Abit KX7-333R & Athlon XP 2200+ Problem (Help!)

[Smirks]

Hello,

Last week I went out and bought a Abit KX7-333R and an Athlon XP 2200+ (1.8 ghz). I was trying to put it all together and make it work, but after about 8 hours of fiddling I've determined either the mainboard or the CPU is faulty. I'm hovering back and forth between which I think is the culprit, so I want to get other opinions.

Here's what's going on... (I'm doing this with a minimal setup, board, cpu, memory and video card only)

When I first power up the machine and it has a clear CMOS everthing is happy. Once I enter the SoftMenu to change the CPU type funky things start happening. Usually, it fails to boot, meaning it starts to post but it freezes either while it's running the memory tests, or after it runs the memory tests. Sometimes it will post the IDE info, and rarely it'll get to the HPT post screen. If by chance it makes it past the memory, ide post and hpt post it go whacky and my monitor will display an out of sync range error.

If I leave the SoftMenu CPU type to 1500+ the machine will post all messages fine (ie- memory tests, ide and hpt), but it will display a "BAD CMOS CHECKSUM ERROR" to which I have to press F1 to continue, then display the no boot device found, etc. Upon a CTRL-ALT-DELETE it will display another CMOS error reading something like "CPU Error: Check/change multiplier settings" (that isn't word for word, but it's close).

Now, if I leave the SoftMenu CPU type to 1500+, but change ANTYTHING in the CMOS, even the time, the machine has a hard time booting or posting. If I change the time, and then reboot it will not reboot. I will have to disconnect the power source for several seconds and then power up. If it works it will post all the way through to the "no boot device". I'd say 7 times out of 10 it will not work.

So, I'm a bit confused here. I'm pretty sure it's either the board or the CPU, but I can't figure out which based on my problems.

What do y'all think?

Thanks in advance,
Chris

 

[DaveP]

Your board should recognize the cpu for what it is. You shouldn't have to mess with that at all. What type of memory did you have in there again?

<font color=blue>GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.</font color=blue>

 

[Smirks]

It's PC2100 DDR, 512 MB

Thanks for your input!

 

[lhgpoobaa]

what PSU (brand and rated wwattage) are you using?

sounds to me as if it aint providing the juice you need, specially with that comment of yours "I will have to dissconnect the power source for several seconds..."

ideally would should had a DECENT quality 300W spu or better.

<b><font color=orange>My <font color=green>life <font color=red>has <font color=blue>been <font color=black>so <font color=purple>much <font color=yellow>more <font color=orange>colourful <font color=green>since <font color=blue>the <font color=red>advent <font color=black>of <font color=purple>Super <font color=red>VGA! :lol:

 

[JackFrostbyte]

Sounds like a motherboard problem to me.
Considering the errors start long before anything in your system is used -
either to its capacity, or at all (depending on the stage it will boot to).
If you cannot do so much as just changing the time in your CMOS, there's little else it could be.

Good luck!