PC Upgrading Questions

[MrBaggins]

Originally posted by Sava
it's a specific make... both are labeled clearly... also... it tells me the speed of the RAM at my startup screen... 266 MhZ

Yes... but what make?

Crucial?
Corsair?
Mushkin?
Kingston?
Viking?

anyone else and I'd worry.

[Sava]

****... I forgot the name... I believe it's Kingston - (something else)

[Sava]

wow this sandra thing is ****ing sweet!

[MrBaggins]

ValueRam?

something like this?

[MrBaggins]

Originally posted by Sava
wow this sandra thing is ****ing sweet!

its not what you know, its knowing where you need to get what you need to know, that counts

[Sava]

aight I'm gonna open my puter again and check my RAM, brb

[Sava]

my RAM is SimpleTech - Elixir

[alva]

Isn't there something with using memory bank 2 & 3 on AMD's?

Stick them in bank 1 & 2 ( IIRC start counting from the processor)

[Sava]

yeah, they were in 2 and 3, I put them in 1 and 2... but I'm scared to try messing with the FSB settings again

anyone think that was the problem with the FSB setting and the crash? Will putting the RAM in 1 & 2 make the FSB 133 setting work? I really would like to use my processor and not have it underclocked..

[Mercator]

Check your motherboard manual about the jumpers for the FSB, the BIOS would probably update automatically then...

I have no idea how this caused those WinXP problems, but you got it working again, so...

[alva]

hmm, I knew there was something, not sure if you're gonna like it though

The new CG revision of AMD64 microprocessors resolves some issues with current 64-bit chips, e.g. enhances 2T DRAM timings to enable desktop customers to achieve higher density and/or higher speed memory and removes requirement for use of identical DIMMs for the 2nd and the 3rd DIMMs in 3-DIMM mainboards.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20040309094236.html

[Sava]

3 good things have happened.

1. I found out how to reset my BIOS settings when I have a problem, and with the internal LED's, I can see when the processor doesn't like my settings before Windows has a problem.

2. I have been increasing my FSB incrementally, 115 produces 1.267 GhZ which is above my 1.10 Ghz that I was stuck at. So things are improving.

3. I downloaded an update for my BIOS which supposedly solves some problems.

More experimentation to come

pray for me

[alva]

Terrible DP, I know. I was gone for a bit then clicked 'sent' again.

[Sava]

nice double post alva... 22 minutes apart

all right, I messed around with the FSB settings... I can go to at least 120 without the processor hanging on me, but there's a problem with Windows. Because my processor has been known as "AMD Athlon Processor 1.10 Ghz", any FSB above 120 makes it think it's an Athlon XP 1500+... which either bugs Windows in one of two ways:

1. It is an Athlon 1700+ and the 1500+ recognition screws Windows up.

or

2. Windows thinks it is a whole new processor and wants me to change my hardware settings, which I can't do because Windows crashes upon starting with FSB settings higher than 115.

Suggestions?

I think I might try setting it so it thinks it's an Athlon 1700+ (which it is) and seeing what Windows does. If that doesn't work, does anyone know how to change the hardware settings so Windows won't crash when it sees a "new" processor?

[MrBaggins]

Originally posted by Sava
nice double post alva... 22 minutes apart

all right, I messed around with the FSB settings... I can go to at least 120 without the processor hanging on me, but there's a problem with Windows. Because my processor has been known as "AMD Athlon Processor 1.10 Ghz", any FSB above 120 makes it think it's an Athlon XP 1500+... which either bugs Windows in one of two ways:

1. It is an Athlon 1700+ and the 1500+ recognition screws Windows up.

or

2. Windows thinks it is a whole new processor and wants me to change my hardware settings, which I can't do because Windows crashes upon starting with FSB settings higher than 115.

Suggestions?

I think I might try setting it so it thinks it's an Athlon 1700+ (which it is) and seeing what Windows does. If that doesn't work, does anyone know how to change the hardware settings so Windows won't crash when it sees a "new" processor?

You have to be careful with settings much higher than 100... except when you reach 133... because of wonderful things called PCI Bus divisors.

Basically, these buses run at a fractional rate of the FSB, which means for speeds other than 100 or 133, you'll be running them out of spec...

Some newer motherboards are able to lock the AGP/PCI bus independently of the FSB.

That said... the inability to run at 133Mhz may be due to the mobo's controller. Is it actively or passively cooled?