Anyone gotten this combo working stable with all games?
Windows is stable, some games are stable, but some games just freeze.
No blue screen or nothing. I've tried tuning things down and it helps a bit,
but not enough.
what typically causes computer to hang during games, so it can't even
display blue screen, is it psu, memory, cpu or what ?
rest of my setup:
- Athlon XP 3000+ Barton 2.1GHz (identified falsely 2800+ by mobo)
- 400FSB, 2*512MB Kingston DDR (tried single and dual)
- no pci cards
- cpu temp 49C idle, <60C with games
any ideas?
For a 3000+, CPUZ should say it is a model 10 processor, a.k.a
Barton core. The multiplier should be 13x if the FSB clock is
166Mhz. It is just your temps seem a little on the high side.
There have been counterfeit processors in the past, where some
simple bridge mods can change multipliers, voltages, etc. What
the pirates cannot change, is the declaratioin of Barton or
Thoroughbred, as that is written in the silicon. At one time,
there were batches of counterfeit 3200+ processors available
at major retailers (who doubtlessly knew what they were selling).
Since AMD is changed the distribution of parts, to high end
Bartons and Sempron, the available counterfeit options are
now more limited (no more 2500+ to 3200+ counterfeits).
********
Family Core P.R. Pkg CPU Cache Mult Core Tmax Power
Freq Clk Volts
XP Model 10 2200 (3200+) OPGA 200 512 11x 1.65V 85oC 60.4W
Barton 2100 (3000+) OPGA 200 512 10.5x 1.65V 85oC 53.7W
XP Model 10 2167 (3000+) OPGA 166 512 13x 1.65V 85oC 58.4W
Barton 2083 (2800+) OPGA 166 512 12.5x 1.65V 85oC 53.7W
1917 (2600+) OPGA 166 512 11.5x 1.65V 85oC 53.7W
1833 (2500+) OPGA 166 512 11x 1.65V 85oC 53.7W
XP Model 8 2167 (2700+) OPGA 166 256 13x 1.65V 85oC 62.0W
Thoroughbred 2083 (2600+) OPGA 166 256 12.5x 1.65V 85oC 62.0W
XP Model 8 2133 (2600+) OPGA 133 256 16x 1.65V 85oC 62.0W
Thoroughbred 2000 (2400+) OPGA 133 256 15x 1.65V 85oC 62.0W
CPU ID 0681 1800 (2200+) OPGA 133 256 13.5x 1.60V 85oC 57.0W
1733 (2100+) OPGA 133 256 13x 1.60V 90oC 56.3W
1667 (2000+) OPGA 133 256 12.5x 1.60V 90oC 55.7W
1533 (1800+) OPGA 133 256 11.5x 1.60V 90oC 55.7W
1467 (1700+) OPGA 133 256 11x 1.60V 90oC 55.7W
XP Model 8 1800 (2200+) OPGA 133 256 13.5x 1.65V 85oC 61.7W
Thoroughbred 1733 (2100+) OPGA 133 256 13x 1.60V 90oC 56.4W
CPU ID 0680 1667 (2000+) OPGA 133 256 12.5x 1.65V 90oC 54.7W
1667 (2000+) OPGA 133 256 12.5x 1.60V 90oC 54.7W
1600 (1900+) OPGA 133 256 12x 1.50V 90oC 47.7W
1533 (1800+) OPGA 133 256 11.5x 1.50V 90oC 46.3W
1467 (1700+) OPGA 133 256 11x 1.50V 90oC 44.9W
XP Model 6 1733 (2100+) OPGA 133 256 13x 1.75V 90oC 64.3W
Palomino 1667 (2000+) OPGA 133 256 12.5x 1.75V 90oC 62.5W
1600 (1900+) OPGA 133 256 12x 1.75V 90oC 60.7W
1533 (1800+) OPGA 133 256 11.5x 1.75V 90oC 59.2W
1467 (1700+) OPGA 133 256 11x 1.75V 90oC 57.4W
1400 (1600+) OPGA 133 256 10.5x 1.75V 90oC 56.3W
1333 (1500+) OPGA 133 256 10x 1.75V 90oC 53.8W
********
So, first set the multiplier to auto, and see what
www.cpuid.com/cpuz reports.
Testing methodically helps, if you can find enough test programs.
Memtest86+ (memtest.org), which runs from a self-booting floppy
or as a .iso CD image, can be used to check all of your memory,
for simple permanently stuck bits. Letting it run for a couple of
complete passes should be enough. Accept the results only if
they are error free (no errors are acceptable).
The second test, is to run Prime95 (mersenne.org) "torture test"
option while in Windows. Prime95 doesn't thrash your video card,
but works your processor even harder than when you are gamimg.
Prime95 tests both the processor and the memory, using a computation
for which the answer is known. If it detects "roundoff errors"
or the like, then either the processor is not stable at the
current speed, or the memory/Northbridge is not happy at the
speed it is running at.
If all of those tests pass, now you are down to the Northbridge
and the video card. I have run 3Dmark2001SE in looping demo
mode overnight, as an acceptance test that the AGP slot is
working properly. If you get up the next day, and the video
is frozen, then you know the AGP isn't setup right, or the
motherboard needs to be RMA'ed.
You might see the odd report about a Via chipset and an
ATI video card not getting along. I don't know if I'm
prepared to accept that statement at face value, as there
would be a lot more reports of trouble in this group, if
that was the case.
One thing that strikes me, is you are using a 9800XT. That
will really be sucking down the current on +5V. I don't know
how the loading is distributed on your motherboard, but the
motherboard power has to come from either +3.3 or +5V. I
would want a power supply with at least 25 amps on +5V
available (assuming all power comes from +5V), and
maybe at least 18 amps on +3.3V. Since there is no 2x2
ATX12V connector on the board, the +12V is likely only being
used to run the fans and the disk drives. The video card will
be using about 1 amp from +12V, which is not significant in
this case.
For the AGP, if the settings exist, you might try disabling
"fast write" and setting the AGP slot to 4X. With the ATI
video card control panel in place, the only way to control
these settings, will be from the SmartGART tab. SmartGART
will not respect the settings in the BIOS, and will do
whatever the hell it wants. Therefore, try to downgrade the
AGP settings, to see if that makes your VIA/ATI combo work.
One other thing you can play with, is bump up Vagp by 0.1V,
if there is a Vagp setting in the BIOS. Sometimes a little
extra voltage nakes the difference between stable and
unstable. (See "AGP Reference voltage")
HTH,
Paul
