Strange computer anomalies...

Post by **lordofduct** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 9:09 pm

So yeah, random thread... but I just NEEDED to tell people about this WEIRD occurance, and see if anyone else has weird things their computers do that just make no sense (and well, should be physically impossible with out killing the machine).

A few years back I purchased an MSI Mega PC barebone... it was one of the first ones released and only supported socket 478 intel chips (no wilamette cores) no higher then 2.4 or 2.6 ghz (somewhere around there)... mostly due to the amount of heat that would be given off by the thing. I was going to be using it as a media center (that's what the MegaPC line is built for) so I jammed a 2 ghz Celeron in it I had lieing around along with 512MB of RAM.

After a year of use I had to fix my parents PC which was a 1.4 ghz. I swapped out my processor with their's so they can get more juice and I really didn't need it. I was using the thing for web surfing and music for the most part... maybe a Divx file here and there. No need for lots of power.

I popped it in, but never really paid much attention to the thing since. Until about a couple months ago, I needed another machine to program on, the mega pc popped into mind instantly as it was small and plenty strong enough to handle programming. So I jammed some more RAM in it and a cheapy 40 dollar vid card. Turned the bastard on and started developing.

now remember, it's a 1.4Ghz.

The machine was staying on for VERY long periods of time, and getting VERY hot. I turn it off maybe once a week to cool down as I am usually on it hard at work. But once it goes off, it stays off for atleast 24 hours... plenty of time to cool off. Then one day a fatal error in Windows (go figure) and I restart the machine... it won't boot.

WTF!?

pull the bastard apart, get some fresh air to it, still nothing. Everything appears ok... but it won't even let me into the BIOS. So I watch the diagnostics as it boots...

1.4 ghz intel celeron chip 100mhz 14X multiplier... sounds about right. Won't boot, it freezes up when it starts feeding video through the Video Card. Ok... let's let it cool down some more, stick a fan on the video card.

IT BOOTS!

wait a second... what the hell is this? intel Celeron chip 133mhz 21X multiplier? I didn't OC this thing, ESPECIALLY not that high!

...

it turns out the damn machine won't boot when it runs at the CORRECT speed of my processor, but only does it when it is overclocked 200%!? WTF!? How is that even possible, shouldn't the thing melt? nope, it runs at a cool 53 degrees celsius (well... cool for a celeron OC'd 200%)

now that confuses me.

Post by **ImportBoy** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:20 pm

Try reseting your bios. To do this take out the CMOS/BIOS battery on your motherboard (same kind that the Saturn uses) and then try to boot and see what it detects.

Post by **Intangir** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:51 pm

Er, I believe Intel's chips were multiplier locked during those generations (still are except for the Extremes).

My guess? The chip wasn't being detected properly on your parents machine and is being detected properly in yours? Maybe you could use CPUZ and find out the family/model/stepping to figure out just what's going on and if it is indeed being (somehow) overclocked.

Post by **fastbilly1** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 11:41 pm

I second the cpu-z findings. But man thats cool, if only my celeron would magically change from its 500 mhz form to a new 1ghz finding...granted its becoming a Ms Pacman bartop for my older brothers Christmas present so it really does not need to be over 100mhz.

Post by **lordofduct** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:00 am

Intangir wrote:Er, I believe Intel's chips were multiplier locked during those generations (still are except for the Extremes).

My guess? The chip wasn't being detected properly on your parents machine and is being detected properly in yours? Maybe you could use CPUZ and find out the family/model/stepping to figure out just what's going on and if it is indeed being (somehow) overclocked.

Hey, I ain't complaining... it's just weird. It's nice having a freeby 2.8ghz...

Oh and I KNOW it's actually a 1.4Ghz... this processor has been on a few motherboards all running 1.4... and it's WAY to old to be a 2.8ghz. It was purchased from dell in 2001, 2.8ghz P4's didn't come out until mid 2002. And even on release date, my parents would never spend the money on a brand new intel chip.

oh yeah, weirder is... and I forgot to say it in my first post... the processor has a Wilamette core, which this motherboard isn't supposed to support. I think that might have something to do with it.

Oh and your comment about locked multipliers... it isn't true about all models. I've overclocked the multipliers of several intel chips over the last 6 years. intel chipsets usually don't allow, I usually used Via chipsets.

Post by **opethfan** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:29 am

Run CPU-Z from cpuid.com. Maybe the BIOS is messing up because the CPU is dying.

I'd avoid Intel chips from now on. Even the Core 2s get quite a bit hotter than their AMD counterparts. Plus Socket AM2 is forward compatible with the new AM2+ and AM3 processors that are coming out. Hell, my system is single core, 3500+, 100% silent and I could upgrade it to a Phenom X4 if I wanted to (but I don't, since I'm getting a Mac soon)