QPI Unlocked on recent Intel Core i7 920 and 940 CPUs
@ 2009/03/06One other known fact is that you cannot set the Turbo Mode ratios on the 940 and 920. OK fine. But what else is different? Intel told us as recently as two months ago that the QPI was locked at 4.8GT/s to prevent you from running it at the Extreme’s 6.4GT/s speed. Memory ratios, however, are supposed to be unlocked.
But maybe not.
After talking with Intel as well as some back channel contacts we had, we learned that the memory multipliers on production CPUs are unlocked. The reason our CPUs had locked multipliers, we were told by Intel, was because they are engineering sample chips. Engineering sample parts are pre-production CPUs provided to the media, OEMs, motherboard makers and various other hardware vendors to test and bring up components. These CPUs, we were told, are locked.
But maybe not.
After talking with Intel as well as some back channel contacts we had, we learned that the memory multipliers on production CPUs are unlocked. The reason our CPUs had locked multipliers, we were told by Intel, was because they are engineering sample chips. Engineering sample parts are pre-production CPUs provided to the media, OEMs, motherboard makers and various other hardware vendors to test and bring up components. These CPUs, we were told, are locked.
Massman used the 965 for his testing so impossible to notice there