Very strange -- my Mobo won't let me O/C anymore!! Please Help!!

[skrill]

This is the oddest thing. I picked up an Athlon 1800 last week and O/C'ed the hell out of it -- got it it to 1.8ghz (156fsb). Check out my story here.

Then the next day after all kinds of benches and seemingly proven stability -- the damn thing wouldn't boot into Windows (POST'ed just fine). I kept getting windows protection errors. Had to keep backing it down until it wouldn't go much faster than stock speed (somewhere less than 140 fsb). Eventually, my RAID array suffered a broken stripe.

So I ran a full diagnotic on both drives (using Maxtor Max Blast) -- both drives were passed the full diagnostic. Then I reinitialized the drives and reinstalled windows.

Well I figured it must be the chip -- but it still ran flawlessly at 1.53ghz? Hmmm..... Anyway, I took the chip back to my local shop for a full refund and bought a new one online.

Got the new chip installed -- and it still won't boot into Windows at 145fsb or 140 fsb (get various Blue Screens of Death). And when it does boot into windows (at stock speed) it doesn't load my Geforce 3 Detonator 4's (this only occurs after I have previously tried to overclock using the FSB) -- I have to reinstall the Detonators and reboot. But everything else works flawlessly at 1.53 ghz after that.

Anyway -- this is killing me. I have already tried reinstalling windows -- and this problem seems to occur in both Windows ME and XP.

My rig is in my signature. Is it possible that my Mobo is sort of fried or something -- and can't tolerate high O/C's? Is their something up in my bios -- I am using Epox's latest bios (and I previously cleared by CMOS)? Could it be my RAM? Please help -- this is killing me. I just returned a awesome chip to the store and now have no idea what kind of overclocker this new one is. Damn.

Thanks

Edit: I have tested it a bit -- seems that 145fsb is doable. I will perform more thorough tests later this weekend.

 

[skrill]

ttt

 

[canfraggle]

skrill have you tried cooling your chipset? I've found that at temperatures greater than 45 (very rough estimate, this is all hunch...) the machine almost always crashes. Perhaps you should look into that.

 

[skrill]

Cooling is not the issue -- unless the MBM5 temps are way off -- currently under full load I am pulling about 37c (I watercool).

 

[cheric4]

You should not return that cpu because it could reach higher speed , there is no guarantee that the replacement would do it at all.
My thoughts on this.......Did you look at the voltage??? Have you tried to crank it up a bit??? Have you tried to run O/S without RAID???

 

[skrill]

Yes I tried to increase voltage, no effect.

No, I have not tried it w/o RAID -- but I had a 1.4 T-bird @ 1.63 with RAID and without incident. I really hope RAID is not the trouble.


I am thinking about trying a different Mobo.

I am sorry to say -- they old 1.8ghz chip has already been returned.

 

[chexi]

Get rid of that Detonator XP driver. Go back to the 12 series and try that. I've had nothing but problems with the Detonator XP, Geforce3 and oc'ing the fsb on my Epox 8kta3 pro. If you overclocking ability returns one you change video drivers, then you have found the culprit. Just sit tight and wait for the non-buggy Detonator XP to come out that they are working on. Nvidia has acknowledged certain problems with this driver.

 

[Dill]

might want to check the motherboard chipset cooler too. If the northbridge is getting hot, that could cause what you are describing.

 

[skrill]

I loaded in the newest Detonators (the ones that are Windows certified -- and supposedly debugged -- 21.83 not 21.81) -- they seem to work fine. I got to 145 fsb. I tried 150 fsb and it rebooted while loading windows. Tried it again and it hung while loading Windows. But at 145 it seem stable.

So now I am "limping" along at 1.67 ghz. But I know these chips are capable of way more.

I am running at 1.95 Vcore right now (2.9 Vram) -- I will play with it tonight after work.

I will check the NB fan and make sure its running properly -- it may have failed (to be honest I never really pay any attention to that fan.)

 

[skrill]

BTW, thanks for the suggestions. And keep them coming -- I will lick this yet.

 

[bacillus]

while you're at it use memtest86 to check your ram!

 

[canfraggle]

Skrill I watercool too but you make no mention of cooling your CHIPSET in your profile. I've noticed my stability problems occur when my chipset is warm despite my CPU being relatively cool.

 

[skrill]

chipset cooler is the stock cooler found on the 8K7A+ (a coolermaster HSF).

 

[skrill]

Help!!

 

[Mingon]

clear the cmos again, the asus boards had this problem

 

[skrill]

Will do.

 

[Frglss]

A shot in the dark. Is it possible that the HS compound under the north bridge has dried/shrunk after the previous OCing due to heat? Maybe you have already replaced it with AS2 in which case, this is totally irrelevant.

edit: Eyem hookd on fonix

 

[skrill]

Brand new ASII -- and I always spread it thin (but not to thin) and even. I use an exacto knife and generally spend way to much time doing it -- but I like to have it just right.