CPU Vcore misery - please help!

[magnate]

Hi folks,

I hope one of you experts can help - I'm going totally nuts here.

In the last few weeks I've re-jigged most of my systems. I'm having real problems with two of them (purchase dates in brackets):

1. AthlonXP3200+ (Jul 04) in an Asus A7N8X2.0 Deluxe (Aug 03)
2. Sempron2600+ (Aug 05) in an AsRock K7VT4APro (Aug 05)

The problem is, both CPUs are running at 1.8v Vcore. The Barton is supposed to run at 1.65v, and the Sempron at 1.6v, so you can imagine how they are overheating (heat output is proportional to voltage squared). I've tried *everything* I can think of -

- clearing CMOS with jumpers (both boards have a jumper for this)
- reversing CMOS battery (Asus tech support told me to do this to clear it)
- flashing to latest BIOS with /py/cc/cp/cd/LD/E (as per advice in http://tinyurl.com/ffzbz)
- swapping the CPUs over
- playing about with advanced BIOS settings to set Vcore manually

None of it works. Both CPUs run at 1.8v in either board, and neither BIOS will allow me to select any less than 1.775v for Vcore (the AsRock only allows +5% or +10% - the Asus supposedly allows a whole menu, but for me it starts at 1.775v, and this still runs at ~1.82v). So one of three things must be happening:

a. *Both* motherboards are duff, incapable of Vcore <1.8v
b. *Both* CPUs are fakes and actually really do want 1.8v
c. Both motherboards have somehow been set at 1.8v and have not been successfully 'cleared' of this setting.

I think it's so unlikely that two completely unrelated items are broken/fake that it has to be (c). I used to have an old Athlon1200, which ran at 1.85v, and it has previously been used in both boards. So somehow they are not recognising the Vcore setting of the newer CPUs, or are unable to switch to it. When idle the Barton is running at ~55c and the Sempron at ~59c. These are not deadly hot but they both overheat and shut down under heavy load, so I really would like to get this problem sorted if I could. I'd be really really grateful for any tips or suggestions. (I noted down the open/closed status of all the bridges on both CPUs, in case they are of relevance.)

Thanks in advance,

CC
P.S. CPU markings, in case they are fake:
AMD Athlon
AXDA3200DKV4E Y62531206551
AQXCA 0410VPZQ (c) 1999 AMD

AMD Sempron
SDA2600DUT3D Z552825K41235
BCXJB 0516DPMW (c) 1999 AMD

 

[Eviltwin17]

perhaps you should try flashing your bios? Sometimes a bios needs to be updated to fix those kinds of problems. That is strange though that the processors are running at a vcore of 1.8. . I recently had an overheating problem with my 4800+ and found out that the processor should run at 1.3 but was running at 1.45 which was basicly killing it. So yeah, try flashing your bios.

 

[SidVicious]

Simple really, just manually force a lower Vcore using the advanced BIOS settings.

 

[magnate]

Thanks for both your replies - but as it says in my OP I have already flashed the latest BIOS on both boards, and I *cannot* manually force a lower Vcore - neither BIOS gives that option (the Asus has a manual Vcore setting but it does not offer me any setting below 1.775v).

I don't think I'm missing anything obvious, though I'm happy to hear more suggestions,

CC