Hey guys,
I just talked to a freind about my problem(s) and he has STRONGLY suggested I look into getting myself a better/bigger fan, even though mine seems to be working OK, at least for 1 GHZ. I think it is an un-eliminatable possibility that my problems are strictly temperature based, so I shall be looking into getting a better fan/heat sink/etc...
 
After you guys have read through this post what fan/heatsink combo would you guys recommend for Athlon THUNDERBIRD processors running around 1GHZ to 1.7GHZ (just in case I decide to upgrade my processor late, my mobo supports AThlon xp processors )

shassouneh,
 
Glad you are looking at the heat issue. The factors you want to consider with the heatsink/fan are the volume of air that it pumps and the noise it makes to do it. Installation of the device is the devil in the details. There isn't a lot of room on some of these mobos so clearance is one problem. How it attaches is a big problem especially with AMD processors. Some heatsinks like the AlphaPal practically require you to tear the whole machine apart to attach it.
 
Humor me once more if you would. Bring up your System Information program. Click on the plus next to Components and the plus next to MultiMedia, then CDRom. What does it say? Do the same for Storage and Drives. What does this say?
 
This process will actively query what you have in there.
 
Harry is urging you to consider that one or more physical devices may be the culprit, which may have been harmed by a possible heat issue or an electrical surge, and a methodical bare bones installation of XP is a good first step to eliminating those as a problem. Only then should you move on to something else.
 
I am still puzzled by the number of CDroms reported, the SCSI devices, etc. Don't worry about an A drive when you don't have one installed, all Windows versions reserve an IRQ and memory map for one whether one is truly there or not. It's a database entry.
 
You won't go wrong in addressing heat management, but you might consider eliminating the possibility that other devices need to be tested before introducing new hardware into the equation.

You have a point Sampson that is certainly worthy of consideration. Hwoever, due to the fact that the computer functions almost flawlessly at 1GHZ, I am lead to beleive it is an overheating issue. Right now I'm running it at 1 GHZ to avoid damage that can be caused by overheating.
Does anybody know where i can get a decent heatsink and fan combo for Athlona and Athlon XP processors ???

www.newegg.com
 
Look for the Vantec CCK-6027D. Copper cooler, and I run a 1.4GHz T-Bird with it. Great performance for the money.

Copper? I thought Aluminum was much better than copper! ????

1. Copper is definately better than aluminium, but more expensive. Which heatsink speced for an Athlon 1400 or higher you use is less important than the amount of air blowing on it and that you have perfect contact between sink and CPU. Put arctic silver inbetween, and follow the instructions for applying it literally..
 
2. Your CPU temp is reported as a perfectly normal 38 C. An Athlon is speced to work at 70C altough you don't want to see that high temps.
Either your heat sensor is defect, not touching the CPU properly or heat is not your problem.
 
I still think the first steps to perform is to connect a floppy drive and see if you can boot to DOS running 1400 Mhz. You cannot have that big a heat problem that this wouldn't work. I noted that you have the voltage setting at 1.80, if my memory serves me correct the default value for your CPU is 1.75V. So your bios settings are wrong !!
 
I'm starting to wonder what is going on here; it appears
- you ignore the simplest troubleshooting solutions
- your Win install is apparently not a fresh one
- you have not resetted the CMOS succesfully
 
H.

I have an Alpha PAL8045 for my TbirdC @ 1.33 GHz, works ok, a bit hot at 54 C full blast...now back to your problem:
 
Did you ever clean the Fan/cooler? Did you try booting/running with other RAM sticks other than yours? Did you change around any hardware since you installed XP Pro? (different PCI slots in use, RAM sticks in different slots, etc, etc...). Do you have an extra network card in use besides the built-in LAN? Where do you have XP Pro from? (pc store or DevilsOwn).
 
Just try to answer to all questions, Im working on an old theory of mine...fyi I had almost the same symptoms a while back.

Hey, shassouneh - I don't know why you're complaining about CPU temp with your CPU @ only 38&degC - mine's [Athlon XP 1900 @ 1.6Ghz] @ 52&degC!!!! Time to mod the case fan holes I think - they don't let enough air in & out.

Correction, CPU Voltage : 1.792 volts
Average CPU temperature:38C as reported by BIOS with an open case.
 
Again, the machione runs perfectly at 1 GHZ but not at 1.4GHZ which urges me to accept an over-heating theory.
 
Please re-read the data given.
 
Can anyone help me still? This problem is way too irritating

Since you're resisting Harry's methodical but very sound approach, if you wouldn't mind - Bring up your System Information program. Click on the plus next to Components and the plus next to MultiMedia, then CDRom. What does it say? Do the same for Storage and Drives. What does this say?

I'll update sysinfo.txt and post a link to it very soon You cane asily look at the sysinfo.txt file and see for yourself everything

It was in looking at a previous Sysinfo.txt, that the dicrepancy was found. All I am asking is that you run the System Information program. It refreshes its reading of your system each time it runs. Click on Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Information. Then, click on the plus next to Components and the plus next to MultiMedia, then CDRom. What does it say? Do the same for Storage and Drives. What does this say?
 
Consider this a fishing expedition.

Don't know what Shassounes real issue is, but he is not reading the advice given or even care to reply on several important matters. I get the feeling that there's something he doesn't wanna tell..
 
It is really a waste of time to try to help here before we know:
 
Why he claims its a fresh windows install, then posts a link to a several weeks old sysinfo which is everything but fresh. He also says he has a "minimal set of hardware (hard drive, DVD drive, and video card") and again the sysinfo shows loads of other stuff.
 
Secondly, why is the CPU voltage wrong ? Apart from proving that he did not clear the CMOS as he claimed, it strongly suggests that the system is or was overclocked. Maybe somebody sold him a stepped up CPU ? We don't really even know what CPU he has, do we?
 
And thirdly, he steadfastly refuses to determine if it is a hardware or a windows issue which easily could be done by booting to DOS (or his Linux partition). Neither do we get answer to what the CPU settings are in bios and how the CPU is identified on boot.
 
H.

You've nailed it before, and your probably right. Time to move on.

Quote:
Don't know what Shassounes real issue is, but he is not reading the advice given or even care to reply on several important matters. I get the feeling that there's something he doesn't wanna tell..

It is really a waste of time to try to help here before we know:

Why he claims its a fresh windows install, then posts a link to a several weeks old sysinfo which is everything but fresh. He also says he has a "minimal set of hardware (hard drive, DVD drive, and video card") and again the sysinfo shows loads of other stuff.

Secondly, why is the CPU voltage wrong ? Apart from proving that he did not clear the CMOS as he claimed, it strongly suggests that the system is or was overclocked. Maybe somebody sold him a stepped up CPU ? We don't really even know what CPU he has, do we?

And thirdly, he steadfastly refuses to determine if it is a hardware or a windows issue which easily could be done by booting to DOS (or his Linux partition). Neither do we get answer to what the CPU settings are in bios and how the CPU is identified on boot.

H.


Dear All, first of all, the reason i posted an old sysinfo.txt file is that with THAT configuration, the system was working perfectly fine at 1.4GHZ. As for the processor, it is OBVIOULSY 1.4GHZ since it was working at 1.4GHZ. Also, I did some research, and my board doesn't support overclocking to begin with.
Hiding something? huh? neg your pardon. I have tried my best to reveal as much infromation as possible.
As for resetting the BIOS, I HAVE done that by shutting down/power off, removing the power chord, and removing the jumper for 10 seconds before placing it back in. The result? The BIOS settiings where re-sert at 1GHZ (something I could have done myself).
As for booting to DOS its pointless. Yes I can boot into a command prompt just fine (that's how I formatted), BUT windows also boots succesfully at 1.4GHZ, but doesn't handle a large load (if the machine runs WITHOUT OPENING ANY PROGRAMS it will give a stop error in less than 20 minutes. Try to run RTCW and it will give a STOP error IMMEDIATELY).
I am currently about to restart my computer, and as soon as I do, I'll run System INformation, and make an updated sysinfo.txt file. I will post to a link to it here shortly!

I Have just updated the System information File(s). Below is a link to the zip file containing them. REMMEMBER: YOU MUST OPEN THE LINK BELOW IN A WEB BROWSER then you can use right click / save target as.
 
OPEN ME IN A WEB BROWSER
 
Note: The zip file contains two files, one is a .nfo file, and the other is a .txt file. They are identical. I included both just in case you prefer to view the .nfo file or vice-versa.

OK, we are getting back on the slow road forward again...
 
First of all, pretty much everyhting can be overclocked except your grandma. Including your board and CPU. Not that I recommend it, but for instance this LINK gives advice on how to OC your particular board, just for the record.
 
Your issue could be another OC one. A common trick to OC Athlons is to close a few bridges on the CPU with a pencil to change or release the multiplier. It could also be possible to run a Athlon made for a FSB of 100Mhz at a higher 133 Mhz speed. Eventually, the graphite from the pencil wears off, and BANG, you are in trouble. Thats why you should take off the heatsink and write down the text printed on the CPU. This is the only way we are ever going to be 100% sure what speed your CPU was intended to run. It doesn't make much sence to do this trick with a board where you cannot change the multiplier, but who knows? And once more, what makes you so certain that your CPU (not your mobo)is made for a 133 Mhz FSB?
Your theory is "As for the processor, it is OBVIOULSY 1.4GHZ since it was working at 1.4GHZ" ... sorry this is crap, my Athlon 1400 is running at 1600, what does that OBVIOUSLY make it ?
 
Secondly, if you boot into DOS from a floppy all extra hardware disconnected , and encounter problems (running for example a CPU testing program for an hour) you know for certain that it's the memory, the CPU or the MoBo thats defect. If you don't encounter problems, you can start with a clean XP install (without printers, sound cards and ZIP drives, like you now have). Only one HD, one basic CD player and graphics card. N o t h i n g extra, just as barebones as you can to install XP. Again, test and you'll know what hardware works OK. Nad leave the memory timings on slowest possible when you troubleshoot.
 
A few questions on another possibility, and please answer: exactly how is your CPU identified in Bios and boot up screen ? Something or somebody is setting (or has set) at least one parameter wrong. The correct voltage for your CPU is NOT 1.8V. Where did you get the 1.792 value from? Just look what its set to be at in Bios and report. Your CPU should be running at 1.75V. Can you manually set the voltages?
 
And last, you wrote about clearing the CMOS "As for resetting the BIOS, I HAVE done that by shutting down/power off, removing the power chord, and removing the jumper for 10 seconds before placing it back in". Well, if you literally did that, you wouldn't have resetted the bios on my board at least, you need to switch the jumper from pins 1-2 to pins 2-3 for 10 secs to clear the CMOS. See your manual for details.
 
I still suspect that your main problem is that your CPU is not identified as a 10.5 x 133= 1400 Mhz Athlon because your bios settings are wrong. The second thing I'd test is a different power supply, if you have one handy. The third thing to do, IMO, is to take out the CPU, clean it (note the numbers) and make sure that the temp diode beneath it is in contact with the bottom of the CPU. BTW, don't you get 2 or 3 temp readings - what are they ?
 
H.

Ok, Lemme first start by collecting some data. I'm about to shut down, wait for the system to cool a bit, then take out the chip and record everything on it. Before I do that, I am going to go in the CPU PnP setup and report all the values I get.
NOTE: When I reset the bios (above) it said something like "run setup" and it set the default settings at 1050MHZ @ 100MHZ/100MHZ.
 
Anyways, let me colle3ct some data and get back to you, ASAP

Here is the information I was able to cllect. The First part is the processor information,
 
the second is a PARTIAL list of my BIOS settings. Of coarse, it wouldn't make sens to post
 
all the BIOS settings, as that would take me FOREVER to write down and type. Please feel
 
free to also look over the recently-updated sysinfo.txt or sysinfo.nfo (posted above).
 
Processor Information:
NOTE: It was really hard to read this, I appologize if a few letters or digits may be off. I
 
have done my best to get them right. This is from the central rectangle (on the processor chip):
 
--DATA Segment Starts Here--
 
Processor Information:
 
AMD Athlon
A1400AMS3C
AYHJA0132BPLW
Y6717730639
(copyright symbol) 1999
 
BIOS information:
 
 
Advanced Setup:
 
Quick Boot: Enabled
1st Boot Device: IDE-0
2nd Boot Device: floppy
3rd Boot Device: CD ROM
Try Other Boot Devices: Yes
BootUp Num-Lock: On
Floppy Drive Swap: Disabled
Floppy Drive Seek: Disabled
Password Check: Setup
Boot To OS/2 > 64MB: No
L1 cache: Enabled
L2 cache: Enabled
System BIOS Cacheable: Enabled
GraphicWin Size: 64M
DRAM Timing Configuration: Normal
SDR/DDR CAS Latency: SPD
SDR/DDR RAS Active Time: 4T
Auto Detect DIMM/PCI Clk: Enabled
Clk GEN Spread Spectrum: Enabled
 
PCI/Plug n Play Setup:
 
Plug and PLay Aware O/S: yes
AGP Select: 4x
Primary Graphics Adapter: AGP
Allocate IRQ to PCI VGA: yes
 
Features Setup:
 
Onboard FDC: Disabled
Onboard Serial Port A: 3F8h/COM1
Onboard Serial Port B: 2F8h/COM2
Serial port 2 Mode: Normal
Onboard Parrallel Port: 378h
Parrallel port Mode: SPP
Parallel port IRQ: 7
Parallel port DMA: N/A
Onboard Game port: 201h
Onboard MIDI Port: 300h
MIDI port IRQ: 10
Onboard PCI IDE: Both
Onboard AC' 97 Sound: Disabled
Onboard AC' 97 Modem: Disabled
Onboard LAN: Enabled
USB Function Support: Enabled
USB Function for DOS: Disabled
 
CPU PnP Setup:
 
CPU BRAND: AMD k7
CPU Type: Athlon
CPU Speed: 100/100 MHZ
CPU Core Voltage: 1.792 V
CPU Ratio: 10.5x
CPU Frequency: 100 MHZ
DRAM Frequency: 100 MHZ
 
Hardware Monitor:
-==System Hardware==-
Vcore: 1.792 V
Vcc2.5v: 2.496 V
Vcc3.3v: 3.264 v
vcc5v: 4.865 v
+12v: 12.352 v
SB3v: 3.472 v
-12v: -11.393 v
SB5v: 5.053 v
VBAT: 3.488 v
SYSTEM fan speed: 0 RPM
CPU Fan Speed: 5113 RPM
SYSTEM TEMPERATURE: 28C/82F
CPU Temperature: 55C/131F (sometimes this is 56C/132F)
 
--END OF DATA segment--
 
Note: The setting above make the processor work at 1 GHZ (1050MHZ) perfectly. It is STILL problemeatic with 133/133MHZ (1.4GHZ).
 
Please look over the data given above, and the sysinfo.txt (or sysinfo.nfo) through the link posted above.
 
Again, here is the link to the system information
 
OPEN ME IN A WEB BROWSER
 
Remmember: You MUST open the baove link in a web browser, THEN you can right click / save target as...
 
The zip file contains two files, a sysinfo.nfo and a sysinfo.txt, they are identical apart from how you open them. I included both to suit your preference.

It is pretty late, and I didn't really have a chance to study the new sysinfo that well, but one quick discrepancy is the Parallel port. In your Bios setting you assign it an IRQ 7. This is not reflected in the Sysinfo. In your hardware device manager the parallel port can be assigned 3 different ways of communicating. I look at it more closely tomorrow.