# amd sempron - k8? k7? what the hell is it?? [SOLVED]

## mattfraunfelter

I  just bought a new acer laptop and im busy putting gentoo on it. Im in # make menuconfig and i realize i dont know what kind of processor to put it down as. I looked around some and found out that there are a couple types of sempron processors and it seems like each one has diff optimizations. What should I put down in processor faimly? Some say its a K8, others say its a K7 and an atholon xp with a diff name. it seems like the differnt ones have differnt socket sizes. Help/advice/any knowlage on this is apprecated. thanks.

heres # cat /proc/cpuinfo from the 2005.1 livecd

processor        :  0

vendor_id        :  AuthenticAMD

cpu faimly         :  15

model               :  44

model name      :  Mobile AMD Sempron(tm) Processor 3000+

stepping           :  2

cpu MHz           : 1800.784

cache size         :  128 kb

fdiv_bug           :  no

hlt_bug             :  no

f00f_bug          :  no

coma_bug         :  no

fpu                    :  yes

fpu_exception   :  yes

cpuid level         :  1

wp                    :  yes

flags                  :  fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt 3dnowext 3dnow pni lahf_lm

bogomips          :  3563.52

----------

## nlindblad

I might be way out of track here but I came over this: http://gentoo-wiki.com/HARDWARE_HP_Compaq_nx6125

Seems to be the same CPU you're using.

----------

## widan

```
flags                  :  ... nx ...
```

If it has NX, it's likely a K8 Sempron. I don't think there was any K7 series CPU that has the NX bit.

One way to be sure is to look at the lspci output. If it's a K8, you should have lines like this:

```
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration

00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map

00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller

00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
```

----------

## mattfraunfelter

thanks man thats it. I had the K8 lines. I must have over looked them while looking at other stuff in there. 

nlindblad : that link was helpful because it had a link to wireless setup & configuration which is my next step after the installs done. thanks

----------

## ^jimmy^

Hi, i have the same problem, but there is no nx flag on mine

How can i know if it's 64 bit or not?

This is what I got:

processor       : 0

vendor_id       : AuthenticAMD

cpu family      : 15

model           : 44

model name      : AMD Sempron(tm) Processor 3000+

stepping        : 2

cpu MHz         : 1799.815

cache size      : 128 KB

fdiv_bug        : no

hlt_bug         : no

f00f_bug        : no

coma_bug        : no

fpu             : yes

fpu_exception   : yes

cpuid level     : 1

wp              : yes

flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2

 syscall mmxext lm 3dnowext 3dnow pni

bogomips        : 3591.37

----------

## mattfraunfelter

 *widan wrote:*   

> 
> 
> ```
> flags                  :  ... nx ...
> ```
> ...

 

try lspci, and if you dont get it post the results.

----------

## ^jimmy^

Thanks a lot, with lspci is all cool!

I'm sorry I didn't notice it in the post before.

Cheers!

----------

## SpiegS

I have the same CPU (Benq Joybook R23E), but when I tried to boot from AMD64 live CD (2006.0) I got message, that my CPU doesn't support long mode (or something like this)

and that I must try 32 bit version

So i guess that this CPU isn't 64 bit, though lspci says "k8"

 *mattfraunfelter wrote:*   

> 
> 
> processor        :  0
> 
> vendor_id        :  AuthenticAMD
> ...

 

----------

## Boesmann

 *SpiegS wrote:*   

> So i guess that this CPU isn't 64 bit, though lspci says "k8"

 

You're right. It's just based on the same architecture but without 64 bit support.

----------

## widan

 *SpiegS wrote:*   

> I have the same CPU (Benq Joybook R23E), but when I tried to boot from AMD64 live CD (2006.0) I got message, that my CPU doesn't support long mode (or something like this) and that I must try 32 bit version
> 
> So i guess that this CPU isn't 64 bit, though lspci says "k8"

 

Some Semprons have 64-bit support, but not all of them (the early K8 Semprons did not have it). You can tell by the "lm" flag in /proc/cpuinfo (lm is for "long mode", the name of the 64-bit operating mode). The devices lspci sees are part of the integrated northbridge, so they are present on all K8 Semprons.

----------

## pzasso

I have the following Sempron chip installed on an ASUS K8V SE Deluxe with bios version 1007, which is current.

> processor       : 0

> vendor_id       : AuthenticAMD

> cpu family      : 15

> model           : 44

> model name      : AMD Sempron(tm) Processor 3100+

> stepping        : 2

> cpu MHz         : 1802.345

> cache size      : 256 KB

> fpu             : yes

> fpu_exception   : yes

> cpuid level     : 1

> wp              : yes

> flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca

> cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt lm

> 3dnowext 3dnow  pni lahf_lm

> bogomips        : 3610.86

> TLB size        : 1024 4K pages

> clflush size    : 64

> cache_alignment : 64

> address sizes   : 40 bits physical, 48 bits virtual

> power management: ts fid vid ttp tm stc

When attempting to do a 64-bit install of Gentoo, I get all the way to the kernel compile step, and it bombs saying that it does not support 32-bit mode.  I have two of these ASUS boards, and the other one is working fine with 64-bit Gentoo, and it has the following AMD64 processor installed.

> processor       : 0

> vendor_id       : AuthenticAMD

> cpu family      : 15

> model           : 12

> model name      : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3200+

> stepping        : 0

> cpu MHz         : 2202.921

> cache size      : 512 KB

> fpu             : yes

> fpu_exception   : yes

> cpuid level     : 1

> wp              : yes

> flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca

> cmovpat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 syscall nx mmxext lm 3dnowext

> 3dnow

> bogomips        : 4415.97

> TLB size        : 1024 4K pages

> clflush size    : 64

> cache_alignment : 64

> address sizes   : 40 bits physical, 48 bits virtual

> power management: ts fid vid ttp

Do I need to do something different when installing on a Sempron?

Thank you,

--Paul

----------

## mbar

EDIT: Earliest K8 Semprons (build around Athlon 64 core) indeed did not have 64-bit capabilities. Seems you have that one. Try to sell it and buy a newer Sempron or full Athlon 64. The price difference in low end area isn't too big fortunately. And Athlon 64 2800+ (1.8 GHz) is better than Sempron 3100+ (1.8 GHz).  :Smile: 

But on the other hand your Sempron has "lm" (long mode) bit enabled, so it should have 64-bit mode active.

Sorry, I just wrote some bollocks, you have problem with missing 32-bit mode? During the compilation of 64-bit kernel there's a warning that binary file is incompatible with i386, which is normal and expected.

----------

## pzasso

This chip is fairly new, since I just picked it up yesterday.  I know it may have been sitting on the shelf somewhere, but I don't think it is that old.  As far as the error message during the compile, it doesn't just throw and error and keep going, it bombs altogether, about 15 seconds into the compile.

I just realized that I have appended to a "Solved" post.  Should I be starting a new thread at this point?

Thanks,

--Paul

----------

## mbar

Why don't you just attach the error message? It's hard to guess it.

----------

## pzasso

I started a new thread since this one is marked as solved.

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-480288-highlight-sempron.html

Thanks,

--Paul

----------

## rempuii7

If your Sempron 3000+ is Palermo E6-SSE3

Socket 754 Stepping- EG

or Socket AM2 Sempron you can be sure it is both 64-bits and SSE3 capable.

If the socket is 462 it is not 

If it is a Socket 754 it depends on the stepping (part number): 

Steppings: CG (Part No.: *AX) or D0 (Part No.: *BA) have neither SSE3 nor AMD64 

Stepping: E3 (Part No.: *BO) has SSE3

So not all Semptron are the same the 64 bits are usually found in the mobile CPU-you can check your system configuration with the help of 'Everest Ultimate'it is very good.

The width: 32 bits is not important if it is 64 bits and you install 64 bits OS it will adjust.

----------

