Something is messed up on my computer!

[AmishSlayer]

Ok.. for starters, here's my computer stats.

2500+ AMD Barton (core speed 1.9ghz - came overclocked to 2500)
512mb pc2700
ATI Radeon 9600 256mb
L7S2A2 Motherboard (some random crap that came with the comp.)

When I got my computer, it had a GeForce FX 5200. I sent back the GeForce and got the 9600 for no extra charge. It ran just fine. Then I realize that on my ATI settings, my AGP setting was at 0x and Fastwriting was off. When I'd try to turn it up and on, the computer would restart, then there would be a click like a resolution change and the settings would be 0x and off again. So now I decided to check out new mobo drivers.

I found some agp drivers from SiS (My mobo is based on theirs) and I updated them. I hadn't played Battlefield 1942 in a while due to having crappy internet in the dorms, but Farcry had come out. I got it. Farcry would crash or lock up completely after like 2 minutes in. I read up on what it could possibly be...and they said overclocking could be a problem. So I brought my cpu back down to 1.9 ghz. Farcry runs fine...wtf?

Now, having stopped playing Farcry, I decided the other day to bring my comp. back up to 2.5ghz. First WC3:FT locked up completely and I started to think that this whole thing was happening again...but then I realized I didn't have the latest drivers for ATI...so I updated...problem solved.

Now I start up BF1942 because I have good internet in my apt. and at home. Crash to desktop after about 2 minutes of being in-game. Again.. wtf? I was just playing BF1942 2 days ago when my computer was clocked at 1.9ghz.

Why am I suddenly having problems like this when my cpu is running at speeds it was designed for? I read about the AMD Barton...and from what I gathered it's designed to be able to run at lower temperatures so you can overclock it more...something like that.

I'm damn near positive that this is gonna happen for D3 too...because it's a game I want to play...and my computer doesn't like me.

HEEEEELLLLP!!!

EDIT: Whoops... Sorry about that folks. I read the Overclocking guide...and Bartons should have 40-50 degrees celcius...mine's at 64...hmmm Looks like either I need another fan to keep it stable or I just have to bring it back down...

 

[lePobz]

You really shouldn't overclock at all without a performance air cooler or watercooler. Definately not up to 2.5 Ghz from 1.9 Ghz, that's just insane. I'm not suprised your PC didn't like it.

 

[AmishSlayer]

You really shouldn't overclock at all without a performance air cooler or watercooler. Definately not up to 2.5 Ghz from 1.9 Ghz, that's just insane. I'm not suprised your PC didn't like it.

The weird thing is though...I've been running it like that since last August. It's only after I got new drivers and tried these newer games that it's decided to throw a fit (Battlefield 1942 ran just fine before I got the mobo driver update...but now it crashes when I play back at 2500). I obviously didn't know enough about the internal side of computers to do much...but now I plan to find a medium between 1900 and 2500 and possibly invest on a new fan.

 

[SidewinderX]

Well, a 2500+ runs at 1.9Ghz. period. It's not designed for 2.5Ghz. Its name != Ghz speed. runnng at 2.5Ghz is a HUGE jump for that processor and could have possible damaged it and/or the RAM. To get a desktop 2500+ up to that speed safley, I suggest water cooling.


The reasons that all those games crash is because they use the cpu more and it either a) cna't handle it and crashes, or b)overheats and cuts out.


If it was running that those temps for that long.... you could have damaged the CPU.

 

[blahblahblah]

Bring your CPU back down to stock and download and run Prime 95 for a couple of hours. If you have any errors, you screwed up your processor.

Some questions I have...

- What is your voltage at when you overclocked? I am more curious than anything
- Did you run Prime 95 for 12 hours after you reached your max overclock?
- Did you have a PCI/AGP lock set?

 

[AmishSlayer]

Voltage is as follows (Taken from Mainboard info on SiS Sandra - I have no idea which number you're looking for...so here's all of them):

CPU Voltage -1.62
Aux Voltage - 2.56
+3.3V Voltage - 1.57
+5V Voltage - 2.18
+12V Voltage - 3.81
-12V Voltage - -8.91
-5V Voltage - -4.55
Standby Voltage - 2.61
Battery Voltage - 2.03

I'm just starting to run Prime 95

 

[AmishSlayer]

Wohoo for my computer...I guess.

21 hours 12 minutes, 0 warnings 0 errors.

The strange thing is...I ran the "Torture Test" while my computer was overclocked to 2.5 ghz.

I didn't know which test I should've ran, so I ran the blend test (a bit of everything)

In hindsight, maybe I should've gone with the "In-place large FTT's" test.

Any further tips that might help? Thanks for the help so far.

 

[blahblahblah]

Do you have an Athlon XP Mobile processor?

Running at 2.5 Ghz while using 1.62 CPU voltage should not be possible even with a mobile processor. Do you mean you were running at stock (which is at 1.9 GHz) or at overclocked at 2.5 GHz.

Download AMD CPU Information Display Utility from this site and tell me what physical speed your processor is running at.

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_871_2364,00.html

 

[AmishSlayer]

Here's what this prgram pulls up:

AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2500+
AuthenticAMD
Speed: 1833 MHz
L1 Data Cache: 64 KB
L1 Inst Cache: 64 KB
L2 Cache: 512 KB
Family.Model.Step: 6.10.0
Blah blah blah about MMX 3DNow! and extended 3DNow!

EDIT: I ran the test at 2500+

When I got the computer...it was at 2500+ already...so I figured.. ok... 1833 MHz clocked at 2500+ whatever. I'm retarded when it comes to hardware of this sort...so here was my thinking (I'm quite sure I'm completely wrong...) -

The CPU runs naturally at 1833 MHz and they clock it up to 2500+ for extra power from lower end hardware.

Again...I'm the guy that gets his computer...and just plays it...I don't really mess with the internal stuff to much...because I know way too little about it.

 

[blahblahblah]

Okay, that is what it is supposed to be running at. Do you have any problems when running games at this speed?

Also, what physical processor speed do you have your computer running at when you overclocked it?

 

[AmishSlayer]

Okay, that is what it is supposed to be running at. Do you have any problems when running games at this speed?

Also, what physical processor speed do you have your computer running at when you overclocked it?

Well that's just it. I have problems running Farcry and Battlefield 1942 now...I bet I'll have problems with Doom 3 and other new games. When I brought it down to 1900+ the games ran just fine...no crashes or freezes.

One of the reasons I thought the CPU was supposed to run at 1900+ was because when I got new drivers for the motherboard...I restarted and it was running at 1900+ I had to goto my BIOS settings to bring it back up to speed with the FSB setting (Now at 166 if memory serves me correctly).

 

[blahblahblah]

What is your motherboard manufacturer? Now we are getting somewhere.

 

[AmishSlayer]

ECS L7S7A2

That's the motherboard company and model no. that I have.