Few X2 4400+ (939) teething problems

fish99 · 11 Jul 2007 at 22:02

Hi, upgraded from a A64 4000+ (SD) to a A64 X2 4400+ last week, both Skt 939, see sig for rest of specs. The CPU is the only thing that's changed and nothing is overclocked.

I've had one BSOD while browsing the web (windows encountered a serious error ...etc), one freeze where everything was unresponsive, and a reboot during startup. I also had 2 spontaneous reboots but I think those can be put down to coretemp since it was running at the time and those haven't reoccured since during the last week.

Before changing the CPU the PC was rock solid stable. Temps look fine, highest I've seen is 52 degrees one core and 48 for the other after running two instances of SuperPI 32M for half an hour. Gaming seems fine too, the PC survived a 4 hr game of Supreme Commander. So I don't think it's a temperature issue. Don't think it's power since the PC got through 3 back-to-back runs of 3DMark06 without problems, and the PSU is an Enermax. The hangs seem random rather than relating to system load.

According to Asus the current BIOS on the A8N5X supports my CPU just fine. The only newer BIOS available is a beta (doesn't say what it fixes). So I'm now thinking software issues. I installed the latest AMD CPU driver after installing the X2, then the latest Cool'n'Quiet driver, and then the Dual Core Optimizer. Any reason why I would need to reinstall XP when switching to dual-core? Anything else software-wise that I might have missed?

HSF is Freezer 64 Pro btw /w AS5. Case has dual 12 cm cooling. Only other thing I can think of that's relevant is I have Cool'n'Quiet active (1000 MHz, 1.1 V for each core at idle). Kinda perplexed here... :confused:

Cheers for any help,
Simon.

SkeeterUK · 11 Jul 2007 at 22:04

You installed the amd driver, amd optimiser?

Amd driver fixes usage with coolnquiet i believe amongst other things.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17750429

fish99 · 11 Jul 2007 at 23:32

Thanks, yeah I had those installed. I've followed the instructions in that link - removed cpu driver and optimizer (plus nforce drivers for the hell of it), then reinstalled them in the order suggested along with the MS dual core hotfix (not sure whether I had that on before).

I'll see how it goes. If it doesn't work I'll try turning CNQ off, then if that doesn't work an XP reinstall.

fish99 · 12 Jul 2007 at 11:25

Damn, not working. Just had 2 freezes and 1 reboot in the last hour. The reboot again was while coretemp (the supposedly stable 0.94beta version) was running so I'll discount that, but the 2 freezes, one was while running SuperPi (2 instances) and the other was while just browsing the web :rolleyes:

The last freeze was with CNQ off so it's not that. All the correct drivers are installed. I expected upgrading to dual-core to be a painless experience...

SkeeterUK · 12 Jul 2007 at 11:46

Up your vcore (cpu volts) a notch see if that helps.

fish99 · 12 Jul 2007 at 16:20

I'm not overclocking, but I guess it's worth a try anyway. Will do. I've just bought some ArctiClean, cleaned HSF and CPU with it and reinstalled the CPU with AS5. I might try that beta bios too.

str · 12 Jul 2007 at 16:38

I've seen similar issues such as BSOD with a serious error and put it down to a rogue driver. Perhaps reinstalling Windows will sort it out. Also is that 4 x 512MB OCZ memory or 2 x 1GB. If it's 4 x 512MB you could test with it running at DDR333 settings to see if it eliminates the problem.

fish99 · 12 Jul 2007 at 16:53

2 x 1GB, dual channel.

edit:Touch wood it seems ok now. Might have been the nvidia SW IDE driver causing some of the problems, although I'm sure I didn't have it installed during the first few hangs.

Baddison · 13 Jul 2007 at 12:52

I had this exact problem a while back. Turned ou to be my cheapo ram that while was fine with a single core cpu couldnt cope with dual core

titaniumx3 · 13 Jul 2007 at 15:52

I had the exact same problems when I went from an A64 3500+ to an X2 4400+, apart from the reboots (just BSODs and freezing). I fixed the problem by using 2T command rate, reinstalling windows and then installing these two things:

AMD dual-core optimiser
Microsoft multi-processor hotfix

The instability was mainly to do with the command rate, but it's best to install the above patches too.

MoD_Callidus · 13 Jul 2007 at 15:57

Awaiting my X2 4200+ to turn up but once I read "nvidia SW IDE" it had me in tears in the corner sucking my thumb. that thing had me tearing me hair out with my shuttle.

NV - it's not just gpu drivers we can't make !

fish99 · 13 Jul 2007 at 17:14

Yeah, I had major problem getting rid of the NV SW IDE drivers. Dunno why I installed them really I should know better, but for some reason the uninstaller didn't give me the option to remove them, and rolling back or changing to the MS drivers kept saying 'driver not intended for this platform'. It's one of the weirdest problems you can get on a PC because the cause is so obscure - it's actually Alcohol 120%'s virtual driver that causes it. If only I'd remembered that 2 days earlier.

Anyway, cheers for the suggestions guys

I now have plenty more things to try should it start crashing again. I do have the hotfix and dual core optimizer on. Currently running 1T so I'll try 2T, and if I get desperate I'll reinstall XP. There's always that beta bios too.

fish99 · 19 Jul 2007 at 03:12

Getting some weird issues now. The other night in a game of Sup Com I got this brief static noise from the speakers, followed by the screen going blank saying no input and then after a few seconds coming back on with the desktop and Sup Com still running minimized. Went back into the game ok but it happened another twice before the fourth time I got a BSOD. There was lightning around at the time so I put it down to an electrical surge.

Tonight though it happened again twice with no lightning or even rain nearby. That was in Sup Com again but it's also happened once when not in Sup Com.

Never had anything like it before despite owning a PC for 10 yrs. Seems unlikely it was a power surge, especially since I'm using a surge protector and a good PSU.

I've tested everything and it all checks out. Just passed two runs through a memory test, I did 3 runs through 3dmark06 the other day, I've run two instances of SuperPI 32M all the way through on seperate cores and no problems came up, and I've had the ATI artifact tool running and found no problems. Temps look completely fine. I've also had at least three 3 hr+ games on Sup Com over the same period that have gone absolutely fine. I even set Sup Com going with 8 supreme AI on a 40*40 map and left it for 2 hrs without problems.

All I can guess is some intermittent fault with either wall socket, PSU, motherboard or video card.

Dogoid · 19 Jul 2007 at 04:49

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=81429

this post might be useful

fish99 · 19 Jul 2007 at 12:03

Already followed that to the letter. TBH I'm not sure it's anything to do with the CPU anymore, I can't see why a CPU problem would make my speakers hiss and my video card briefly switch off the way it seems to be doing. Seems more like the PSU is cutting out (which would be odd cause the X2 uses the same 89W as my previous 4000+ SD).

This morning, after botting into windows, I opened up Firefox was about to start browsing the web, and the PC just froze solid. I might try putting the A64 back in for a few days just to rule out the X2 as the problem.

fish99 · 23 Jul 2007 at 01:52

Just an update, I tried the old A64 4000+ for 48 hrs and that seemed fine so I put the X2 back in and it's still hanging. It's mostly when the PC has just been switched on from cold, it gets to windows but the first app you run it will often freeze straight away. Sometimes you can still move the mouse around, and the HDD occasionally still chuggs but nevertheless the PC is unresponsive. Once it gets 'warmed up' so to speak it will happily get through any test you care to run without missing a beat.

I think applying a bit of logic, it's unlikely to be a software problem or overheating. It could be power though, although my system shouldn't stress out a 465W Enermax at all and in theory the X2 uses the same 89W as the single core I had. I tried 2T on the ram and that has made no difference. I will try upping vcore a notch, although that shouldn't be necessary at stock speeds, and it's unlikely to make a difference since the vcore is probably reduced by CnQ during most of the hangs.

Still rather puzzled...

fish99 · 24 Jul 2007 at 07:42

vcore from 1.35V to 1.375V might just have done the trick.

fish99 · 24 Jul 2007 at 16:45

Nope, it hasn't, just had several glitches in SupCom where the screen would go off and the game would minimize. Twice it came back on but the third time the screen had gone haywire flashing and the only solution was to alt-tab out and close SupCom down :confused:

I don't get it, if it's the CPU then how come it'll get through SuperPI 32M with two instances running? (one on each core) If it's any other hardware or software issue then how come the PC was fine when I put the A64 4000+ back in? Done a full scandisc twice, done memory checks. Virus/spyware is clean.

That's all with vcore at 1.4V. It does seem more stable with Cool'n'Quiet off but it's still not totally stable. Also it's clearly not just about the PC being 'warmed up' since the first SupCom freeze was 20 minutes into a game.

Really confused. I presume there's no known issues with Cool'n'Quiet on X2s? Again nothing is overclocked and nothing is overheating.

I'm gonna try some other games to see if it's just SupCom (although it has been freezing just in windows), and maybe try some older ATI drivers. If none of that works I'll have to reinstall the OS and try that beta bios. What a pain :mad:

NaNd0! · 26 Jul 2007 at 14:14

i had simmilar problems with a recently purchased 3800+... i just gave up trying to work out what was wrong and reinstalled the OS.. only i upgraded to Vista and have had no bsod or hanging issues so far!!

mattyrigby00 · 26 Jul 2007 at 14:42

try upgrading bios and/or reinstalling windows.

although if the CPU is detected properly, chances are its a problem with windows, ive seen this before, windows needing to be re installed because of upgrading from a single core to a dual core.