MSI 790GX-G65 BIOS for unlocking X3 720 BE 4th core

[jcarrey42]

Hello. I recently purchased the mobo and CPU as shown in the title, and I was wondering if I should use the most up-to-date BIOS, version 4.0, or 1.6, 1.5, etc, if I want to assure that it's not the mobo that would rpevent me from using the 4th core (i.e., it's the CPU itself that indeed has a defective core)

Also, has anyone had success doing so with this mobo/cpu combo? if not, would the 790FX be a better fit? I'd rather not spend the extra $...

All-in-all, is the BIOS update something I have to do when my PC is fully put together, or can I "flash" it before even installing windows? Is there a step-by-step guide for installing the new BIOS? Thank you!

 

[roonj]

There is a code number on your X3 720 known as the stepping number. If you do a search for {PII X3 720 stepping codes} or similar you can find out whether it's your chip or not.