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Just been perusing the web and discovered that it looks like AMD has decided to start locking the multiplier on the new Barton's, making it much harder to overclock. Just thought I'd give everyone a heads up, if you're thinking about getting a barton, get it now!
PS - If you've gotten a locked barton, can you please let us know. Give us the week it was produced if possible. Thanks!
Why the mad face?
Surely its upto them if they want to lock there chips then thats upto them, INtel have been doing it for years...
Theres ways around it anyways so I dont see the problem....
my advice is to goto a SMALL local shop, sole trader type ones, any small ones like that would be helpfull in finding a good one (if you know a good week and good stepping)
there prices may be a bit higher than on the net though.. you get what you pay for.. (unless you goto pc world :P)
I dont know why some people are ungreatful, I saw an article on the HardOCP forums where someone was moaning because he got a 'superlocked' 2500+ Barton which even the NF7-S 5bit-fid could not unlock.
He could only clock it to XP 3200+ speeds... (upping the FSB to 200)
What do some people want from a £70 cpu that plays like a £250 cpu?
Sorry for ranting.... :(
Give it a few weeks, then there will be a method no doubt :)
The mad face probably isn't the right face, maybe an irritated face would be better. I realize it's within there right to lock the chips, it's just irritating because it effects the overclock we are able to get, and while I'm sure that ways will be found around it, it's still irritating.
Gotta look at it from there perspective, I helps stop people remarking cpus as has been going off latly, and do you think they want to sell you a £70 chip that will clock to over the speeds of there top of the line chip, nah they would much prefer you to get a 3200+
Hehe.. I can see from both points of view..
I can see why people would be disappointed by the news if they were *just* about to get an XP2500+. Now they will need to act fast, and make sure they get the "right" one.
But of course, from AMD points of view.. Its pretty much as Platinum said.
lol, I'm sure its more irritating for AMD not to sell many XP3200's cos everyones going out and buying lower chips and then clocking them up ;)Quote:
Originally posted by Spritzup
The mad face probably isn't the right face, maybe an irritated face would be better. I realize it's within there right to lock the chips, it's just irritating because it effects the overclock we are able to get, and while I'm sure that ways will be found around it, it's still irritating.
;) Discussed previously ...
http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.p...5&pagenumber=1
:( If AMD hadn't left the TbredB and Barton unlocked they would have had a much harder time selling their wares. They locked the Pally XPs (very first XPs) but at that point Intel were expensive and a poor choice. One thing that's kept AMD the current choice is that having an unlocked CPU takes away almost all of the guess work when o/c'ing. Locking the chips will NOT stop remarkers as they can simply use 400FSB ... it really hurts the (loyal?) AMD users who simply wanted to get a bit more life out of their SktA mobo esp if limited by FSB/RAM. AMD are dumba$$es if they think this will stop remarkers. Most o/c'ing enthusiasts will never buy the top chips anyway, there's no point ... it's certainly fruitless to say all those TbredB or XP2500+ buyers would have bought a more pricey chip if it was locked.Quote:
Originally posted by Austin
;) Looking around here's an update.
:( If you get a Barton based CPU dated week 40 or above you almost certainly are locked. Some 39 could be too and ALL 43+ are locked. The date is written on the CPU in the form '0334' meaning year=03 (2003) and week of the year = 34 (week starting 18th August). There is no visual difference between these new locked and the previously unlocked CPUs. Wire/pin trick does NOT work. It seems there is no current flowing between the pins on L1 so is it possible to cut down to them in order to connect? Tbreds will almost certainly be indirectly affected as it seems AMD plan to make all their 256k L2 CPUs (previously Tbred) Thortons (Bartons with half the L2 cache). Thortons are commonly XP2000+, 2200+ and 2400+ but I will follow up on that tomorrow. If you want a CPU you may have to choose wisely, eg. the 11x multiplier of XP2500+ and XP1700+ are most likely best for those with 400FSB capable mobos and RAM. Having locked PCI/AGP (most nForce2) is likely to be VERY important. If AMD are trying to push people to AMD-64 they may find more people going to Intel esp since AMD haven't released the all important Skt939 yet! I know it's mostly an attempt to stop remarkers ... but hey!
Hello Intel ... HT is nice, Dual Channel is worth it, 800FSB stock is nice too ... and if I have to guess about o/c's (through not having an unlocked CPU) I think I may jump ship!
"Well, as a result of all the fake-CPUs I'm guessing, the AMD Thorton core XP processor has now hit the UK. This CPU is the direct replacement for Thoroughbred core processors at 2000+, 2200+ & 2400+ speeds.
These processors are basically Barton core CPUs that have had their cache halved, effectively making them a Thoroughbred equivalent again.
There are unlocking methods out there to convert these CPUs back into fully-fledged bartons, but there is a downside.
Apparently all of these new Thorton cores will be multiplier locked.
I'm currently scavenging the net to find all the relevant info and guides, and as soon as we suss out the method the processors will be available manually unlocked in the good old tradition of O-CuK...
Stepping code for the thortons is as follows:
AXDC (AXDC denotes Thorton, AXDA denotes Thoroughbred)
Currently our 2400+ processors are Thortons, with a stepping as follows:
AXDC2400DKV3C xxxxxxxxxxxxx
AQZEA 0339VPMW
ALL PROCESSORS (including Thoroughbred, Barton, and Thorton) from Wk39 onwards are multi-locked."
©Over-Clock UK 2001 - 2003. All Rights Reserved. All Trademarks Acknowledged.
if mods feel it's better to just link to the forum thread then tell me.
Here
I find it hard to believe there loyal to anyone, all they wanna do is buy cheap hardware and get the most out of it...Quote:
Originally posted by Austin
it really hurts the (loyal?) AMD users
AMD have no reason to be loyal to these end users, there a buisiness and out there to make money....
;) A good way to make money is to keep users happy. If they had never unlocked TbredB & Barton there would not be a problem but people got used to it and many decided on AMD's SktA for they great flexibility unlocked CPUs offered (not exclusively of course). There's plenty of ways of looking at it and it was very good while it lasted, but IMHO it is a bad move as it does little more than pee off (and put off) consumers ... it does not stop people remarking nor even o/c'ing their CPUs.
Maybe another reason there doing it is to get more of a serious reputation, AMD you gotta admit do have more of an "enthusiast" rep than intel, maybe they want to be taken more seriously...