What is "unlocking" an Athlon?

Just a few questions.

(1) What does unlocking a CPU do to it?
(2) Why would I want to do that?
(3) How do you unlock a CPU?
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1) Unlocking an AMD Athlon or AMD Duron CPU allows you to be able to overclock the processor via Multiplier.

2) You would want to do that so that you could make your computer overall A LOT faster.

3) TO Unlock an AMD Athlon or AMD Duron processor all you need is a sharp HB pencil (A Mechanical pencil would work to, I find there better to work with) and all you need to do is look at your Processor, notice where it is Marked L1

Now, those four Bridges underneath where it is marked L1 need to be attached, basically they should look like this:

L1 Bridges Unlocked: | | | |

If your prcessor is locked, than it will look like this: : : : :

Now, just pencil in the bridges to look like this | | | | and now your processor is unlocked.

To Overclock the computer now all depends on your Motherboard, whether it uses dip switches/jumpers OR if it can be doen in the BIOS....

Now after you penciled in the L1 bridges, turn computer power on and than go into BIOS and see if the BIOS will allow you to change the Multiplier. If it does, it works. =)

Have Fun.

-MeTaL RoCkEr
My <font color=red> Z28 </font color=red> can take your <font color=blue> P4 </font color=blue> off the line!

Might this damage my CPU? I know if I qver clock if too high without proper cooling I might burn up the CPU, but is there any chance that just closing the L1 bridges might damage the CPU?

Not unless you cross the individual bridges.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

hhmmmm...

I took out my CPU and looked at the L1 bridges and they already looked like ||||. They must be pre-unlocked, and my bios must not suport changing the multiplier.

Yeup, must be. Look at your motherboard manual to figure out how (if you can) to change the multiplier.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

No such luck with the mobo. It's ECS K7S5A, one of the cheapest socket A MBs you can buy.

Not positive but I heard overclocking was coming in an updated bios release

When I go into a computer store I lose all means of reason for some reason.

Yea, you cannot Overclock witht hat Motherboard unless u raise the FSB speed...

and if the L1 already looked like | | | | than its just an added bonus, no pencil required.. =)

-MeTaL RoCkEr
My <font color=red> Z28 </font color=red> can take your <font color=blue> P4 </font color=blue> off the line!

Yeah I already have my FSB at 146 using CPUCool but I want to get my computer to run at 1400Mhz.