Locked or Unlocked ... Which is better then?

[shafts]

Ok I keep seeing the locked and unlocked AMD information. Which would be better? A older unlocked or the newer locked chips with the latest stepping?

 

[Duvie]

I would perfer a chip closest to the week they started locking them but having an unlocked chip...The newest stepping may be a bit better but nothing so far that looks outstanding...Too many of the mobos can not reliably handle much above 200fsb so having the multiplier unlocked allows me to take my barton 2500+ to higher levels then 3200+ without running past my rams ability or the chipsets stability....

The ram I have I can not go much past 210fsb so I am really limited to 2.3ghz range and I can do that with 1.68-1.7v...If I have a unlocked chip I could possible take it to 2.4ghz by holding 200fsb and using a 12x multiplier instead of my 11x and needed 218fsb which I would have to drop my memory ratio too severly to my liking to get it and I think the board gets a bit flaky past 215 anyways.....

It just keeps everything a bit more happy to run it no more then 200fsb on many 400fsb chipsets.....just the way it is...

 

[myocardia]

I personally don't think that the unlocked chips are worth the money that the few sites who have them are asking for them, but if the price difference doesn't bother you, it's always better to have an unlocked chip. A good majority of people are hitting 2.2ghz, even with the locked chips, and of course, the percentage goes higher when the person doing the overclocking has experience in OCing...