cpu suddently only 2 core

[pmjtitans]

Hi all

I just build a new computer and it ran perfectly for about 6 weeks. Right now, im writing from my old one, which i kept for emergencies.

Might as well give you some specs of the new computer:
EVGA 780i SLI Mobo - Bios 1.7
Q6600 G0.
2x2 GB Corsair Dominator 8500
Antec Quattro 850 PSU
2x Asus 9600GT SLi
Antec Ninehundred cabinet
CPU cooling. Thermalright Extreme 120 with 2x Noctua 120mm
Windows Vista 64 bit

Im from Denmark, so i hope i can make myself sufficiently understandable to describe my problem and i so so so hope someone here can help me.

My new computer ran flawlessly for about 6 weeks. I was kinda proud that it even worked, because my experience with building computers, is very very little. I had only read and read and hoped the parts fit right together.

So after about 6 weeks, like any other day i booted up and when it started to load windows, a windows error message came up, that it wasnt loaded correctly the last time. I rebootet and now it said, after the normal "boot-beep" the windows wasnt working correctly. Trying to go on just made the computer into a stand still. Nothing happend.

I tried the harddisk with xp from my old computer, but it was the same. booted up fine but would not start up windows.

I looked through the bios many times, tried different ram and many other things, until i saw in the bios that my Q6600 was only using 2 cores. The last 2 cores stand as "disabled" and i cant enable them ! I also tried removing the bios battery for 5 minutes, was the same.

I have OC'ed my cpu to about 3.6 at short times, but mostly it was at 3.3 and it was not hot at all. About 32 degrees Celcius.

So is my cpu dead ? It seems so weird, because in the bios the first 2 cores are enabled, the bios boots up fine, though it says Quadcore 6600 (2 cpu's), which i guess means it recognizes what the bios is showing. But how can only 2 cores be dead. Isnt a cpu either completely dead or working ?

Edit: I need to tell, that i'm aware, that there is a newer bios available, but im afraid to flash because my computer freezes after boot. Well after trying to load windows.

Sincerely Palle, Denmark

ps: I tried to get answers from some local danish boards, but no one had a clue, so i thought, i would try from the hardware site i respect most on the internet. Someone must have some answers or heard of similar problems...i hope

 

[faxon]

to answer how that would even be possible, core2 duo and quad chips come from the same fabs, where a core2 quad is 2 core2 duos in the same processor package. i havent actually heard of it ever happening where 1 died while the other still worked though. one thing i HAVE heard of first hand from a friend though is how crap his 680i was for OCing his q6600 G0. he replaced it with an eVga 780i FTW a few weeks ago and hasnt had an issue since, running it at 3.4 stock voltage under a Tuniq Tower.

try this. do you have another motherboard, preferably one with an intel chipset, that you can put the chip in? if so test it in the board and see if the problem is reproducible.

held og lykke!

 

[pmjtitans]

Im an idiot. Its the 780i SLi i have. I knew that, i just wrote it wrong.

and it was OC'ing beautifully. 3.6 wasnt completely stable, but 3.5 seemed to be.
Gonna start it up, take a screenie with my mobile and uploade it. ( the bios )

Edit: And before i do that, i tested the cpu with several apps like sisoft, everest etc etc and i know my cpu is a q6600. And i am 100% really 100% that i saw all cores was enabled before this happend.

 

[pmjtitans]

Alright i tried, i took some pics from my phone, found the dusty cable and am trying to UL the 2 core pic

 

[pmjtitans]

boot window
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bios only 2 cores enabled
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