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Thread: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

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    Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    If this is true then it is very interesting:

    http://www.techpowerup.com/86100/Phe...om_II_X4?.html

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    Get in the van. Fraz's Avatar
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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    It would be very dumb to do so - the reason one of the cores is disabled is because IT DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY. It will have been a quad-core chip where there were defects in one of the cores that didn't pass QA, and thus will have had one of the cores disabled. It's called die harvesting - maximise the number of parts you can sell from your die, even if some of them have faults.

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    It does seem too easy, doesn't it? Change a single BIOS setting to "Auto" and it unlocks an extra core? Can whatever magic AMD pumped into SB750 really tell whether a core is usable within a certain tolerance and reenable it if so? There are far too many questions about how this works for me to ever be confident about using it...

    Still, it's not exactly surprising that some X3-binned parts might have only very minor defects that allow the core to run as designed in most circumstances. I suppose AMD will have to X3-bin any part that cannot be guaranteed to work as an X4 in all situations. There must be some flaws that make little to no difference in day-to-day computing...

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    Quote Originally Posted by Fraz View Post
    It would be very dumb to do so - the reason one of the cores is disabled is because IT DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY. It will have been a quad-core chip where there were defects in one of the cores that didn't pass QA, and thus will have had one of the cores disabled. It's called die harvesting - maximise the number of parts you can sell from your die, even if some of them have faults.
    There is the slim possibility that a core could be disabled in order to supply a demand. Ignoring the fact it is unlikely the disabled core is fully functional, the article sound like a fake, I'd expect the chip to be wired so the 4th core doesn't work.

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    Its true and there is also a chance they work like the 9500 mod.

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    Quote Originally Posted by Fraz View Post
    It would be very dumb to do so - the reason one of the cores is disabled is because IT DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY. It will have been a quad-core chip where there were defects in one of the cores that didn't pass QA, and thus will have had one of the cores disabled. It's called die harvesting - maximise the number of parts you can sell from your die, even if some of them have faults.
    Have you ever owned a Geforce 6800?


    edit: Or, damn him, as Meaker said above, a Radeon 9500.

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    Quote Originally Posted by schmunk View Post
    Have you ever owned a Geforce 6800?


    edit: Or, damn him, as Meaker said above, a Radeon 9500.
    I had two 6800LE cards - one unlocked to the same configuration as a 6800 and the other to that of a 6800GT!!

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    It is possible that the yield rates for the x4 is very high in which case they would use perfectly good x4 cores to fill the demand for x3 orders.

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    seen a guy on OC get the forth core working @ 1ghz

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    I have to say I wondered this myself when I heard the X3 was the same as the X4 equivelant just with 1 core disabled. Wouldn't surprise me if it was possible. Still not worth the risk if it fried your mobo...you never know

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    Quote Originally Posted by Nobull View Post
    I have to say I wondered this myself when I heard the X3 was the same as the X4 equivelant just with 1 core disabled. Wouldn't surprise me if it was possible. Still not worth the risk if it fried your mobo...you never know
    The problem is it is a gamble as you will never know the reason the extra core was disabled. It might have been a perfectly good core that was disabled to meet demand for the x3 or it might have been a defective core that was only good for downgrading to x3.

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    Quote Originally Posted by Sputnik View Post
    It is possible that the yield rates for the x4 is very high in which case they would use perfectly good x4 cores to fill the demand for x3 orders.
    It can't be that high though. Otherwise, it would make better sense for them to just make more Quads and sell them cheaper (increasing the bang for buck value).

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    Quote Originally Posted by TooNice View Post
    It can't be that high though. Otherwise, it would make better sense for them to just make more Quads and sell them cheaper (increasing the bang for buck value).
    They wouldn't do that, The triple cores fill a special price bracket, keep the quads prices high and give the quads the exclusivity.

    It's all to do with marketing, market share and making the most of the chips they process.

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    Its also a great way of selling dud quads

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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    Quote Originally Posted by PwnDirect View Post
    Its also a great way of selling dud quads
    Of course! like I said in post #11.

    Reminds me of when people were converting the xp2500+ to xp3200+ (IIRC)

    Personally, I would not buy a x3 with the view of re activating the 4th core but, each to their own I suppose.

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    Folding Flunkie Webby's Avatar
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    Re: Phenom X3 unlockable to X4??

    From what I have read around on this subject it is potentially limited to a single batch from when they were first released. So don't buy an X3 thinking that you are going to be able to open up the other core the likelihood is that you will not be able to. See this article/news item for a bit more detail http://www.techpowerup.com/86200/Mot...ck_Needed.html

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