Locate AMD Phenom II Quad Core Mobile X920/X940 online or in stores.
Locate AMD Phenom II Quad Core Mobile X920/X940 online or in stores.
I've been searching online for a while trying to find an unlocked mobile AMD CPU, but haven't succeeded. Could anyone suggest where to look? The X920 was once available for under $100, but it's now hard to find and most listings are over $250 CAD. I know my laptop's cooling isn't great, but I'd still like to get one of these unlocked Socket S1 CPUs.
Good luck in tracking down the elusive unobtainium hardware. Similar challenges arise when searching for the elusive Giga G33M boards or the X58A OC/Foxconn Bloodrage. It might be available on platforms like AliExpress. In India, the i5 W36xx series is considered unobtainium, but there are options around 10-15$ (W3680) on AliExpress, which could help you locate your CPU without risking random die issues. The mobile S1 remains in the FSB era, so upgrading it might be feasible if you're willing to push hardware limits. Next, consider RAM—having at least 2GB DDR4 or higher should work well, avoiding any major bottlenecks. This is likely a fun project, given how even a mid-range i5 ThinkPad could handle overclocking.
It might be worth checking ebay for various online stores to discover more options. I’d prefer a wider range of tech since gulft towns are hard to get and often expensive. I especially don’t want low-quality x or e xeon chips because their RAM limits are too tight, and I’d hate to end up with an underpowered system. The current i7 930 Bloomfield can handle around 3184 MHz and sometimes reaches 3200 at lower voltages, which is great. My best option is the i7 930 Bloomfield, though it’s a bit outdated. I’m also considering a Gigabyte G33M board, especially the DS2R, because it offers more than 600 FSB potential. With some voltage adjustments and possibly a liquid cooling solution, it could compete with high-end boards like the P5K. I have around $40 and am torn between a G1 Assassin and other items that have been gathering dust. Right now, I’m leaning toward a W3680 since it’s untested and pairs well with an i7 930 at a reasonable price. There’s also a possibility of getting an i7 930 at $13, but that’s about it. Vishera’s chipset seems weaker compared to Zambezi, though a 3000+ is still achievable. I’m open to buying a Lano FM1 for $5 if it works, but it might need some repairs. Voltmoding is something I’m interested in, especially for non-standard boards that others ignore. I haven’t found many good options yet, so I’m still deciding whether to splurge on a more expensive piece or look elsewhere.
Ebay doesn't list any of these, even after checking sold listings. I discovered three sites offering unlocked quad-core mobile models, but they charge significantly more than their used prices and appear unreliable. Additionally, the top performance you could achieve with a Core i series 45nm Intel CPU was quite limited.
The distinction lies in the bus speed the board or chipset uses by default. A board running its chipset at 200MHz is referred to as FSB, while one operating at 100MHz is called BCLK. Although they appear different, they essentially represent the same speed with varying default settings.
1366 starts at 133 by default, which is still labeled bclk. I haven’t tried to boost the maximum CPU frequency on 45nm since it’s not particularly impressive there. For the CPU clocks, I prefer 32nm rather than pushing higher frequencies. The main focus for the W36xx Xeons is the IMX rather than just the CPU speed. If it can reach 4.8GHz at 1.5V with HTC enabled, that’s great. Otherwise, hitting over 3600MHz DDR3 in air seems doable. I managed around 4GHz at 1.32V for EM, but didn’t push beyond that for the 32nm chips. I only ran a BIOS at 5GHz around 1.6V on an average X5660 board, though I didn’t bother with higher frequencies. The FX 4130 got me stuck at 1.7V+ and 5GHz, but I did get a solid run at 5GHz 1.6V or 1.7V on a decent board. I have AMD FX but no great options. I mostly skipped frequency tuning except for the mandatory Windows boot at 1.6GHz on a mediocre FX4130, maybe aiming for 3000+ MHz DDR3 on a better board would be ideal—something comparable to the Llano FM1, though it’s cheaper and more fun to tinker with.
It's understandable given the current performance at 200. The main distinction we discussed centered on the timing around the BCLK standard introduction, with 1366 marking a key milestone toward that goal. The 133MHz figure represented an early advancement in that trajectory.
I'm curious about the choice of 133MHz instead of a direct jump to 100MHz. BCLK works best around 200-220 MHz for most systems, and many boards handle that range easily. Going above 260 MHz is possible with SlowMode plus higher PCIe speeds, but it can slow Windows startup significantly—especially on an ASUS X58 board. People manage to run at those speeds by using Pcie frequencies up to 120 or more, though I haven’t tested it on my X58 AUD3R yet. I’m not sure if setting it high will help with low BCLKs, but I’ve seen older BIOS versions struggle with 1.4v specs. It seems some users are pushing for higher speeds to compensate for weak RAM performance, though scores for those boards are still low. My experience so far is either 250 or 260 MHz BIOS booting on my old P6T Deluxe V2 with an X5660, or I’m stuck at 250-260. I might try aiming for higher BCLK if the RAM boosts it, but I’m not sure yet.