Bios\cpu issue - Asus P4B533 1

[garebo]

I'm running xp pro with 256 mb pc 1600 ram, the mobo takes only 1600 or 2100, on an Asus P4B533 (no other letters with it).This is a new build. It will start up, run for a while and freeze. Then it wont boot at all. If i wait a while it will boot right into the bios and i get a message in the bios stating that the bios has re-set itself as there
is an error. I forget the exact message but it is cpu related.

I have a P4 1.8A socket 478. Asus says the mobo can take up to P4 3.2ghz. It also states that 1.8A is acceptable cpu and must have bios #1002. I have bios #1014 (3/19/2003) installed.

Now i am not into overclocking and barely know what i am doing, but i am pretty sure i havent set up anything weird. If you dont mess with the jumper switches on the mobo and you have a certain jumper on certain pins, it tells the mobo that any changes will be done in bios,and that is what i have set up. When it boots to the bios i have the fsb set at 100. Where the cpu number goes it always says manual. When i set it to 1800 and save or if i leave it
at auto and save, it will boot up fine but it will freeze up later when in win xp pro.

I checked the faq and other sections at Asus and there is nothing.

One more thing, when i originally tried installing xp pro it wouldnt, threw me an error message which turned out to be related to the ram i had installed, so i put in another stick and xp pro installed. So i am guessing that its not a ram issue at this point, since xp pro is up and running?
Guess i could run memtest but the bios keeps pointing to the cpu.

Hope someone can help me with this.

thanks

 

[ski]

Please post the exact text of the BIOS error message relating to the CPU. It will help us to troubleshoot the problem.

 

[BadBigBen]

Hi there, ASUS BIOS will tell you this message if it CRASHES/LOCKS-UP within the OS...

1.) make sure that the RAM in use is COMPATIBLE with the MOBO (ergo go to the ASUS Homepage and check there if ASUS said it is good to use)...

2.) some RAM may seem fine until it reaches operating temp and then cause the symptom you describe... have PC running a while in the BIOS setup (Like under HARDWARE SETTING, ie temp fanspeed etc.), if it locks up then you might have a bum stick of mem... running MEMTEST is a good idea, but not 100% sure (had a case of bad stick of mem which tested 100% good with memtest, but after about 5-10min would still freeze up the PC, which made me change out CPU and Mainboard to diff manufacturers and still no change...)

3.) make sure that the CPU Fan is installed correctly, that you used HS-PASTE (Arctic Silver or such)... reasoning that it could be Temp related...

Ben

 

[ski]

Also:

-Are all power supply connectors properly connected to the MB?

-Are the MB chipset drivers installed?

-If you're using PC2100 DDR RAM, then you can set the FSB frequency to 133 MHz, and adjust the CPU multiplier accordingly so that it's running at 1800 MHz.

 

[garebo]

Thanks, Ben.

I have the cpu\hs\fan on correctly, arctic silver btw.
I cant change memory as I only have the 2 and one doesnt work at all.
I will try memtest and also i will get the exact error message, will take some time to get that again.
thanks

 

[garebo]

to Ski

Are all power supply connectors properly connected to the MB?
yes, this mobo is fairly new so it has the standard 4 pin P4 connector in addition to the standard, larger main connector.

-Are the MB chipset drivers installed?
yes, they are

-If you're using PC2100 DDR RAM, then you can set the FSB frequency to 133 MHz, and adjust the CPU multiplier accordingly so that it's running at 1800 MHz.

I'm using pc 1600 ddr ram, fsb at 100, cpu multiplier is 18 and running at 1800 mhz.

 

[garebo]

all chipset drivers installed, usb 2 etc, device mgr is perfect. Sp 1 is installed as well.


will run memtest shortly

 

[garebo]

running memtest now, first time i ever had to do this.

so far:

memtest-86 v3.1 P4 1818 mhz
L1 cache 86k L2 cache 512 k memory 256mb 710 mb/s
chipset i845 detected - correct

 

[garebo]

how long might this take?

 

[garebo]

its been running for a few hours now, doesnt mention any errors so far.

 

[BadBigBen]

Hi there, Garebo, if the memtest runs with no hitches for hours... then you mostlikely have good mem...

btw. you are underclocking the CPU (100 FSB) it should be at 133, my suggestion is to get correct ram DDR 266 or above (2100 or better)...

go to BIOS Setup, load the default settings, exit and Save... in the BIOS theres should be a voltage control for the CPU (you can check this under the HARDWARE monitoring) and tell me what it is set at! it may be that the MOBO thinks that it has a Celeron installed (100FSB) and is underpowering the P4, which may need to be upped a bit...

Ben

PS - I am using a ASUS P4PE-X (similiar board) and had a bit of troub myself at the beginning, I am using a Cely at 2.8GHZ (less than €100 (about $110)) with DDR 400 (PC3200) and it is running nicely now...

 

[garebo]

Thanks, Ben, for the info.

The mobo takes only 1600 or 2100 ddr ram.

The memtest ran for 7 hours and says no errors at all.

I dont know anything about this stuff so i will take your advice and set it to 133 and see what happens.

thanks

 

[garebo]

I set the fsb to 133 as suggested, save and exit, rebooted and nothing, yellow lite at monitor.

You then have to wait a bit and turn computer back on and it immediately boots to the bios and hilights the 133 fsb.
Then the error message, which is the same error message i have always been getting.

ERROR MESSAGE:

During the last bootup your system hung for improper frequency combination. You are now in safe mode. Make sure frequency combination conforms to specifications of your cpu, dimm, and other connected devices.

There is a bios setting for: cpu\memory\freq ratio
Choices are:
auto
1.1
3.4

bios is set at auto.

I have this all out of box, new build, i have ps, mobo, ram,floppy, h drive,vid card, keyboard, mouse, cdrom and cd burner connected, all necessary cables, ide cable is 66 not 33, correct master\slave so all items show up in xp pro and dev mgr is perfect, all drivers incl sound, chipset drivers, usb2.0 drivers installed with no problems.
The mobo jumpers are set to have changes made in bios, double checked on that.

Each time the voice says: "passed power on self test and booting to os". Only time the voice said otherwise was when i had different ram installed and also when i changed the fsb to 133, both times voice said failed bios self-test.

The vid card, there is a red lite on the mobo that comes on if the vid card is not correct voltage, so i have the correct vid card installed, no red lite coming on.

I dont believe the prob is the ram, first this mobo will only take 1600 or 2100, i have 1600 installed. Memtest-86 ran in dos for 8 hrs with no errors at all.
I dont think its the ram, vid card, h drive, floppy, either optical drive, or mobo. I think its the cpu, P4 1.8A, but im not smart enough to fix the prob!
I just got a P4 1.8 in (not P4 1.8a is i have installed now, maybe i will try that later tonite.

As stated above, website is of little help, nothing in faq or anywhere else, except i found that i have correct, newer bios installed and that the mobo will only take 1600 and 2100 ram, and i am using 1600 - 256mb. I searched website quite well i believe.

The os and device mgr show no prob at all but the os will freeze up every time, within an hour, more or less, often much less.

 

[ski]

Set the CPU frequency multiple to 18, CPU external freq.(MHz) to 100, the CPU/Memory freq ratio to 1:1, the AGP/PCI Freq to Manual, and the AGP/PCI Freq(MHz) to 66.66/33.33

If no luck, then set the CPU freq. multiple to 17.

 

[ski]

If the suggestions in my previous post do not work, then the MB may be faulty.

 

[garebo]

To ski

I have done all the settings as you have suggested. Now i have to let it sit for an hour or so, so i will post either late tonite or tomorrow on the outcome.

thanks

btw, would all of this be because i am using a 1.8a chip instead of a 1.8 chip? Imagine one is a northwood and the other is a willamette, the 1.8a being the willamette?

 

[ski]

According to the manual, overvoltage can be manually configured for either a Willamette or Northwood CPU in BIOS.
So it appears that using either CPU should not cause any problems.

 

[garebo]

What i am thinking is that the voltage might be set for a northwood and i am using the other, or the other way around. I dont know enough to figure it all out.

Anyway, as i said, i have set it to the specs you gave me, lets see if it can go the night without freezing up.
So far its fine.

 

[ski]

If the CPU Vcore Setting in BIOS is set to Auto, then the correct voltage should selected for the CPU.

 

[garebo]

Well, computer running fine this morning, so we have a winner, and its ski. I gave ski the appropriate star and i want to thank you guys\gals. I would say the hit rate around here is prolly over 90% and would be even better if we listed our systems and symptoms better when we post!
I wonder if we should build a form to submit our problems on, that way we would be sure to list all the items we should be listing. I know I'm guilty of not listing all the info you need to know.

Because I dont fully understand the fsb deal in the first place, i have a question for bigbadben, if he happens to read this. Why did you say that the fsb should be 133?
I'm asking, as i said, because i dont understand it all. Or maybe someone else might have the answer if bigbadben doesnt see this.

Thanks, ski, and all who posted to help me out.