AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Triple-Core Black Processor unlock 4th core question

[soarwitheagles]

Happy New Year to all!

Ok, found a good deal on a AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor.  Now I am thinking about unlocking the 4th core [many, many people have experienced tremendous success in unlocking the 4th core on this chip].

Has anyone here had any experience with this CPU before?

Can anyone give me some tips on how to unlock it?

It's me,

Soar

[DarkstaR]

Hello, i've just changed for 3 weeks my 720BE for this wonderful 960T and at the time i've succeeded in unlocking the 4th core with my actual mainboard thanks to the ACC function set to "auto mode" ec firmware update, restart and successfull result !! However when enabled, the cpu internal thermal diodes ares cut off and state at "0" so coretemp software cannot read them and i was just obliged to use hwmonitor or gigabyte easytune in order to check cpu temperature which use mainboard socket thermal diode 

[soarwitheagles]

Hello, i've just changed for 3 weeks my 720BE for this wonderful 960T and at the time i've succeeded in unlocking the 4th core with my actual mainboard thanks to the ACC function set to "auto mode" ec firmware update, restart and successfull result !! However when enabled, the cpu internal thermal diodes ares cut off and state at "0" so coretemp software cannot read them and i was just obliged to use hwmonitor or gigabyte easytune in order to check cpu temperature which use mainboard socket thermal diode  

DarkStar,

Ok, thank you for your post.  So you are saying you were able to unlock the 4th core, but not read the temps by normal means?

Did the Phenom II X3 720 work ok with the 4th core unlocked?

And finally, how do you like the 960t?

Merci beaucoup,

Soar

[DarkstaR]

Thanks for your french sentence guy 
When letting my ex-720 on 3cores based i've succeeded in o/cing at 15x230 @ 1,40v cool and quiet enabled and with the 4 cores configuration it was only 14,5x200 @ 1,45v  but stable of course !
It is due of its stepping (0909) as i've got one friend who has got a x2 550 step 0951 and is able to unlock it (4 cores) at about 3,7ghz @ 1,45v..
In conclusion the more recent the step is the best the results are and as phenoms II x2 550/555/560/565 are gone out after x3 cores their results will be better even though they only are 2 cores chip based 

[soarwitheagles]

Darkstar,

Ok, thank you for the great advice and information.  I will give it a try!

J'apprécie votre aide.

Ont une merveilleuse journée!

Soar

[DarkstaR]

Hi Soar,

your french is pretty good (certainly better than my english, Lol  )
This famous x3 720Be has rejoined my girlfriend's rig k9n2 sli plat. from MSI: chip Nforce750a sli which won't be able to unlock the 4th core of it as Acc feature isn't present in Nvidia chips... And about my new 960T i'm really satisfied about it as its chip is based on the last thuban core (better than deneb c3 core --> 955/965/970/975...) and its code name chip is "zosma" as it has 2 desactivated cores...i've been able to reactivate the 5th core thanks to the ACC function of my mb 
Only 30-35% of success for transforming it to an hexacore according to the last stats...and as you see i'm not within 
When letting my 960T at 4 cores i've o/ced it at 20x200 @ 1,525v
When unlocking the 5th core i've o/ced it at 17x225 @ 1,525v
When trying automatically or manually to unlock the 6th core --> crash when loadind win7-64 

[soarwitheagles]

Darkstar,

Well, I admire your effort and the persistence you have put out in your valiant attempts to unlock those extra cores.  I suppose there is a great "luck" factor involved...as in some of the chips have the extra cores working fine right out of the production line, whereas other chips do not have the extra cores working well no matter how much effort one exerts!

Glad to hear you were able to overclock and unlock with some success!

Félicitations!

And thanks again for helping me understand how this works.

Soar

[DarkstaR]

Thank you very much Soar and i do appreciate your gratitude for all my vain efforts to unlock the 6th core  As you said it depends on the core chips no matter how much efforts i've made... 
As you've got a sandy bridge rig i just tell you: why not taking advantage of your 2nd phenom based rig and let's try to overclock it even without unlocking it ? Before mounting your rig have you noticed and written on a piece of paper your phenom II stepping/batch ?
My ex-720 is: caczc 0909 apmw green color  

[soarwitheagles]

Darkstar,

To be 100% honest with you, I never even heard of a Phenom II stepping/batch!

I think you are referring to some of the numbers on the CPU chip itself...

Ok, here are the numbers:

EDIT by Moderator - DM

Oh, and every number/letter is written in black!

Please help me to understand what these numbers refer to.

Thank you,

Soar

PS I think my stepping/batch number is 1139

[DarkstaR]

Yes what you wrote is called the stepping of your cpu but just erase the second line as it is the serial number (only you must know and be aware of it and it is very confidential: AMD guarantee).
I've seen that i've forgotten the two letters "ac" so my batch is: caczc (type of core) ac 0909 (year and month of fabrication) apmw (site of fabrication) green color is the color of the cpu itself (can be also brown) and the metallic part covering the die of the cpu is called ihs (integrated heatsink) and effectively those inscriptions are always written in black 
So it is just odd that your 720 be should be so recent as i've always heard they were manufactured between 0849 till 0935 for the last.... i think that yours is a tray version isn't it ?

[soarwitheagles]

Yes what you wrote is called the stepping of your cpu but just erase the second line as it is the serial number (only you must know and be aware of it and it is very confidential: AMD guarantee).
I've seen that i've forgotten the two letters "ac" so my batch is: caczc (type of core) ac 0909 (year and month of fabrication) apmw (site of fabrication) green color is the color of the cpu itself (can be also brown) and the metallic part covering the die of the cpu is called ihs (integrated heatsink) and effectively those inscriptions are always written in black 
So it is just odd that your 720 be should be so recent as i've always heard they were manufactured between 0849 till 0935 for the last.... i think that yours is a tray version isn't it ?

DS,

I am not sure of the meaning of tray version...is tray version referring to CPU chip only, with no box and no stock AMD CPU cooler?  If this is the meaning, then, yes, this is a tray version. 

Wow, 2011 manufacture date.  That is unusual.  I wonder what AMD is doing!

Ok, hopefully it will unlock and overclock!

Whoops...I did not know I just posted my serial number for the entire universe to read.  Dark Mantis and Absic, is there anyway one of you can help me erase my posted serial number?  This forum has already removed the modify option!

It's me,

Newbie to unlockie and overclockie,

Soar

[DarkstaR]

Argh !! i've seen i've made a mistake it is not month of fabrication/manufacture but week of course...so i was right it is a tray version that's to say not a box version with its heatsink, certificate of guarantee of 3 years versus tray version only one year...tray version often appears to be destinated for oem's market oppositely of the retail market for the box version... but of course it doesn't mean that tray version are less good models !!
It's all the same very odd that Amd have pursuied this old model just for this year as apparently last models which were only retail/box versions were manufactured in 0935... just hope that you will be able to overclock it more than mine... just read for memory the previous posts for the reached frequencies 

[DarkstaR]

By the way someone gave you this cpu ? as i've just seen that you have a 1055t for your AMD rig... this 720 will be only tested or used in a personal configuration ?

[soarwitheagles]

By the way someone gave you this cpu ? as i've just seen that you have a 1055t for your AMD rig... this 720 will be only tested or used in a personal configuration ?

I picked up this 720 new about 4 weeks ago for two reasons:

1. I was given a new free MSI K9N6PGM2-V2 and it has been sitting around and doing nothing for over one year now and I would like to put it to work.  I also found an incredible deal [under $50] on a  BIOSTAR A870U3 motherboard and I needed an inexpensive chip for it.  When I read some of the reviews on this MB, many, many people stated it works wonders for unlocking and overclocking...[shhhhhhh....don't tell Dark Mantis or Absic I mentioned the word "MSI" or "BIOSTAR"]!  So when I saw the deal on this 720, I thought 2+2=4, so I grabbed it immediately.  Now I am not so sure I should have purchased this new 720 because there are really good deals right now on AMD quads as well....

2. I have been wanting to build two new low end/mid level computers...one for my dad and one for a friend and I only needed a good deal on a chip.

So, presently I have the two aforementioned MB's as well as the 990XFA-UD3 that I am reserving for my 1055t upgrade.

I also have a new Athlon II X250 new in the box, doing absolutely nothing...and I would like to put these older components to good use.

Finally, I over purchased on computer cases, computer DDR3 RAM, and GPU's and CPU's, and I would like to throw all of these together and hopefully come out with a nice gift to give to my dad and a friend.

Whew!  Now I am out of breathe and my fingers are tired from typing so much!

Well, DS, have you any recommendations for me?

Soar

EDIT: I just discovered the K9N6PGM2-V2 requires DDR2, not DDR3, and that is ok because I have several of the DDR2's laying around...

[DarkstaR]

Waoww !! You have many-many informatics components !! That's cool...have you friends who work in informatics shops or maybe yourself ? I've a few spare parts but not as numerous as you   At home we have two pc's (my rig) and the one of my wife: Coolermaster centurion 534 + Antec tp3 430w + Abit ip35 + e7500 @ 11x350 + 2x2gb hyperX pc2-8500 + xfx radeon hd 5770 (she plays at resident evil 5/4 doom 3 and virtua tennis 4) and i've got pieces to do a 3rd pc which will be mounted when our son will be aged enough (1 year old now) --> Centurion 534 + corsair vx450w + k9n2 sli plat. + gigabyte radeon hd 4870 + 2x1gb hyperX pc2-8500 + phenom II x2 550BE  
I'm not sure but did you really say that you will change for a 990fx-ud3 whereas you've got now a 870-ud3 with your 1055t ? If right you change your hardware as often you change your clothes !! (joke   )
When your tests and o/c will be finished just tell us about your results (unlocking an reached frequencies)
I've almost forgotten, let's just try to erase your serial number you wrote in the previous post, it should be better for our community