Better freeze it fast than |D

I just tested this chip on the dfi DDR2 board and there are a few sidenotes to make.

1/ DDR2 or DDR3, it doesn't really matter
2/ The IMC seemed to crap out on the AM3 motherboards (>2.5G not possible), but I managed to run 2.9GHz with memory at 600 CL4 with the DDR2 board
3/ Instead of maxing out at 340/350 htt, I managed to run 360HTT with the ddr2 board
4/ This chip is not capable of running 4 cores, setting ACC to auto leads to a non-bootable configuration
5/ CPU overclock didn't increase: 1.45v for 3.6G is what it does. Which is crap, to me at least.

3.6Ghz for http://www.tones.be/shop_product.php?idx=106569 €139 CPU is not bad my book.
ideal to pit against: INTEL CORE2 Duo E7500 45nm (2.93) 3MB Socket 775 1066FSB Boxed with cooler for €139

I think I've read that AMD is asking the mobo manufacturers to implement a bios 'fix' to prevent unlocking unused cores.

Don't know if this is true?

It may be possible, but I'm not entirely sure both msi and dfi already have that kind of fix implented.

I agree. Massman, you just got a bad sample. I also have a 720 BE and it does 3.87GHz with stock cooling. Since the Phenom II's frequency escalates almost directly to the way it's cooled down, I wanna see hoy it behaves once I mount the TRUE on it :D.

I actually changed to a more high-end air cooler. Even with 1.5v, it doesn't seem to be that hot.

You seem to have a pretty decent sample. Have you been able to unlock the fourth core?

Yep. I've been able to overclock it even with the 4th core enabled. I'll post here the tests once I get an AM3 motherboard from any of our sponsors.

By the moment I got the Foxconn A7DA-S for quick tests. I didn't like the board to be honest, since it can't give more than 230MHz for the base clock. I managed to get 302MHz of BC from the ASRock 790GX; but once again, I want the 720 BE to be tested on a new AM3 mobo :).

Regards!

What AM3 board will you be going for? I'm at the moment not really convinced by the overclocking quality of the AM3 motherboards ... to me, it seems that they (well, the two I'm testing at the moment) are not yet mature enough to get the most out of your chip.

For now I'm going for the Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P. I agree with you, the BIOS are not mature yet, but I'm just testing hardware here.

I'm not a professional overclocker, since I don't have the right tools yet. I'm missing a pot for LN2 or DICE; so am I a Cascade. Maybe by the end of the year I'll be going for a Cascade cooling set, I've already looking for some local options :D.

All of my overclocks have been done on air cooling. And most them were done for the hardware reviews >.<. Now it's time to play rather than to work, and that's why I'm feeling ready to jump to extreme cooling :P.