Introduction
First and foremost, thanks to AMD for the processor, Gigabyte Malaysia for the motherboard and also to Sanko, OCDrift captain.
AMD Phenom II, currently the flagship processor from AMD has been launched for quite some time. There are plenty of models available ranging from x2, x3, x4 and x6. The numeric used in AMD's processor model name is actually referring to the cores available. Apart of different models, AMD Phenom II is divided into two different categories, the Black Edition and non-Black Edition. There are actually exactly the same with one difference, which is an important one. The Black Edition processors have unlocked multiplier providing maximum headroom for OverClocking effort. While waiting the Bulldozer to arrive, let's take a look at the AMD Phenom II x6 1100T.

AMD Phenom II x6 1100T Specification

• Frequency: 3.3 GHz
• L2 Cache: 3 MB
• L3 Cache: 6 MB
• Socket: AM3
• TDP: 125w
• CMOS: 45nm SOI

Read Information: http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCPUDetail.aspx?id=726




The System

• AMD Phenom II 1100T
• Cooler Master Hyper 212+ | Artic Cooling F12
• Gigabyte GA-870A UD3
• Gskill Pi 1600MHz CL6 1.65v
• Sapphire HD4830
• Enermax Liberty 620w

As the list above, the CPU cooler is just an average yet cheap CPU cooler and also the motherboard used is not an expensive motherboard. This processor need no expensive hardwares to slot in for it to show it's performance.
Let see what it offers with this system

This post has been edited by kuntawakaw: Jun 28 2011, 08:48 AM

OverClocking and Benchmark


SuperPi 32M


3DMark 06

I honestly feel that these are not really good results. For OverClockers, you guys knew well that most AMD Thuban processor can do better than this but when we talking about computer hardware, there is not guarantee that even the same exact model will perform the same. As my master Ng "coolice" Teng Liang always mentioned, the "Silicon Law." Posting these as reference. The OS is free from tweaks when benchmarks were running.

This post has been edited by kuntawakaw: Jun 28 2011, 08:48 AM

Performance Benchmark

I added another 2 different models of AMD Black Edition processors compare the performance difference. Benchmarks were run with same OS without formatting to ensure all test were under the same benching environment.
Below are the settings for each processor.

Stock Speed

• 555 BE - 3.2Ghz
• 955 BE - 3.2Ghz
• 1100T BE - 3.3Ghz

OverClocked Speed

• 555 BE - 4.0Ghz
• 955 BE - 3.9Ghz
• 1100T BE - 4.0Ghz

Universal Setting

• RAM - 1333Mhz 9-9-9-24-35-1T
• CPU-NB - 2.0Ghz
• HT Reference Clock - 200Mhz

As these processors have different Overclock-ability, hence the 955 BE end up slower compared to the other two. These Black Edition processors were OverClocked in the easiest way, by altering the Multiplier and the Vcore.


Cinebench 10.5 32Bit

Compare the result. Rendering benefits more from core count compared to speed increase. The six core processor indeed way better compared to the other two if you doing rendering job, and by overclocking, you can gain bonus performance for free.


WINRAR Benchmark Tool

The OS used to run these benchmarks was not "clean" enough. Hence the score might vary compared to your score. The main objective of this graph is to compare these 3 processors. An important part here is that more cores will yield better performance compared to speed.

If a particular application couldn't utilize all six cores, then speed is important factor. But if you thinking that "i only need 2 or 4 cores at most" since all the programs/softwares i'm using now only utilize 2-4 cores, allow me to throw you a question. Are you certain that all programs you going to use in future couldn't utilize all six cores? Only time will tell.



Lost Planet 2

Settings for Lost Planet 2

• Test A
• 1920x1080
• DirectX 9
• AA - Off
• Other Setting - Default

Lost Planet 2 is a game that couldn't utilize more then 2 cores. Hence the result for all 3 processor is all the same. Also, this game seems to be not reacting to the processor's speed. Therefore, OverClocked CPU wouldn't result in extra FSP. Hence i excluded the result from the graph.

This post has been edited by kuntawakaw: Jun 28 2011, 08:49 AM

CPU Northbridge

CPU-NB Performance Scaling


WINRAR Benchmark tool single thread

3
WINRAR Benchmark tool multithread

Above is the WINRAR Benchmark on the AMD Phenom II x6 1100T processor. The reason i pick this benchmark is that readers can easily compare the result i obtained anytime since WINRAR application is almost installed in all users PC. But do take note that not all programs will has effect on CPU-NB clockspeed like WINRAR.

From the graph above, you can see that no matter what processor frequency, higher CPU-NB frequency helps. The higher CPU-NB frequency is, the better result is gathered regardless of the CPU frequency. There is an unproven opinion that says higher CPU frequency need higher CPU-NB frequency so that no bottleneck will occur. By the graph above, no sign of bottleneck occur even when the CPU frequency is 4.0GHz and the CPU-NB frequency is at stock which is 2.0GHz. I'm not saying that this graph deny the opinion above, but at least for something like WINRAR Benchmark, it does.


CPU-NB Voltage Scaling


CPU-NB voltage for specified speed

CPU-NB Voltage is almost fixed for a particular processor. My processor somehow need more voltage than average. You can refer to this table if you have the same exact batch as mine.

This post has been edited by kuntawakaw: Jun 28 2011, 08:49 AM

Temperature

This Phenom II 1100T is rated at 125W TDP and running it below 62 degree is recommended by AMD. I personally feel that to fully optimize its OverClocking-ability while using the stock cooling is not a good practice. Hence i picked Cooler Master 212+ which is cheap, and most probably anyone can afford. Let see how good the temperature of this processor under Cooler Master 212+.
The temperature is taken from HWMonitor 1.16v Core# temperature when stressed with Prime95 custom test for 20 minutes. Core# temperature is the processor built-in sensor.


Speed : 3.3Ghz
Vcore: Varies
Ambient: 26 degree
Max temperature of same CPU speed but different Vcore


Speed : Varies
Vcore: 1.456v
Ambient: 28C
Max temperature of same Vcore but different CPU speed.

Both speed and Vcore generates heat. From my test, 3.3GHz @ 1.55v is still under the recommended temperature suggested by AMD but pointless to run such speed at relatively high Vcore.
I ran this test just to share how high the Vcore and speed affect the processor's temperature.

The best setting is to run a processor with enough but not excess Vcore at given speed.

This post has been edited by kuntawakaw: Jun 28 2011, 08:49 AM

Final

AMD Phenom II X6 is a good choice if you want to upgrade your current AMD processor. Apart from the additional cores, the most interesting part is OverClocking the
AMD Phenom II X6, codename Thuban. It has alot of OverClocking improvement over Deneb, Propus or Regor. To obtain 4.0GHz on Thuban is easy and only few can't make. Opposite to Deneb, only few can run at 4.0GHz while Propus and Regor are worse. For non-Thuban Memory OverClocking, 2000MHz memory clock is near to impossible but it is possible yet easy with Thuban. This is a great factor for memory overclocking lovers.

Gigabyte GA-870A UD3 is a budget motherboard i used in this review. To OverClock a Phenom II X6, phase count and quality is pretty important as the 6 cores draw more power and stress the VRM more. It will stress even more if you increase the voltage. GA-870A UD3 comes with 8 phase count but without any cooling solution. Yet it can withstand the power draw of Phenom II X6. You better limit your OverClock if using motherboard that comes with only 4 normal phases.

great jobs bro... it puts my noobish review to shame.

gotta love d imc part, very useful as some reviews only push cpu clock w/o touchin imc freq. we all know that it's not that efficient to have high cpu clock but imc freq is stuck @ stock.

This post has been edited by ah_khoo: Jun 28 2011, 10:47 AM

dato kunta veli powderful!! awesome review!!

but i wish there's special subforum just for review thread only. sigh~

kuntawakaw, can you see if the 4088mhz speed is wprime 1.55 stable?

its prime95 stable. so wprime must be stable too..

https://forum.lowyat.net/EssentialReviewsandGuides here?

ok.

anyway, i could reach 4.2ghz but wprime not stable. Using TX-3 though.

4.1ghz was where I can get everything run stable............ but my folding@home doesn't work well.

http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=1816113&hl=
wait so long... kekeke..

so i dint bother to test for higher clock as the vcore might be crazy.. and im using a budget board which is not fair to pour more vcore than i did.

well.. this batch is not that good.. maybe fall below-average batch
my previous thuban was better

oh hehe. now i get reminder. thanks!

my OCing of X6 1100T killed my 790FX-GD70 twice already............ THIS MONTH! usually after i pump the FSB.

need you more experienced OCers to guide.

it would be better if it's separated as review and guides is two different thing yo~

sorry MSI san..out-topic liao~

nice review bro kuntawakaw.

oh, you kill this board.
thought this board quite good in overclocking.

it's d pwm which failed i think. to prime a hexacore monster on 4+1pwm board is too much for d board to take.

This post has been edited by ah_khoo: Jun 29 2011, 10:39 AM

Lucky me can run 4.2ghz @ 1.5v on my cheapo gigaboard without problem....huhu

i see, just notice this board use 4+1 phase only.

Dun push ya luck bro, get a more solid board. U dunno when d mosfets will gip up...

no..push it hegher. i wanna see something more from super pi