How to tell limiting factor, motherboard or CPU???

[SaintGeorge]

Hi everyone, i've got my 1.8a stable at 2.3ghz on my Epox 4G4A (not + version) But I can't go any higher. At 2.35ghz it fails at prime 95 pretty fast. But i've no idea what now is stopping me go any further, its either my MB or my CPU.

Does anyone have any idea how to work out what the limiting factor is? Its running at about 46-47C under full load for a long time at 2.3ghz which isn't too high. And i'm using a 1:1 mem ratio for now so I know its not my RAM, 266mhz on PC2100 is standard speed.
I'd like to hit 2.4ghz really but I don't know which component is holding me back....

Also my 3D Mark score is only 6222 with my Gainward GF4 Ti4200 128mb at 290mhz core and 520mhz RAM with my CPU at 1.8ghz. Maybe my chips a bum? Or maybe my MB is holding back my OC and my video card isn't functioning too well.....?

Please help me out here i've got no idea where to turn now

Would really appreciate some advice, thanks, Mark

 

[Duvie]

Unforunately since these are not AMD chips and you can't unlock mulitplier to see if the high fsb is casuing the mobo to hose it may just take getting other parts....

If your cpu gets about 180-200mhz more after you first need to start boosting the juice over default vcore then this cpu has just reached its natural limit...

If the ocing all of sudden stopped no matter .1v increase in vcore I would say it was other factors...

 

[LastRide]

You right,your score on 3D Mark 2001SE sucks for a Ti4200 or is that another 3D mark your using?.Did you install the intel chipset drivers and then the accelerator drivers?.The 29.43 XP drivers are very good,but at that low score it won't help you out that much.The 2100 ram could be holding you back a little.Whats your voltage at?.I have read that the Epox 4G4A boards are a hit and miss.You might get one that runs excellent or one thats a dude.Maybe you should check out the 4G4A thread in the motherboard section.Its pretty long but you might find your answer in there.Could be a USB issue too.Hopefully someone will come along and help you out.

 

[SaintGeorge]

Im getting worried now. At 2.1ghz with 294mhz memory at Cas 2, 6-2-2 timings, and my GPU at 280mhz with 520mhz RAM, im only getting a score of 5800 in 3DMark 2001 SE.

For a 2.1ghz P4 with an overclocked Ti4200 that score is terrible. Does anyone know any utilities that test solely the graphics card and solely the CPU, no't the combination of the two? I might have a bummed TI4200 aswell or my CPU may be defective.

Please post any suggestions

Gratefully, Mark

 

[Drsignguy]

You might have o/c'd the cpu but is your vid card at default levels? What is it set at? Seems that your vid card marks are a bit low. Let us know what the cards settings are?

Sorry, just re read the thread and got your settings.........Well seems to me that you should be getting higher scores than that. try running the bench at default levels on the CPU and make sure you don't put the AGP out of spec. Kind of keep it in spec to see where you stand. Make small adjustments .....

 

[SaintGeorge]

Running PCMark2002 my CPU gets a score of 4300, the lowest I found on thier database was about 4500 but that was for a 1700mhz P4 I think.

I'm gonna run some more CPU benchies, it may be defective I don't know. Would explain the low 3Dmark score.

Hmm.

 

[SupermanCK]

get hte latest drivers and updates...that should fix everythign...low scores...don't know about overclocking abilities tho....
go to the monitoring program thread and dl the intel app. accelerator...intel chipset inf...nvidia's driver...maybe update your bios if you have not already done so

 

[SpeedyGonzales]

SaintGeorge,

something is not ok with your configuration, that's for sure. I have a P4 1.8@2.2 (123FSB, fastest memory timings) and a GF4TI4200 with 285/466 and I get a 3DMark2001SE score of 9920 with 1024*768 resolution. Use that as a benchmark, you should get even more than that with your rig, because your CPU and GPU/memory are running slightely faster.

I am using an Abit BD-7 and WindowsXP.

BTW, I can not go faster than 125 FSB with my P4 1.8, seems that some batches do simply not overclock so well (and my P4 was an very early one anyway). I am still working on this, but my hopes to reach 133 FSB or 2.4Mhz are not very high. Some people here are reaching 2.6 or even 2.8Mhz with that chip, just a dream for me.

Cheers
Speedy

Update: With a new PSU and some better cooling, I have my P4 now at 2.4 Ghz.

 

[SaintGeorge]

Thanks for your help I'm starting to panick now, i've got only till sunday in the US and its tuesday already, if I find out something is defective i'm going to have to get the replacement send over the atlantic I think.

I'd really appreicate it if someone did something for me. If someone would be so kind as to run this benchmark for me i'd much appreciate it.

Could you run your 1.8a at 1.8ghz and run PCMark2002 and tell me your cpu score please. Mine is about 4330.

Does anyone know any benchmarks that will test only my gpu and not the cpu too much?

Thanks a lot Mark

 

[THUGSROOK]

there really is no benchmark that is 100% gpu related.

to single out the gpu ~ run tests in your highest res (1600x1200?)

 

[Drsignguy]

If I am not mistaken, but 3DMark 2001se is a bench primarily for your Graphics. My Marks

 

[THUGSROOK]

yes ~ what i meant was...

all graphic benchmarks use the CPU and will be effected by CPU speeds.
to limit that effect, run in your highest res.

 

[SaintGeorge]

3DMark 2001se score at 1600x1200x32 at stock speeds (1.8ghz and gpu at 250mhz and 446mhz memory) = 3639

Sisoft sandras performance tips in the mainboard section are:

1. AGP bus is unused or card not fully AGP compatible
2. Current AGP rate not optimal

No idea what to do now, i'm so disapointed with all of this. I work my ass off all f**king summer to get the money to buy a new system in the states and I get a bum component or two and can't work out what the hell it is and i'm going back on sunday.

I don't know what to do, I could send the CPU back to newegg and try and get another one, as it may be defective, i'm getting low cpu scores on all the benchmarks I run accept the ones that use mflops and flips.

Will newegg dispatch a new one before my one gets to them? I'm really looking for some help now, some of you will have dealt with situations like this.

I got till sunday. Arg.

Mark

 

[THUGSROOK]

ok heres a few things to try...

in bios AGP aperture size = 128
AGP = 4x

install intel inf?
install intel App accellerator?
install latest nvidia drivers?
install dx8.1b?

sounds like AGP is off.

 

[SaintGeorge]

AGP apperture size is 128mb, got latest Inf, Intel App. Accelerator"and nVidia drivers.

I can't see any option on the bios to change AGP x2 or x4 or anything?

I think Sandra says somewhere its 2x ???

Also not got dx . . .solving . . .

 

[SaintGeorge]

DX 8.1 has made no difference, still 5500 on PCMark at 1024x800 with cpu and gpu at stock speeds.

Help

 

[Dug]

I know you said you installed the latest inf drivers, but your symptoms sure sound like you haven't.

I know that on my 4g4a+ and 1.6a@2.3 I would get about 7000 3dmarks with a Geforce4400@300/650
After installing the drivers I would get 11600.

If I were you I would do a fresh install of the o/s and use the chipset drivers off the cd that came with the motherboard. (You can always upgrade them later, but at least you know they are the right one's.) Install some detonator drivers and run 3dmark.

Make sure nothing else is enabled or installed. Take out all other pci cards. Turn off sound, lan, parallel and serial ports, no modems, etc.

 

[SaintGeorge]

I've deffinitely got those inf drivers mate, but i'll try what youy suggested. I've got nVidias latest 30.82 drivers also. I know now its not my CPU thats the problem, it was getting a good result, i just can't read, I got 4800 summit in PCMark2002 not 4300 like I said.

Repeat after me:

M A R K I S A D U M B A S S

lol

Still no joy though AGP problem maybe? Can't tell whether its the card or the MB, arg.

Mark

 

[Drsignguy]

Mark, Let me ask you something..............Do you have "coolbits" installed? If so, I have a little tweak you can do...if not, get it and then I will tell you what you should try...you can get it from here.




Oh yea......I thought it was du mas?

 

[SaintGeorge]

YHeah man coolbits comes with my cards drivers. I know how to overclock it but im just running at stock for now.

I think the card is duff, nothing else explains such low scores, i've got all the latest drivers etc... I'm going to RMA at back to newegg and my uncle wiill probably have to mail it over to me in england at a hefty cost.

God damnit. Anyone got any last minute suggestions as to why the card is under performing like this?

Thanks a lot Mark

 

[SpeedyGonzales]

For me it still smells like a configuration issue. I do not really believe in the crappy hardware theory a vidcard and CPU are either working or not working at all (something in between is highly unlikely from my experience). So I can only recommend, that you do, what Dug already suggested.

If you still have the time, than erase your HD.

next you remove all cards except the vidcard

install the OS and DX8.1, nvidia drives, intel P4 accelerator, 3DMark2001Se and nothing else

Check all your bios settings once more and run the benchmark

Hope that helps
Speedy

 

[Drsignguy]

Well thats good to hear that you have the coolbits installed. what I want to know is, "do you have the vertical sync, and vertical sync mode turned off?" This forces your card to what your refresh rate on your monitor to be.... For instance, if your refresh rate is 75Hz, then your FPS will hit 75....When you test your card on 3dmarks, it does tend to slow your FPS down a bit. The tweak is a pretty basic one that we sometimes tend to forget, or did'nt know about...Try it and see if this helps.....

Pics

3DMarks

G'Luck

 

[Dug]

Are you sure you have a Northwood. They do make 1.8's with only 256k of cache.

 

[SaintGeorge]

Yes mate, im sure

 

[jna]

a 1.8 willie wouldn't go to 2.3

usually when a video card is defective, it doesn't work at all, or it's staticky, or you get overclocking artifacts at stock speed.
I would blame this on a software problem. check every single little setting in the BIOS, turn off fast writes and sidebanding (for now), reinstall windows, install the newest chipset drivers, and install the newest detonators from nvidia, don't use any CD that came with your hardware, only the newest drivers off the manufacturer's web sites. Don't change a single setting. Get 3dmark and benchmark at defaults, 1024x768 etc.

If you don't feel like doing this, at least go through all the driver settings and make sure you have mipmap LOD basis at default, antialiasing off, anisotropic filtering off, etc (just DirectX, not OpenGL, as 3dmark uses directx.)