X4 940 Giving me hell...

[Jovec]

1) CnQ should put that CPU at 800MHz@1.0v during idle and low loads if you are concerned about voltage/heat.
2) Verify the CPU voltage in windows under load. There are various apps, but if you use AMD Overdrive make sure to read the "Board Status" tab as the voltages on the "CPU Status" tab show default voltages, not actual.
3) Some GB mobos over-volt the CPU even at stock speeds when voltages are set to auto in the bios. Set the voltages to manual even if you then leave them at stock (then recheck in windows).
4) Most consider up to 1.5v safe for Phenom IIs as long as the temps are in range. Stock voltage should not harm that CPU at all.
5) The AC Freezer pro was a decent value cooler, but it's been supplanted at the sub-$30 price point. It's fine for stock quads or over-clocked duals, but probably not for over-clocked quads.


@maniac5999 - I doubt AMD has made any 940BEs in well over a year, or since whenever the 945 (w/DDR3 support) came out. I believe they are all original stepping, have the 4GHz 64-bit limit, and are generally sub-par compared to any C3 or E0. I imagine they are all just leftover stock at this point.

 

[Rifter]

makes sense to use very little thermal paste as it is by design there to fill up only the tiny non-visible irregularities on the cpu and heatsink surface.

An Athlon x4 for a SC2 Rig? Seems a poor choice to me. SC2 is dual-core optimised and often cpu-limited depending what you play. Obviously the client it on a tight budget but a dual core phenom @same clock would probably perform better, not to mentioned at higher clock.

this x2, and actually a dual core i3 would be enough in SC 2 as it makes no use of more than 2 cores. Intel would have been a much better idea for a SC 2 machine.

look at this chart, a i3 530 is just as fast as a 1055T

http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,...p-quads-without-performance-benefit/Practice/

 

[maniac5999]

@maniac5999 - I doubt AMD has made any 940BEs in well over a year, or since whenever the 945 (w/DDR3 support) came out. I believe they are all original stepping, have the 4GHz 64-bit limit, and are generally sub-par compared to any C3 or E0. I imagine they are all just leftover stock at this point.

I suspect they are leftover silicon, But what I'm wondering is if they're leftover silicon that AMD didn't initially bin as 'good enough' for 940s, (which initially`started out as the top of the range chip, remember, and which enthusiasts would review strongly based on their overclockability) and left them as spares to bin later in case demand was higher than expected. Then when they'd pretty much switched completely over to C3 stepping chips, I suspect thatthey may have just binned every one that could hit 3.0ghz @1.35v a 940BE, then dropped prices on OEM 940BEs to clear out this old stock.

 

[Rifter]

I suspect they are leftover silicon, But what I'm wondering is if they're leftover silicon that AMD didn't initially bin as 'good enough' for 940s, (which initially`started out as the top of the range chip, remember, and which enthusiasts would review strongly based on their overclockability) and left them as spares to bin later in case demand was higher than expected. Then when they'd pretty much switched completely over to C3 stepping chips, I suspect thatthey may have just binned every one that could hit 3.0ghz @1.35v a 940BE, then dropped prices on OEM 940BEs to clear out this old stock.

This is possible and likely.

But i had a original 940BE from release and it was a pain to overclock and took 1.6v to hit 3.8. I just dont think the 940BE's were good overclockers compared to the C3 stepping chips.

 

[maniac5999]

This is possible and likely.

But i had a original 940BE from release and it was a pain to overclock and took 1.6v to hit 3.8. I just dont think the 940BE's were good overclockers compared to the C3 stepping chips.

Well, The C2s never went as high as the C3s, but the original 940BEs from two years ago seem to go higher than the OPs and my recently purchased OEM 940s. I've been told by people that have had a 940 for some time that I should be able to hit 3.4ghz or so on stock voltage. Can I? Nope, it takes 1.4375v (and the extra 10mhz to optomize my OC via BCLK makes me bump it to 1.45) 3.5ghz takes about 1.5v for me, and due to voltage and heat flirting with 70*C I didn't dare to go any higher.

Also, one other question that I haven't been able to find a definitive answer to, Does L3 cache speed scale with BCLK speed? I.E. if I set it to 240 instead of 200, would my L3 run 20% faster? Or am I just completely wrong, and I should just OC by increasing the CPU and NB mult?

 

[Puddle Jumper]

AC Freezer Pro 7 is one of the best, if not the best cooler in the market for under $60, that thing has nearly 5k reviews on the egg and i use it on 2 other machines, in which it keeps my C2d E8500s under 30C idle.

I had one of those for 2 years and it did a decent job of cooling a E2180 but that's a relatively low power dual core.

If you want a good budget cooler look at the Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer 120mm. It's usually about $40 but is loads better than a AFp7. It also comes with Tuniq TX-2 thermal paste which is extremely good.

 

[Throckmorton]

You put one really thin layer on the CPU only. More is not better.

I've always done the 2 layer method, spreading it really thin with a ziploc bag.

 

[TekDemon]

That heatsink really isn't that great, though I'm not even sure why you're so worried about idle temps when I'd be way more concerned about what kinda load temps you'd be seeing. There's plenty of great $20-30 heatsinks that'll do a lot better, including the Cooler Master Hyper 212+, Thermaltake Contac29 and Contac30 (the Contac30 has no reviews but it's basically a Contac29 with a real mounting kit instead of crappy push pins), the XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 (I'm half convinced the same manufacturer is really making this and the thermaltakes), etc.