How Do I Know If A CPU Is Overclockable?

[MrAlaweey98]

For example let's say that I wanted to overclock AMD FX-6300.

 

[damric]

Well all FX CPUs are multiplier unlocked, which makes them twice as easy to overclock.

Some chips are multiplier locked and can only be OC'd via base clock (FSB).

Some chips (APUs and Intel CPUs since Sandybridge) have base clock tied to PCI clock so they can't really be tuned by adjusting base clock (FSB).

http://sites.amd.com/us/Documents/AMD_FX_Performance_Tuning_Guide.pdf

 

[gopher1369]

AMD: the Black Edition chips. Edit: I think also the FX chips too.

Intel: Any model number ending with a K

 

[damric]

AMD: the Black Edition chips.

Intel: Any model number ending with a K

Not true. You can overclock many AMD chips that are not "black edition" or FX.

Example: my Athlon II 620 and my Athlon 760K

 

[gopher1369]

Not true. You can overclock many AMD chips that are not "black edition".

Example: my Athlon II 620.

You're right. Strictly speaking pretty much all processors are overclockable to some degree. I should say that the BE/FX/K processors are multiplier unlocked so have much better overclocking than the alternatives

 

[damric]

Not true. You can overclock many AMD chips that are not "black edition".

Example: my Athlon II 620.

You're right. Strictly speaking pretty much all processors are overclockable to some degree. I should say that the BE/FX/K processors are multiplier unlocked so have much better overclocking than the alternatives

That's not true either. My Athlon 760K can do this:

 

[gopher1369]

a) Actually, I'm right on this one. The 760K is a Black Edition CPU, hence it's multiplier unlocked.
b) That's an awesome overclock

 

[damric]

a) Actually, I'm right on this one. The 760K is a Black Edition CPU, hence it's multiplier unlocked.
b) That's an awesome overclock

You are on a roll.. of being WRONG!

It is not a BE. No where on the box or the CPU does it say black edition

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113348

 

[gopher1369]

Haha well you're wrong too. Google the part number and, errr, well this is quite odd! All the US sites show it as a non-BE part but all the British sites list is as a BE part. Examples:

US:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113348
http://www.amazon.com/AMD-Athlon-Processor-AD760KWOHLBOX-Richland/dp/B00D7BYMB2

UK

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/amd-athlon-x4-760k-black-edition-unlocked-richland-quad-core-s-fm2-38ghz-4mb-cache-100w-retail
http://www.amazon.co.uk/AMD-Processor-AD760kWOHLBOX-Technology-Virtualization/dp/B00D7BYMB2

Conclusion: we're equally wrong 😉


Edit: what's even weirder is that the picture on the Newegg website clearly shows a Black Box, in the UK Black Edition processors = black box and the non BE processors come in a white box (the FX processors in a red box): http://www.scan.co.uk/shop/computer-hardware/all/cpus-amd/amd-a-series-multi-core-socket-fm2

 

[damric]

No. I own this CPU. I have the black box right here. It is not a black edition, nor does it say black edition anywhere on the black box or the CPU, or any of the paperwork. My FX4100 came in a white box.

Color of the box means nothing.

 

[gopher1369]

I'm guessing you didn't read my previous post carefully enough. To repeat:

in the UK the AMD Athlon 760K is sold/advertised/marketed as a Black Edition processor. There is no such thing here as a non-BE Athlon 760K.
in the UK an unlocked multiplier always, without exception, means a BE processor.
in the UK a black box always means a BE processor.

What you are saying is true for processors sold in the US, likewise what I am saying is true of processors sold in the UK.

 

[damric]

Show me a picture of the UK box.

 

[gopher1369]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMD-Athlon-X4-760K-4-core-3-8-GHz-Piledriver-Socket-FM2-boxed-/261402204952?pt=UK_Computing_CPUs_Processors&hash=item3cdcc91b18

 

[WoodenSaucer]

You also need to make sure you have a motherboard that works with overclocking.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMD-Athlon-X4-760K-4-core-3-8-GHz-Piledriver-Socket-FM2-boxed-/261402204952?pt=UK_Computing_CPUs_Processors&hash=item3cdcc91b18

Booyah! It says Black Edition on the box. Lol.

 

[damric]

failed photoshop is fail

 

[gopher1369]

failed photoshop is fail

You reckon that's a Photoshop? I've never used it so I don't know what to look out for, I never spot bad Photoshops!

Would confirmation from Tomshardware suffice?
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/AMD-Richland-Athlon-FM2-cpu,news-44509.html
"The top of the line Athlon X4 760K comes in two flavors: a 760K version and a 760K Black Edition version. The two chips are nearly identical, with the only exception being that the Black Edition chip, as is typical from AMD, features an unlocked multiplier."

 

[damric]

Tom's UK is about as reliable as Tom's US, ie: NOT