Possible power (PSU) issue.. advice needed! - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Stompy · 08-23-2004, 07:29 AM

I noticed yesterday that my Athlon XP 1800 was running at 1.1ghz (set in the BIOS) instead of 1.5 like it's supposed to, so I switched the setting (god, how long was THAT set?). When I got into windows, I loaded up the Asus Probe (mobo monitor) and it was warning me that the 12+V threshold was up around 13.2 (no idea how bad that is) and my CPU temp was hitting 70 C (more on that later).

I have the following: 4 case fans and a case that all glow a fancy neon color, 2 HD (60 gig / 40 gig), a firewire card, wireless nic, DVD burner, CD writer, and a radeon 9600 pro - all powered by a 350 watt PSU. Is that my problem? If so, should I aim for a 400 or 450?

Another thing that was odd... it seemed like stuff was crapping out on me after I had turned the CPU speed up. The XP startup screen was scrambled much like the old NES games that would screw up occasionally. My first thought was "oh shit, I burned something ... " but after shutting the system down and then restoring the old (slower) speed, everything seemed fine. Would that be something caused by insufficient power or is that overheating?

Regarding CPU temp: How is a chip that's SUPPOSED to run at that speed (1.5ghz) be running so HOT? At 1.1 ghz it hovers around 60 C. I have 4 case fans.. one in the front (sucking air in), one in the back (blowing air out), one on top (in), and one on the side directly above the cpu (in).. I think that's some pretty decent cooling, so what gives? I also thought this was kinda odd because I had JUST cleaned a ton of dust off my heatsink & fan.

Lasereth · 08-23-2004, 09:33 AM

If you set it in BIOS, try setting it back to the old FSB and look for a jumper on the motherboard. Some motherboards have a jumper that you switch for the correct FSB for your processor. The choices are usually 133, 166, and 200. It should be at 133 for your 1800+. If there is no jumper, then you need to do it in BIOS like you did (make sure the FSB is at 133).

60 celsius isn't abnormal. Most people want their processors cooler than that, but AMD says that 90 celsius and below is OK for Athlon XP's. Room temperature has a lot to do with processor temperature as well...10 case fans, a Thermaltake Silent Boost and Arctic Silver 3 won't keep your processor cool unless the room the PC is in is cool as well.

-Lasereth

Stompy · 08-23-2004, 10:05 AM

Yeah, when I changed it to 1533, the FSB went from 100 to 133 automatically (a display right underneath the frequency option), but I'll check on the mobo as well. What's the diff between the two?

I know the change took effect because the System Info in WinXP reported 1.53 Ghz instead of 1.1 Ghz.

90 celsius? Damn! So I guess 70C wasn't so bad after all

I've read at various places that anything above 70C for an Athlon XP is walking on thin ice.

What about the voltage threshold thing? In the monitor, it shows up as "+12V" and right now, the value is 13.05. It started flippin out once it hit 13.1, but there wasn't an immediate effect on the computer.

Lasereth · 08-23-2004, 10:29 AM

The reason I asked about the motherboard jumper is your weird issues. If you did it in BIOS and there really is a mobo jumper, then you're basically overclocking your processor to its normal speed. OC'ing can cause serious power issues and the scrambling you're describing. If you have a Thoroughbred B Core 1800+, then it's very possible your processor could OC that much. Flipping the jumper on the motherboard would make BIOS recognize your processor as an 1800+ by default instead of having to change the frequencies.

How hot is your room? Like I said, AMD does say their processors are OK until 90 celsius, but over 60 is usually avoided. Are you sure the thermal paste is spread good on your processor and the heatsink is installed correctly?

-Lasereth

Stompy · 08-23-2004, 10:49 AM

Ah cool, I'll check the mobo tonight. I know there are jumpers for that stuff but I've never fiddled with em - I assumed they were set properly as I've never had problems, but what you're explaining sounds dead on and makes complete sense.

The room is about 75 or so, not much above room temp. I have my central air set to kick on whenever the temp goes above 77/78, so it's not too hot.

Thermal paste.. I don't recall ever putting any on, and I actually didn't know about using any till fairly recently(!). Do any fairly popular retailers (Best Buy, etc) sell any or would I have to order some from an online shop (newegg)? I'm assuming that would drop my temp a bit.

Dragonlich · 08-23-2004, 11:39 AM

If you have a stock cooler, there's thermal paste underneath. It might have become too old/hard to properly conduct heat, but that's a long shot.

Lasereth · 08-23-2004, 11:58 AM

Actually, most stock coolers have thermal pads instead of thermal paste. Paste will work better than pads by usually 3-5 degrees. The pads are ridiculous! I scrape it off ASAP and put on paste when I get a new processor.

You can get paste at most local computer shops. NewEgg definitely has it. I suggest Arctic Silver 3...but be warned, when you put the paste on, it voids the processor's warranty.

-Lasereth

Stompy · 08-23-2004, 02:43 PM

Alrighty, just checked the mobo.

There are two modes: jumper free, which is what it's currently set to, and jumper mode where you can maually set the clock speed.

The problem is, this manual is a POS. The diagram literally circles a small cluster of jumpers (probably 16 pins or so) and shows a random 3 along w/ the configuration. The problem is, it doesn't state which set of pins. There are about 4 jumper caps next to a block of 16 pins. The mobo itself simply has underneath said block of pins "1-2 jumper mode, 2-3 jumper free". Great, thanks for the detailed explanation as to which ones they are!

In any case, I tried raising the speed again through the BIOS since that's the mode it's physically set to. I was gonna let things run anyway since that's the speed the chip is SUPPOSED to be at. The auto-shutdown kicked in and a voice (via system speaker) came on to notify me that the CPU was reaching extremely hot temperatures.. then it shut down.

I started it back up, switched back to the 1.1 ghz.. now back to square 1.

I think it's completely BS that this chip is shitting out on speeds it's supposed to be handling to begin with.

Stompy · 08-23-2004, 03:02 PM

Hmm, did a search in google and some people are reporting bios errors w/ this board and athlon xp 1800's, so I'm gonna try an older bios to see if that works.

Stompy · 08-23-2004, 04:03 PM

Interesting update... read a post on Google about how the BIOS tends to get confused with older settings between updates, so by doing the "Load Default Settings" option, you clear out all the old settings and start new.

My temp is still higher than norm hovering around 72C, but the system seems stable.. so as long as 90 is the magic number, I suppose I'll be good.

Lasereth · 08-23-2004, 04:07 PM

If it gets above 70 then I'd start worrying. I get nervous when mine gets above 60. There's either a bad temperature gauge or something wrong with your heatsink-fan. I'd look for info on the temperature monitor being fucked up...one of my old mobos was like that (reported the CPU temp at 15-20 degrees above what it really was).

-Lasereth

08-23-2004, 07:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
Stompy Banned from being Banned Location: Donkey	Possible power (PSU) issue.. advice needed! I noticed yesterday that my Athlon XP 1800 was running at 1.1ghz (set in the BIOS) instead of 1.5 like it's supposed to, so I switched the setting (god, how long was THAT set?). When I got into windows, I loaded up the Asus Probe (mobo monitor) and it was warning me that the 12+V threshold was up around 13.2 (no idea how bad that is) and my CPU temp was hitting 70 C (more on that later). I have the following: 4 case fans and a case that all glow a fancy neon color, 2 HD (60 gig / 40 gig), a firewire card, wireless nic, DVD burner, CD writer, and a radeon 9600 pro - all powered by a 350 watt PSU. Is that my problem? If so, should I aim for a 400 or 450? Another thing that was odd... it seemed like stuff was crapping out on me after I had turned the CPU speed up. The XP startup screen was scrambled much like the old NES games that would screw up occasionally. My first thought was "oh shit, I burned something ... " but after shutting the system down and then restoring the old (slower) speed, everything seemed fine. Would that be something caused by insufficient power or is that overheating? Regarding CPU temp: How is a chip that's SUPPOSED to run at that speed (1.5ghz) be running so HOT? At 1.1 ghz it hovers around 60 C. I have 4 case fans.. one in the front (sucking air in), one in the back (blowing air out), one on top (in), and one on the side directly above the cpu (in).. I think that's some pretty decent cooling, so what gives? I also thought this was kinda odd because I had JUST cleaned a ton of dust off my heatsink & fan. __________________ I love lamp.

08-23-2004, 09:33 AM	#2 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	If you set it in BIOS, try setting it back to the old FSB and look for a jumper on the motherboard. Some motherboards have a jumper that you switch for the correct FSB for your processor. The choices are usually 133, 166, and 200. It should be at 133 for your 1800+. If there is no jumper, then you need to do it in BIOS like you did (make sure the FSB is at 133). 60 celsius isn't abnormal. Most people want their processors cooler than that, but AMD says that 90 celsius and below is OK for Athlon XP's. Room temperature has a lot to do with processor temperature as well...10 case fans, a Thermaltake Silent Boost and Arctic Silver 3 won't keep your processor cool unless the room the PC is in is cool as well. -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

08-23-2004, 10:05 AM	#3 (permalink)
Stompy Banned from being Banned Location: Donkey	Yeah, when I changed it to 1533, the FSB went from 100 to 133 automatically (a display right underneath the frequency option), but I'll check on the mobo as well. What's the diff between the two? I know the change took effect because the System Info in WinXP reported 1.53 Ghz instead of 1.1 Ghz. 90 celsius? Damn! So I guess 70C wasn't so bad after all I've read at various places that anything above 70C for an Athlon XP is walking on thin ice. What about the voltage threshold thing? In the monitor, it shows up as "+12V" and right now, the value is 13.05. It started flippin out once it hit 13.1, but there wasn't an immediate effect on the computer. __________________ I love lamp.

08-23-2004, 10:29 AM	#4 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	The reason I asked about the motherboard jumper is your weird issues. If you did it in BIOS and there really is a mobo jumper, then you're basically overclocking your processor to its normal speed. OC'ing can cause serious power issues and the scrambling you're describing. If you have a Thoroughbred B Core 1800+, then it's very possible your processor could OC that much. Flipping the jumper on the motherboard would make BIOS recognize your processor as an 1800+ by default instead of having to change the frequencies. How hot is your room? Like I said, AMD does say their processors are OK until 90 celsius, but over 60 is usually avoided. Are you sure the thermal paste is spread good on your processor and the heatsink is installed correctly? -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

08-23-2004, 10:49 AM	#5 (permalink)
Stompy Banned from being Banned Location: Donkey	Ah cool, I'll check the mobo tonight. I know there are jumpers for that stuff but I've never fiddled with em - I assumed they were set properly as I've never had problems, but what you're explaining sounds dead on and makes complete sense. The room is about 75 or so, not much above room temp. I have my central air set to kick on whenever the temp goes above 77/78, so it's not too hot. Thermal paste.. I don't recall ever putting any on, and I actually didn't know about using any till fairly recently(!). Do any fairly popular retailers (Best Buy, etc) sell any or would I have to order some from an online shop (newegg)? I'm assuming that would drop my temp a bit. __________________ I love lamp.

08-23-2004, 11:39 AM	#6 (permalink)
Dragonlich 42, baby! Location: The Netherlands	If you have a stock cooler, there's thermal paste underneath. It might have become too old/hard to properly conduct heat, but that's a long shot.

08-23-2004, 11:58 AM	#7 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	Actually, most stock coolers have thermal pads instead of thermal paste. Paste will work better than pads by usually 3-5 degrees. The pads are ridiculous! I scrape it off ASAP and put on paste when I get a new processor. You can get paste at most local computer shops. NewEgg definitely has it. I suggest Arctic Silver 3...but be warned, when you put the paste on, it voids the processor's warranty. -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

08-23-2004, 02:43 PM	#8 (permalink)
Stompy Banned from being Banned Location: Donkey	Alrighty, just checked the mobo. There are two modes: jumper free, which is what it's currently set to, and jumper mode where you can maually set the clock speed. The problem is, this manual is a POS. The diagram literally circles a small cluster of jumpers (probably 16 pins or so) and shows a random 3 along w/ the configuration. The problem is, it doesn't state which set of pins. There are about 4 jumper caps next to a block of 16 pins. The mobo itself simply has underneath said block of pins "1-2 jumper mode, 2-3 jumper free". Great, thanks for the detailed explanation as to which ones they are! In any case, I tried raising the speed again through the BIOS since that's the mode it's physically set to. I was gonna let things run anyway since that's the speed the chip is SUPPOSED to be at. The auto-shutdown kicked in and a voice (via system speaker) came on to notify me that the CPU was reaching extremely hot temperatures.. then it shut down. I started it back up, switched back to the 1.1 ghz.. now back to square 1. I think it's completely BS that this chip is shitting out on speeds it's supposed to be handling to begin with. __________________ I love lamp.

08-23-2004, 03:02 PM	#9 (permalink)
Stompy Banned from being Banned Location: Donkey	Hmm, did a search in google and some people are reporting bios errors w/ this board and athlon xp 1800's, so I'm gonna try an older bios to see if that works. __________________ I love lamp.

08-23-2004, 04:03 PM	#10 (permalink)
Stompy Banned from being Banned Location: Donkey	Interesting update... read a post on Google about how the BIOS tends to get confused with older settings between updates, so by doing the "Load Default Settings" option, you clear out all the old settings and start new. My temp is still higher than norm hovering around 72C, but the system seems stable.. so as long as 90 is the magic number, I suppose I'll be good. __________________ I love lamp.

08-23-2004, 04:07 PM	#11 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	If it gets above 70 then I'd start worrying. I get nervous when mine gets above 60. There's either a bad temperature gauge or something wrong with your heatsink-fan. I'd look for info on the temperature monitor being fucked up...one of my old mobos was like that (reported the CPU temp at 15-20 degrees above what it really was). -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert