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System multiplier locked at wrong value

C

cobison

Junior Member
I am trying to install a Pentium 3 1.4GHz Tualatin CPU in my old, but trusty, Asus P3V4X motherboard. However, the system frequency multiple is locked at 6.5x and I need to have 10.5x to run at 1.4GHz. Therefore when I am running with a FSB of 133MHz I can only get 866MHz. I know that CPUs may be locked, but why would it be locked at 6.5x when its specifications (per Intel) are to run with a frequency multiple of 10.5x with a FSB of 133MHz? I do have the latest BIOS rev.

Any help would be appreciated. I use a laptop for my daily work but I wanted to ?revive? this computer of mine and put the fastest CPU in that I could. If this works then I?ll find some deals to increase the memory and video for cheap. Here are some other details:

Motherboard: Asus P3V4X
-Rev: 1.02
-BIOS version: 1006.004
-Jumperfree Mode
-CPU Vcore: 1.45V

Slocket: Slot 1 to Socket 370 adapter: Upgradeware Slot-T (rev 1.1)
-CPU Voltage (JP1): 1.45 V
-FSB (JP2): 133 MHz

CPU: Pentium III-S 1.4 GHz
-sSpec Number: SL6BY
-512MB L2 cache
-133 MHz FSB
-1.45 V
-I actually have six of these CPUs and the multiplier is locked at 6.5x on all of them.
-My previous CPU was a P3 533MHz Coppermine EB (133MHz FSB, Slot 1).

Memory:
-3 x 128MB Apacer PC133

Video: Riva TNT2 Ultra 32MB

Thanks,
Eric
 
If you're going by post or system bios information, it might be wrong, and the cpu might actually be running at the right speed. You might want to check the speed with a system information utility. I have a tualatin in a board that reports a lower multiplier and processor speed, but the processor is actually running at the right speed, verified by sys. info. utilities and benchmarks.
 
If I can remember back that far.... some boards did not fully support those chips. maybe you need a bios update. I bet its running at the correct speed though.
Hope that helps...
 
Yes, Tulatin was a significant revamp of the Pentium 3 line, and typically required a new motherboard. If you dropped them into an old Coppermine system, it probably doesn't recognize them. Grab www.cpuid.com to double check from within Windows, but chances are your board can't top 1.0 GHz, if that.
 
Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, the company line from an Asus forums moderator was that the P3V4X wouldn't support a Tualatin. What he meant was that Asus thinks it's too risky to go out on a limb for an eight year old board.

Once I was finally able to fire up WinXP (after disabling CPU voltage monitoring and virus check in the BIOS), I checked and it actually did show the correct CPU, in System Properties: Intel Pentium III CPU-S 1400MHz 1.41MHz.:thumbsup: So does the OS take over and "override" the BIOS settings? I do have the latest BIOS but with the last update being 4+ years ago I'm not holding out for a new release.

I do need to verify that I'm actually running at 1.4GHz with a benchmark utility, as was suggested.

I'm pretty excited. Now that the Tualatin CPU is running (and with good stability) I can focus on upgrading my paltry 384 MB of RAM and TNT2 Ultra GPU to something a bit more potent. 😀 It's kind of fun to upgrade an old PC when the "best" components for it are a fraction of what they cost 5+ years ago.

If anybody has suggestions for a solid old 4xAGP video card, let me know. I don't want to buy an 8x version if I don't have to-I just want to get the max that the mobo can take advantage of.

Thanks,
Eric
 
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