(trouble)shoot me now

[lilstd]

I've been running my 2.4c at 3.18mhz for about 6 months(rig in sig). Today, when I came back from spring break, my computer started acting shady. While playing counter-strike, my fps would start dipping down to 10-30 fps for about a second or so, then would jump back to a constant 100. Now I know cs has issues with ati cards, but my machine has been running fine for the past six months with the exception of today. Also, I tried playing Call of Duty and ran into the same problems (very brief lapses of low fps). I'm concerned that I may have damaged certain components in my computer.

Here are my temps: cpu - 40 idle 53 full load
system - 26-28

Is this problem due to the prolonged overclock of the cpu, or is it an issue with my video card. Or could it be something wrong with my power supply.
It's pretty difficult to diagnose at this moment, but i do know that cs is very cpu-dependent - leading me to believe that something has gone awry with my p4 chip. I need help. What kind of tests can I run to precisely pinpoint my problems?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Soulkeeper]

it sounds like your P4 is throttling itself do to overheating

perhaps the dust that built up over 6 months in the heatsink added to the increasing temperatures that came with spring time add up to this problem

try opening up your case and cleaning things off with compressed air or something
also check for dead fans


good luck

 

[Soulkeeper]

Memtest86+ can be used to test memory

i think prime95 has a bootable version to stress test cpu's but i'm not sure

Sisoft Sandra that can be used to isolate certain things in tests from within windows

also is your system fully stable at it's default speeds/voltages ??

 

[orion7144]

I have a feeling we are going to be seeing alot of these posts in the next couple of months.

 

[lilstd]

ok, I figured out what the problem was. For some odd odd reason, the voltage on my cpu which was originally set as default (1.525) was reading on cpuz as 1.46-1.49 I know abit mobos tend to undervolt, but it seems a bit drastic? And so, I upped my voltage to 1.550, and now everything is back to normal again and temps are rock steady (Primed a few hours, reference systems getting owned on sisoft, no fps drops).

As of now, I'm trying to figure out what exactly caused the change in cpu voltage. Time for a 550 Watt PS? oh yeaah

 

[ku]

yeah... you're running a 350watt? or 400? i forget. anyway, you seriously gotta clean up your desktop and stuff. You have so much junk... i bet you have like tons of spyware on your computer from all that porno... anyway, see ya later

 

[myocardia]

No, he's got an Antec TruePower 380, and I would think that's plenty, although P4's don't like Antec psu's nearly as well as Athlon-based systems do. If you do ever decide to upgrade, I would recommend you buy an Enermax. They have about twice as much juice on the 12v rail as the Antec's do, and that's what a P4-based system needs. We all use Antec psu's because they have sh*tloads of 5v juice, which is what an Athlon requires when overclocked.

 

[Big Lar]

First off, check the vid card for a proper running fan, defrag the drive, and clean the cobwebs out of the computer. Post back here. I disagree as to the antec supply prob, I have a 350 in my cruncher, and it did fine with a 3.0E clocked to 230fsb, 12v rail was 11.98 under load, load being 100%.

Edit; I forgot, you may want to pull the cpu , clean it, and reapply thermal paste as well.

 

[myocardia]

Who said he had a power supply problem?

edit: Oops, I have a really, really bad short-term memory. I think, though, that Ku was kidding.

 

[Big Lar]

"although P4's don't like Antec psu's nearly as well as Athlon-based systems do. If you do ever decide to upgrade, I would recommend you buy an Enermax."
I didn't see the edit til now, and for the good of all Enermax are not that great, I would rather buy a sparkle.

 

[myocardia]

Well, Lar, what you buy is your business, but the people with the best overclocks on P4-based systems all have 420 watt or larger Enermax psu's, and almost every one of them upgraded from a 550 watt Antec. I'm talking about the people who have their 3.0's running at 4.0ghz 24/7. If all you're looking for is 3.4ghz from a 3.0, then an Antec or a Sparkle would work just fine.

 

[Big Lar]

Actually,, and I won't start a Thing, if you will here, but I can OC as high, or higher than most here, but i don't use either. I use a Pcpower cooling myself, and it just Happens to be 2 of them. As to the Enermax, read back a bit about failure rate as to their supplies, it may shock you. In reality, a Quality supply, will put out more consistent voltages than a "supply that is bigger than you need". In terms of actual use, 1 needs to have "Hands On" versus what they have Read in the last coupla months. Get my drift?

 

[orion7144]

Originally posted by: myocardia
Well, Lar, what you buy is your business, but the people with the best overclocks on P4-based systems all have 420 watt or larger Enermax psu's, and almost every one of them upgraded from a 550 watt Antec. I'm talking about the people who have their 3.0's running at 4.0ghz 24/7. If all you're looking for is 3.4ghz from a 3.0, then an Antec or a Sparkle would work just fine.

If you could provide some links to back that up I would appreciate it. I am running the True Control 550 and am OC'ing just fine. I too would not buy an Enermax after several of them have fried on me.

 

[selfbuilt]

I've had a similar Enermax problem (n=1, but that's all you need to keep you away from a brand, eh? . Enermax 365 (350W) died on an AMD XP1800+ system within 3 months of purchase (one day just wouldn't boot, and burnt odor eminating from the PSU). In contrast, I've had yet to have an Antec die on me, and I have had several for a number of years (currently running 4 of them, 1-4 years old, 300W-480W).