Bad CPU?

[glyoung]

I built this computer in September, and it has worked fine until about two weeks ago. I installed a new WIN2000 driver for my video card. It didn't run very smooth, so I tried rebooting. It froze in shutdown, so I was forced to reset it. When it started rebooting, it stopped and beeped long, slow beeps continuously. I cleared the cmos, and it booted, but if I upped the processor speed, it would go back to beeping. With the fail-safe defaults set in the BIOS, neither WIN98 or WIN2000 would boot. I tried reinstalling WIN98, but it froze just after the scan disk.

Here's what I've tried:
-New BIOS chip, this did nothing.
-New RAM, worked for about 10 minutes, then froze and went back to beeping.
-Tried reseating Video card and memory, nothing.

I have a feeling that it's the CPU. It's an athalon 1.4 GHz. I had to replace the MB once, which forced me to remove the heatsink and chip. Possibly damaged chip, or do I just need some thermal compound?

Here's what I have:

Abit KG-7 Mobo
256 MB of Crucial PC 2100 DDR RAM
GForce 2 MX 400 64MB AGP
300 Watt Power supply
"AMD Approved" heatsink and fan

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[ranchdog]

gl....

My take on this is you have more than one problem.

The 1.4 doesn't like to play without a solid power supply. Of quality. Something like an Enermax 350W.

Last time around when you swapped out the Mboard did you re-use the Thermal Pad on the bottom of the CPU? That is a no-no. Need to remove what is left of a Thermal Pad after use with your thumb nail. Apply a thin layer of thermal compound on the chip-die itself.

A new BIOS chip doesn't always mean that the BIOS programmed to it will be the best one suitable for the 1.4 chip. A BIOS chip usually doesn't go bad unless you have really hammered the FSB and the chip couldn't take the heat for an extended period. Of course a bad flash is another story.



Now you are back at Default settings etc. Locks up during re-install. Time to go after the CPU. Long slow beeps denote CPU configuration/install problems. And power problems.

Need to use a dynamite Heatsink/Fan with the 1.4. The CoolerMaster that comes w/the retail box 1.4 is lacking so to speak. Something like the SK-6.

Luck.

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......Indecision may or may not be my problem......
...... Kickin' A Rock....

[This message has been edited by ranchdog (edited 12-08-2001).]

[setoguro]

Hi Glyoung

(I have a feeling that it's the CPU. It's an athalon 1.4 GHz. I had to replace the MB once, which forced me to remove the heatsink and chip. Possibly damaged chip, or do I just need some thermal compound?)


Pull the CPU and check it for any cracks or chips on the edges could be you chipped it putting on the heatsink. If it's chipped it would be the reason you can't get it to run at 1.4GHz and it's dieing a slow death. Are you not useing thermal compound (or pad)?

[glyoung]

Thanks for your comments. Here's the latest.

Last night, I got it to boot into BIOS settings. I watched the CPU temperature for about 10 minutes. It got to about 105 degrees F, then it stayed pretty stable. It then seemed to run fine. I changed the CPU speed to 1.4(133), and it booted fine. So, I formatted the disk and started a WIN98 install. I got through the install until the Product key window. After putting in the key, it gave me the "Blue screen of death" Here's what the error read:
"An exception 0E has occurred at 0028:C0046D07 in VxD---. This was called from 0028:C1463B24 in VxD---."
It let me try again once, but then it froze. When I reset it, it went back to beeping. So I cleared the BIOS, and rebooted into the settings. I checked the CPU temp and it was 118 degrees F. Is this too hot? It doesn't seem that hot for this chip.

I'm starting to think now that it's the Video card since both crashes last night occured when using the graphical interface. And 'VxD' seems like it would be a video memory location.

On the other stuff:
I got the fan seperate from the CPU, so it's a decent fan. But I didn't change the thermal compound when i replaced the CPU. Can I use the regular thermal compound from the tube, or is there a special compound to use for that chip?

Thanks

[ranchdog]

OK. Now we're getting somewhere.

Definetely get some thermal compound (thin) on the Cpu chip-die. Remove the old stuff with Q-tip and isopropyl alcohol. Rubbing alcohol. Artic Silver is the best compund on the market. But Radio Shack brand isn't bad.

The CPU temps you are getting are in the ballpark for the 1.4.

VxD errors trace back to device driver errors. And sometimes that error message is thrown at you meaning a device just can't handle what you are trying to get it to do.

Does the KG-7 have a Bus Speed jumper? 100/133. Should have. What is it set at? As you are using the FSB in Soft Menu/BIOS to bring the CPU up to 1400. And it's affecting the RAM and video card. Check and see if that jumper is set at 133.

Luck.

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......Indecision may or may not be my problem......
...... Kickin' A Rock....

[Whyzman]

Wondering here if there could be yet another problem going on. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif Since you are using dual O/S 98 and win 2000. Win2k needs to be loaded last or, I think that 98 overwrites the MBR.

I'm not quite sure what you need to do in this situation since you already have Win2k and have attempted to reinstall 98, but this could be part of the problem with getting you back in.

One of the Forum Big Kahunas needs to take a look-see and address this if it is truly and issue! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/eek.gif

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May all your dealings in life be win/win!

Whyzman

[This message has been edited by Whyzman (edited 12-08-2001).]

[glyoung]

Well, I've tried a new video card, and nothing. So, I'm down to the CPU or MBoard. I have reformatted my disk, so the WIN2000/WIN98 thing is not an issue.

Thanks for all your input.

BTW ranchdog, there is no Memory speed jumper on the MBoard. If there is, they didn't put it in the manual!