Howdy!
I've recently installed an Applebred 1.8 into my ECS K7AMA mobo which has been running trouble-free with an Athlon 1.2 chip for two years using Win XP Pro. In order to even boot with the 1.8 I had to use the CMOS jumper to clear the Bios. I would have to do this every time I rebooted or it would lock up during boot. I found that if I disabled the L2 cache in the bios, the system will successfully reboot, but it will eventually lock up while surfing the net. I did manage to get it to lock up this morning while using Motherboard Monitor. Sometimes it runs for hours, other times only a few minutes. The CPU temp ranges around 50-55 degrees (with Dragon Orb fan) and everything seems to run fine even with the L2 cache disabled, until it locks up, which it would do even when the L2 cache was not disabled.

Is this chip crap, or what? I can't find any new bios for my mobo at ECS's site so I am confused.

Thanks

Are you running the cpu at the correct speed, bus speed and ram speed of 133MHz?
What revision is your K7AMA, there are quite a few.

The L2 cache should work properly if not, any chance you could exchange the cpu?

Later

MD

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The opinions expressed above do not represent those of Advanced Micro Devices or any of their affiliates.

Physics? Ha! This is clearly magic and devilry at work. Prepare firewood! We have witches to burn!


MODERATOR

According to CPU-Z everything is running at 133. I've been hoping that one of these little apps that I've downloaded would give me some signal of what is wrong, but all seem to indicate that my system is running just fine.

I have an email into the eBay seller who sold me the cpu, but their policy is seven days and it has been more live ten now. I've nothing more than the threat of negative feedback on my side. However, the invoice is from Newegg. Maybe the seller can get me an RMA I can just deal with the folks at Newegg.

QUOTE The CPU temp ranges around 50-55 degrees (with Dragon Orb fan)

Thats at idle?

What the temperature get up to if you really get the cpu working? Not sure about your heatsink but is it approved for that CPU? and are you using a thermal interface between the cpu and the heatsink?

Also what kind of power supply are you using. The new cpu may require more power than the older cpu.

Just some thought

Later

MD

-------------------------
The opinions expressed above do not represent those of Advanced Micro Devices or any of their affiliates.

Physics? Ha! This is clearly magic and devilry at work. Prepare firewood! We have witches to burn!


MODERATOR

I use thermal paste between the cooling fan's heatsink and the cpu, plus my power supply is 550w, which should be a whole bunch of power for what I'm running. I highest temp I've seen is 57 and that is right at the end of start up. What do you imagine a decent idle temp should be?

I've been toying with some of the newer bios from ECS, but no luck thus far. I have a spare K7AMA mobo here. I may just toss it in here later to see if it reacts the same as this one. This one has dealt with electrical surges strong enough to kill my ethernet cards in the past. Who knows, maybe other stuff got tossed into the frying pan as well? (I know have a surge protector that my broadband coaxial connects to-no more surges!

QUOTE highest temp I've seen is 57 and that is right at the end of start up

My overclocked 2200+ idles around 38-40*C and tops off at 45*C when I run (really beat the crap out of the cpu) Prime 95. Your Duron is probably based on the same core as my 2200+, T-bred B, I would imagine with an appropriate heatsink that your temps would be lower.

How's you case ventillation and your case temperature...

QUOTE I now have a surge protector that my broadband coaxial connects to-no more surges!

They only last so long, eventually the MOV's in them breakdown...

You may want to try a bios update, maybe they have specific support for the Applebred durons...

not sure

Later

MD

-------------------------
The opinions expressed above do not represent those of Advanced Micro Devices or any of their affiliates.

Physics? Ha! This is clearly magic and devilry at work. Prepare firewood! We have witches to burn!


MODERATOR

Good news - it appears to have been the motherboard. For the heck of it, I yanked my orginal mobo and replaced it with an identical K7AMA I bought used off of eBay for $20. Now the system apparently runs smoothly with the 1.8 Applebred chip. Reboots well and I have not managed freeze her up yet, though I'll keep trying. Another odd little fact, the motherboard monitor program I have running shows the CPU temp at 45 degrees right now and topped off at 46 while opening Adobe Photoshop. I don't know enough about the intricacies of mobos and cpus to understand why one board would report to run 10-12 degrees cooler than the other, but I know that it means that the old one has issues(I think).

To answer your question about my case's internal environs, I have a full server tower (for no good reason, just looks impressive) a 9cm upper exhaust fan, two 8cm lower exhaust fans, two 8cm front intake fans, and the power supply has both an intake and an exhaust fan of its own. Basically, I have it set up as if it as a server-wannabe, but with a low-end motherboard and low-end cpu. She has always served me well. Now I'll just keep my old 1.2 thoroughbred on the old K7AMA, since they always worked well together, just a little warm, and build a computer for my kids.

Thanks for you help and suggestions.