Is my new AMD overclocked ???

[Guest]

I just purchased a (supposedly) 1.3GHz Athlon system, which is somewhat unstable. SiSoft Sandra shows it as having a 105 MHz Clock (although BIOS sets it at 100) and CPU Mult. is 12.5. The actual memory speed is over spec at 140MHz (1.33x105). The ASUS probe software shows the max CPU speed should be 1.2GHz, but the current speed as 1.3GHz. Sandra shows 1.31 GHZ. The default CPU core voltage is 1.8V by default in the BIOS. I can change the CPU multiplier in the BIOS w/out changing the base frequency so does that mean it is unlocked and hence overclockable?

How can I positively tell if it is being overclocked? Could
I check the AMD CPU ID to see what it is rated at? What could I look for on the chip/motherboard to determine what they have really sold me? I still have a few days left in the 30 day money-back guarantee! Thanks.

 

[Raystonn]

It sounds to me like you got duped by an overclocker. This is why Intel locks its multipliers on all chips. There should be some markings on the CPU itself that will tell you what model/speed you really have.

-Raystonn

= The views stated herein are my personal views, and not necessarily the views of my employer. =

 

[khha4113]

Check the marking on its die. It should read A1300XXXX...

Good or Bad have no meaning at all, depends on what your point of view is.

 

[peteb]

Are you using Sisoft Sandra 2001SE? Make sure it is SE else it won't have a clue about newer chipsets for the AMD.

It is not unusual for FSB to be off by 1 or 2 Mhz reported, but not 5.

Check with the new SiSoft, or get a copy of WCPUID which will also tell you about FSB and multiplier.

Don't worry about what Asus Probe tells you - it's pretty clueless most of the time. Default voltage should be 1.75V, although often tools will report .03 or more over/under that depending on PSU and loading.

If you can access bios, is the chip speed setting set at standard, or user define? When set at standard, the multiplier should, I think, come up at 13x, not 12.5x - but this may be an old version of SiSoft Sandra reporting incorrectly. The boot sequence should say 1300Mhz, not 1312 or similar...

Last question - did you buy the system from someone you felt to be reputable, or do YOU have reason to be suspicious? Usually this is more of an indicator...

-* This Space For Rent *-
email for application details

 

[khha4113]

Thanks for the info on Sandra!

Good or Bad have no meaning at all, depends on what your point of view is.

 

[Guest]

When I use the default in the BIOS, the multiplier sets to 12.5 and the clock to 100 MHz. 12.5 is the max, so I think that my motherboard/bios won't support a 1300 Mhz AMD chip with a 100 MHz clock. I am using the latest version of Sandra. When I originally boot up the system, it says 1300 Mhz prior to getting into the BIOS. Perhaps they swapped out an oscillator with a +5% one to make the motherboard support 1300Mhz, but if that's what they did then they also made my 133MHz SDRAM unstable. I can change the multiplier and clock frequency at will, so I assume that the processor is not locked to 1300MHz - does AMD produce and ship them unlocked? By doing so I can change the CPU to any speed I want. I bought the system from a reputable mail-order PC company in CA that I found on pricewatch.com.

The clock does show up to be 105MHz, making me think the MB is out of spec or they modified an oscillator or two. If I set it to 95Mhz in the BIOS, Sandra shows 100MHz actual and my RAM comes out at the right speed of 133MHz. So the RAM multiplier is correct (1.33) in my opinion. As far as Asus Probe is concerned, it shows max CPU speed to be 1200MHz (based on CPU ID????) but current speed to be 1300Mhz in the as-shipped configuration. Sandra shows the default actual CPU speed to be 1.31 GHz, which is exactly 12.5x105.

 

[beans]

mikeh1 -

Did you run this reputable mail-order company by resellerratings.com?


beans

 

[Guest]

No but I sure I wish I had - the company is cyberpower and they are not quite what i thought. They told me I need an update to the BIOS to have the multiplier of 13 in there, but isn't that bogus? Unless the mainboard supports it, it won't work. Besides, I checked the BIOS and I have the latest from ASUS. Also tech support could not explain why ASUSProbe says max speed 1200 but current speed 1300, and why the RAM is running at 140 instead of the nominal 133. I will try to get a return for my money back tomorrow, unless someone on here can explain how they did not sell me an OC'd chip.

 

[khha4113]

<b>They told me I need an update to the BIOS to have the multiplier of 13 in there, but isn't that bogus?</b>
FYI, Abit released new BIOS for KT7 series (version ZT) to fix that.
<A HREF="http://www.abit.com.tw/english/download/bios%20update/main.htm" target="_new"><b>Abit Bios Update Page</b></A>

1. Adds three new options to enhance the system compatibility
- Delay Transaction
-PCI master read
-PCI master time-out
Sets above options to Disabled/Disabled/0 may help SB Live 5.1 sound issue. If the system experiences low performance after these settings, enable the"PCI master read caching".
<b>2. Fixes the Athlon 1.3G(100) wrongfully being recognized as 104x12.5.</b>
3. Adds an option "State after power failure".
4. Sets all four IDE devices to " AUTO".
5. Sets the default year to 2001.

Although I don't know about Asus if it has familiar BIOS.

Good or Bad have no meaning at all, depends on what your point of view is.

 

[Guest]

what mobo do you have if its a A7V133, your latest bios is<A HREF="http://www.asus.com.tw/products/motherboard/bios_socka.html" target="_new"> here </A>

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

VIA® KT133A Chipset


A7V133 (4 PCI, 266/200MHz FSB, UltraDMA/100, AMR, multi-USB, ATX)
- BIOS Upgrade and Road Map :

avu1004.zip
A7V133 BIOS Ver. 1004 03/08/2001
Fix DIMM size detection error.
Add VIA codec ID number.




I have abit board, when I set bios to 12.5*100 - it boots to 1300 (104 * 12.5)
new bios on their site fixes this, so hopefully yours can too. I really really hope you haven't been [-peep-]-over.

p.s. what instabilities??? let us know. someone can help, probably.









however, we all start at the end and finish at the begining

 

[CALV]

mine boots at 104 x 100 too if I set it to 12.5 x 100 (kt7a raid), I since downloaded the latest bios which gives an option of 13x
(well its actually called 13~17 but gives 13 x 100 no probs)


Next time you wave - use all your fingers

 

[beans]

mikeh1 -


I hope the tech experts on this forum have the solution and you don't have to fight the return battle -- your vendor's score in the "cheerful refunds" category is not encouraging.

Apparently you have already let them know there's a problem, and that's good. Watch out for time limits on returns, etc. -- see the Warranty page on their site if you haven't already.


Hope this all works out -

beans

 

[kavbear]

I still don't know why you don't check the die. It'll tell you what the cpu's speed is. Like another post commented "1300XXXXX" Look on the cpu itself. Of course, that doesn't mean it's not a bad cpu that is unstable.

No man stands so tall, as when he stoops to tweak his rig.

 

[Guest]

I checked my BIOS, and it showed to be ver 1004 date 03/06/2001 - was a newer one released 2 days later on 3/8/2001? If so, then that explains the issue. I already sent back the PC to get my money refunded. It sounds like they have sold me a legitimate, although misconfigured, PC.

 

[Guest]

I didn't want to take the chance of damaging it while it was under the 30-day return policy, so I didn't want to pull off the HSF and go through that mess plus not having any thermal paste to put back between the CPU and HSF. I do believe they actually provided me with a 1300 MHz CPU. The errors the folks had with Abit's VIA-based motherboard are identical to mine. However Abit had a BIOS update to remedy the problem, and Asus as yet does not. So I believe the chip was correct, however it was not compatible with the motherboard/bios at this time.