Old A7V lockup problem with Northbridge?

[grendel]

For a long time I've been having problems with lockups on my A7V. It seems
my Northbridge is the problem. It has the stock heatsink on it and the
heatsink gets somewhat hot. I'm in summer now and the mobo temp gets to
about 30C and the CPU around 52C idle. Anyway, using component cooler I was
pretty much able to verify that with the Northbridge heatsink cooled alot
(and therefore the chip) I had no lockups in GTA3 or other things. Without
cooling I get lockups usually within a minute. I'm getting a new mobo since
I need to update anyway but does this seem like something that could happen?
A Northbridge failing like that?

I have an inlet and outlet fan and I even had a better CPU at one time that
would keep those temps about 5 C cooler. However it would still occur. I
don't think the problem is CPU related since the Athlon should be fine at
those temps and I was cooling the Northbridge and it was helping and not the
CPU.

Just trying to make some use of the board I guess after my new one comes.
Maybe it will become a Linux box.

 

[John]

For a long time I've been having problems with lockups on my A7V. It seems
my Northbridge is the problem. It has the stock heatsink on it and the
heatsink gets somewhat hot. I'm in summer now and the mobo temp gets to
about 30C and the CPU around 52C idle. Anyway, using component cooler I was
pretty much able to verify that with the Northbridge heatsink cooled alot
(and therefore the chip) I had no lockups in GTA3 or other things. Without
cooling I get lockups usually within a minute. I'm getting a new mobo since
I need to update anyway but does this seem like something that could happen?
A Northbridge failing like that?

I have an inlet and outlet fan and I even had a better CPU at one time that
would keep those temps about 5 C cooler. However it would still occur. I
don't think the problem is CPU related since the Athlon should be fine at
those temps and I was cooling the Northbridge and it was helping and not the
CPU.

Just trying to make some use of the board I guess after my new one comes.
Maybe it will become a Linux box.

Could be anything - Ive pulled my hair out over two VIA boards and
checked all the usual suspects over and over and over again.

One of the avenues I didnt pursue fully is northbridge cooling though
I did look into it briefly by feeling the heatsink on it. It didnt
seem to be that hot but I suspected it because everytime I do large
file transfers it seemed to lock up and a table fan on my open case
seemed to alleviate most of the lockups and it wasnt my CPU or other
components which I really concentrated on.

Recently I thought I solved it for the 150th time by going back to the
old pre-Hyperion drivers but the lockups cropped up again. Sure its
been improving but they are still there. Since then Ive applied the
Latency PCI patch as a last resort and that once again seemed to cure
it but then it reared up again.

As a last resort Im going to look into northbridge or non-CPU/memory
cooling. I can always test it by doing large file transfers back and
forth and see if that locks up my PC sooner or later.

Since this board is a RMAd board - Im ready to give up and buy another
NFORCE2 board probably from Chaintech or some other maker - give up
on ABIT and maybe RMA it again or maybe just keep it and use it for
light use as a second PC. First time Ive actually given up though Im
trying this last thing.

The one you have - you dont say fully the model A7v333? I think that
has passive cooling You might try taking the heatsink off and putting
active cooling on if you are convinced its overheating. Maybe a blue
orb type thing if it fits. Or a 486 CPU style cooler.

 

[kony]

For a long time I've been having problems with lockups on my A7V. It seems
my Northbridge is the problem. It has the stock heatsink on it and the
heatsink gets somewhat hot. I'm in summer now and the mobo temp gets to
about 30C and the CPU around 52C idle. Anyway, using component cooler I was
pretty much able to verify that with the Northbridge heatsink cooled alot
(and therefore the chip) I had no lockups in GTA3 or other things. Without
cooling I get lockups usually within a minute. I'm getting a new mobo since
I need to update anyway but does this seem like something that could happen?
A Northbridge failing like that?

Can heat cause lockups? Sure, but it's not really a "failing", it's a
well-known fact that computer equipment needs moderate ambient temps
OR to have extra steps taken when used in more hostile environments.

If you've confirmed the Northbridge to be overheating, why didn't you
go ahead and replace the cooler already?

I have an inlet and outlet fan and I even had a better CPU at one time that
would keep those temps about 5 C cooler.

This is puzzling... a better CPU reduced temps? This could be
insignificant though, neither temp has a direct bearing on the
northbridge temp.

However it would still occur. I
don't think the problem is CPU related since the Athlon should be fine at
those temps and I was cooling the Northbridge and it was helping and not the
CPU.

Just trying to make some use of the board I guess after my new one comes.
Maybe it will become a Linux box.

Reduce the ambient temps or replace the northbridge cooler.


Dave