Author Topic: CPU upgrade problem (Read 364 times)

Blagard · « **on:** March 31, 2007, 03:56:32 PM »

Today I spent an awful long time trying to find the problem with my PC after changing from a AMD64 3500+ to a AMD64x2 4200. - ultimately unsuccessful

All the problems relate to booting up.
I had a CMOS that did not want to behave
Check sum error - frequently
Occasional Drive error reading messages
And system hangs all the time.
Only mananged to get as far as windows startup a couple of times.
No overheat issues.

Thank god for a second PC to get to forums and suport sites!
What I did do was to get the latest BIOS, although the one I had should be OK with the new CPU. Flashed the BIOS successfully but still CMOS seemed not to hold changes. Changed the Battery (very lucky to have a spare!) still no change. Finally removed checked , vaccumed the socket and refitted the CPU - Nope no difference.

So I removed the CPU fitted the old one, rebooted OK and back to normal again with no boot up problems at all.

Any ideas? To me it seems the only thing it can be is a bad CPU although I have never heard of such a thing from new!

M/B is an Asus A8N-SLI Premium with a single graphics card. Old BIOS was 1011 new one is 1302. Just remember the problem does not let you get as far as problems in windows!

Fulmar · « **Reply #1 on:** March 31, 2007, 04:12:54 PM »

Was this a brand new Retail CPU or an OEM?

I would check out and post on the tomshardware.com forums (http://forumz.tomshardware.com/index.php)

I chat on there frequently and it has a large user base. Many people are willing to troubleshoot with you. Just make sure you post in Hardware > CPU forum or the Hardware > General Motherboard forum. Make a detailed post like you did here. Lot more hardware geeks there than here.

Blagard · « **Reply #2 on:** March 31, 2007, 05:12:51 PM »

Brand new OEM. I had a coolermaster fan fitted.

38ruk · « **Reply #3 on:** April 01, 2007, 12:52:07 AM »

If the old bios supported dual core i would flash back to the original . Also check and make sure that the cpu multiplier isnt set to a number ,but to auto . If you flashed the bios with the 3500 in it , the bios might be setting the multiplier and vcore to the 3500's spec . With the 4200 installed clear the bios and then load optimized defaults and see how it does .

Another thing that has to be changed is the Hardware Abstraction Layer , it needs to be ACPI multiprocessor pc. If you arent using an acpi hal IE(standard PC HAL) then a reinstall is in your future . Put the 3500 in and go to device manager / computer/ and see what it says . GL

MrRiplEy[H] · « **Reply #4 on:** April 01, 2007, 03:39:22 AM »

I would start hunting the problem from ram side. Those problems looked awfully enough like typical ram related problems.

Try removing a stick at a time and see if it starts to work with the new cpu. Remember the memory controller is also in the cpu so there might be a difference.

It wouldn't be a first time where a stick of ram works in another box but not in an identical other box.

Blagard · « **Reply #5 on:** April 01, 2007, 05:08:53 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by MrRiplEy[H]
I would start hunting the problem from ram side. Those problems looked awfully enough like typical ram related problems.

Try removing a stick at a time and see if it starts to work with the new cpu. Remember the memory controller is also in the cpu so there might be a difference.

It wouldn't be a first time where a stick of ram works in another box but not in an identical other box.

I am inclined to suspect the same! I have logged onto Toms hardware forum and the main focus seems to be RAM. THe CPU settings/RAM Voltage are all on Auto at the moment. I intend to try a new install of the CPU using one stick at a time of the four I have!
In my original attempt it did not work with just the two sticks of my original RAM (I had removed some extra recently installed just in case this was the problem). All the RAM is by Corsair, I will not be pleased with them if thats what it turns out to be

It will have to wait a few days while I get some more thermal compound

Blagard · « **Reply #6 on:** April 07, 2007, 01:50:03 PM »

Just thought I would update on what happened after I tried again (Had to wait for the Arcticsilver to arrive!)

I refitted the AMD64x2 4200 and never once got a clean boot through the BIOS/CMOS. Always a checksum error - defaults loaded.

I tried booting with each one of four sticks of RAM I have and sometimes tried to save at a higher voltage setting. - No difference what so ever.

I tried with flashing to BIOS 1009 and 1302 still no difference (NB both support the processor).

In the end, I put the single core CPU back in and all four sticks of 512MB RAM and it ran perfectly straight away after spend most of the day being messed aound with the x2 CPU in. I have posted on some technical forums so I will have to see if any new ideas come of it, but for now I am stumped

TexInVa · « **Reply #7 on:** April 07, 2007, 06:12:14 PM »

Are you sure your mobo supports dual core, or a dual core @ 4200?

Try slowing your ram down some.

Roscoroo · « **Reply #8 on:** April 07, 2007, 06:35:35 PM »

http://forums.amd.com/forum/index.cfm?forumid=1

go there .

Blagard · « **Reply #9 on:** April 08, 2007, 03:57:40 AM »

Roscoroo,

Already getting some advice there thanks

As well as the Asus forum!

Texinva

By default the M/B only runs the Ram at 333 for stability. I set it to 400 only if the PC is running perfect as it does with the single core. And yes the M/B supports right upto the X2 4800 including the X2 4200 (E6) CPU I have bought.

One way or another I am going to hunt down and find this glitch.

MrRiplEy[H] · « **Reply #10 on:** April 08, 2007, 07:13:42 AM »

Warning! The Asus website is reported to be infected with the animated cursor exploit. So unless you have the latest patches, you can catch a virus from there.