Phenom II X4 973...does this exist?

[Fraoch]

On this page:

http://www.cpu-world.com/info/AMD/Unlocking_cores_and_L3.html

I mentioned that my AMD Phenom II X3 B73 unlocked to a "Phenom II X4 973".

This chip (the "973") seems...odd. Does it really exist? A search shows up conflicting information and opinions as to whether it exists or not. Can/could you buy it, did it ever exist in a retail box or OEM tray?

The few specs I've seen on the web seems to indicate such a chip is just like the B73 only with an extra core (i.e. 512 KB of L1 cache per core, 6 MB of shared L3 cache, 2.8 GHz, although 125 W TDP as opposed to 95 W).

I see there is no page for the 973 on CPU world, should there be?

[gshv]

There is no such production or ES processor as Phenom II X4 973. What happens is the BIOS uses a set of rules to come up with model numbers. Using such chip features, like the number of cores, and the value of one of registers, returned by CPUID instruction, it builds processor name on the fly. If you unlock the core (or disable on the cores), then the rules don't work as expected, and as a result you may get things like Phenom II X4 973, or, for example, Phenom II X6 1405T.

Gennadiy

[gshv]

This document describes it for Phenom II processors:

http://support.amd.com/us/Processor_TechDocs/41322_10h_Rev_Gd.pdf

It starts at page 15.

Gennadiy

[Fraoch]

Very interesting - explains things perfectly. Thanks!