AMD Phenom II X2 555
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Type:CPU | Manufacturer:AMD |
family:Phenom II X2 | microprocessors:AMD Phenom II X2 555 — HDZ555WFK2DGM / HDZ555WFGMBOX |
Type | CPU / Microprocessor |
Market segment | Desktop |
Family | AMD Phenom II X2 |
Model number | 555 |
CPU part numbers |
|
Stepping codes | AACAC AC CACAC AC CACDC AC |
Frequency | 3200 MHz |
Bus speed | 667 MHz Memory controller One 2000 MHz 16-bit HyperTransport link (4 GT/s) |
Clock multiplier | 16 |
Package | 938-pin organic micro-PGA |
Sockets | Socket AM2+ Socket AM3 |
Fan/heatsink | CMDK8-7G52B-A1-GP |
Introduction date | January 25, 2010 |
End-of-Life date | December 2012 |
Price at introduction | $99 |
Architecture / Microarchitecture | |
Microarchitecture | K10 |
Platform | Dragon |
Processor core | Callisto |
Core stepping | RB-C3 |
CPUID | 100F43 |
Manufacturing process | 0. 045 micron silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology |
Die size | 258mm2 |
Data width | 64 bit |
The number of cores | 2 |
The number of threads | 2 |
Floating Point Unit | Integrated |
Level 1 cache size | 2 x 64 KB 2-way set associative instruction caches 2 x 64 KB 2-way set associative data caches |
Level 2 cache size | 2 x 512 KB 16-way set associative exclusive caches |
Level 3 cache size | Shared 6 MB 48-way set associative cache |
Cache latency | 3 (L1 cache) |
Multiprocessing | Uniprocessor |
Features |
|
Low power features |
|
Integrated peripherals / components | |
Integrated graphics | None |
Memory controller | The number of controllers: 1 Memory channels: 2 Channel width (bits): 72 Supported memory: DDR2-1066, DDR3-1333 DIMMs per channel: up to 2 Maximum memory bandwidth (GB/s): 21.3 |
Other peripherals | HyperTransport 3 technology |
Electrical / Thermal parameters | |
V core | 0.875V — 1.4V |
Maximum operating temperature | 55°C — 70°C |
Thermal Design Power | 80 Watt |
Notes on AMD Phenom II X2 555 | |
|
other microprocessors
AMD Phenom II X2 560 — HDZ560WFK2DGM / HDZ560WFGMBOX |
AMD Phenom II X2 565 — HDZ565WFK2DGM / HDZ565WFGMBOX |
AMD Phenom II X2 570 — HDZ570WFK2DGM / HDZ570WFGMBOX |
AMD Phenom II X2 B53 — HDXB53WFK2DGM |
AMD Phenom II X2 B55 — HDXB55WFK2DGM |
AMD Phenom II X2 B57 — HDXB57WFK2DGM |
AMD Phenom II X2 B59 — HDXB59WFK2DGM |
AMD Phenom II X2 B60 — HDXB60WFK2DGM |
AMD Phenom II X3 700e — HD700EOCK3DGI |
AMD Phenom II X3 705e — HD705EOCK3DGI / HD705EOCGIBOX |
AMD Phenom II X3 710 — HDX710WFK3DGI / HDX710WFGIBOX |
AMD Phenom II X3 715 Black Edition — HDZ715WCJ3DGI |
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Unlocking the Phenom II X2 555: 3.2GHz Quad-Core for $99
by Anand Lal Shimpion January 28, 2010 12:00 AM EST
- Posted in
- CPUs
53 Comments
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53 Comments
IndexMore Detail on the Phenom II X4 910e
Three days before Apple revolutio…wait, that didn’t happen. I kid, I kid.
On Monday AMD updated just about all of its processor families with new chips in response to Clarkdale. We got the Athlon II X2 255, Athlon II X3 440, Phenom II X2 555 BE, Phenom II X4 635 and Phenom II X4 910e. All of the chips are in Bench, so if you want to know how they compare have a look — or check out our review.
There are two things I left out of that review that I felt needed following up on. First, let’s take the Phenom II X2 555 BE.
If you read my take on the 555 you’ll know that I don’t really believe it’s worth the price. Most users will be better off with a Core i3 530. There is just one exception I failed to mention: some Phenom II X2s can be turned into a Phenom II X4.
The technique is nothing new. Using any AMD chipset motherboard with a SB710 or SB750 South Bridge and proper BIOS support you’ll have a feature called Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC). AMD introduced this feature back in 2008 as a way to improve overclocking on Phenom processors by sacrificing some sort of corner case stability for real world frequency headroom.
The Phenom II X2 is nothing more than a Phenom II X4 with two cores disabled. Originally these cores were disabled because of low yields, but over time yields on quad-core Phenom IIs should be high enough to negate the need for a Phenom II X2. This is most likely why AMD removed the Phenom II X2 from its official price list. It’s also why the stranger Phenom II derivatives are also absent from AMD’s price list. All that’s left are Phenom II X4s pretty much.
A Phenom II X4 900 series die: 258mm2, 4-cores and a 6MB L3 cache. Also the basis for the Phenom II X2.
And herein lies the problem for companies that rely on die harvesting for their product line. Initially, the Phenom II X2 is a great way of using defective Phenom II X4 die. Once yields improve however, you’ve now created a market for these Phenom II X2s and have to basically sell a full-blown Phenom II X4 at a cheaper price to meet that demand. You could create a new die that’s a dual-core Phenom II, but that’s expensive and pulls engineers away from more exciting projects like Bulldozer. Often times it’s easier to just disable two cores and sell the chip for cheaper than you’d like. At the same time you can do your best to discourage your customers from ordering too many. Remove it off the official price list, charge a little more for it, and direct people at a cheaper native alternative — like the Athlon II X2.
The Athlon II X2 die. Two cores are all you get.
AMD’s sticky situation is your gain however. While I can’t guarantee that all Phenom II X2s can be converted into quad-core chips, I’d say that your chances are probably pretty good at this point if you get a new enough chip. As with any sort of out-of-spec operation, proceed at your own risk. You may risk ending up with nothing more than a dual-core processor or an unstable quad-core. In my case however, my Phenom II X2 555 BE’s extra two cores were easily unlocked.
My Socket-AM3 testbed uses Gigabyte’s GA-MA790FXT-UD5P motherboard. In its BIOS there’s an option for Advanced Clock Calibration. All you need to do is set EC Firmware Selection to Hybrid, and ACC to Auto:
Patiently waiting and a self-initiated reboot later and my CPU was identified as a Phenom II X4 B55 BE. Four cores running at 3.2GHz, just like a Phenom II X4 955 but for $99.
The chip also performs just like a 3.2GHz quad-core Phenom II, because it is one at this point:
Processor | x264 HD 1st Pass | x25 HD 2nd Pass |
AMD Phenom II X4 965 | 72. 1 fps | 22.2 fps |
AMD Phenom II X4 B55 | 70.6 fps | 21.1 fps |
AMD Phenom II X2 555 | 45.2 fps | 10.9 fps |
Overclocking is affected. With only two cores active my Phenom II X2 555 BE could run at 3.8GHz without any additional voltage. With four cores active, that number drops down to 3.6GHz.
My Phenom II X2 555 BE, with all four cores unlocked, and running at 3.6GHz.
If you’re ok with the possibility of this not working at all, a Phenom II X2 555 BE with all four cores active is the absolute best value you can get for $99. AMD would like to charge you $160 for the opportunity, but you can put the savings towards a better video card or a shiny new SSD.
More Detail on the Phenom II X4 910e
IndexMore Detail on the Phenom II X4 910e
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AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition 3.2 GHz Socket AM3 Processor Review
|
AMD is
kicking off 2010 by introducing new low-power versions of
some its most popular processors and bumping up the speed of a select few
Phenom II and Athlon II CPUs. Today PCSTATS is looking at the 3.2GHz AMD Phenom
II X2 555 Black Edition processor, which amongst other things has the distinction of
being AMD’s fastest socket AM3 dual-core processor ever.
The Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition is based on the
PII X2 550 BE, AMD’s first dual-core Phenom II chip.
The Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition uses the ‘Callisto’ core architecture, which
is nothing more than a code name for the quad-core «Deneb» design with two cores
disabled. The two active cores have full access to 6MB of L3 cache, as well as
512KB of L2 cache per core, for a total of 1MB. The Phenom II X2 555 Black
Edition has also received an extra 100MHz core clockspeed boost, bringing it up
to 3.2GHz.
Fast dual core processors are ideal for
general-purpose computing. The majority of desktop applications still don’t make
full use of more than two cores at a time, and processors with extra cores often
can’t reach the same high clockspeeds that a dual-core processor is capable of.
Gamers especially have a lot to be happy about, dual-core processors still have
the best price-to-performance ratios when it comes to intesive gaming.
Performance enthusiasts who want even more core clockspeed
will be doubly happy with the AMD
Phenom II X2 555 Black
Edition, since it has limitless overclocking potential. AMD’s «Black Edition»
processors have an unlocked multiplier, and this chip in particular uses AMD’s latest revision
C3 silicon, which could make for even greater overclocking potential. The Phenom
II X2 555 Black Edition also enjoys a relatively low 80W TDP, so there should be
a fair amount of headroom for this chip to go beyond its 3.2GHz native
clockspeed.
|
AMDs Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition supports full
hardware virtualization, allowing a single core to run a simulated Windows XP
environment inside of Windows 7. The revision C3 silicon also adds support for
hardware C1E states, which means the processor can dynamically disable cores to
cut down idle power draw. We’ll be taking a look at the Phenom II X2 555 Black
Edition’s power draw a little later on in this review.
Like all of AMD’s socket AM3
processors, the Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition is compatible with socket AM3
motherboards and socket AM2+ processors as well. This is thanks to both DDR2 and
DDR3 memory controllers being integrated on the processor itself. The Phenom II
X2 555 Black Edition can run DDR2 memory at speeds up to 1066MHz, and DDR3
memory at speeds up to 1333MHz. That translates into 37.3GB/s bandwidth for
DDR3-based systems and 33.1GB/s bandwidth for legacy DDR2 platforms. The
processor’s HyperTransport 3.0 link continues to operates at 4.0GHz, and its
on-board 128-bit wide memory controller runs at 2GHz, the same as its
predecessor.
The Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition is compatible with both
socket AM2+ and socket AM3 motherboards, and will support AMD’s forthcoming 880G and
890G chipsets.
The physical specifications of the Phenom II X2 555
Black Edition are the same as that of the AMD
Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition, which shares the same architectural base.
Both processors have 758 million transistors packed into a 258mm2
die, a feat possible thanks to AMD’s 45nm die shrink. AMD’s suggested retail price for the Phenom II X2
555 processor is $99 USD ($105 CDN, £62 GBP), which means most of its
competition comes from AMD’s own processors, like the $125 AMD Athlon II X4 635.
The new Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition takes over where the
previous 550 model left off. Both processors have the same $99 price point, so
really what you’re seeing here is a free speed bump. Having a $99 processor with
6MB of L3 cache and an unlocked multiplier isn’t too shabby either!
Core-by-Core CPU Power Draw
Tests
CPU power draw (expressed
in Watts) can be easily measured by way of total system power if you have a
simple electrical power meter. To determine how much juice the CPU is consuming,
we only need to compare power draw with the processor resting at idle, and with
each core at 100% CPU utilization. For an accurate measurement it’s necessary to
disable power saving features and CPU clock speed throttling technologies like
Cool ‘n’ Quiet, EIST (speedstep) and C1E power states, etc. To stress each core
in the processor individually, PCSTATS uses a free program called Stress Prime SP2004).
Stress Prime SP2004 is a multi-threaded
application so several iterations can be run concurrently to escalate load on
each CPU-core to 100%utilization (designated CPU-0, CPU-1, CPU-2, etc. using the
‘Small FFTs — stress CPU’ test). The power draw for the entire PC system is
measured with an Extech Power Analyzer Datalogger (model 380803). The Extech
Power Analyzer is located between the main 120AC supply and the PC’s power
supply. An inexpensive device like the P3 Kill-A-Watt power meter will do the
trick too. Given that motherboards vary across these test systems this is not a
pure measure of CPU power draw alone, but rather a measurement of the total
computer system power draw, which we can compare for each specific platforms
between the CPU idle and CPU stressed states.
Total System Idle Power Draw |
|
---|---|
Processor | Total System Power Draw |
Intel Pentium 4 540 |
150 Watts |
Intel Pentium D 840 |
165 Watts |
Intel Pentium D 940 |
168 Watts |
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 |
117 Watts |
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 |
123 Watts |
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 |
131 Watts |
Intel Core i5 750 |
124 Watts |
Intel Core i7 920 |
144 Watts |
AMD Sempron 3600+ |
120 Watts |
AMD Athlon64 4000+ |
163 Watts |
AMD Athlon64 FX-60 |
127 Watts |
AMD Athlon64 X2 4800+ |
143 Watts |
AMD Athlon64 X2 5000+ |
156 Watts |
AMD Athlon64 FX-62 |
168 Watts |
AMD Athlon II X2 240e |
122 Watts |
AMD Athlon II X2 250 |
128 Watts |
AMD Athlon II X3 435 |
128 Watts |
AMD Athlon II X4 620 |
130 Watts |
AMD Athlon II X4 635 | 127 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition | 145 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition |
143 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X3 720 |
155 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X4 910e | 131 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X4 955 |
148 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X4 965 — 125W TDP |
150 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X4 965 — 140TDP | 154 Watts |
The dual-core 3. 2GHz AMD Phenom II X2
555 draws about the same amount of power as the Intel Core i7 920, which has
four cores capable of eight threads. A little disappointing, but AMD has always
had problems matching Intel’s power draw numbers.
Total System Stressed Power Draw — All Cores/Threads |
|
---|---|
Processor | Total System Power Draw (All Cores) |
Intel Pentium 4 540 |
223 Watts |
Intel Pentium D 840 (2 Core ) |
240 Watts |
Intel Pentium D 940 (2 Core Load) |
253 Watts |
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 (2 Core Load) |
156 Watts |
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 (2 Core Load) |
163 Watts |
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (2 Core Load) |
158 Watts |
Intel Core i5 750 (4 Core Load) |
169 Watts |
Intel Core i7 920 (8 Thread Load) |
213 Watts |
AMD Sempron 3600+ |
148 Watts |
AMD Athlon64 4000+ |
172 Watts |
AMD Athlon64 FX-60 (2 Core Load) |
196 Watts |
AMD Athlon64 X2 4800+ (2 Core Load) |
173 Watts |
AMD Athlon64 X2 5000+ (2 Core Load) |
207 Watts |
AMD Athlon64 FX-62 (2 Core Load) |
235 Watts |
AMD Athlon II X2 240e (2 Core Load) |
153 Watts |
AMD Athlon II X2 250 (2 Core Load) |
163 Watts |
AMD Athlon II X3 435 (3 Core Load) |
183 Watts |
AMD Athlon II X4 620 (4 Core Load) |
195 Watts |
AMD Athlon II X4 635 (4 Core Load) | 211Watts |
AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition (4 Core Load) |
181 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition (1 Core Load) |
168 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition (2 Core Load) |
187 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X3 720 (3 Core Load) | 213 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X4 910e (4 Core Load) | 176 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X4 955 (4 Core Load) |
236 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X4 965 — 125W TDP (4 Core Load) |
243 Watts |
AMD Phenom II X4 965 — 140W TDP (4 Core Load) |
264 Watts |
Under full load the 3. 2GHz Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition system draws 187
Watts. Now, let’s see just how fast this revision C3 silicon will go, overclocking is next!
© 2022 PCSTATS.com |
Next Page > |
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0039
One 2000 MHz 16- bit HyperTransport link (4 GT/s)
Socket AM3
2 x 64 KB 2-way set associative data caches
- MMX instructions
- Extensions to MMX
- 3DNow! technology
- Extensions to 3DNow!
- SSE/Streaming SIMD Extensions
- SSE2/Streaming SIMD Extensions 2
- SSE3/Streaming SIMD Extensions 3
- SSE4a
- AMD64 technology/AMD 64-bit
- AMD-V / AMD Virtualization technology
- EVP / Enhanced Virus Protection
- Cool’n’Quiet 3. 0
- CoolCore Technology
- Dual Dynamic Power Management
- Core C1 and C1E states
- Package S0, S1, S3, S4 and S5 states
Memory channels: 2
Channel width (bits): 72
channel: up to 2
Maximum memory bandwidth (GB/s): 21.3
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Product characteristics
- Memory cache L2: 1 MB
- Processor brand: AMD
- Power
- Re power: AMD
- Power: AMD
- Power: AMD
- Number of cores: Dual core
- Connector type: AM3 connector
- Start of production: 2009
- Packaging: No
- Type: Dual core
- Application: Desktop
- Processor type: AMD Phenom
- Support 64-bit: Yes
- Manufacturing process: 45 nm
- L3 cache size: 6 MB
- Item condition: Used
- AMD model: Other
Amd phenom ii x2 555 overclocking • Web cheat sheet for internet entrepreneurs!
I decided to try to torment Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition, suddenly I’m lucky and unlocked
Appearance and equipment: Test method:
The processor was tested in the voltage range from 1.15 to 1.58v, each time the voltage was raised by 0.05v, the most stable frequency was searched. At each stage, the stability was checked by a half-hour run of linpack version 0.6.4 in 64-bit mode and on all free RAM (aboutThe graph of the dependence of the processor frequency on its voltage:
Table of voltages and frequencies:
1 the voltage of our instance turned out to be 1. 375, to be honest, I expected more from amd when transferring their dual-core phenomena to a new stepping, but the processor was able to stably keep the nominal frequency at a much lower voltage, namely at 1.15v:
Well, let’s start with the fact that the miracle did not happen and the processor did not unlock, no matter how I tried and sorted out the ACC settings in the BIOS. The maximum stable frequency of the processor on native 2 cores turned out to be 4100 MHz at 1.58v, in principle it could be further tightened, but no one will put more than 1.55v on air cooling anyway. I also disappointed the processor memory controller, because in the summer I had a Phenom II X2 550 which, although it didn’t go through the linpack with NB at 3GHz, it didn’t stop it from working stably in the games and applications that I used. And the same processor so far finally doesn’t want to boot at NB=3GHz. It seems like everyone said that the new stepping improved memory handling and the memory controller was slightly tweaked, but I didn’t see this on this instance. With a processor frequency of 4100MHz, the memory controller steadily went up to 2870MHz at 1.4v. I must admit, I did not go over the voltage to the memory controller at this frequency, but immediately plugged in 1.4v. When trying to take 3GHz on the memory controller, I went through the voltages from 1.35v to 1.55v, but the Windows flew away at the beginning of its loading. If anyone looked closely at the plate, then you probably noticed a strange VDDA voltage. This is also the voltage associated with the processor, and it sometimes has a small effect when it is raised. And in our example, it can be seen that after 1.35v, with each increase in the processor voltage by 0.05v, the frequency increase begins to drop sharply, and setting VDDA 2.8v helped to keep this decline a little and increase the final frequency. I also want to note that the new stepping has become a bit better at responding to voltage increases compared to the old one.
Summing up:
This processor would be just gold if it were unlocked. After all, as a rule, unlocked 555s are taken without problems with 4 cores 3.8-4.0GHz, under conditions of course good cooling. But as they say, «Not all yogurts are created equal». And if someone is faced with the choice of taking a 2 x 2 hair dryer hoping for an unlock or a 2 x 3 hair dryer or a 2 x 4 athlone, then I would still choose one of the last two. And you should rely on unlocking only when you have any friends who could fit such a processor for you.After the recent replenishment of the AMD processor line, one of the new CPUs, namely Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition , received a lot of attention. A relatively inexpensive dual-core processor based on the C3 stepping and with a full 6 MB of L3 cache has gathered a lot of positive reviews. In favor of the successor to the Phenom II X2 550 BE is the overclocking potential it demonstrated.
However, AMD has another «secret weapon» that can persuade some users to buy their processors. We are talking about the possibility of unlocking additional cores and cache in various CPU models. As it turned out, the Phenom II X2 555 BE is no exception, and in some cases it can easily turn into a full-fledged quad-core processor.
At the same time, the unlocked multiplier inherent in the Black Edition line does not disappear anywhere. This was confirmed by the experiments of employees of the NordicHardware and AnandTech resources. As before, unlocking is possible on motherboards that have an SB710 or SB750 southbridge with Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC) support. After activating two additional cores, the processor became defined as Phenom II X4 B55.
Our foreign colleagues immediately made attempts to overclock freshly baked quad-cores. Air-cooled and at rated voltage 1.392 In a test copy of the resource, AnandTech was able to conquer the frequency of 3.6 GHz. Using liquid nitrogen as a cooler and increasing the voltage to 1.45 V allowed the Scandinavians from NordicHardware to reach a frequency of 5.7 GHz.
We have already reviewed a series of budget «cut down» AMD Phenom II processors with the X2 index, which became dual-core: AMD Phenom II X2 545 and AMD Phenom II X2 550 models visited our laboratory. In the last article, we examined the general characteristics of the Phenom II family of processors and their differences from each other, so now we will not dwell on this.
And we will focus on the new AMD Phenom II X2 555 model, which is an evolutionary continuation of the AMD Phenom II X2 550 that we liked so much.
new sample, much smaller in size than before.
As usual, there is a sticker on the side with the name of the model and its brief characteristics. We immediately give the full specification.
DDR2-667/800/1066
DDR3-800/1066/1333
CPP: 3. 2 GGC
80W
9 Maximum bandwidth/GB/GB/GB/GB/GB/GB/GB/GB/GB/GB/GB/GB/
If you compare the specifications of AMD Phenom II X2 550 and AMD Phenom II X2 555, you will notice that the only difference is the starting multiplier16 increased from 15. Why starter? Because the model tested today, like the AMD Phenom II X2 550, belongs to the Black Edition series (sometimes abbreviated as BE in the model name), that is, it has an unlocked multiplier. This is very important for owners of inexpensive motherboards, the overclocking capabilities of which are very limited. However, we still have time to talk about overclocking, and now we continue the inspection.
There are four elements waiting for us inside the box: the processor itself, the warranty certificate, a sticker on the case and the cooler.
The design of the cooler has not changed since the review of the AMD Phenom II X2 550 processor, in the review of which we just tested the efficiency of this standard cooling system. Therefore, we will not consider it in detail now.
And here is the processor itself. Its heat-distributing cover is marked HDZ555WFK2DGM, which, by the way, can be seen before unpacking the processor through a plastic window on the side of the box. The marking is deciphered as follows:
One more difference between the AMD Phenom II X2 555 tested today and the previously reviewed AMD Phenom II X2 550 was discovered. This is the transition to the new C3 stepping. A stepping update usually allows you to reduce the heat dissipation of the processor and increase its overclocking potential, which we will check in the corresponding section of the review.
The back of the processor exposes the 938-pin package. This is Socket AM3. Recall that it is backwards compatible with the AM2 + socket, and the memory controller built into the processor can work with DDR2 and DDR3 memory types.
Well, according to tradition, we will finish the external examination of the processor with screenshots of the well-known CPU-Z utility.
Unlike the earlier version of the utility, which we used when testing the AMD Phenom II X2 550, the current version 1.53 successfully coped with the detection of the core type and processor model. All data correspond to the declared ones, even the updated stepping was determined correctly.
We can see the processor cache allocation on the Cache tab of the CPU-Z utility. Thus, the AMD Phenom II X2 555 has 128 KB L1 cache per core, 512 KB L2 cache per core, and a total of 6 MB L3 cache.
The DDR3 memory worked at the «native» for the controller built into the processor, the frequency of 1333 MHz with the appropriate set of timings.
During testing, the Stand for testing Processors No. 1 was used (the configuration has not changed since 01-05-2009).
GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P (AMD 790X, sAM3, DDR3, ATX)
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-DS4 (Intel X58, LGA 1366, DDR3, ATX)
MSI H57M-ED65 (Intel H57, LGA 1156, DDR3, mATX)
Scythe Kama Angle rev. B (LGA 1156/1366 support)
2/3x DDR3-2000 1024MB Kingston HyperX KHX16000D3T1K3/3GX
ASUS EN9800GX2/G/2DI/1G GeForce 9800 GX2 1GB GDDR3 PCI-E 2.0
Overclocking and activating locked cores
Remembering the successful experience of unlocking cores with AMD Phenom II X2 550, we tried to repeat the achieved result using the already known technique.
And again we were not disappointed. All four cores successfully activated, and the level 1 and 2 caches for each core remained unchanged, but in total it increased in proportion to the active cores. The amount of cache memory in the third level remained unchanged.
The AMD Phenom II X2 555 processor with all four cores active was completely stable. Comparison of test results before and after activation of locked cores is shown in the table below.
Test package | Result | Productivity gain, % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2 Core | 4 Core | |||
Futuremark PCMark’05 | CPU | 7688 | 9718 | 26.40 |
Memory | 6252 | 6271 | 0.30 | |
Graphics | 9385 | 9477 | 0. 98 | |
Crystal Mark | ALU | 25827 | 51009 | 97.50 |
FPU | 26337 | 51712 | 96.35 | |
Memory | 24645 | 32834 | 33.23 | |
WinRar, Kb/s | 1493 | 2216 | 48.43 | |
Futuremark 3DMark’06 | Mark Score | 6099 | 6461 | 5. 94 |
CPU Score | 2603 | 4423 | 69.92 | |
CINEBENCH R10 | Rendering, CB-CPU | 5663 | 10477 | 85.01 |
Shading, CB-GFX | 4079 | 4345 | 6.52 | |
Fritz Chess Benchmark v.4.2, knodes/s | 3989 | 7856 | 96.94 | |
Futuremark 3DMark Vantage v. 1.0.1 | PMark Score | 8415 | 10420 | 23.83 |
CPU Score | 5485 | 11096 | 102.30 | |
World in Conflict v.1.0.0.9, Maximum, 1024×768 | Average FPS | 43 | 55 | 27.91 |
Far Cry 2 v.1.00, 1280×1024 | DirectX 9, High, fps | 72.72 | 98.54 | 35.51 |
DirectX 10, Very High, fps | 63.
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