ASRock enables ACC on AMD 8-Series Chipsets to Unlock Disabled Cores

[W1zzard]

AMD ACC is a feature of the company's 7-Series chipsets which uses a debugging backchannel going from the Southbridge to the processor to change certain CPU aspects, one of them being the "disable cores" feature on modern AMD CPUs. This allows you to play the AMD Casino, go get a cheap triple core, unlock its fourth core and hope it works (it usually does).



As you can imagine, AMD is not all excited about this feature being used by most motherboard manufacturerers, so they left out the ACC interface in their 8-Series Southbridge, effectively disabling access to ACC. Now motherboard manufacturers found a solution to circumvent this limitation, they simply add a little chip to the motherboard that enables that functionality by providing its own ACC interface.
ASRock - well known for their price/performance optimized boards - went this route and a bit further. Unlike other solutions the feature can be enabled without a physical switch, ASRock's UCC feature can be controlled directly in the BIOS without any manual intervention by the user.
The option will be available on all their 8-Series motherboards: 890GX Extreme3, 890GMH/USB3, 880GMH/USB3. They also managed to add the same technology to their NVIDIA MCP62 based lineup.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[newtekie1]

Cool, maybe this will mean ASUS boards will have the same feature.

It makes me wonder why AMD hasn't changed the way they disable features on the processor though, if they hate up enabling them so much...

 

[95Viper]

Uh, is it not UCC?

EDIT:

Oh, helps to read entire posting, sooo sorry.

AMD=ACC
ASRock=UCC

http://www.asrock.com/feature/UCC/index.asp

 

[[I.R.A]_FBi]

asrock's offerings are getting better daily

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

Is there a list of what all processors can be unlocked?

 

[PaulieG]

asrock's offerings are getting better daily

They truly are. The Asrock x58 boards are very good. Out of the 10 x58 boards I've owned, the Asrock x58 Extreme was probably 3rd or 4th best. Certainly better that my Foxconn Blood Rage, Biostar Tpoower and about tied with the R2E Gene. So, if the AMD 890 offerings are anything like them, it will be pure win.

 

[Mescalamba]

You didnt like Bloodrage? Why?

ASRock mobos seems interesting, just that cheap look always say to me "stay away from that sh*t". Srry, but design is needed too.. Well and I dont like ASUS, but thats other thing and ASRock is quite different.. even if its only department..

 

[aj28]

If they're cheap enough, I like those two mATX boards. I would never go Crossfire anyway, so it's kinda pointless looking at the 890FX. Question though: Anyone know the difference between the 880G/SB810 and the 890GX/SB850?

[EDIT] Shit... 880G has a Realtek audio chip, 890GX has a VIA? Why? Uhg... I mean, I have a Creative XtremeGamer, but still, just having the VIA chip that's in my current ASUS board makes me feel like I'm getting worse sound quality! Realtek FTW.

 

[RicheemXX]

Cool, maybe this will mean ASUS boards will have the same feature.

It makes me wonder why AMD hasn't changed the way they disable features on the processor though, if they hate up enabling them so much...

ASUS's 890 GX boards the PRO and the M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 feature core unlocker switches to make doing things even easier

http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=eCWbkolMf0DOW0IV&templete=2

 

[Sasqui]

Actually, I'm sure AMD is quite pleased with the fact they'll sell more CPU's because of this.

"A core is a terrible thing to waste"

 

[M3T4LM4N222]

I never understood why people wouldn't give ASRock a chance. You'd think being the daughter company of ASUS would be able to convince people.

I own a ASrock N68-S and used to own a ASrock X58 Extreme. The N68-S is perfect, it cost about $40 new, and I was able to overclock my Athlon X2 to 3GHZ. Not only that, but it supports AM3 processors (95W and less)

The X58 Extreme was perfect, it offered more features than any other motherboard in its price range ($180) and overclocked extremely well for the price. In fact at one point, it had 60+ 5 egg reviews on newegg, and THAT WAS ALL, NO 4 STAR, NO 3 STAR, ECT. I ended up selling it for $110 in a Christmas deal, the current owner loves the board. It would even be a good buy today, because although its lacking SATA 6GB/s and USB 3.0 the very last slot on the board is a PCI-E x16 slot (Runs at either x4/x8) which would be perfect to put a USB3SATA6 card.

When you think about it, the slot layout on the 890GX Extreme3 is perfect, because if you do Crossfire, you still have a PCI-E and PCI slot you can use, and if you do 3-way you still have a PCI-E slot you can use.

 

[[I.R.A]_FBi]

I never understood why people wouldn't give ASRock a chance. You'd think being the daughter company of ASUS would be able to convince people.

I own a ASrock N68-S and used to own a ASrock X58 Extreme. The N68-S is perfect, it cost about $40 new, and I was able to overclock my Athlon X2 to 3GHZ. Not only that, but it supports AM3 processors (95W and less)

The X58 Extreme was perfect, it offered more features than any other motherboard in its price range ($180) and overclocked extremely well for the price. In fact at one point, it had 60+ 5 egg reviews on newegg, and THAT WAS ALL, NO 4 STAR, NO 3 STAR, ECT. I ended up selling it for $110 in a Christmas deal, the current owner loves the board. It would even be a good buy today, because although its lacking SATA 6GB/s and USB 3.0 the very last slot on the board is a PCI-E x16 slot (Runs at either x4/x8) which would be perfect to put a USB3SATA6 card.

When you think about it, the slot layout on the 890GX Extreme3 is perfect, because if you do Crossfire, you still have a PCI-E and PCI slot you can use, and if you do 3-way you still have a PCI-E slot you can use.

I used to see some shiity asrocks here in ja, only thing that was crappier was pc shits

 

[thebluebumblebee]

I read the post at least 5 times , but I'm still confused. So let me see if I have this right. ACC is a function of the 700 series southbridge. So any manufacturer who used the 7xx chipset had access to that feature, and AMD did not like that?? Now AMD has dropped that feature in the 8xx chipset, (and that's good because..?) so, the manufactures have figured out how to do it themselves. This is good for AMD how? Did AMD just throw Nvidia a bone? Maybe now I understand why Gigabyte built the GA-790FXTA-UD5.

 

[M3T4LM4N222]

I read the post at least 5 times , but I'm still confused. So let me see if I have this right. ACC is a function of the 700 series southbridge. So any manufacturer who used the 7xx chipset had access to that feature, and AMD did not like that?? Now AMD has dropped that feature in the 8xx chipset, (and that's good because..?) so, the manufactures have figured out how to do it themselves. This is good for AMD how? Did AMD just throw Nvidia a bone? Maybe now I understand why Gigabyte built the GA-790FXTA-UD5.

Maybe when they where designing the new SB they decided "Well we don't want this" but then they where like "Yo dude, lots of people buy AMD for this feature, its helping us and sheet" so then they was like "Ok mobo manufacturers, figure it out"

I assume the 790FXA was made to hold people off until 890FX drops.

 

[Mussels]

Is there a list of what all processors can be unlocked?

no. its random, and not all that can unlock, do so succesfully (like mine)

 

[thebluebumblebee]

I assume the 790FXA was made to hold people off until 890FX drops.

The GA-790FXTA-UD5 has the same features as the 890FX version (AM3, DDR3, SATA6, USB3). 7xx has ACC, 8XX does not. If the 7XX series supports the 6 core CPU's, I don't see a reason to buy the 8XX series.

 

[M3T4LM4N222]

The GA-790FXTA-UD5 has the same features as the 890FX version (AM3, DDR3, SATA6, USB3). 7xx has ACC, 8XX does not. If the 7XX series supports the 6 core CPU's, I don't see a reason to buy the 8XX series.

The SATA 6GB/s is int. in the SB on 8XX series so there is no need for an extra 4 PCI lanes, where as on boards that don't have it int. those boards either have a bridge chip or barrow from graphical lanes. There is also either ALL SATA 6GB/s or 70% SATA 6GB/s 30% 3GB/s

 

[theorw]

Oh man!I used to own an asrock 865 board back in 2005 and IT SUCKED!!!!
Now i believe these board could be branded ASUS W/S and everyone would believe it!!!

 

[Mussels]

Oh man!I used to own an asrock 865 board back in 2005 and IT SUCKED!!!!
Now i believe these board could be branded ASUS W/S and everyone would believe it!!!

i had some great asrock boards, the sucky ones all had nvidia chipsets... i dont think asrock was the problem.


sure they wear out before the high end brands, but thats to be expected - they use(d) cheaper capacitors n such back then. asrock are more midrange as opposed to low end these days.

 

[Yukikaze]

I got myself a 4CoreDual-SATA2 a few months ago when I was in the states (Because I needed a board that could run old 65nm quads but had AGP since I had a HD3850 AGP which I wanted to use with my old Q6700).

It died after a month of use and I wrote it off since I bought it in the states and I am back in Israel now.

Yesterday I decided to get in touch with ASRock about an RMA since I had nothing to lose and they've been very quick and responsive, even forwarding my mail to a closer location so that I don't have to ship it that far.

Some of their newer boards are also really nice, they've been really picking up gear lately.

 

[H82LUZ73]

Man those are sweet looking boards,AsRock has had some great products over the years,Just wish they would come out with a 890Fx top end board.Maybe when ASUS stops selling boards they will hand that over ASRock,There boards the last few gens have the same look and features.

 

[pantherx12]

Nicely done Asrock.

Liking that their starting to make their boards more aesthetically pleasing : ]

 

[eidairaman1]

I like the layout of AsRock, now if they could get the overclocking function of the top 3 or 2up them then i will have an AsRock.

 

[qwerty_lesh]

the colour scheme of the motherboards looks suspiciously familiar..

 

[Hayder_Master]

is this OK for AMD, i mean in this way most people don't think about X4 cpu's