Super Socket 7 woes....HELP!!!

[Chris H]

Hi all,
I recently sold on my SS7 system (motherboard, CPU, and RAM) on to my brother. While the system worked fine while I used it, since my brother has had it, it simply will not work properly.

The System:
Gigabyte GA-5AX SS7 Mobo,
AMD K6-III 450MHz
64MB PC100 RAM
8.4GB Maxtor HDD
Millennium G200LE
Voodoo2 12MB
etc

The problem is Windows 98 either locks up during installation, or just before the completion of installation, I get illegal operations, errors with Runndll32, kernel32, etc, followed by the blue screen of death.

I've tried a different motherboard (TMC TI5VGF), different graphics card (STB TNT), different HDD etc. I've also tried removing all cards except VGA, but still no luck.

Any tips?

[Helmchen2000]

It seems that you've changed the case, so perhaps the power supply is the problem. I've made that experience with a similar system.

Helmchen

[Wombat]

Did you do anything with the BIOS? If this is a VIA-based board (not familiar with this motherboard), I would make sure that Read Around Write and Write Cache Pipeline are disabled. I've seen exactly your symptom caused by this.

Good luck,
Wombat


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503+ rev 1.2a, 128MB PC100 RAM, K6-2/350@400,RH6 & Win98,G200 Millenium (SGRAM), no plans to buy a G400

[Chris H]

Thanks guys,

Yes it is a different power supply, i'll try changing it for one that I know works.

It's actually a ALi board not Via. However the TMC board I tried is a Via. The problem I had with that board was slightly different. The OS would install ok, but whatever app or game you tried to install would lock up during installation leaving the HDD LED lit. All Maxtor drives I tried did this, so I swapped it for a Quantum. Things would then install, but report errors of missing files etc when you try and run them.

I'll change the PSU and let you know.

Chris.

[This message has been edited by Chris H (edited 08-26-1999).]

[Chris H]

Changed PSU.

Win98 installed ok, but system still suffers from random crashes - double clicking on keyboard options in control panel shuts the machine down and turns itself off!.

I'll keep trying things......SS7 sucks.

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ABit BE6, Celeron 366@550MHz, 256MB PC100, G400 32MB DH, IBM 22GB HDD, SBLive!, etc

[RAB]

Is the Gigabyte board AMD certified for a K6-3 450? Apparently, AMD does not certify the older versions of some current boards (like my eight month old FIC 503+ 1.2a) because their voltage regulation is not good enough to maintain the K6-3 450's 2.4 core voltage under heavy loads. Loading a program would put a load on the board as the hard drive is working constantly and the chip set and memory are working hard to move files to the hard drive. Check AMD's certified board list. I'm ready to try a K6-3 in my 503+, but would not be suprised if the mobo gets changed in the process.

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FIC503+1.2a,bios115je36;AMD K6-2/350;128MB PC100;Myst G200,bios2.3,drivers4.51;Win98SE;YamahaS-YXG50 sound;no OC

[Guyver]

Power - Power - Power - Most everyone above had it right.

Right behind memory, power is one of the most prevelant causes of problems. One that is overlooked almost constantly.

One thing Chris... Is the system you are working on at your place or not? If not - there could actually be minor power fluctuations in the incoming. I've solved a lot of problems by putting an online UPS into my configuration. No power fluctuations = a lot less headaches...

Just MTCW.

Guyv

[Chris H]

Thanks again for your input guys.

I'm still messing with it while I get time. It crashes all the time now, the most common being the computer just shutting down and turning itself off when you double click!

The Gigabyte GA5-AX is recommended by AMD, but from my experience it sucks (or maybe its knackered).

I'll keep you posted.

Chris.

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ABit BE6, Celeron 300A@450MHz, 256MB PC100 RAM, G400 32MB Dual Head OEM, SBLive! Value, IBM22GB HDD, etc.......


[This message has been edited by Chris H (edited 08-28-1999).]

[SteveC]

I have used both that Gigabyte and the TMC board in PCs we build - reset the BIOS and do a CLEAN install without touching any bios settings. On the TMC board, especially do not touch the IRQ allocations...

If you can face another install and try this, let us know.

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Cheers,
Steve

My PC houses one of these things which seems to affect some people's lives far too much...

[SteveC]

BTW - both run the K6-2 450 too.

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Cheers,
Steve

My PC houses one of these things which seems to affect some people's lives far too much...

[Dilitante1]

i seem to remember a AMD patch for WIN 95/98
could this be your problem? i am assembling my amd k6-2 300 for the kids this week on an fic 503+ like it was b4...i remember over 333 there is a patch to make it stable..good luck, here's the patch btw..
http://www.amd.com/products/cpg/k623...update_k6.html

[RAB]

There is quite a difference in current draw between a K6-2 and a K6-3. The "3" draws about 50% more current because of the extra cache on the chip. If you have a "3" and the CPU core set for 2.4 volts on your motherboard, this might not be enough even though it is spec. Try 2.5 volts. This might be just enough to keep it from dropping below the specified 2.4 volts when the mobo is under a heavy load.

Remember, the voltages on a motherboard are no load voltages and the more current (load) the board draws, the lower the voltage goes unless the regulation is very good. Since you are getting a complete shut down, it sounds like the processor is indeed not getting a high enough voltage under load to keep working. It only has to drop a tenth of a volt to shut down. If you want to try anything more than 2.5 volts, remember you will need a bigger CPU fan and good case ventilation. Higher voltages might help, but remember it also makes the CPU hotter. Try at your own risk, but I don't think a tenth of a volt over spec will hurt. Good Luck.

RAB

P.S. Remember, I take no responsibility if you run your CPU over the specified voltage. However, its been tried a million times by overclockers and it works if you keep it cool. I have to run my K6-2 350's core voltage at 0.2 volts over spec to get it to run at 400. More than 0.3 volts over spec though and you will probably fry your CPU.

[sixpac]

I have to agree with RAB,try turning the
voltage up.I run a K6-2 350 at 452.It's ok
at 2.4 but if I play games she crashes,so I
turned it up to 2.6 and she's very stable
so I leave it there.You also might wanna try
something like cupdle or rain or something
like that.I use cupldle and it makes a big
difference in temps.Also have you tried
running it with the case open? Does it make
a difference.

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Amd K6-2 350@452,Fic 503+ 1.2a,64mb Mushkin Samsung GHcas2,Maxtor 8.4gb,G200 Mill.8mb Sgram,Yamaha sound

[Ron]

Have you tried the latest VIA 4 in 1 patch, Version 4.12? 4.11 is the latest on the VIA site but I just download 4.12 from a review, which one I can't remember as I was just casually surfing at the time. I'm a driver packrat as I frequently do work for others.

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BH6 450A 128MB CW7502B CDR SR8583 DVD SBlive! Value Hollywood + AL320N USR Sportster etc. Oh, 8MB G200 Mystique too!