Mainly have some CPU-Z validations today. I already
posted about this motherboard so I'll save you some space here.
I have a total of four Phenom II X4 960T CPUs: one does not unlock at all, and the rest unlock up to 6 cores and are all stable at 4.0GHz+ (yay!). All three that do so, have a core that eventually craps out past ~4.10-4.20GHz, limiting reasonable all-core OC to about 4.1GHz. To list:
#1, prod wk 39 / 2011:
Tops out at 4.177GHz, 6-cores
#2, prod wk 40 / 2011: Took this down to 5 cores but got them
stable at 4.31GHz, ~1.6v (most efficient sample I tested)
#3, prod wk 40 / 2011 (not a typo): Did mainly suicide runs with this one as it didn't do so well all-core ( < = 4.1GHz 6c stable) and was hotter overall, so I gradually took down each individual core that died first at a given voltage/frequency in Prime95 blend. Luckily core 1 was pretty robust, as it is impossible to disable it in BIOS unless you press the power button
Max speeds that I could validate were
4.4GHz 5c (!), and
4.55GHz with 3 cores enabled, all at 1.6v. Deactivating the last worst core unfortunately was not fruitful at higher frequencies, therefore I probably reached this sample's limits on air or core 1 was the next worst core.
#4, prod wk 44 / 2011: doesn't unlock either core so I didn't bother overclocking it yet
it's in time-out.
I clearly did not push HT or NB speeds for any of this, just wanted to get the core up there. Specs:
- AMD Phenom II X4 960T @ variable settings
- 2x4GB DDR3 AMD R7 Performance Edition rated 1600MHz CL8 (Patriot OEM)
- ASUSTeK M4A89GTD Pro/USB3
- 128GB SanDisk X400 SSB
- DeepCool Gammaxx 400 w/ 2x Arctic P12 PWM fans (FDB), MX-2 thermal paste
- Super Flower Leadex III Bronze Pro 650W PSU
-
Ugly DIY testbench (secret ingredient: MSI)
Would love to hear from others who know what these chips do under typical conditions, this is the most recent platform I've been playing around with and learning about. For example what's considered a good RAM speed for these CPUs? From what I can gather, Phenom II best likes low-med frequency, tightest possible timings. I couldn't push higher-rated RAM very much past 1600MHz even at a high CPU/NB voltage, so I expect the ceiling to be low on that front...