Date of publication: 01.04.2015

We all know that hardware manufacturers put a lot of power into their hardware. But greedy marketers sell it in chunks, turning off many features and hiding blocks from use. Let's learn how to enable hidden features.

ENABLE AMD PROCESSOR CORE

Many processors contain hidden cores

Almost all AMD processors, especially the Phenom II X6 and FX-series, are subject to this modification, since they have hidden cores.

As a rule, 1-2 hidden cores are turned on, and in the case of FHs, quad cores become FX-4300 => FX 6300 six cores, FX 6350 = FX 8320 eight cores, and FX 8350 => FX 9590 5GHz becomes a top processor !!! To do this, enable the UCC Unlocker function in the BIOS.

ENABLE INTEL PROCESSOR CORE

The same thing happens with INTEL processors, with the only difference that the L3 cache is often also enabled on lower processors. To activate, you need to update the BIOS to the unlocked Unlock intel BIOS and enable the corresponding checkbox.

CPU overclocking Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 without "K" multiplier

Alternative BIOS allows overclocking all Intel processors

Everyone also knows that Intel processors with an unlocked K multiplier are absolutely no different from those without a multiplier, except for an overpriced. However, they can be overclocked with the bus by increasing the base FSB from 100 MHz up to 200 MHz (i.e. 2 times!), Or open the multiplier by updating the BIOS with the same Unlock intel BIOS

INCREASE HDD CAPACITY

It's no secret that the platters for hard drives are made of STANDARD volume. Then FROM WHERE, you say, are multiples HDD capacity, say 750GB ???

That's right - the manufacturer simply blocks the volume on one or several plates hard disk, which you can and MUST unlock!

To unlock we need Acronis program.

1.) You should first change the type from MBR => GPT in the disk settings and make it dynamic so that hidden areas can be freely addressed operating system.

2.) You need to demagnetize your hard drive with a powerful magnet to erase the factory lock code.

3.) Using the Acronis utility, select any desired HDD size.

DISCONNECTING HDD BITBLOCKS

It's always nice to programmatically fix the hard drive

The same manipulation, only in reverse order, should be performed to block the broken areas. In this case, even a sprinkled hard drive will work like a new one. That being said, remember that it is easy to recover any lost data on the HDD, as it is always backed up to hidden factory partitions. To do this, again, you just need to enable them as described in the chapter above.

ENABLE ALL SHADERS ON THE RADEON VIDEO CARD

R9 290X unlocked from a simple Radeon HD 7730 1Gb

Radeon and GeForce graphics cards, among other things, differ in that Nvidia is not lazy for each new graphics card to make a separate chip, but AMD usually simply turns off some of the shader units of older video cards to make the younger ones. Judge for yourself, video cards such as the Radeon HD 5850 and 5870 have the same chip, and the shaders are 1440 and 1600, respectively. The same goes for the R9 280-280X, etc.

To enable all Radeon shaders, you need to install a GeForce driver on it in safe mode as a standard VGA device (reboot by pressing F8).

Unlocking significantly increases the speed

ENABLE ALL CUDA Cores NVIDIA VIDEO CARD

Here it will be more difficult ... It is necessary to close the jumpers on the VGA port with penny resistors as shown in the figure.

This manipulation includes all blocks of GeForce graphics cards

The resistor parameters do not matter. This method also makes professional TESLA series out of all video cards, and also fights artifacts.

INCREASE IN POWER SUPPLY POWER

High voltage can KILL! Don't do this))

Almost all chinese blocks power supplies differ only in the size of the cooling radiators. Therefore, it is enough to simply open the lid and install another fan on the power supply unit, and you can even hang the SLI GeForce 780Ti or lower-end video cards unlocked before it on a 400W power supply unit.

Do not forget that the article was written exclusively as an April Fool's joke 🙂 and we are not chasing the ball. It should be noted that in skillful hands, some things really do succeed. But there is much more benefit if you correctly configure the configuration and select the components specifically for your task.

Spring mood for you!

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Increase the performance of AMD processors by unlocking cores

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. This is a technology called “unlocking the cores of AMD processors”. This technology increases 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, for the successful implementation of this operation, you only need a little knowledge of the BIOS options, and, by the way, a little luck.

The principle of the method

First of all, let's try to understand the question of why AMD needed to “hide” the processor cores from the user at all. The fact is that each processor manufacturer within a certain line has several models that differ both in price and in capabilities. Naturally, cheaper processor models have fewer cores than 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 easier - they simply turn off unnecessary processor cores.

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

It should be said 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 specific 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's unlockable processors are from the Athlon, Phenom and Sempron lines. Usually unlocking is possible for cores # 3 and 4 out of four available cores. In some cases, you can unlock the second core in a dual-core processor, and in some cases, 5 and 6 cores in a quad-core processor.

Features of unlocking various series of processors

Here are some examples of AMD unlockable series of processors and their specific features. this process:

• Athlon X2 5000+ - cores # 3 and 4 (individual copies)
• Athlon II X3 4xx series (Deneb / Rana type core) - core # 4 and cache memory
• Athlon II X3 series 4xx (Propus-type core) - core # 4
• Athlon II X4 6xx series (Deneb / Rana core) - only L3 cache
• Phenom II X2 5xx series - cores # 3 and 4
• Phenom II X3 7xx series - core # 4
• Phenom II X4 8xx Series - Only 2MB of L3 cache can be unlocked
• Phenom II X4 650T, 840T, 960T and 970 Black Edition - cores # 5 and 6 (individual copies)
• Sempron 140/145 - core # 2

Which chipsets support unlocking processor cores?

It should be noted that not all motherboards support the ability to unlock AMD processor cores. You can only unlock kernels if your BIOS supports Advanced technology 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 southbridge 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 type:

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

Unblocking technique

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

In the case of motherboards from certain manufacturers, some additional steps may also be required. On ASUS motherboards, 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's 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 such as CPU-Z. However, even if you make sure 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 thoroughly test all processor parameters. Also, the failure of the unlocking process may be indicated by malfunctions in the computer, and sometimes 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 described how to carry out this process in a separate article).

In the event of a malfunction of the new cores, the user can disable them at any time using the BIOS options. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the operation of unlocking processor cores only works at the BIOS level, and not at the level of the processors themselves. In the event that you put a processor with unlocked cores on another motherboard, they will still be locked.

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

Introduction

History has to repeat itself often: manufacturer X, known for its flagship product Y, recently launched a mid-range product Z, which is built on a silicon crystal that for some reason falls short of Y. But instead of throwing out the crystal, X disconnects from him a certain part, and then sells it as Z - at a lower price.

As a rule, in most cases (but we do not know how large this majority is), this is because the kernel does indeed have a defect. But sometimes a manufacturer just needs to release processors of a certain price level, which are not enough. ATI Radeon HD 4830, nVidia GeForce GTX 260, AMD Phenom II X3 700 and 800 lines are all examples of products based on more expensive components.

AMD Phenom II

For testing purposes, we bought a retail version of the X3 processor. Click on the picture to enlarge.

A couple of months ago from Korea information came, which said that you can simply unlock the fourth core on the Phenom II X3 processor by enabling the Advanced Clock Calibration function on some motherboards, which turns the Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition for $ 135 (from 6 thousand rubles in Russia) into the Phenom II processor X4 920 (Black Edition) for $ 190 (from 6.9 thousand rubles in Russia) by changing the option in the BIOS. For now, we will bypass the question of whether it is worth saving in order to get potentially not stable system.

Do you remember from our Phenom II market entry article AMD said that ACC technology does not change anything technically in the Phenom II, since it is already integrated into the Phenom II. The very same ACC technology allowed the Phenom to reach higher frequencies after overclocking. Now this function Southbridge SB750 appears to have impacted the Phenom II in a different way.

How it all works remains a mystery to us. Two motherboard makers, ASRock and Biostar, have said they support the ability to unlock X3 processors, but neither company has clarified how this happens. To be honest, this is unlikely to be due to any trick on the part of companies, and something like this is probably happening: ACC can change the process of checking the CPU for errors, increasing error resistance and reducing the chance of failure under certain conditions. In this case, the increased robustness of the ACC made it possible to "revive" the disconnected silicon section.

We also bought a retail version of the X4 processor. Click on the picture to enlarge.

Biostar's product manager said that any board with an SB750 southbridge could have the same unlocking effect. ASRock has confirmed this and provided us with its own test data on a certain amount processors, where there is a fairly even distribution of chips that are unlocked and work stably; chips that are unlocked, but are unstable; chips that are not unlocked at all.

And here's what's interesting. AMD says the hype around the ACC / Phenom II X3 has boosted sales for a product line we didn't think was in demand. After all, after the first release of X3, many applications simply didn't know what to do with the three cores. And the company says it has no plans to stop enthusiasts from unlocking the fourth X3 core by enabling ACC on the SB750.

But one motherboard manufacturer told us that AMD plans to end ACC support in the SB750 southbridge this month. Another vendor said AMD is pressuring it to update the onboard ACC controller firmware and publish an "updated" BIOS. And if the first is an assumption, then the second seems to be true. Really, free cheese only happens in a mousetrap. Proof? Below.

Kernels and cache

It looks like the X3s aren't the only models that can do more. AMD chips from the Phenom II X4 800 line (those with 4 MB of L3 cache instead of the full 6 MB) can also be unlocked using the ACC trick, although the benefit seems questionable in this case. The Phenom II X4 810 processor cost $ 167 on Newegg.com (6.8 thousand rubles in Russia) at the time of publication of the article. Phenom II X4 920 powered by 200 MHz faster, cost $ 189 (6.9 thousand rubles in Russia). Of course, the 810 belongs to the Socket AM3 generation, and the 900 line belongs to this moment is limited to AM2 +, but AMD will update the Socket AM3 line with top models in the near future, so it hardly makes sense to limit yourself to AM2 + today, especially if you plan to switch to DDR3 in the future.

Click on the picture to enlarge.

But let's get down to the real hardware and see if we can get a stable system after unlocking less expensive processors. Of course, it hardly has to be repeated once again that even with regular clock frequencies here we have the same consequences as after overclocking. That is, no one will provide technical support. this step if you don't count the community of enthusiasts.

Not all motherboards are compatible

First, we decided to choose a Socket AM3 platform suitable for testing. We already knew that ASRock and Biostar are the two manufacturers who initially supported this idea. And in our Club of Experts, readers asked to conduct similar tests.

We started with Asus benchmarks M4A79T Deluxe, which, judging by other sites, must work. But nothing happened. With ACC disabled, the board worked well. As soon as this feature was turned on, our Phenom II X3 720 (which we knew was successfully unlocked) began to constantly issue " blue screen“We were using the latest BIOS from Asus, so we went with a different motherboard with an older BIOS.

The next was the Gigabyte MA790XT-UD4P motherboard. We received this board with BIOS F2 dated January 16, 2009. However, this did not help to unlock our "successful" Phenom II X3. On March 10, Gigabyte released BIOS F2B, which was supposed to update the ACC code for the Phenom X3 processors. We updated the BIOS to the latest F3, but that didn't help either.

We contacted Gigabyte to find out what is meant by "ACC code update". According to the company, all manufacturers developing new BIOS with the latest AMD microcode must disable the kernel / cache unlock feature, which at least explains why ASUS and Gigabyte motherboards with the latest BIOS have refused to cooperate with us. Why not use old microcode? Latest version The microcode fixes many other issues, including, for example, the accidental reboot issue. From the point of view of the motherboard manufacturer, the release of more stable version BIOS is still preferable to leaving the unsupported and potentially problematic hack feature. In general, if you want to keep your hacked Phenom II, then you need to stick to BIOS version before correction.

The ASRock M3A790GXH / 128M is the only board in our lab that was still able to unlock all Phenoms. Click on the picture to enlarge.

Finally, we took a board that should be guaranteed to work: ASRock M3A790GXH / 128M. Oddly enough, even with the ACC function set to Auto, the board included the fourth Phenom II X3 720 core for Windows. ASRock has released only one BIOS version for this motherboard - the original. Perhaps after a while there will be a BIOS update and the board will lose its unlock functions?

ASRock told us that the company is in no rush to include the latest microcode fixes. If AMD releases new processors or fixes bugs that it deems critical for a microcode update, then the consumer will be presented with two BIOS versions, and enthusiasts will be able to choose one or the other.

And not all processors either

In the end, we tested three Phenom II X4 810 processors and three Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition processors. One processor each was received from AMD as samples. We got one processor each from ASRock - these were guaranteed unlock models, which we used to test if we could unlock processors on other motherboards. Finally, we bought the last pair from Newegg to get an idea of ​​the unlocking capabilities of retail processor versions.

Of course, we have successfully unlocked the two ASRock processors. AMD's Phenom II X4 810 is working as well. But we couldn't unlock the Phenom II X3 720 BE from AMD. The Phenom II X4 810 purchased from Newegg has been successfully unlocked. The Phenom II X3 720 failed.

For processors that we were able to unlock normally, the ACC function was set to "Auto" in Motherboard BIOS ASRock boards. The X3 720 sample we sent to ASRock passed all our tests perfectly at this setting, showing the performance advantage of enabling the fourth core. We then ran the Prime95 benchmark to test the stability. After just a few minutes, the platform froze, and after a reset it started reporting only three cores - even with the ACC function enabled.

We have already read about this behavior when unlocking the processor "does not take root". Fortunately, this allowed us to find a way to get the unlock back, even if it fails, back.

Unlocked X3 720, ACC On.

Normal X3 720, ACC off.

We started to move the ACC setting to other modes besides "Auto", using the "All Cores" option for all cores. By changing it in 2% increments, we were able to bring the fourth core back at -6%. And while the system was previously unable to pass the Prime95 test at all, in this case it worked normally for an hour without errors before we turned off the computer. It looks like a more aggressive ACC setting can stabilize the unlocking of the fourth core.

However, ACC does not work miracles. On two of our Phenom II X3 720s, on which the core was not unlocked even in the "Auto" position, we changed the ACC setting from + 12% to -12%, and we still did not find any signs of a fourth core.

Unlocked X4 810, ACC included.

Normal X4 810, ACC off.

Processor Results

CPU	Model number #	Week and stepping	Unlocking capability
Phenom II X4 810 from AMD	HDX810WFK4FGI	0849 CPBW	Yes
Phenom II X4 810 by ASRock	HDX810WFK4FGI	0848 DPM	Yes
Phenom II X4 810 by Newegg	HDX810WFK4FGI	0903 CPAW	Yes
Phenom II X3 720 from AMD	HDZ720WFK3DGI	0849 CPMW	No
Phenom II X3 720 by ASRock	HDZ720WFK3DGI	0849 CPMW	Yes
Phenom II X3 720 by Newegg	HDZ720WFK3DGI	0904 EPMW	No

The results look best for the AMD Phenom II X4 810, regardless of when this processor was produced or what stepping it may have. In all three cases, we were able to unlock and add 2MB L3 cache on the ASRock motherboard.

Convert Athlon II X3 425 to full Phenom II X4 925 with short instructions to unlock

There have always been such 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 scraps from top-end products. It happens that with a successful combination of circumstances, you can make a flagship processor from a budget processor.

The employees of the PCShop Group computer store carried out an interesting experiment-study on unlocking a three-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 for the production of its processors: a four-core Deneb from it by cutting the L3 cache get Propus and a dual-core Regor. Athlon II X3 4XX processors can be both on the Deneb crystal (the version for Athlon II X3 4XX is called Rana) and on the Propus core.

CoreDeneb

Propus core

In other words, with some luck, you can get a cut from a Deneb crystal (Phenom II). And it's always possible to get a physically clipped Propus that just doesn't have L3 cache. AMD makes no warranty of any kind as to the performance of an unlocked cache or core. You buy exactly the model and with the characteristics that are printed on the box or processor cover.

At the disposal of the PCShop Group were Athlon II X3 425 processors on the most "correct" crystal - Deneb, which made it possible to unlock 6 MB of L3 cache 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, KB
Cache memory capacity L3, MB
Process technology, nm

Of course, you can find fault with the fact that the frequency does not match. But here it’s like in the popular saying about a gift horse. Although, we will return to the frequency later and show that it is possible to get a more efficient processor from the Athlon II X3 425 even than the Phenom II X4 965 BOX Black Edition (3400 MHz). Besides unlocking, overclocking has always been an effective method of increasing performance. The newly minted Phenom II X4 B25 (Athlon II X3 425) was overclocked to a stable frequency of 3600 MHz (33% overclocking). Thus, the Athlon II X3 425 processor has become equal in speed to the yet unrepresented Phenom II X4 975 (3600 MHz).

Recall that to unlock the processor, at least you must have a motherboard based on the south bridge SB710 or SB750. You can also use some models of motherboards based on NVIDIA system logic to unlock, which 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 the value to “Auto”. Save BIOS settings and restart your PC.

Then, in the same Advanced Clock Calibration section, 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 unit - Seasonic S12D-850.

It is significant that the performance gain from unlocking the Athlon II X3 425 in the 3DMark06 test was 25% and is practically equal to the Phenom II X4 925. The overclocked and unlocked Athlon II X3 425 shows excellent speed, which will become available for ordinary users only after the release of the Phenom processor II X4 975. Also noteworthy are the results of the SuperPi 1M tests, for which the amount of cache memory is important. In it, the unlocked and overclocked Athlon II X3 425 with 6 MB of L3 cache went beyond 20 seconds!

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

PCShop Group

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If you have a computer equipped with a modern processor manufactured by AMD, then this means that you have a chance to significantly increase the performance of your PC without spending a penny on this purpose. This is a technology called “unlocking the cores of AMD processors”. This technology increases 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, for the successful implementation of this operation, you only need a little knowledge of the BIOS options, and, by the way, 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 at all. The fact is that each processor manufacturer within a certain line has several models that differ both in price and in capabilities. Naturally, cheaper processor models have fewer cores than 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 easier - they simply turn off unnecessary processor cores.

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

It should be said 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 specific 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's unlockable processors are from the Athlon, Phenom and Sempron lines. Usually unlocking is possible for cores # 3 and 4 out of four available cores. In some cases, you can unlock the second core in a dual-core processor, and in some cases, 5 and 6 cores in a quad-core processor.

Features of unlocking various series of processors

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

• Athlon X2 5000+ - cores # 3 and 4 (individual copies)
• Athlon II X3 4xx series (Deneb / Rana type core) - core # 4 and cache memory
• Athlon II X3 series 4xx (Propus-type core) - core # 4
• Athlon II X4 6xx series (Deneb / Rana core) - only L3 cache
• Phenom II X2 5xx series - cores # 3 and 4
• Phenom II X3 7xx series - core # 4
• Phenom II X4 8xx Series - Only 2MB of L3 cache can be unlocked
• Phenom II X4 650T, 840T, 960T and 970 Black Edition - cores # 5 and 6 (individual copies)
• Sempron 140/145 - core # 2

Which chipsets support unlocking processor cores?

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

• SB810
• SB850
• SB950

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

Unblocking technique

To unlock the cores, the user needs to access the BIOS tools. If the motherboard supports ACC technology, in most cases it is enough to find the Advanced Clock Calibration parameter in the BIOS and set it to Auto.

In the case of motherboards from certain manufacturers, some additional steps may also be required. On ASUS motherboards, 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's 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 such as CPU-Z. However, even if you make sure 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 thoroughly test all processor parameters. Also, the failure of the unlocking process may be indicated by malfunctions in the computer, and sometimes 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 described how to carry out this process in a separate article).

In the event of a malfunction of the new cores, the user can disable them at any time using the BIOS options. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the operation of unlocking processor cores only works at the BIOS level, and not at the level of the processors themselves. In the event that you put a processor with unlocked cores on another motherboard, they will still be locked.

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

The article will discuss the possibility of including the third and fourth cores, and also the practical results of such an action will be given - that is, tests. After all, it is very tempting to get a platform with a top-end processor for a hundred dollars.

Regarding, but one of the main consequences of AMD's "poverty" is RATIONAL use of the crystal area.

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

So - the processor is made, but the marriage is still present from time to time even in a rich intel (fresh news - ). So AMD, for example, has suspicions that one core is not working. It is simply blocked and you buy some kind of three or even dual-core processor AMD Phenom II 560 X2 Socket AM3 3.3GHz 7MB 80W box or Athlon II X3 445. But physically - it is FOUR-CORE!

How do I unlock / enable AMD processor cores?

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

Do not forget that the cores for Athlones and Phenomas are blocked for a reason and they can be malfunctioning. Next, you MUST test ALL processor cores for stability, for example, as described in the article.

PRACTICE

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

This is how the processor looked BEFORE unlocking:

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

Now we turn on the fourth core ...

Disappointment awaited. The very first test revealed the inoperability of the included kernel. It was functioning, but under load it failed. Looking closely at the picture, you will also see artifacts of the desktop image. But another thing 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 kernel was turned on, but also the extra 6MB of L3 cache.

I decided not to give up and go all the way. Through trial and error, it was revealed that the PHYSICALLY malfunctioning locked core is the second in a row. What if the L3 cache is perfectly functional? To verify this assertion, the processor was unlocked again, but the second core was disabled from the application manager.

We are passing the test ...

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

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

There is still a fly in the ointment in all this. Even in spite of the fact that the cache and cores are inactive, such processors still have a large die size and noticeably heat up. Consider this.

WHICH PROCESSORS ARE SUITABLE FOR UNLOCKING?

Three-core Athlones and two-three-core Athlon-II-X3 and Phenom-II-X2-3 are suitable. There is also a rumor that some quad-core models are unlocked into six-cores, but there is no such experience yet. Then look for the Phenomes on the Thuban core and it is quite possible that you will be lucky.

OUTPUT
In general, in this case, I was not lucky, because I could get a 100% working copy. In that case, I would get a $ 150 quad-core Phenom II X4 out of a $ 65 processor. Agree - this lottery is worth it. And it is especially pleasing that even penny motherboards can do this.