Major Hardware Problem?

2814 Views 12 Replies 2 Participants Last post by SPEEDO, Aug 30, 2002

Flogie

Discussion Starter · Aug 28, 2002

HELP!!! ANYONE?!! I just upgraded my P233 to a 1.3GHz AMD Athlon with 256MB SDRAM and along with a huge improvement in speed I have received an equal increase in headaches from system crashes. Everything worked fine with the old setup, only slower (obviously) but now, I can experience a crash at any time. Mostly, it's during games but I even had a crash while using Windows Explorer and getting my email. The system crashed 3 times while installing WIN 98SE during the reboot steps. When it hangs, it sometimes just kicks me out to the desktop but mostly, everything just freezes and if there's sound, it goes into a loop. The only option is the reset switch (OUCH!). All hardware checks out except for two items: My 1.3 GHZ Athlon (not an XP) registers everywhere as 1GHz. The other thing is a memory concern. The manual states not to use DIMMS with an 'n x 4' Dram base. Only use 3.3v, unbuffered, 4-clock, SDRAM DIMM. No buffered, 5v or 2-clock DIMMS. I have no way of telling what mine is with what's on the chip: 168 pin DIMM, SD 256MB PC133, P.O.#T152391, Centon, VT3612804T-7H, 94v-0, B6986RAb. That's it, and the Centon site is less help than that. Even though my Norton Utilities show all hardware is working, could the memory be a problem? Anyone have any ideas? It's driving me nuts!! I've run the utilities, checked all drivers, unfragmented, scanned and blown the dust off everything I can think of and I'm about ready to throw it out the window!! (That would be wrong!) Help?

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· #2 · Aug 29, 2002

Hello Flogie and Welcome to Tech Support Forums.......

Could you post what brand and model number your motherboard is.........................:winkgrin:

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Flogie

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 29, 2002

Whoops! I guess that would help, huh? The board is a Chaintech 7AJA2E. Since I've posted, I've updated the BIOS to the latest, played with some stuff in CMOS, re-installed Windows with just hardware drivers and I'm still crashing. I'm waiting for a reply from Centon with specs on the memory board I have in there. Here are some of the recent places I've had crashes: surfing the web, playing High Heat 2002 I've had crashes at the setup screens, during the 1st inning and another time the 6th inning. It seems to happen at random, but after tracking it, it seems more prone to occur when I'm using programs that use a lot of memory. For example HH2002 crashes after I've been playing for a while, most of the time. HH2003, however, doesn't even let me start playing when it kicks me out or freezes. And Flight Simulator 2000 crashes while installing at about 95% complete. I'm trying to hold off on taking it in to a tech for service 'cause if it's just the memory, I don't want to get nailed twice. If it's not the memory, I'm at a total loss - no clue.

John

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Flogie

Discussion Starter · #4 · Aug 29, 2002

Hey SPEEDO, I'm from MA. too! It's about time we got some rain, huh?

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Flogie

Discussion Starter · #5 · Aug 29, 2002

Oh man! I might be a total moron! I was just checking the board manual again and found the jumper to switch the fsb between 100 and 133. My board doesn't have that jumper because the chipset only supports 100, so it's fixed that way. My memory is PC133 - Is that the problem? I need to install a PC100 Memory board? I'll have to kick myself!

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· #6 · Aug 29, 2002

Yeah we could sure use the rain the reservoirs are really low and they are talking water bans again.............:no:

I'm from Lynn, Where abouts do you hang your hat if your OK with answering that?

PC133 ram is backwards compatable so that shouldn't be a problem. If you have another brand to try it would be a good way of eliminating that from the scenario.

I'll download the manual for your board and have a look at it.

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TheTechIsIn

· #7 · Aug 29, 2002

Shouldn't be, PC133 is normal backwards compatible on motherboards that only support PC100, the 133 will simply run @ 100 all by itself.

[Edit] It appears I posted @ the same time, I really didn't copy what you said word for word speed man... promise.

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Flogie

Discussion Starter · #8 · Aug 29, 2002

GREAT! Crashed while I was posting in here!!

Anyway, #1, I'm from Townsend, MA, originally from Lowell.

#2 I have also confirmed the backward compatibility of PC133.

#3 My CPU is a 266MHz bus (Spec CPU 200MHz FSBus) which would explain the 1000 showing up onscreen instead of 1300 as the board is only 100 FSB.

#4 AHH!!!!!

#5 I guess the only thing left to check is the clock speed, bufferred/unbuffered status of the chip and I'll have to wait on Centon for that. I think I had something else to add, but after that last crash, I forgot what it was! There goes some more hair!

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· #9 · Aug 29, 2002

Can you take the motherboard back?

If you bought this all at the same place they should have told you about the mismatch.

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Flogie

Discussion Starter · #10 · Aug 29, 2002

I got the motherboard online, the memory came from Circuit City, and the rest (case, supply, heatsink, fan and CPU) came from a local computer place. All the rest - CDROM Drive, CD-RW, 3dfx video card, Soundblaster Live! 5.1+MP3 card, modemblaster and 3.5" floppy were all on the old system (The P233 w/64MB RAM). I got the memory before the board arrived. If I screwed up, I screwed up and I'll just have to suck it up and deal with it. I just want to solve this puzzle.

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· #11 · Aug 29, 2002

If it were me I would just buy another motherboard and try and pawn this one off to someone. Your CPU and Ram are up to speed it would practical to get a board that will support what you have plus the newer AMD XP CPU to allow you to upgrade in the future.

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Flogie

Discussion Starter · #12 · Aug 29, 2002

That's probably the proper long-term solution, but I don't have the cash now for a new board. If there's a way to fix this problem, I'm going to opt for that.

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· #13 · Aug 30, 2002

According to AMD the FSB of the Athlon 1300 is 100 MHz.

Athlon 1400 (200 MHz FSB)
Athlon 1400 (266 MHz FSB)
Athlon 1333 (266 MHz FSB)
Athlon 1300 (200 MHz FSB)
Athlon 1200 (200 MHz FSB)
Athlon 1200 (266 MHz FSB)
Athlon 1133 (266 MHz FSB)
Athlon 1100 (200 MHz FSB)

1. After installing all your hardware into your PC system, turn on your system's power. Enter the CMOS Setup Utility by pressing the Delete key when your BIOS identification screen appears.

2. Move the cursor to Frequency/Voltage Control Setup menu and press Enter. Select the CPU Host/PCI Clock Setup commands at the left hand side of the BIOS screen.

3. Select the CPU Host/PCI Clock value according to the speed of your CPU processor and PCI bus. (See section 3-8)

4. Press Esc to return to the CMOS Setup Utility, press F10 to Save and Exit Setup and choose to confirm. The system will automatically reboot and during start-up you will see the correct CPU type shown on the screen.

You do not need to make frequency ratio and voltage settings
because this board will automatically sets your CPU frequency ratio & voltage.

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