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  • Subject: Should I stay with my CPU or get a new one?
Subject: Should I stay with my CPU or get a new one?

Now go make me some tea.

Alright, my motherboard can unlock hidden cores, but when it unlocks, the CPU has a TDP of 125w which it can't support unless I underclock it.


The locked CPU runs at 3.2GHz (Triple core, Athlon II x3 450)

The unlocked CPU runs at 2.5GHz (Quad core, Phenom II x4 B50)

Now, I'm looking into getting a new Phenom II cpu.
Should I stay or should I go?

I can run Skyrim very well, but it calls for a quad core CPU instead of the triple I have.

[Edited on 12.12.2012 9:47 AM PST]

  • 12.12.2012 9:45 AM PDT

I did not even know you could get triple cores...

  • 12.12.2012 9:49 AM PDT

Now go make me some tea.


Posted by: St Major Dan
I did not even know you could get triple cores...

Under a rock I suppose? It was a budget build anyway.

  • 12.12.2012 9:50 AM PDT

"There's a very fine line between not listening, and not caring. I'd like to think that I walk that line every day."

Well, quad-cores have dropped in price in the past couple years, so a brand-new Phenom II BE is only like $100/125, and around $200 for an i5/i7 (but you probably don't have motherboard support), but if you're not being bottlenecked by your Athlon I don't see a real reason to try and unlock the other core. And if I understand correctly, there is a slight risk of damaging the CPU if you attempt to. I could be wrong about that.

[Edited on 12.12.2012 9:56 AM PST]

  • 12.12.2012 9:54 AM PDT

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."
-Nietzsche

Posted by: St Major Dan
I did not even know you could get triple cores...
Of course you can, you just don't see them often because computer nerds get a boner for things that come in powers of 2.

  • 12.12.2012 9:55 AM PDT

Now go make me some tea.


Posted by: BROWN HAWK
Well, quad-cores have dropped in price in the past couple years, so a brand-new Phenom II BE is only like $100/125, and around $200 for an i5/i7 (but you probably don't have motherboard support), but if you're not being bottlenecked by your Athlon I don't see a real reason to try and unlock the other core. And if I understand correctly, there is a slight risk of damaging the CPU if you attempt to. I could be wrong about that.

I'm not sure how to tell if I'm being bottlenecked, so that's why I unlocked it and am into getting a new one.

There are some 95w Phenoms, but none of them are the BE.

  • 12.12.2012 9:57 AM PDT

Now go make me some tea.

I guess I should check back later then.

  • 12.12.2012 10:03 AM PDT