Clever Geek Handbook

Athlon II X4 630 processor: specifications

The microprocessor of the Athlon II X4 630 model was originally intended for the assembly of mid-level system units. This chip had fairly good specifications of the technical plan, which in some cases even allowed it to compete with more expensive CPU models. It is this AMD microprocessor that will be presented in this short review article.

AMD Athlon II X4 630

Specialization

As previously noted, the processor AMD Athlon II X4 630 was designed to complete mid-range computing computers. This chip is great for gaming systems. It allows you to run even modern games and applications with average settings. Also, on the basis of such a CPU, you can create a graphic or workstation. In the first case, a high-performance graphics card must be present. Another possible use for such a microprocessor is a print server. That is, this modification of the CPU is quite universal and allows you to assemble almost any computer designed for use in various fields.

Delivery options

The AMD AthlonTM II X4 630 is available in two trim levels. One of them is called Trail. The manufacturer included the following components in it:

  1. Microprocessor.
  2. Transparent plastic box for safe transportation of the CPU.
  3. Athlon II X4 logo sticker.
  4. Certificate of Conformity for Semiconductor Products.
  5. Warranty card.
  6. User's manual.

The second type of configuration, in turn, was called Voh. It was supplemented by AMD's proprietary cooler, a small tube of thermal paste and a cardboard box.

AMD AthlonTM II X4 630

Main characteristics

The Athlon II X4 630 specs point to four independent computing modules, codenamed Propus. Each of them supports 64-bit operations and operates at a frequency of 2800 MHz. The main connector for this chip is AM3. But it is also compatible with the older AM2 + socket and the newer AM3 +. If installed in the last microprocessor socket, you can increase computer performance by increasing the speed of the remaining components.

Cache memory and RAM

The key disadvantage of the Athlon II X4 630, which significantly reduces its performance, is the lack of a third level of cache memory. That is, there are only two of them on the semiconductor basis of this CPU. The total size of the first of them is 256 kb. The volume of the second level is increased to 2 MB.

The controller that controls the operation of RAM is not included in the microprocessor, but is integrated into the chipset. It is usually dual-channel and can address up to 4 GB of RAM. The type of chip can be either DDR2 or DDR3.

Features Athlon II X4 630

Energy Efficiency, Technology and Temperature

The Athlon II X4 630 processor has a thermal package of 45 watts. Its semiconductor base was manufactured using SOI technology and corresponded to tolerance numbers of 45 nm. It consisted of 300 million transistor components. In accordance with the declared parameters, its critical temperature was 71 0 . When operating in the nominal mode, it is in the range from 40 to 50 0 C. If the microprocessor is overclocked, the operating temperature will increase slightly and will be limited to 50-60 0 C.

Processor AMD Athlon II X4 630

Performance

Quite good results when conducting various tests are shown by the processor in question. The performance of this chip is most optimally compared with Phenom X4 975 from AMD, Core 2Duo E7500 and Core 2Quad Q8330 from Intel. The performance level of these devices is comparable. The system unit configuration in this case included the following main components:

  1. A motherboard based on a set of system logic 790FX, which is nominally related to the solutions of the AM2 + series. That is, this is a fairly outdated device. As a result, if you equip your PC with an AM3 or AM3 + motherboard, you can achieve a performance increase. The latter in percentage terms can reach in some cases 10-15%. For example, Intel uses the P45 chipset.
  2. The cooling system based on the cooler Noctua NH-U12-P.
  3. RAM DDR2 with a frequency of 1200 MHz 2 modules of 1 GB.
  4. GeForce 9800 graphics accelerator with 1 GB of GDDR3 memory.
  5. A 500 GB Seagate drive with SATA connectivity.
  6. Power supply with an output power of 650 watts.

In the PC Mark'05 synthetic test, microprocessors scored such conditional points:

  1. X4 630 - 8306.
  2. Q8330-8006.
  3. E7500 - 7412.
  4. X4 9750 - 7106.

The “hero” of this review confidently outperforms its competitors due to the presence of four cores and increased frequencies. But the flagship of the previous generation failed this test.

In turn, in the Far Cry 2 game application, the tested processor devices showed such FPS in the resolution of 1280 x 1024:

  1. X4 630 - 76.
  2. Q8330 - 73.
  3. X4 9750 - 71.
  4. E7500 - 62.

The first three chips with four cores in this test show approximately the same results. But the E7500 with two blocks is significantly inferior to the other participants. But at the same time, the performance level of each chip in the test is sufficient for a comfortable game.

Athlon II X4 630 processor

Overclocking

Athlon II X4 630 boasts good overclocking potential. As noted earlier, the reference frequency of this microprocessor is 2800 MHz. This CPU has a multiplier not locked. Therefore, you can increase performance by increasing it. Experience shows that without any problems, the frequency can be increased to 3700 MHz. In this case, the supply voltage must be increased from 0.9 V to 1.472 V. In percentage terms, this allows you to get an additional 35%. In the PC Mark'05 test, this allows instead of 8306 to receive “solid” 11340 conditional points. But in Far Cry 2, the number of frames per second will increase from 76 to 90. That is, PC performance due to this operation will increase significantly.

Cost

The AMD Athlon II X4 630 is currently a fairly affordable microprocessor. Of course, eight years have passed since its release, but this chip continues to be relevant, and its technical specifications implement almost any software task. Even the most demanding toys on such hardware will run with average settings. Today, such a chip can be purchased in a new state on the Internet. To do this, just place an order on any international trading platform. Its cost will be 1000-1200 rubles. In supported form, such a chip can also be bought. In this case, the price for it will amount to 700-800 rubles.

It is more advisable to acquire such a CPU in a new state. In this case, the state of semiconductor elements is better, and the service life of the microprocessor will be an order of magnitude longer.

Reviews

Owners of the microprocessor model AMD Athlon II X4 630 in their reviews highlight the following advantages:

  1. Excellent overclocking potential.
  2. The presence of four independent computing units allows the chip to process code in four logical streams.
  3. An acceptable level of energy efficiency.
  4. Democratic value.
  5. A well-organized layout of the semiconductor chip, which allows the microprocessor of this modification to still execute any program code, including the most resource-intensive.

The disadvantages of this silicon chip include the following:

  1. Outdated process.
  2. The absence of a third level of cache slightly reduces the speed of the PC as a whole.
Athlon II X4 630

Conclusion

Although the Athlon II X4 630 microprocessor was released back in 2009, it still continues to be relevant, and its technical specifications allow you to run any modern software. At the same time, the excellent overclocking potential of this CPU significantly increases its speed. Therefore, the microprocessor considered in this review can easily compete even with modern chips.

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