Problems with my 2500+

[jdogg707]

I just recently got a Barton 2500+ and an Epox 8RDA+ motherboard and am having some problems overclocking it, here are mysettings:

AMD Athlon XP 2500+ w/Thermalright SLK-900U and Vantec 92mm Tornado Fan
1GB Corsair XMS PC3200 DDR RAM
Epox 8RDA+ Rev. 1.1 w/Vantec Iceberg Cooler on the North Bridge and Zalman Gold Heatsink on South Bridge
ATI Radeon 9700 Pro
Western Digital 120GB Special Edition Hard Drive
Antec SX1040B with 5 Thermaltake Smart Fan II's and 400W Antec PS

My problem is that everytime I go above the stock speed on this chip I get errors in Prime95, no matter what volatage I put it on. Everything else seems pretty stable, but even at 2GHZ and 2.1GHZ, I am having problems, even when I'm just increasing the Multiplier and not the FSB. My temps seem ok at around 36 C, but Prime just doesn't like what's going on? Is there anything I shoudl try? Could my memory timings of 2-2-2-6 be a problem? I mean everyone else seems to be able to hit a nice increase in speed, what am I doing wrong? I really want 12x200 for 2.4GHZ, that's my goal, but don't know what I'm doing wrong...Please Help! Thanks.

 

[meson2000]

I just recently got a 2500+ Barton too. I use the ASUS A7N8X Deluxe board. I also have an Alpha PAL8045 with a generic 2700 RPM fan on it.
I am using 2x 256meg Corsair PC3200 Low Latency Plantium sticks of memory. I have the same harddrive as you. I am using
a Antec 300W powersupply.

I believe I am running 2-2-2-5 (Aggresive in the BIOS)
I easily hit 2083mhz (2800+) just by upping the multiplier. No voltage increase.
No issues on Prime95 at all. I left it running at that speed for several hours.
I am currently running at that speed now.
I idle at around 45 C and hit 51 C under full load

This processor could easily hit the 3000+ speed rating, however, I believe I have to cut a bridge on the processor to get higher multipliers.

Your temps are better than mine so I don't think it could be heat either....
You could try lowering your memory timings. See if that helps. What is your Corsair memory rated for? Is it CAS2?
My low latency memory is rated to run 2-2-2-6. However, I am pretty sure I am running better than that.

Do you have the latest BIOS installed?

Not sure if this helps,
Good luck to you!

 

[rommelrommel]

Sounds like a lot of people with the 1001g BIOS... do you still have that one?

 

[GRagland]

Originally posted by: meson2000
I just recently got a 2500+ Barton too. I use the ASUS A7N8X Deluxe board. I also have an Alpha PAL8045 with a generic 2700 RPM fan on it.
I am using 2x 256meg Corsair PC3200 Low Latency Plantium sticks of memory. I have the same harddrive as you. I am using
a Antec 300W powersupply.

I believe I am running 2-2-2-5 (Aggresive in the BIOS)
I easily hit 2083mhz (2800+) just by upping the multiplier. No voltage increase.
No issues on Prime95 at all. I left it running at that speed for several hours.
I am currently running at that speed now.
I idle at around 45 C and hit 51 C under full load

This processor could easily hit the 3000+ speed rating, however, I believe I have to cut a bridge on the processor to get higher multipliers.

Your temps are better than mine so I don't think it could be heat either....
You could try lowering your memory timings. See if that helps. What is your Corsair memory rated for? Is it CAS2?
My low latency memory is rated to run 2-2-2-6. However, I am pretty sure I am running better than that.

Do you have the latest BIOS installed?

Not sure if this helps,
Good luck to you!

Have you tried raising the fsb yet??

 

[jdogg707]

Ok, I updated to the latest BIOS before I even installed the OS! I have tried raising the FSB and even raising memory timinigs to 3-3-3-7 with no luck, I just tried running Prime on my CPU @ Stock speed and voltage and it failed after 8 tests! Could this possibly be a bad chip? I think I'll be RMA'ing it back to newegg!

 

[jdogg707]

bump...any ideas?

 

[ChampionAtTufshop]

diff board?
or ask a local comp place and see if they can test in one of their mobo's?

 

[jdogg707]

Hmmm, I'll try and borrow a friend's board and see, also, what RAM slots should I use to get the best OC? I finally got the system stable at 12.5x166 but it seems that every time I turn the FSB up it doesn't want to boot. I have them in Slots 1 and 3 for Dual Channel right now.

 

[mechBgon]

Waaaait a minute. If the CPU didn't run at rated clockspeed, then you would have grounds for an RMA, if you hadn't voided your warranty by OC'ing it already. :|

Overclocking is partly the luck of the draw, and you need to accept it like a man instead of raising the prices for everyone else by RMAing a working CPU. If you wanted a CPU that came with a guarantee of hitting between 2.0 and 2.1GHz then you should've bought a 3000+. :|

 

[jdogg707]

Wait, but, right out of the box when a CPU doesn't work I don't believe that I am "raising prices" for everyone else by demanding for my 180.00 I at least get a product that will work at stock speeds! In my shoes I doubt you could say anything differently, yes, I am little dissapointed by the fact that a CPU that so many have had great overclocking success with failed to reach those limits in my own personal testing, but can accept the fact that, most likely there is a problem with the CPU and this is causing both instability at stock speeds and keeping me from overclocking as well. Am I supposed to just live with the fact that I blew 180.00 dollars on a chip that just doesn't work right, and then go spend more morney on another processor, because if you are willing to do that for me I'd be glad to, but if not, I will take advantage of the warranty that is issued from the manufacturer and get another chip! mechBgon, on most of my other posts your answers have been very helpful and I appreciated that, but in your last answer here I believe it truly was very counter-productive, because it answered no question that I asked.

 

[chizow]

I agree with Mech, but if it won't run at stock speeds, you might have a point (although Newegg or arguably anyone could say you voided your warranty and therefore the guarantee it would run at stock the moment you OC'd it).

Anyways, I digress. Don't bother tweaking the RAM, you want to isolate your problem by narrowing down the variables, not compounding it by changing numerous things. The benefit of getting Corsair is that you are guaranteed it will run at its rated speed, which is in this case DDR 400 at cas 2, 3, 3, 7 or cas 2, 2, 2, 6 depending on whether you have C2 or LL. One thing I would do though is to try with just 1 x 512MB dimm and also to run memtest86 to make sure it isn't your memory. Stick it in dimm slot 1 and go from there, as there are documented issues (acknowledged by Corsair) with 2 sticks of Corsair on an nForce2 platform.

Also, I would look at your voltages. The SL-400 or PP-403X were fine PSU's, but it seems like there are more and more problems with them on newer rigs. Considering you have a new CPU (mainly 3.3V), mainboard (mainly 5V), and VGA card that draws heavily from the 12V line, you may want to monitor your voltages to see if that isn't the cause of your instability. I had some weird issues like soft/cold booting and general system instability with my PP-403X due to low wattage on the 3.3V and 12V rails, which were cured with an upgrade to my TrueBlue 480W. I don't think you'll need a 480W True, but there was a lengthy thread in video where many Antec (non-True) users solved their 9700pro issues by upgrading their PSU b/c of the insufficient 12V rail of the older Antec's.

G'luck

Chiz

 

[mechBgon]

My problem is that everytime I go above the stock speed on this chip I get errors

Personally, I have, let's see... 22 retail AMD CPUs at work. They've never been OC'ed, and if they ever did have errors at stock speed then I would not have any hesitation about calling AMD and demanding a replacement. But if I OC'ed them once, I would consider it the end of my warranty period and have no further claim on AMD, even at stock clockspeed. That's just the way it is... you pays your money and you takes your chances if you OC. "Doctor, it hurts when I do this..."

After seeing you say "no matter what volatage I put it on", I have to wonder how high you've tried. It is possible to damage a CPU with too much voltage, you know... 10% above stock is as far as I'd go. If you've damaged the CPU attempting to OC it, well then it's no wonder it won't run Prime95 at stock speed without errors now, and lack of prudence on your part does not constitute a warranty claim. If you had never tried to OC it, it still might not be the CPU that's the weak link in your Prime95 testing.

Here is my constructive comment: if you used a shim between the heatsink and CPU, take it out. Always set the memory to run at 100% of the frontside bus so it's in sync. Run Memtest86 and warranty the RAM if it fails the test but other RAM doesn't, like the blue ninja said. Don't go higher than 2.77V on the RAM, and don't go more than 10% above stock voltage on the CPU.

 

[jdogg707]

The highest voltage used on the chip 1.75V, Highest on RAM, 2.77V and no CPU shim...I'm just going to RMA the CPU, I have my RMA number from newegg and will be getting a new one hopefully by mid-next week. And I am glad that you are able to have the ability to not only own 22 Athlon CPU's, but can afford 22 Athlon CPU's. I unfortunately cannot afford paying for another chip because by OC'ing it the little bit that I did, using precautions such as Arctic Silver 3, Possibly the best air cooling solution for an Athlon XP the SLK-900U and a 92mm Vantec Tornado Case Fan on top of that, I don't feel that I could have ruined the chip because it is running much cooler than if it were under an AMD "Boxed" CPU cooler, plus, I did not try and up the voltage to something like 2V and the Memory to 2.9V and see what would happen...I did it slowly, the way that most people here have done, but in the end you have the ability to believe what you will, but please let me be the first to apologize for making the price of your CPU rise...

I tried the Memory on memtest and it passed without a problem, I had this memory runnning at 412MHZ on my old P4 system at stock voltage, so I never really thought it would be a problem. Thanks for everyone's help.

Hmmm, could this have been a sign of a bad chip, when I first loaded Windows XP Pro, with everything at stock, the CPU line in the system properties read and still reads: AMD Athlon(tm) prosussor

 

[mechBgon]

Uh, the Bartons are AthlonXP's

The other thing I forgot to mention is making sure the heatsink is not reversed. Like every SocketA heatsink I know of, the SLK900 has a step cut into one end of its base, which is there to clear the raised end of the CPU socket. In this photo you can see the step at the bottom. On the 8RDA+, that end of the heatsink must be at the top of the board.

 

[jdogg707]

Thanks for the info on the heatsink, it is put on correctly though. I know that the Barton is an Athlon XP part, but the fact that the ID string on the CPU is shown as misspelled "processor" vs. "prossusor".