AMD Thunderbird 1.4 + ASUS A7M266 question!

[Guest]

Hey guys!

This is my first time posting on this forum, so I apologize in advance if I breach some sort of ettiquete.

I just received my A7M266 in the mail yesterday and I went to work putting my system together. Now, I'm in no way a guru when it comes to putting systems together, so that's why I am asking for some advice. As far as I can tell, I have everything configured correctly, but hopefully someone can help me out.

For some reason, my computer hangs up before successfully launching the OS (currently Win98 until I can find Win2k Pro). It only does this if I have JumperFree mode enabled and use BIOS to change the frequency to 133 Mhz (which is what my cpu is supposed to run...right?). I have not yet used the DSCKF switches because I don't know the configuration to use for a Thunderbird 1.4. When I use the "safe mode" version and set the frequecy to 100 Mhz, it will run fine, but the CPU only clocks at 1050 Mhz. The BIOS version I am currently running is 1003, the latest on ASUS' website.

Is it possible that the CPU is not getting enough voltage? According to my manual, the VIO is supposed to be set at 3.30 volts by default, but when the mobo came it was preset at 3.45 volts. The manual says to run things at default if you won't be overclocking, so that's why I changed the voltage to 3.30. The VIO1 is also set at the default value of 2.7 volts.

I'm reluctant to "test" things out for fear of destroying something.

Again, I'm not the most experience system builder, but you have to start somewhere. If anyone needs anymore info, please let me know. Here are my system specs:

AMD Thunderbird 1.4
Asus A7M266 motherboard
512 MB PC2100 DDR RAM from Crucial
ThermalTake Volcano II heatsink w/fan
"Athalon Approved" 350 watt power supply

IBM Deskstar 60 GXP 40 GB HDD
Sony 52x CD ROM
Yamaha 16x10x40 CDRW
Mitsumi 1.44 Floppy drive
Hercules Game Theater XP
VisionTek GeForce 3
3Com network card
Win 98 (until I can find Win2K prof)

Thank you very, very much for your time. I really appreciate it.

 

[Guest]

I got this from the AMD web site:
"The 1.4 GHz AMD Athlon processor, available with a 266MHz front-side bus (FSB) or a 200MHz FSB..."
So, are you sure you got the 266 version and not the 200?

Check this article on this site: http://www4.tomshardware.com/cpu/01q2/010608/athlon1400-01.html

Hope this helps,
Lorin

 

[Guest]

You can use the OPN to determine if your CPU is 200 or 266.
I just found this on the AMD web site:

The OPN is located on the edge of Slot A module processors, and on the top of PGA Socket A processors. For current OPN details and valid OPN combinations, see the chapter entitled "Ordering Information" in the processor's data sheet, which can be downloaded from the Technical Documents page for the AMD Athlon Processor. Examples of OPNs for AMD Athlon model 2 Slot A processors, and AMD Athlon model 4 Slot A and Socket A processors with performance enhancing cache memory (on-die L2 cache) are included below.

Figure 3. OPN Example for the AMD Athlon Model 4 Socket A Processor

A 1200 A M S 3 C
| | | | | | |__Max FSB: B=200MHz, C=266MHz
| | | | | |____Size of L2 Cache:
| | | | | 3=256Kbytes
| | | | |______Case Temperature:
| | | | S=95ºC, T=90ºC
| | | |________Operating Voltage:
| | | M=1.75V, P=1.7V
| | |__________Package Type:
| | A=PGA
| |_____________Speed:
| 0850=850MHz, 0900=900MHz,
| 1000=1000MHz, 1100=1100MHz,
| 1200=1200MHz, etc.
|__________________Family/Architecture:
A=AMD Athlon Processor
Model 4 Architecture

You can take the fan off, wipe off all the goo (heat sink compound or grease), and check the OPN. Make sure you put the goo and the fan back on or your CPU can burn out in about 3 seconds! You can get heat sink grease for $2.00 at Radio Shack, look in their catalog index under "Heat Sink" when you go there to buy some, because, odds are, the person who is helping you will look at you like you're from outer space if you ask.

Hope this helps,
Lorin

 

[Guest]

Be sure to download the latest BIOS for the Asus A7M66 for either the Twainese or European Asus sites, their most up to date then the US Sites. The latest BIOS version is here:

http://www.asus.com.tw/products/motherboard/bios_socka.html


I have:

1.4 Ghz AMD Athlon 266FSB
Asus A7M266
256MB Corsair PC-2400 DDR
IBM Deskstar 60GXP 40 gig HD
Pioneer DVD-305 SCSI 10x DVD player
Yamaha 16x/10x/40x SCSI CDRW
Sony 3.5"
SB Live Value
Netgear 10/100 NIC
USR 56K PCI Modem
Adaptec 2940 SCSI card
Leadtek GeForce2 Pro 64MB card
Enlight 7237 Midtower
MS Internet USB keyboard
MS Intellimouse Explorer
runing Windows 2000 SP2

Be sure to also get the AMD 760 AGP update file from:

http://www.msihardware.com

and use the Via 4.32 4-1 drivers

http://www.viahardware.com

 

[stevengirdham]

had same fault as you put the vio & vio1 jumpers back to pins 3,4 as the manual is wrong now will be ok