Why Did AMD unlock all Tbred B's?

[human2k]

They were feeling nice?

 

[zodder]

If I've read correctly, it's the motherboard manufacturer and the chipsets which unlock the chip. If you don't have either the nforce2 or KT400 chipset motherboard, you still have to manually unlock the chips. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, though.

 

[KingofFah]

Certain KT333's will. I posted on this before and was told that my 8K3A will work.

 

[ChampionAtTufshop]

for the lower tbreds, all lower mults ARE enabled are they not??

(L1 are connected...)

for the higher tbreds, the higher mults are enabled and for most boards you need to conect the last L3 bridge to enable the lower ones im pretty sre

but then on some boards all are automatically enabled (some kt400, if not all, and some nforce2)

 

[human2k]

yea for the lower tbred 1700 and lower, max multiplyer is 12.5 unless you mod the L3 bridge. My cpu is maxed at 12.5 x 150. (need better ram)

 

[KF]

Since I don't know the complete answer, someone can correct me if I'm wrong. There is a new method of unlocking on TBred Bs.

All the old unlocking system did was join some bridges on the top of the CPU. With the L1 bridges joined, a mobo could override the multiplier set on the CPU. What these bridges did was join the on-chip circuitry to some CPU pins. When the CPU had the bridges open, there was no way for the mobo itself to change the multiplier because there was no connection. and therfore the CPU was locked to the multiplier set at the factory.

The newest Tbreds have a different method of unlocking; by means of CPU pin/s, not the L1 bridges. A motherboard can enable the overiding system provided it was designed to do so. The L1 bridges are already connected, but that does not unlock the multiplier; it still can't be set (they say) unless the mobo does the appropriate unlocking in addition. In any case, the Tbred B 1700+ I just got, does have the L1 bridges connected.

 

[Soulkeeper]

the chipset you have has nothing to do with whether the chip is unlocked or not

 

[Actaeon]

Originally posted by: KingofFah
Certain KT333's will. I posted on this before and was told that my 8K3A will work.

Any idea which multipliers are unlocked?

 

[KingofFah]

I assume it is the same as with the nf2 boards. Lower mults for lower tbred and higher or all for higher tbreds. I assume that it would be the former for the higher tbreds.

 

[bozo1]

Originally posted by: Soulkeeper
the chipset you have has nothing to do with whether the chip is unlocked or not

True. The motherboard manufacturer, however, can opt to have their BIOS ignore the bridge states.

 

[Blackberry Junkie]

Is it that true:

All 2000+ processors has unlocked multipliers starting at 12.5 to down while all 2100+ can unlock multipliers from 13 to up?

 

[KingofFah]

Depends on board, I hope so. I am going to be buying a 2100 soon for my 8k3a, and I would like to be able to change the multiplier without modding the chip (I do not like the look of that connecting two of the pins with a copper phone wire, maybe silver )

 

[dxkj]

Im hoping for 12x200 on my XP2100, or 11.5x211 so that would suck if 2100 only did 13 and up

 

[KingofFah]

My RAM hits it limit at about 172MHZ 2-2-3-5-1, so I need a higher mult to get more speed out of it. I got what I paid for, generic 2.5CAS DDR2700

 

[amdwolfman]

Right now I'm hitting XP2200 speeds..1799mhz

Settings are as follows



system clock 149.98
multiplier 12
system bus 299.97


What do you all think of this O/C/?

I'm interested in your comments

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: Actaeon

Originally posted by: KingofFah
Certain KT333's will. I posted on this before and was told that my 8K3A will work.

Any idea which multipliers are unlocked?

If the mobo supports the unlocked multipliers, it's the same as the Nforce 2 ones.

I have a Tbred A 1700+ on an Epox 8K5A2+ (KT333) that is unlocked at 12.5 and below, just like the NF2.

 

[jiffylube1024]

This doesn't answer your original question, however. I have no idea why they are actually unlocked. Here are my theories:

1.) AMD is leaving the door open for o/cing since AMD mobos are lacking in o/c ability compared to P4's (read: no PCI/AGP lock on most mobos). Overclocking sells chips today; if a chip can't o/c, hardcore users won't buy them, and they won't recommend them to newb users. That's my main theory. However, they would obviously deny this, but it makes sense from a marketing viewpoint.

2.) AMD didn't intend on mobo manufacturers allowing such multiplier adjustments to work (highly doubtful..)

3.) perhaps it's easier to lock the same core at several frequencies and sell same-batch CPU's at different locked frequencies (kinda like most theories that all P4 1.6A's were 2 GHz rated, but the market demanded 1.6 chips more than 2 GHz ones).

 

[m1ke101]

my 8k3a and 1700+ seems to have the 13x and all the multipliers under that unlocked...my question is, is there a way to unlock the 14x and 15x multiplier?

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: KingofFah
My RAM hits it limit at about 172MHZ 2-2-3-5-1, so I need a higher mult to get more speed out of it. I got what I paid for, generic 2.5CAS DDR2700

Search for some TwinMOS PC2700 CAS 2. I have a friend who borrowed my stick because I couldn't get it to work, he has it running at 198MHz, 2-2-2-5! It wasn't much more than generic, definately the cheapest brand name stuff there was. Not sure where you might be able to get it in the US, but in the UK it's at komplett.co.uk for a cheap price.

I can't get above 145, but that's with a pally non-unlocked on a VIA 266 board

 

[zodder]

True. The motherboard manufacturer, however, can opt to have their BIOS ignore the bridge states.

Thanks for the info, bozo1.

 

[KingofFah]

awesome, m1ke101. Now I know I can buy the XP2100 B without having to worry whether it will work with all mult on my board.
I have been looking for the TwinMos for a couple days, and I cannot seem to find it anywhere. Generic is 80$ for a stick of 512 right now, Lonyo. Is the TwinMos somehwere near 45GBP or 75EUR for 512?

 

[human2k]

Originally posted by: jiffylube1024
This doesn't answer your original question, however. I have no idea why they are actually unlocked. Here are my theories:

1.) AMD is leaving the door open for o/cing since AMD mobos are lacking in o/c ability compared to P4's (read: no PCI/AGP lock on most mobos). Overclocking sells chips today; if a chip can't o/c, hardcore users won't buy them, and they won't recommend them to newb users. That's my main theory. However, they would obviously deny this, but it makes sense from a marketing viewpoint.

2.) AMD didn't intend on mobo manufacturers allowing such multiplier adjustments to work (highly doubtful..)

3.) perhaps it's easier to lock the same core at several frequencies and sell same-batch CPU's at different locked frequencies (kinda like most theories that all P4 1.6A's were 2 GHz rated, but the market demanded 1.6 chips more than 2 GHz ones).

why would amd leave the door open for overclocking, I thought they wanted to prevent overclocking....

 

[MrC4]

why would amd leave the door open for overclocking, I thought they wanted to prevent overclocking....

Back when all AMD had was the K6-2, they would constantly preach how overclock friendly they were and how the endorsed the overclocker. Once they had the K7 original Athlon, they had a CPU that could keep up with Intel, so all of the sudden they starting locking their CPUs.

Now that they are trailing Intel again, (in clock speeds only) they are once again overclock friendly. I would assume in September when the Athlon 64 once again takes the performance crown, we will see AMD lock their processors once again.

 

[BAMAVOO]

I have a 2400+ and an Iwill xp333-r..I had to unlock L3. I am running at 11.5x175 (IT will do 11.5x200, but I was doing that on the stock hs/fan. Am waiting on a 8045 , then it goes back up) On this chip and every other 2400 I have heard unlocked you only get the half (ie 12.5 and up) multiplier if the mobo supports it.) up to 12.5. If I set the bios to 15x133 which is the default the cpu only reads as something like 774???????????? So on this 333 mobo I have to OC just to get to default speed of the cpu..I hear the 2100 though is awesome on this board

 

[Actaeon]

Originally posted by: jiffylube1024

Originally posted by: Actaeon

Originally posted by: KingofFah
Certain KT333's will. I posted on this before and was told that my 8K3A will work.

Any idea which multipliers are unlocked?

If the mobo supports the unlocked multipliers, it's the same as the Nforce 2 ones.

I have a Tbred A 1700+ on an Epox 8K5A2+ (KT333) that is unlocked at 12.5 and below, just like the NF2.

Which BIOS are you using?

Strange, on my Epox 8K5A2, (using 8/15), I can't even change my 2100+'s Multiplier to default (13x). It won't even post.

Though, I havn't tried any other multipliers, strange it wouldn't post to default multiplier.