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Out of touch with CPU's, cheap AM3? Unlocking cores/L3 cache?

LeperousDust

LeperousDust

LeperousDust

Soldato
Joined
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Have some lovely components here new/2nd hand waiting to go into an old case and make a server/HTPC combo.

So looking at the AM3 stuff around now days, and i notice that there are a lot talks about unlocking, i was initially going for a Phenom II 555BE and hope it unlocks cores.

But upon further inspection some Athlon II's unlock cores as well as L3 cache?

So before i jump into something now, and save me painful research (i've tried but there's so much misinformation and speculation out there i'm lost) i'd rather ask you guys :)

I'm after the cheapest best value for money decent processor, would like something that would obviously unlock whatever available, so what are my options?

Seen the AMD Athlon II X2 255 for under £45 (seems decent) what would this unlock equiv. to? Or is this silly and should i spend £20 extra on a Penom II 555BE?

This being a generic media PC/server is it really necessary?

Specs Currently:
Asus M4A89GTD
4GB Corsair XM3 1600 stuff
CPU - ??
Silverstone ST50F PSU
Fake stacker case

Cheers!
 
My knowledge of unlocking AMD cpus is nil. However what I do know is. If it's purely for media playback then the cpu will have little to do provided you put a decent graphics card in that will allow the processing to be off loaded to that.

I presume you will be anyway if your hooking it up to a TV via HDMI?
 
Well funny that because actually where it'll be based right now there is only and SDTV with Component input, so i've got to cross that bridge later. More importantly it'll house all my films/music as a backup server, but will also connect to nearby SDTV to play things easy. It'll be using the integrated graphics at best right now for cost noise and power reasons. But i'm not too sure how that means i'll go about connecting it... Although i do hopefully have an old school PCI ATI card lying around that may have S-video out (a dying ok dead format!) which should help!
 
Ok i think i'm either getting the Phenom 555BE for £65
or for the (i think equivalent or more if unlocked) £55 i could get the Athlon X3 is this true?
 
For purely media playback/home server uses I'd look at the lower power AMD AM3 Dual CPUs such as the "AMD Athlon II X2 245e Energy Efficient Dual Core CPU." OcUK don't stock any of these unfortunately though but can be ordered from other retailers.

My HTPC runs of an Athlon II X2 240 and is perfectly fine for 1080p video/Blu Ray. As Buchanan mentioned, it's worth picking up a basic card such as the Radeon HD5450 to help with playback to reduce stuttering for example on HD video/Blu Ray.

As for unlocking, IIRC the dual core "regors" don't unlock. We also have an Athlon II X3 (445) which did unlock the forth core (wasn't stable though) but didn't unlock the L3 Cache.

Other idea would be to sell your AM3 board and buy an AMD Zacate board (£90-100), has onboard video (on the APU) which will negate the need for a discrete graphics card and is very power efficient so ideal for a server, yet will handle 1080p video fine. If it'll be used for other tasks then not so good.
 
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I presume you know this.... If you connect via S-Video (yellow cable) You will also need to connect a seperate lead for the sound, which those old graphics cards don't have. You would need to hook up a pair of PC speakers for the audio.

S-Video looks crap on a SDTV from a PC. I used it for a long time before I got an HD telly, 4 years ago.

I take it you wont be requiring the playback of 1080p or will this be coming in the future. If not, you wont have to worry much regarding gpu or cpu as pretty much anything can play standard 640x480 video files.
 
Right well i'm not spending more money than I need to for starters :p

For media playback the onboard graphics on this board i'm almost certain will suffice. As for S-Video looking crap, I m of course well aware of this, but the TV in that room dictates the need i guess. I'm also from an age when video inputs never carried sounds :p The TV has a 3.5mm line in, which will be run from the on board sound :)

These aren't the questions i need answering anyway! I'm fine with all that, my problem was i haven't paid an inkling of attention to developments since about 2008! I know what will fit and what won't simple research dictates that and roughly whats decent and cheap (wow even bit-tech has some decent lists of whats budget decent now days!), but what i wasn't sure about was what cheap CPU to buy that will do my needs (tbh a semperon would do) but with the possibility of unlocking.

The more i look into this the more it seems sensible to buy Phenom x2 555BE which is only £10 more than an Athlon X3 (which is also a good choice!). The way I see it, 2 cores are enough, loads of cache, decent processor, added bonus of something special. Sound right? Shadow_boxer and Jony27 have hit on this too :)
 
AIIX2s don't unlock.

Sempron unlocks to regor.
Phenom IIs can unlock to 3 or 4 cores and sometimes L3 cache.
Very rarely Athlon II X4s can unlock L3 cache, but you'd have to search long and hard to find one of those chips these days.

;)
 
Thank you, that's the kind of informed reply i wanted, i've read everything unlocks, but i wasn't sure how relevant everything still is months on! You've squared my sights at Phenom X2 555BE :)

Next question: do i want to buy from a retailer with loads of stock (so maybe slighter older CPU) or another on Pre-Order right now (assuming these will be fresh from the factory?

Logic dictates to me i'd probably want newer refined manufacturing CPU, but theres a point where AMD must start also get more efficient at possibly disabling, no?
 
LeperousDust said:
Right well i'm not spending more money than I need to for starters :p

For media playback the onboard graphics on this board i'm almost certain will suffice. As for S-Video looking crap, I m of course well aware of this, but the TV in that room dictates the need i guess. I'm also from an age when video inputs never carried sounds :p The TV has a 3.5mm line in, which will be run from the on board sound :)

These aren't the questions i need answering anyway! I'm fine with all that, my problem was i haven't paid an inkling of attention to developments since about 2008! I know what will fit and what won't simple research dictates that and roughly whats decent and cheap (wow even bit-tech has some decent lists of whats budget decent now days!), but what i wasn't sure about was what cheap CPU to buy that will do my needs (tbh a semperon would do) but with the possibility of unlocking.

The more i look into this the more it seems sensible to buy Phenom x2 555BE which is only £10 more than an Athlon X3 (which is also a good choice!). The way I see it, 2 cores are enough, loads of cache, decent processor, added bonus of something special. Sound right? Shadow_boxer and Jony27 have hit on this too :)
Click to expand...

Fair enough. I was just making sure you knew that. I have no idea of your technical knowledge, just like to make sure you weren't going to be surprised by anything. Sorry if I offended.
 
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