AXIA...truth or hype? Can't overclock

[Whitewolf]

I know that many of you have great overclocking results with your AXIA but I just can't get to show it's potential. Please read...

Some time ago I had written that I couldn't go beyond the 1377 from my default 1200C AXIA. The truth was that I couldn't POST a Mhz beyond that (10*135). I have tried all of the FSM/multi/vcore combination and this is the best clock I can achieve. From all my other attempts I can boot but I can't get W2K to show the loading screen (disc boot error and stuff like that). So I said what the heck...1350 is fine.
And here comes the problem...
....although I can post and load W2K with clock speeds between 1200-1350, I get blue screens at startup as soon as the image loading appears.

To summarize it...

Clock speed range Result
----------------- ------
1200 All normal. I can post,boot and be rock stable
1200-1330 I can post but I have random blue screens so stability is gone
1330-1350 I can post but whatever I do I can't get in windows (blue screens)
1350-1390 I can post but can't get beyond the post (disc boot error etc)
1390+ No posting...


This is my synthesis

Asus A7V133 Rev1.05 Bios 1.004 (flashed-I had the "problem" both before and after)
Athlon 1.2Ghz 266FSB AXIA (9)
Thermoengine with stock fan (50-55C usually 51)
Crucial 512MB PC133 CAS2
IBM 60GXP 7200RPM, ATA100 41GB
3D Prophet 2 Pro
SB Live Platinum 5.1 with Digital I/O
Plextor 16/10/40A
Creative PCDVD 6X
Asus 50X CD-ROM
Enermax EG365P-VE
Generic Case

As you see I have removed all the pci cards and have only the SB Live. Could the SB be the problem?

All you tech gurus.. I need your help. I was so happy I got an AXIA (I didn't specifically order it..so it's just luck-thanks overclock.co.uk !) and yet haven't managed to overclock well. One of the reasons I got an Athlon besides it rocks is it's pure overclockability which can be a lot of fun

Thanks all of you who will reply

 

[j@cko]

Can't you people understand this SIMPLE concept? Not every CPU is equally created. Yes, you have pretty much tried everything, and still can't get it up higher. That is very obvious that is its limitation. It's not like every single AXIA coded CPU out of the FAB is able to hit 1400+. Come on, please right side of your brian will ya?

 

[Guygye]

Whoa J@cko, kinda harsh but true.

 

[Whitewolf]

But I can't get a rock stable system beyond the default clock. It's not that I want a lot. I didn't ask for 1400+... just a little more. I posted this so that someone can push me in the wright direcion. Maybe I am doing something wrong. It's my first time overclocking and after hearing all of those happy AXIA owners I just got excited. Maybe you are right and my CPU just can't handle beyond it's default. But what if I do something wrong... temp issues, pci bus problem (with the sb) ... that's why I posted..so that you can share your experiences with me... so please calm down a little.

 

[Rand]

In my experiences they do overclock extremely well, but as j@cko said even processor is different and you may have gotten one of the bad ones. Even in the best of conditions there are always going to be processors that just won't o/c.

My first question would be are you sure your HDD can handle the overclocked PCI bus?
Many HDD's don't take well to out of spec PCI bus speeds. Other peripherals could also be causing a problem, as could RAM if your overclocking it beyond spec.

Have you tried boosting the multiplier while leaving the FSB at default?

 

[j@cko]

Maybe you could lower the FSB bus, and overclock by increasing the Multiplier?

 

[Whitewolf]

Nothing... I tried 9.5*133, 10*133 and nothing. So if a cpu can't be stable with default FSB and changed multiplier it must be the processor's fault not able to overclock? Dammit....there goes my overclocking...


If I change the voltage and cpu clock not in the bios but with jumpers will I have any luck?

 

[j@cko]

It will not make any difference even if you do it in anothe way. I guess you are just out of luck. The bad ones in that whole batch.

 

[EvilDonnyboy]

Prolly not, but might as well try. U got nothing to lose, unless u seriously mess the jumpers and fry something.

 

[Dark4ng3l]

Looks like bad cooling to me. No reason for it to lock up if you up the voltage at default clock.

 

[Duvie]

Does that board have the option with the ram to do the 133 why still boosting it...ie like host clk +pci? Can you change dividers for pci and such maybe this is an issue...


What kind of Ram...generic? I have seen ram be problems...set all the banks to normal and force cas 3...

Just a guess....since most of the devices should handle a 2mhz gain in fsb...

with 133fsb the divider for pci has to change to 1/4 not 1/3 as with 100fsb

agp would be a 1/2 divider instead of 2/3 divider as with 100fsb...


See where I am going...could be agp card if jumpers or dividers aren't right?

 

[Dhawk]

Have you tried bumping up the voltage? I don't see any actual figures in reguards to any voltage changes you may have tried.If you haven't, go into your bios and bump the voltage and multiplier and or FSB and see what happens.

If you have already tried increasing your voltage, and that didn't work, pretty much what everyone else has said about getting a non overclockable chip is probably true.

 

[Duvie]

Doesn't appear to be cooling to me...he says he gets BSOD not freeze ups...I think that points to conflicts with the hardware devices all the way up to the HDD boot error...

disable the 4x agp...just a try...

I wouldn't mess with voltages until later...lets get stability at default and slightly above...

My lowly 1.1@1.2 is rock stable and its a avha b chip with default voltage...

 

[SammyBoy]

try a different fan on your thermalengine.
the thermal engine stock fan kind of sucks,

 

[SammyBoy]

what is this good cooling you are using?

are u using thermal compound?

what kind?

did u put too much on?

we need to know all this before we can really answer ur questions
good luck!

Sam

 

[Whitewolf]

thanks fot your answers

I tied all the combinations again (multiplier 9-10, FSB 133-147.
I managed to load windows with 9.5 *140 and with 10*133. Can you explain this? 9.5 * 133-139 doesn't work (BSOD) so how can this happen?Isn't this the golden rule of ocing ("If a freq doesn't work then the above will definetely won't work...try lowering&quot Prime worked only ones. Now that I rebooted it says hardware error. As for the other (10*133) it doesn't seem stable.

So from the above I think my CPU is nuts.... maybe it's the temp too high..

SammyBoy:Well I 've put AS2 and yes I know that the stock fan sucks so a delta 60mm is on the way I reinstalled the HSF times so that I can put diffrent amounts of AS2 but nothing.

I tried raising the voltages. With 1.80 it's the same. With 1.85 I can't post in whatever speed. So I will leave the voltage until the delta arrives.

Duvie: Nice thinking about the dividers. It doesn't seem to have such options about the dividers. I will check to make sure. BTW I have Crucial PC133 CAS2. I will try booting with CAS3.

I you think anything just post I am very tired and it's 2:00 am here (Greece)

I ll try again tommorow.

Thanks again for your replies

 

[formulav8]

Make sure your cpu is completely unlocked. If all the bridges are not completely close it will only work on some multipliers. Redo the L1 bridges if yours isn't unlocked from the factory.

 

[EvilDonnyboy]

Hmmm. How good is the replacement policy at the place u bought it? If it's good 'nuff, I'd fry it than return it, saying it's broken. Just boot it up without a heatsink on it for a short while, just enough to kill it good. Don't leave it on too long, otherwise it might discolour, giving away that it died of heat. Make sure it has visible sign of damage, otherwise it's likely they won't replace it.

If ur unsure of their replacement policy, just be happy u've got the fastest tbird avaiable at the moment.

---

You are advocating fraud. Good bye.

AnandTech Moderator

 

[flood]

you might want to work on case cooling or get a better case altogheter.
My 1.1ghz runs at 41C at 100% load with a Volcano II and acrtic silver.

 

[AnMig]

Just for fun yank the sblive from hell out. You might be surprised or at least rule out this card from hell as the cause.


As you may have guessed I am a ex sblive user currently turtle beach convert. I kind of miss the blue screens, troubleshooting and hunting down reported fixes.

good luck

 

[conlan]

You didnt list what kind of case cooling you have in your generic case , remember the best HSF wont work if your case isnt recycling the hot air. Heat is the over-clockers worst enemy. I would also rule out the other potential problems already posted seeing as how you basically cant over-clock at all. In the end , you may just have a bum chip , if so , return it , you dont have to fry it , just put on the RMA that it wont run stable @ default speed , which in your case isnt a strech. Good luck.

 

[compuwiz1]

<< Hmmm. How good is the replacement policy at the place u bought it? If it's good 'nuff, I'd fry it than return it, saying it's broken. >>



EvilDonnyboy, I watch out for thieves like you, like a hawk! :|

Someone already tried the innocent, it doesn't work thing with me. All I had to do is read what they really did with the CPU right here on these forums. That is as much as I will say, but I know several other vendors who read forums like this, and will tell you right where to stuff it, if you try and pull something over on them. Why should we pay for it?

 

[gygheyzeus]

I have no idea what stepping my 1GHz t-bird is, but it's running rock stable at 1.33Ghz

 

[jimmygates]

Since the CPU is a 1.2ghz Tbird I assume the multiplier is factory unlocked? If not have you thought about redoing the multipliers?



-Jimbo

 

[Remnant2]

Evildonny: that's the lamest thing I've ever heard. Do people just have no ethics today?



first thing I'd do is make sure that your multiplier is totally unlocked. That's often times the cause of symptoms like you describe.

If that doesn't work, well, then you're the proud owner of a 1.2ghz processor. To tell the truth, I've never run an overclocked system for any length of time. The benefits were so minimal (OCing a 300mhz machine to 333), the tradeoffs weren't worth it in my case.