Memtest-86 v3.1 freezing with ASUS P3B-F 440BX

  • Thread starter Thread starter Lucky L.
  • Start date Start date
L

Lucky L.

hi,

i am running debian on a 3 or 4 years old pc. on low runlevel
everything is perfect but as soon as i start the x-server i got a
"freezing" problem sooner or later. because it was very unspecific (in
terms of time and programs which were running when it freezed) i
believe it is a hw problem.

running memtest-86 (v3.1) on this machine (cpu is an intel pentium III
366/550) which has an asus P3B-F (made the update to bios version
1008.004 already) it again freezes unspecifically when choosing 550
mhz as cpu speed (& cpu bus/pci freq. of 100 mhz) but runs perfect and
passes all tests when choosing 366 mhz (& cpu bus/pci freq. of 66.8
mhz).

unfortunately there is no error message of memtest-86 when freezing at
550mhz, it's just freezing (after running 30min or longer). nothing
works anymore and i have to switch it off and on again.

i do have 4*128mb sdrams (good quality). i tried it with all four,
with two and with only one. most the time memtest86 freezes at the
same test (#5) after 56% pass (in case of 4 or 2 sdrams), but with
only one sdram it passes test #5 and freezes somewhere during test #6.

cpu temperature is somewhat between 50-56 degrees (i run the pc open
all the time). fan runs at around 4500rpm.

i thought already of bad capacitors but all look good. battery seems
to be ok because i do not loose any bios settings when computer is
switched off.

does anyone has an idea what i could do?

thanks in advance for any help!

bye
Lucky

ASUS P3B-F 440BX (bios v 1008.004)
Intel Pentium III 366/550
4*SDRM 100mhz
3Com Fast Ethernet XL PCI
C+T 65554 with 4mb (Siemens tft MCF3501T)
IBM-DPTA-372050
TOSHIBA CD-ROM XM-6702B

some bios data:

CPU Vcore "2.00V"
CPU Core:Bus Freq. Multiple "5.5x"
SDRAM Config "by SPD"
Halt On "All Errors"
 
Lucky said:
hi,

i am running debian on a 3 or 4 years old pc. on low runlevel
everything is perfect but as soon as i start the x-server i got a
"freezing" problem sooner or later. because it was very unspecific (in
terms of time and programs which were running when it freezed) i
believe it is a hw problem.

running memtest-86 (v3.1) on this machine (cpu is an intel pentium III
366/550) which has an asus P3B-F (made the update to bios version
1008.004 already) it again freezes unspecifically when choosing 550
mhz as cpu speed (& cpu bus/pci freq. of 100 mhz) but runs perfect and
passes all tests when choosing 366 mhz (& cpu bus/pci freq. of 66.8
mhz).

unfortunately there is no error message of memtest-86 when freezing at
550mhz, it's just freezing (after running 30min or longer). nothing
works anymore and i have to switch it off and on again.

i do have 4*128mb sdrams (good quality). i tried it with all four,
with two and with only one. most the time memtest86 freezes at the
same test (#5) after 56% pass (in case of 4 or 2 sdrams), but with
only one sdram it passes test #5 and freezes somewhere during test #6.

cpu temperature is somewhat between 50-56 degrees (i run the pc open
all the time). fan runs at around 4500rpm.

i thought already of bad capacitors but all look good. battery seems
to be ok because i do not loose any bios settings when computer is
switched off.

does anyone has an idea what i could do?

thanks in advance for any help!

bye
Lucky

ASUS P3B-F 440BX (bios v 1008.004)
Intel Pentium III 366/550
4*SDRM 100mhz
3Com Fast Ethernet XL PCI
C+T 65554 with 4mb (Siemens tft MCF3501T)
IBM-DPTA-372050
TOSHIBA CD-ROM XM-6702B

some bios data:

CPU Vcore "2.00V"
CPU Core:Bus Freq. Multiple "5.5x"
SDRAM Config "by SPD"
Halt On "All Errors"
Click to expand...

So, in a roundabout way, you are telling us that your 366Mhz CPU is
unstable when you overclock it to 550Mhz.

Sounds like it's *almost* stable, so increasing CPU Vcore might help.
Vcore adjustments on a Slot-1 processor, if not available in the BIOS,
require taping and/or jumpering pins on the CPU. Googling for 'slot-1
voltage' should turn up the details.
 
Triffid said:
So, in a roundabout way, you are telling us that your 366Mhz CPU is
unstable when you overclock it to 550Mhz.

Sounds like it's *almost* stable, so increasing CPU Vcore might help.
Vcore adjustments on a Slot-1 processor, if not available in the BIOS,
require taping and/or jumpering pins on the CPU. Googling for 'slot-1
voltage' should turn up the details.
Click to expand...

But if it is a voltage prob... but the thing has been working before,
maybe the power supply is on the way out?

--
__________________________________________________
Personal email for Gareth Jones can be sent to:
'usenet4gareth' followed by an at symbol
followed by 'uk2' followed by a dot
followed by 'net'
__________________________________________________
 
Lucky L. said:
hi,

i am running debian on a 3 or 4 years old pc. on low runlevel
everything is perfect but as soon as i start the x-server i got a
"freezing" problem sooner or later. because it was very unspecific (in
terms of time and programs which were running when it freezed) i
believe it is a hw problem.

running memtest-86 (v3.1) on this machine (cpu is an intel pentium III
366/550) which has an asus P3B-F (made the update to bios version
1008.004 already) it again freezes unspecifically when choosing 550
mhz as cpu speed (& cpu bus/pci freq. of 100 mhz) but runs perfect and
passes all tests when choosing 366 mhz (& cpu bus/pci freq. of 66.8
mhz).

unfortunately there is no error message of memtest-86 when freezing at
550mhz, it's just freezing (after running 30min or longer). nothing
works anymore and i have to switch it off and on again.
Click to expand...

Which board revision? If 1.03 or lower, I bet it's the "Photoshop bug"
and/or aging electrolytics. If 1.04, probably only the latter.

Stephan
 
hi stephan!

it's an ASUS P3B-F ver. 1.04
Ser. no. MS19C2198-M6P750-C04-04377

bye
hansjoerg
 
hi,

maybe you're right with the power supply because the pc ran for almost
two years without any problem (i suppose at 550 mhz but i am not sure
with this). after that period it was used only sporadically. and time
be time the freezing problem occured and became worse day by day.

how could i check the ps?

i also could increase the vcore in the bios. how much should i?

what makes it even more bizarre for me is that i have a second machine
(identical hw but with win 98 se) and this has the same problem?!
 
Triffid said:
So, in a roundabout way, you are telling us that your 366Mhz CPU is
unstable when you overclock it to 550Mhz.
Click to expand...

no *smile*, i have a Pentium III 550/512/100/2.oV S1
 
Lucky L. said:
maybe you're right with the power supply because the pc ran for almost
two years without any problem (i suppose at 550 mhz but i am not sure
with this). after that period it was used only sporadically. and time
be time the freezing problem occured and became worse day by day.

how could i check the ps?

i also could increase the vcore in the bios. how much should i?

what makes it even more bizarre for me is that i have a second machine
(identical hw but with win 98 se) and this has the same problem?!
Click to expand...

Are you CERTAIN its not a heating problem?
I.e. from cold, run memtest, does it take a while to crash - but from
then on, switching off and on again and retesting causes a pretty fast
crash??

Take off heatsink, clean, clean CPU and re-apply with some new thermal
compound.

Might of course be something in the PSU warming up and failing.
You either have to monitor the voltage in the BIOS (if it has a hardware
monitor) or stick a multimeter on the lines.

If its been working all this time, I wouldn't start fiddling with vcore
until last.

Is the fan working in the power supplies? I'd get a spare PSU anyway and
give it a go - always good to have a spare!


--
__________________________________________________
Personal email for Gareth Jones can be sent to:
'usenet4gareth' followed by an at symbol
followed by 'uk2' followed by a dot
followed by 'net'
__________________________________________________
 
Lucky said:
no *smile*, i have a Pentium III 550/512/100/2.oV S1
Click to expand...

OK, but you initially described it as "Intel Pentium III 366/550" -
which led me to assume you were overclocking 366/66 to 550/100.

In that case I agree with other replies - cooling and/or power supply
are the first suspects to eliminate.
 
On 14 Jun 2004 01:02:36 -0700, (e-mail address removed) (Lucky L.) wrote:

turn off power management...

try testing it in safe mode...

-- you may want to have the cover off to physically touch the heat
sinks of any and all parts that may apply. If you cannot hold your
finger on the heatsink, than you may have some heating
issues...otherwise it is hardware/driver related.

hi stephan!

it's an ASUS P3B-F ver. 1.04
Ser. no. MS19C2198-M6P750-C04-04377

bye
hansjoerg
Click to expand...

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