A7N8X-E and Barton 3200+ runs at 1.75v - is this normal?

[DaveyB]

Hi there,

I've installed an AMD 3200+ 400FSB Barton into an A7N8X-E DELUXE and all seems to be ok in day to
day use but the BIOS has set the Vcore at 1.75v instead of 1.65v that the chip is supposed to run
at. The Vcore BIOS setting won't go any lower than 1.75v for this CPU. Is this something to worry
about?

Cheers, Davy

 

[Ed]

Hi there,

I've installed an AMD 3200+ 400FSB Barton into an A7N8X-E DELUXE and all seems to be ok in day to
day use but the BIOS has set the Vcore at 1.75v instead of 1.65v that the chip is supposed to run
at. The Vcore BIOS setting won't go any lower than 1.75v for this CPU. Is this something to worry
about?

Cheers, Davy

Unless there's a bug with the E-Deluxe that doesn't sound right. 1.75v
won't kill it but maybe the CPU is not a 3200+ but a 2500+ being made to
run faster by using more vcore for stability. Barton 2500+ and 3200+ use
the same 11x multiplier but run at different FSB MHz. (166 cs 200).

If it's not a boxed retail CPU I guess it's possible the CPU could have
been modified, did you take a good look at the CPU bridges?

Ed

 

[DaveyB]

Unless there's a bug with the E-Deluxe that doesn't sound right. 1.75v
won't kill it but maybe the CPU is not a 3200+ but a 2500+ being made to
run faster by using more vcore for stability. Barton 2500+ and 3200+ use
the same 11x multiplier but run at different FSB MHz. (166 cs 200).

If it's not a boxed retail CPU I guess it's possible the CPU could have
been modified, did you take a good look at the CPU bridges?

Ed

I did have a look at the cut bridges and they all look more or less the same.
There's a guy over in alt.comp.hardware.overclocking.amd who took a photo of
his /possible/ fake 3200+ and all the bridges are the same configuration as mine.

Photo: http://members.cox.net/eharris2/CPUPic1.jpg

I've tried different BIOS versions for the A7N8X but they all gave 1.75v as the lowest limit.

Mine is an unboxed OEM chip off eBay ( shudder ). I guess that swings the odds against me!

DaveyB

 

[Paul]

I did have a look at the cut bridges and they all look more or less the same.
There's a guy over in alt.comp.hardware.overclocking.amd who took a photo of
his /possible/ fake 3200+ and all the bridges are the same configuration as mine.

Photo: http://members.cox.net/eharris2/CPUPic1.jpg

I've tried different BIOS versions for the A7N8X but they all gave 1.75v as the lowest limit.

Mine is an unboxed OEM chip off eBay ( shudder ). I guess that swings the odds against me!

DaveyB

This page has bridge info:

http://fab51.com/cpu/barton/athlon-e23.html

Erik's picture looks like label fraud, and maybe no bridges
were modified. It would look like the FSB was incorrect, and
most people simply adjust the clock in the BIOS to fix it.
The multiplier on the 2500+ is the same as a 3200+, which means
only the FSB needs to be modded. A remarker can either change
the FSB, or just leave it, and the end user will assume the
external clock always needs to be adjusted on a 3200+.

This poster's Vcore is too high, just like yours.

http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=Xns9543EB0A86842tristanluscombehotma@194.117.143.38

Look at both the top of the chip, for bridge mods, but also look at the
bottom of the CPU, to see if there is any conductive paint on there. To
see what pattern they might use to modify the CPU, use this page, and
the Vcore menu. That will show you what pins to look for the conductive
paint on the bottom of the CPU. As a limited number of connections would
need to be modified, not all the mods pictured here would be needed.
Some of them are already set by the bridges on top of the chip:

http://www.ocinside.de/go_e.html?/html/workshop/pinmod/amd_pinmod.html

If it is a hardware failure, it is a pretty strange one. I hope AMD
isn't VID modding these themselves

HTH,
Paul

 

[Leadfoot]

Hi there,

I've installed an AMD 3200+ 400FSB Barton into an A7N8X-E DELUXE and all seems to be ok in day to
day use but the BIOS has set the Vcore at 1.75v instead of 1.65v that the chip is supposed to run
at. The Vcore BIOS setting won't go any lower than 1.75v for this CPU. Is this something to worry
about?

Cheers, Davy

sounds like you were sold a modified chip

Can you make the core voltage higher? Don't worry 1.85VDC won't hurt it

What temp does it run at?

Will it run Prime95 for 6-12 hours?

If either of the latter two are a problem how hard will it be to get your
money back?

If they are not a problem then its probably not worth the hassle to take it
back. It may not be the vendor who you purchased it froms fault. It could
have been in 10 different hands between you and AMD

 

[DaveyB]

This page has bridge info:

http://fab51.com/cpu/barton/athlon-e23.html

Erik's picture looks like label fraud, and maybe no bridges
were modified. It would look like the FSB was incorrect, and
most people simply adjust the clock in the BIOS to fix it.
The multiplier on the 2500+ is the same as a 3200+, which means
only the FSB needs to be modded. A remarker can either change
the FSB, or just leave it, and the end user will assume the
external clock always needs to be adjusted on a 3200+.

This poster's Vcore is too high, just like yours.

http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=Xns9543EB0A86842tristanluscombehotma@194.117.143.38

Look at both the top of the chip, for bridge mods, but also look at the
bottom of the CPU, to see if there is any conductive paint on there. To
see what pattern they might use to modify the CPU, use this page, and
the Vcore menu. That will show you what pins to look for the conductive
paint on the bottom of the CPU. As a limited number of connections would
need to be modified, not all the mods pictured here would be needed.
Some of them are already set by the bridges on top of the chip:

http://www.ocinside.de/go_e.html?/html/workshop/pinmod/amd_pinmod.html

If it is a hardware failure, it is a pretty strange one. I hope AMD
isn't VID modding these themselves

Thanks for those urls, very handy

I've scanned the CPU and also used a 3D microscope to look at the bridges.

It looks like third link up on L11 has been sliced.

Full Pic: http://www.btinternet.com/~sector101/cpu/3200top.jpg
Closeup: http://www.btinternet.com/~sector101/cpu/3200_L11.jpg

Using the microscope thing I noticed some kind of paint joining two sets of pins on the underside
of the cpu.

Full Pic: http://www.btinternet.com/~sector101/cpu/3200bottom.jpg
Closeup: http://www.btinternet.com/~sector101/cpu/3200bottommod.jpg

The paint is well hidden under some tan colored coating, I didn't notice it until it was under the
microscope.

DaveyB

 

[Harry]

Thanks for those urls, very handy

I've scanned the CPU and also used a 3D microscope to look at the bridges.

It looks like third link up on L11 has been sliced.

Full Pic: http://www.btinternet.com/~sector101/cpu/3200top.jpg
Closeup: http://www.btinternet.com/~sector101/cpu/3200_L11.jpg

Using the microscope thing I noticed some kind of paint joining two sets of pins on the underside
of the cpu.

Full Pic: http://www.btinternet.com/~sector101/cpu/3200bottom.jpg
Closeup: http://www.btinternet.com/~sector101/cpu/3200bottommod.jpg

The paint is well hidden under some tan colored coating, I didn't notice it until it was under the
microscope.

DaveyB

You will notice the sqaure matrix on the right of the serial numbers.
If you can, compare this to the one stamped on the CPU core. They
should match. The sqaure is infact an AMD barcode

Read here for more info

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20031020183230.html

cheers

Harry

 

[Paul]

Thanks for those urls, very handy

I've scanned the CPU and also used a 3D microscope to look at the bridges.

It looks like third link up on L11 has been sliced.

Full Pic: http://www.btinternet.com/~sector101/cpu/3200top.jpg
Closeup: http://www.btinternet.com/~sector101/cpu/3200_L11.jpg

Using the microscope thing I noticed some kind of paint joining two sets of pins on the underside
of the cpu.

Full Pic: http://www.btinternet.com/~sector101/cpu/3200bottom.jpg
Closeup: http://www.btinternet.com/~sector101/cpu/3200bottommod.jpg

The paint is well hidden under some tan colored coating, I didn't notice it until it was under the
microscope.

DaveyB

Excellent! Thanks for educating us on the latest forgery methods!
I guess there really is no substitute for just buying a 2500+
and overclocking the FSB yourself. Maybe everyone who gets burned
on this stuff, should email AMD and suggest they just sell
2500+ from now on

How is your negotiation going with the seller on Ebay ?

Maybe it is up to the buyer to point out that they own a 3D
microscope and know how to use it, before the product is sent

Paul

 

[DaveyB]

Excellent! Thanks for educating us on the latest forgery methods!
I guess there really is no substitute for just buying a 2500+
and overclocking the FSB yourself. Maybe everyone who gets burned
on this stuff, should email AMD and suggest they just sell
2500+ from now on

How is your negotiation going with the seller on Ebay ?

Maybe it is up to the buyer to point out that they own a 3D
microscope and know how to use it, before the product is sent

I've contacted the guy about getting a refund for the CPU and await his reply. He runs an online
PC and PC parts shop and has sold bucketloads of 3200+ Bartons on eBay. I can't imagine that I'm
the only one who got a modded 2500+ from him.

We'll see how it turns out...

DaveyB