Customer Reviews

AMD Sempron 140, Socket AM3, 2.7 GHz, 1 MB Cache, 45 Watts, SDX140HBGQBOX

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Since this was an used item this review won't carry much weight for a similar new product. Never-the-less, the reason I bought this CPU is that in spite of the fact that AMD says it is a single core "Sargas" processor, it is in reality a dual core "Regor" processor with one core disabled. If this chip is installed on a motherboard with an AMD SB710 (or SB750) southbridge that second core can usually be unlocked. In this case the unlocking was accomplished without a hitch or any instability in the processor, so now I have a 2.7GHz dual core processor for about half the price of the actual Athlon II x2 CPU. My Windows Experience Index went from a 4.1 to 5.5. The 4.1 was with the disabled core and was the CPU's rating. The 5.5 is with the second core unlocked, however 5.5 is the rating of my video card (the Index uses the lowest rating to set the index). My CPU rating is now 6.3 and is now capable of both multi-thread operation and running multi-programs at the same time. I have been told this chip will overclock to around 3.4GHz with no ill effects because the chip runs very cool in the first place (mine at 2.7GHz runs at about 28 degrees C [82.4 degrees F] and only pulls 65W TDP which is, compared to equal or lessor CPU's that pull 95W TDP, very low power consumption). Of course the Sempron chip [one core disabled] only pulls 45W TDP. Therefore, for the budget minded home builder, the Sempron 140 is a golden opportunity to get a high end CPU for a low budget price.

Phenomenal! My first build ever and it went without a hitch. I bought this CPU with a Gigabyte MB off of eBay. This was the processor that came with the board. You have to make sure you have the correct board (see the other reviewer on type of board here on Amazon) but then all you need to do is enter BIOS and 'enable all cores' and BAMMM!!! You've got yourself a Athlon II X2 dual processor. PHENOMENAL!

Love it! Bought this CPU together with a Gigabyte GA-MA74GM-S2 MB. All you have to do is enable Hybrid mode in Advanced Clock Calibration BIOS menu. Then, just set ACC to Auto and you've got yourself a nice Athlon II x2 4400e. And what's more, as opposed to other AMD stock fans, the one that comes with the Sempron 140 is extremely quiet. So quiet, in fact, I had to check visually if it was actually working.

This processor is low powered, silent and inexpensive. Good for a HTPC setup!

Anyone looking for a cheap and inexpensive HTPC setup with 1080p HD Video and High definition Audio (DTS HD MA & Dolby True HD bitstreaming) should consider the below setup :

AsRock N68-S UCC Mobo - $42
AMD Sempron 140 - $38
Sapphire Radeon HD 5450 - $30 after $15 MIR
2 GB DDR2 RAM - $30
RaidMax R4 case from Fry's - $60
1 TB WD Caviar Green HDD - $50
A-Power AK 420w PSU - $25
Lite-on BD ROM - $50
IOGear Multimedia Wireless Keyboard GKM561R - $45
AirLink101 AWLL5088 Wireless N adapter - $15

Total cost of setup - $385.

I got this processor for my new desktop. It was the cheapest one around in amazon and newegg. Also several people reported that it was possible to unlock the second core with a motherboard having southbridge SB710 or SB 750. Seemed like an alluring deal and I went ahead with this processor. Unfortunately, you need a motherboard which supports ACC or Advanced Clock Calibration to unlock the second core and my foxconn A74 ML -K 3.0 was not one of those. From what I could gather, the motherboards that support ACC are somewhat pricier and I feel that if you really want a dual core system, you can stick to a cheaper motherboard (w/o ACC) and buy AMD Athlon II X2 245 Regor 2.9 GHz 2x1 MB L2 Cache Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor - Retail ADX245OCGQBOX instead, which retails for only 25$ more. However, for my purposes single core is more than enough and I am really happy with the performance as with a decent amount of load in Ubuntu (surfing with 10-15 tabs+pdf/latex file editing+Media player) the processor typically runs at about 25-40% of its full capacity. As another reviewer pointed out, it could not stream 1080p HD video well(keeps getting stuck), although it did stream 720p HD perfectly. This is not the best processor out there, but at this price points and given its performance, I'd recommend this to any moderate user of a home PC.

I just installed this CPU in an ASRock motherboard. Windows Home Server first showed it as a SINGLE CORE. But, upon unlocking the core, I went to TASK MANAGER and wouldn't you know it... it shows TWO CORES! BIOS confirmed it by showing it as an AMD Athlon X2 II 4400+... Uh-mazing!!

This processor was paired with an equally economical ASRock N68-S UCC (one of only a few nvidia chipset motherboards that supports core unlocking with the help of a chip from ASRock).
I unlocked a fully functioning dual core which benchmarks very close to my overclocked e4400(2.67GHz)

The cheapest board to unlock processors; add to that, a processor that has the potential to unlock a fully functioning 2nd core and this only sweetens the deal.

If your computer budget is as constrained as my client's, this is your answer!

I wanted to upgrade an old system, heard this CPU unlocks to an Athlon II with the right motherboard.

Things I bought:

GAMMA Classic Series ATX Mid Tower
AMD Sempron 140
Biostar A880G+
Cooler Master Hyper 101A
Cooler Master Elite 460W
Sapphire Radeon HD5770 Vapor-X
Western Digital WD Caviar Black 1 TB

Installation was easy, I bought a third party heatsink/fan for overclocking (Although not the best for maximum OCing). With the Biostar A880G+ motherboard I was able to unlock the 2nd core just by pressing F3 pre-boot menu comes up, and the CPU is now an Athlon II 2.7GHz. With the mid level graphics card I am now able to play most (to all) modern games with descent enough settings.

I paired this with the MSI 870-G45 motherboard (which I highly recommend).

This was my first build in quite a long time and I didnt have a whole lot of money to spend. First and foremost I used the core unlock ability on the mobo to access the second core in this chip, effectively making it a AthlonII x2 4400. It was simple to do and the benefits are great. I have it OC'ed to 3.36 ghz with stock cooling right now. It idles at 27 celsius with is only 2 degrees warmer then not unlocked. Under load sees it go to 37-39.

To recap: Unlocked to a dual core running at 3.36 ghz for $36? Thats a no brainer. Would buy again in a heartbeat.

This is a very economical processor if you are building a computer that won't have too many demands on it. It will have all the speed you need for casual surfing of the Internet, checking email, writing letters, etc. Used this to build an office computer for my church, and it is great! Very fast, easy to install, just a great little processor. If you are building a system that is going to have light to moderate use, this is a great processor for the money!