K7T Pro 2A acting real weird!

[2336]

Folks, every time I try to O/C my T-Bird 800 and go too far the system weirds out on me. This has happened four times with two different HDDs and two different cpus. The first time with an IBM 22GB 7200rpm HDD and a Duron 750 it locked up so I shut down, cleared the CMOS and started over. Reset everything in the BIOS and rebooted. When Win98SE finished loading all I had was the Windows blue-green wallpaper and my mouse pointer - no desktop, no taskbar, nothing else. I formatted the HDD and started from scratch to include a fresh re-install of Win98SE. Everything was going well on another O/Cing foray when it happened again. Locked up during post, cleared the CMOS and started again - same result - blank wallpaper and mouse pointer. Switched HDDs and reloaded EVERYTHING AGAIN! Now this time still using the Duron 750 (before some idiot crushed the core) and a brand new, never had anything installed on it Fujitsu 10.24GB 7200rpm HDD. Was pushing the Duron and had it to 8.5 x 112 at 1.775v when she locked up. Cleared CMOS started again and hmmm, nice wallpaper - where's my desktop? Where's my taskbar? Switch to T-Bird 800, format C: and reload EVERYTHING AGAIN! Push T-Bird to 9 x 100 - no problem. tried 9.5 x 100 - didn't like it so I backed off the multiplier and boosted FSB. Got to 9 x 107 @ 1.800v and wouldn't even post. Had to back off the FSB and the multiplier to 8.5 x 100 before it would even boot again and now when windows loads up I get the blank wallpaper and the mouse pointer forever before it finishes but at least I still can get the desktop and everything else. The only time it will boot up in a reasonable amout of time is running all default settings for the cpu. Any ideas? Do you guys think it is hardware or software. Was running the overclockers BIOS v1.06 and ran LiveBios and now have v2.5. Just would like to know if I might have a MoBo that's starting to go bad or maybe it's the dope behind the weapon (me).

BTW, here's the specs on the system:

T-Bird 800
Fujitsu 10.24GB 7200 ATA66 HDD
256MB stick of Infineon PC133
standard FDD
NEC internal Zip 100 IDE
TDK VeloCD 12x10x32
Teac 32x SCSI CD-ROM
Adaptec 2930CU controller card
Voodoo 5 5500 AGP
Hope that helps.

Folks, I'm now looking for recommendations for a good solid, reliable, non-DDR, socket A MoBo that can take some O/Cing and some mild abuse along those lines! I'm looking for something that I can have some fun with and it doesnt have to have RAID! I can't afford both a new MoBo AND HDD anyway! LOL! "Hey brother, the hell with the dime! Can ya spare some advice for a cheap-ass, overclocking addict!"

 

[2336]

Any ideas folks?

 

[SinNisTeR]

i sometimes have issues when rasing the multiplier, my mobo (the pro2-A) doesnt like it. i have a 1ghz athlon and the fastest i can go stable is 1110, i know its the chips fault on that one cuz i dont have the good axia chip. but the board i know isnt the best oc-ing one too. thats why im getting rid of it and getting the epox ddr board. if you have a way to test out that the cpu can go higher on another board, maybe a friend or sumthing...then you know its the mobo. im running win2k and all the ppl who are running their 1.33 @ 2.2 are using win2k, check it out here. t-birds

 

[maxSe]

Rick, I was having a *similar* problem... Not as severe as your case, but I think it's the board... Mainly its voltage setting... I no longer have the Pro2-A, but I was running a Tbird 750 oc'd @1050. When I bumped the voltage to 1.85v (just because I didn't want to spend time testing, etc...), the system wouldn't boot... After numerous try, I found out that setting the voltage at "AUTO" made it boot and operate fine @1050... Told myself "dang, I gotta nice chip here..." She was running fine for about a week and a half, and one day I turn it on, the post screen says Athlon 650..??? WTF...?? No matter what I tried, it wouldn't even to default speed... Set the multiplier at auto, it still booted at 650... Finally, I gave up and put in a 1g chip, oc'd to 1150 @auto voltage, and viola, a week later, same thing...

Though I never got locked up like you experienced (that must've s*cked... format/installing 3~4 times...), I seriously think it's the board... I think the Pro2-A is a great stable board IF you don't oc... I hope you get it worked out bud...

 

[2336]

maxSe, you brought up something that I completely forgot about. Several times when I went beyond the chip's "threshold and it locked up I was able to just shut down the system, wait a second or two and reboot without any problems - except for one. It showed the chip at 650Mhz! Luckily I was able to get back into the BIOS and at least get it back to default settings and usually if I just shut it down and tried the next day I was able to do some overclocking. I think I might just have a bad board. My daughter's rig has a K7T Pro 2A, but it's a lot newer version that I got from Technonut here at the forums. Her system is running a Duron 700 at 901Mhz (8.5x106@1.75v) and her cpu never, and I mean NEVER gets warmer than 34C even under a full load! My T-Bird 800 at default settings idles at 34C! Sheesh! So guys! What's the recommendations on a good solid, O/Cing, non-DDR, socket A MoBo. Something that won't cost an arm and a leg, that can tolerate some playing around and abuse and it doesn't have to have RAID. RAID would be nice but I can't afford a MoBo AND another HDD too! LOL!

 

[2336]

Any additional input from those of you more knowledgeable than I, which would be just about everyone!!! LOL! Did I do wrong by going from the 1.06 overclockers/power users BIOS to the standard 2.5 BIOS? I doesn't seem to hang as often but overall is much slower on booting and loading everything up.
Or would I be better off just getting an Asus A7V133 or an Iwill KK266? I'm doing my best not to drool as I type those MoBos in!

 

[2336]

Any more input gang?!

 

[rempe]

If you want to over clock get the Iwill KK266 Ive got my 1.1C tbird running 10/140 great board

 

[2336]

rempe, thanks for the input. I think I've pretty much narrowed it down to the Iwill or the Asus A7V133 with the less expensive Iwill starting to look damned good!

 

[2336]

I think I've found the problem, or at least some of it. Late last night while poking around inside the case I noticed that the CMOS battery just was kinda laying in it's bracket. I mean, if I touched it it would just rattle around in the bracket a bit. So I took it out adjusted the contacts on the back side to exert more pressure and popped it back in. What got me to looking at that was the fact that the BIOS would never keep time! Did ANOTHER reformat and re-load of Win98SE and it seems to be doing okay. At least it's keeping the time right! Still gonna get an Asus or Iwill though!

 

[maxSe]

Heh... I know what you're going through... You're a lot more patient man than I am... Never thought of looking at the battery... Well, I've used the A7V133 and am currently running the KK266 (no RAID). Gotta tell ya.. Either one would be fine... I was a big, actually a HUGE, Asus fan.. (P2BF, P3BF, P3V4X, K7M, K7V, A7V, A7V133... ) But, surpringly, I find Iwill very, very good board. Very nice and fast. I got rid of the Asus, because I really don't like the onboard controllers too much... I rather get a PCI controller instead...

About your daughter's Pro2-A... That sounds interesting... THe one that I was having problems with, was an old revision, I believe. I had a newer one as well, but I sold that even before I ran it... The capacitators looked different on the newer ones.. May be that has something to do with it..? Just a thought.. That's so cool that you set up an oc'd systme for your daughter..

 

[2336]

Max,
I think I'll go with your recommendation on the Iwill! I like Asus products too. In fact my test rig has a P3V4X with the good clock generator and they'll have to pry that one from my cold dead fingers! Love that rig! That P3V4X is the most stable and reliable board I've owned! Now that's not a lot of experience talking there! I had an MSI 6309 that did me righteous, then my daughter's K7T Pro 2A that is just great, and this cantankerous POS version of the K7T Pro 2A and - believe it or not a Delhi III! Yep, it's an eMachine's refugee that runs socket 7s. I've got a K6-2/500 in there right now that I can only get to 411Mhz! Screwy documentation. Anyway, enough of me flappin' my gums! Thanks for the advice!