CPU - (Part 2 of 3) XP NightMare be gone! UPDATE Here!

[vhelp]

Hello peoples!!

UPDATED TODAY: 12.28.2001 @ 7:30PM NY time
(part 2 from CPU meltdown from this
origonal thread)

Wish I could give good news, but this just isn't my day.

This is my progress so far - and it's very dissatisfying!!


I replaced my Athlon T-Brd 900mhz cpu with an XP 1700+ cpu
in my MSI K7T Pro 2-A motherboard this evening.


I got the XP 1700+ (was all they were able to offering me
at the time)
* I installed it with no problems
* I Flashed with latest version of BIOS for the Award
using this:
* file: 6330v326.exe (here is list: K7T+Pro2-A
and following the instructions for the AWARD bios here:
here
...and everything went fine!

The "NEW" BIOS date (at the bottom left of DOS screen is:
11/29/2001.........replacing my old 1/11/2001 date

And, my BIOS bootup screen shows XP 1100 MHZ
...not 1467 MHZ!!

But, I seem to have constant lockups, ranging from 1 min.
into windows, 20min in windos, an hour in windows at a
time. At first, I thought it was TMPG causing all those
error Faults and lockups, but now, after trying to just
copy a file from my A: drive to my desktop, and it crashes
whenever and whereever it pleases.
sometimes, my TMPG encodes (10sec or 1min, etc.) will run
without a problem, while most of the time, it crashes or
locks up anywhere in the encoding process or when TMPG
first loads up or whatever basically.
However, from some of my encodes I was able to get up and
working w/out any crashes or lockups, I was very
dissapointed in the results of the XP's speed! I was
able to see only about 5 seconds savings. What a waist
here, and I feel the 900mhz did just as good (5 sec is
pretty meaningless !!)

I know heatzink and cpu are properly seated and fan is
running smoothly. BIOS temp say approx 87 degrees, and
heatzink is cool to the touch.
I can let windows bootup and walkaway from it for long
periods of time and come back and it is still operating ok.
But, if I start to work in pretty much anything, it locks
up tight!

Ok, So... does anybody have suggestions on what I can do
now?? I'm pretty exhausted from all this XP'ing around
but if I can't get this thing to work, I may as well return
it as it is NOT working like it should!!!
I welcome your comments/suggestions/tips/tolyousoos!

Basically, the XP (based on my experience) has done VERY
POORLY!!

Thank you all for your support!

- vhelp

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: vhelp on 2001-12-28 17:33:33 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: vhelp on 2001-12-28 17:57:49 ]</font>

[next]

I think you may be doing more mobo'ing than xp'ing. This sounds more like a motherboard issue than a simple cpu issue. I'd try your cpu on a different motherboard and see what happens. I'll guess things will be fine.

Good luck!

[Jeomite]

I just built my friend a XP1700+ system with a MSI K7T266 Pro2 mobo. If that's your mobo, then I don't know when went wrong. My friend's been running the system just fine for over 2 weeks now. No problems.

Not sure what BIOS version it's running, but pretty sure it's the latest.

[vhelp]

my motherboards is an:


** MSI K7T Pro 2-A - via KT133 chipset


I'm in there now, finally got TMPG 2.50, and works, but
I don't see any speed increases other than that it likes to lock up
hard at any given time!

Still, my BIOS bootup screen says 1100 MHZ
Why?? the chip is rated at 1467 MHZ and given the new Flahsed
BIOS update, it would have changed, and I was also told that the
speed would increase, but I really can't see ANY speed boost, and
I SHOULD OF seen something dramatic, from my older 900mhz CPU.
At least, while its working, I should be seeing some speeddddd!!!!!

Thanks.

- vhelp

[disturbed1]

Check your multiplier in your bios. Make sure it's set correctly.

It should say 133mhz with a multiplier of 11.

Since it's reading 1100 which is 100 mhz with a multiplier of 11.

[t_furgesson]

i've just got my xp 1700+ and i made the same mistake, i didn't check my frontside bus settings, i had left it at 100mhz instead of 133. stupid i know, but that's why you've only got a 1100mHz cpu. as for you lock up issues, check the msi site and make sure your motherboard supports xp cpu's. i know some m/b don't go well with xp's. i've got a k7t 266 pro2-ru and ive had no problems what so ever. and im using tmpgenc as we speak.

[next]

To all - does 87 degrees sound too hot? Especially if the heatsink is cool? My experience is that the heatsink is warm because it disapates the heat. Perhaps there is an overheating problem causing the lockups?

[vhelp]

Next,

I've ben playing around in the BIOS and also ben thinking about the MB issues
you spoke of in your prev post. Anyways, in the BIOS, there is an option to
set shut-off's at various Temporature settings, and the ranges were pretty
high - close to 200, so 87 (now 97 degrees) must be healthy

Also, the heatzink is pretty cool to the touch. So, heat is definately not the
issue here.

Ok, was able to run a RIPing speed test, and Inoticed that I can no longer do
9x, it's jumping between 4x and 6x now.

t_furg and disturbed1, you's both say that maybe it's my frontside bus, I didn't
know I had a frontside bust, he, he..... (I gotta joke a little here. beging upset
is not too healthy)
Anyways, I'll look into that in a minute. I gotta go and re-start my pc again.
...it locked up again!

Thanks you guys much is very appreciated

PS: I don't know where to look to fine this multiplier 11 stuff. . .advice would be nice (in my BIOS)
- vhelp

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: vhelp on 2001-12-27 21:45:21 ]</font>

[disturbed1]

It should be in the BIOS under advanced chip set controls/features. Or voltage/freq. settings

If you still have troubles, I'd refer to the manual. If you don't have yours, d/l it from MSI.

Good Luck.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: disturbed1 on 2001-12-27 22:23:12 ]</font>

[zx80]

You know, 87 degrees for the CPU is a major problem.
It really should not be running at more than 60.
This is the root of all your difficulties. I'm surprised it even continues to work!
Get a new heatsink/fan ASAP.

[disturbed1]

Max temp is 90 Degrees Celsius,
194 Degrees Fahrenheit

[vhelp]

Ok, here is how my CPU came packaged, and maybe you can go from there:

* it came in a box
* came w/ own square heat-zik
* although instructions manual (fold-out) said to peal plastic tape off of the
heat-zink, there was none to peal off. Instead, there was this sticky red or pot-pie
looking red color square box on the heat-zink. I started to pieal it when I real
ized that it was not a plastic tape they were refering to. And, no, I didn't peal
this goow off, I only just started to, before I realised it wasn't a plastic tape.
Did I miss something here?
The heatzink is pretty firm in place. Also, I though one was suppose to get
this white plaste and and mesh between heat-zink and cpu?

thus, so far?. . . .

Ok, i've done what disturbed1 advised, about the 133 and the 11.
but it didn't seem to work either. So, I tried another value, x11.5
and still, as I turned to look at my pc, I just saw the screen go black!
...just before it finished 2, 1 miute encode tests. I was running a 3rd,, hoping
that the x11.5 did the trick, but no go!!

thanks guys!

- vhelp

[t_furgesson]

ok first things first. if i understand your reply correctly, there is heatsink paste on the bottom of your heatsink. that's good, if that's not there, then turn your machine off and get some. you can get it at radio shack or where ever you bought your cpu. this is crucial that you have good contact with your cpu and the heatsink, that's what the paste does. and if your heatsink is cool to the touch, then its not working, and with your cpu temp so high i can for sure say its not working. that would explain your lock ups. most motherboards have failsafes, but your's is older and probably does not. but overheated cpu's either lock up or burn out, so your lucky.
to check your heatsink, take it off and make sure there has been contact between your cpu and the heatsink. you should see paste on both sides. if your not sure, go buy some thermal paste, and clean both parts off, heatsink and cpu. then apply a few drops to the heatsink and set it in place on the cpu. take it back off and check and make sure there was good contact and the paste didn't spread all over the place, just on the core of the cpu, the little square in the middle. then after it looks good clip it all back together and make sure its on firmly. reboot and check your temps again. 90'C is way too high, i've got a stock heatsink on my 1700+ and its never higher then 50c.
as for your frontside bus speeds, don't try to change your multpilier, its locked any way, look in your advanced settings in your bios for a 100mhz setting. it should be labeled bus speed or maybe pci speed. i can't rembeber what its labeled. once you get you heat problem solved try changing that to 133mhz, but no higher. unless your familar with overclocking, then you can really mess everything up if you go too high.
hopefully this will point you in the right direction, more then likely you just have a heat problem, which shouldn't be too hard to fix.
oh, one other thing, was the heatsink you put on one that came with your new cpu, or was it the old one off your cpu? if it is then please do yourself a favor and go pick up a new heatsink.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: t_furgesson on 2001-12-28 16:20:19 ]</font>

[vhelp]

Please see this UPDATED thread on my XP Upgrade Success!!

Thank you all for ALL your help - was really apprecated!
The best to you all!

- vhelp