. What do you think the chances of my 939 cooler working? It's a Thermalright SI 120, which I love. I know the clamps are probably in the wrong place. If not what cooler do you all suggest?

Wish me luck on my unlock of the 4th core.

Later
JimC

The stock cooler is surprisingly good - if you have decent airflow in your case. I had my unlocked X3 running at 3.2 Ghz with the stock cooler and stock thermal grease.

Your S939 HSF should work just fine on AM2. The dimensions and latch placement are identical between the 2 sockets.

 

[topjimmy]

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle

Originally posted by: topjimmy
Just got my order from the egg

AMD PII 720x3 caczc ac 0904epmw
Gigabyte MA790gp-UDH4
GSKILL 2x2gig

Question: The stock cooler looks like a joke. What do you think the chances of my 939 cooler working? It's a Thermalright SI 120, which I love. I know the clamps are probably in the wrong place. If not what cooler do you all suggest?

Wish me luck on my unlock of the 4th core.

Later
JimC

The stock cooler is surprisingly good - if you have decent airflow in your case. I had my unlocked X3 running at 3.2 Ghz with the stock cooler and stock thermal grease.

Your S939 HSF should work just fine on AM2. The dimensions and latch placement are identical between the 2 sockets.

Well bad news on all fronts. PC won't post with ACC on Auto, or All cores. The SI120 bracket is not the same as the bracket on the MB and I would have to drill holes to make it fit, so that is out too.

Guess I'll just make it the fastest tri core I can.

Later
JimC

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: topjimmy

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle

Originally posted by: topjimmy
Just got my order from the egg

AMD PII 720x3 caczc ac 0904epmw
Gigabyte MA790gp-UDH4
GSKILL 2x2gig

Question: The stock cooler looks like a joke. What do you think the chances of my 939 cooler working? It's a Thermalright SI 120, which I love. I know the clamps are probably in the wrong place. If not what cooler do you all suggest?

Wish me luck on my unlock of the 4th core.

Later
JimC

The stock cooler is surprisingly good - if you have decent airflow in your case. I had my unlocked X3 running at 3.2 Ghz with the stock cooler and stock thermal grease.

Your S939 HSF should work just fine on AM2. The dimensions and latch placement are identical between the 2 sockets.

Well bad news on all fronts. PC won't post with ACC on Auto, or All cores. The SI120 bracket is not the same as the bracket on the MB and I would have to drill holes to make it fit, so that is out too.

Guess I'll just make it the fastest tri core I can.

Later
JimC

Bummer about not being able to unlock. The good news is you might be able to get close to 4 Ghz when you OC!

Hmm, I didn't know that the SI 120 was a bolt-thru. Maybe you can wait for a Newegg sale for a new cooler.

 

[soccerballtux]

so is it just the 710 or will 720's do this too?

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: soccerballtux
so is it just the 710 or will 720's do this too?

720's will turn the trick, too.

 

[topjimmy]

I got to 3.4 easy with a 17x200. Running OCCT now temps are at 50 - 53 on stock volt, and stock cooler. I want more though. What cooler would you all recommend ? Price about $50, I have a 120 mm fan from my si120.

Later
JimC

 

[srp49ers]

Could not get my 720 to turn x4 on my Asus M4A78T-E . Putting ACC on auto did nothing.
Oh well....

 

[Summer]

Update:

My 720x3 --> stable at 720x4 3.5ghz @ 1.45v (4hrs of OCCT & Prime95). Build date: 0904EPMW. Unfortunately I'm having trouble when I cold boot with ACC on. Hopefully I'll have a solution from Asrock tech support soon!

 

[heyheybooboo]

Has anyone tried undervolting with/without the 4th core? With the 790gx chip and the Ph II 720 this could be a serious performing energy miser ...

 

[imported_Redmist]

Originally posted by: topjimmy
I got to 3.4 easy with a 17x200. Running OCCT now temps are at 50 - 53 on stock volt, and stock cooler. I want more though. What cooler would you all recommend ? Price about $50, I have a 120 mm fan from my si120.

Later
JimC

probably any aftermarket cooler you can find would be better than the stock.

I pulled the stock cooler out that came with the 720 and thought there had been a mistake, I havn't seen such a cheap stock hs for probably over 5 years.

I used the stock one that came with my amd x2 6000+, during its time it was priced around $40. Temps are not a problem at all with this cooler, at 3.6 and 1.5V my load was only 46C.

I also seen on AMD's webiste that the max operating temp for the X3 720 is 73C... to me that seems high but who knows.
http://products.amd.com/en-us/...=&f6=&f7=&f8=&f9=&f10=

 

[imported_flptrnkng]

Another Score! AMD Phenom II HDX710WFK3DGI CACZC AC 0906BPMW

Mini update. Got the HR-09U installed. Before overclocking, I wanted to verify I had a stable system, so I ran my Ripbot264 job at stock clocks, volts, and 4 cores. The job completed in under 4.25 hours, and MD5 hashes confirm I get the same result I was getting with the Brisbane dual core I was using before.

Played a couple of hours of Crysis Warhead at stock clocks and volts, 4 cores, no glitches, crashes or any instability noted.

Used AOD to bump the clock from 200 to 231 (to get over 3.0GHz), no voltage bumps. My hair didn't catch fire, and the PC didn't hiccup.

I am reluctant to push the chip at elevated clocks without resolving the lack of core temperature readings; I'm not all that impressed with the heat sink retaining clips of the Zerotherm FZ120 I'm using. The Brisbane I took out showed poor contact area to the heat sink.

I really don't want to burn up what I think is a good quad core. Any good solution to getting at core temps with a X3 -> X4 chip yet?

 

[deimos3428]

Originally posted by: Summer

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle
Unfortunately, enabling the 4th core borks the core temp sensing. My own method - and this is based on nothing except past experience - is that I take the CPU temp and add 10C to get an estimate of the core temp. Not happy with having to do that, but oh well.

Maybe there's something wrong with my CPU. My "Core" reading is 8-10c lower than my "CPU" motherboard reading at idle. The gap drops to +/- 3-5c at load.

There's nothing wrong with your CPU. (At least, mine has exactly the same behaviour.) Mine's a 710 running on stock HSF and Asrock AOD790GX/128M. Which motherboard and heatsink/fan are you using? I thought perhaps I was getting a higher than normal CPU temp because of a poorly installed heatsink, or maybe just a quirk of my motherboard, but I'm not so sure. The core temps also disappear when I enable the fourth core.

Anyway, I wouldn't trust the core temps in this case, simply because they are the lower ones. Keep the highest temps displayed below 63C and you should be ok. The maximum operating temperature for the CPU is 73C, but you want to keep a 10C buffer because the reporting isn't always so accurate. That's playing it safe, anyway.

 

[soonerproud]

Just pulled the trigger and ordered these parts from the egg.

AMD Phenom II X3 710 - $125

ASRock A780GXE/128M AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - $79.99

Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail - 52.99

All together with shipping and handling: $265.90

From what I have read this mobo supports AOC so it looks to be a great value if this is the case. I will update and post if I can get the fourth core working on this hardware or not in a few days when it all gets here.

How well does the stock cooler work on minor overclocks? I was thinking of bumping the clock speed up a little to 2.8 or 3.0 gigs if the stock fan was capable of supporting mild overclocks.