Troubles running 133 MHz on ASUS P2B-B.

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andy

Hi!

I bought 733/256k/133MHz slot 1 CPU.
Unfortunately, it doesn't want to work with 133 MHz (PCI 33.3 MHz) on my P2B-B
rev. 1.02 mb.

In fact, at the beginning I had even problems with 100 MHz: when windows
xp started I always had blue screens with core dumped. I suspected memory
problems, so from the three DIMMs I have I left only the best one 256 MB Hynix
DIMM, and only then there wasn't any blue screens with 100 MHz.

However with 133 MHz although there was initial testing of memory in graphic
card (32 MB), after that cursor was blinking on the EPA Pollution Preventer
emblem, and that was it.

When all three DIMMs were in and it was set to 133 MHz, then computer
didn't start at all, it was only longly beeping instead, beeeep, beeeep,
beeeep... :/

I added now one more 256 MB VM DIMM and it seems working with 100 MHz
without blue screens, so I suspect that the 128 MB Winward DIMM was
causing the problems before.
However, that 128 MB DIMM also has 133 MHz sticker on it (as the two other
DIMMs), so it is strange that it doesn't want to work even with 100 MHz.

So what's the problem that I cannot run the computer with 133 MHz?

Is that Leadtek WinFast NVidia GeForce2 MX graphic card problem or some other
problem?
Has anyone run it 133 MHz with that particular card or nvidia chip?

I have to run this processor now with 100 MHz, so I have 550 MHz, and not 733
MHz as it should be.

All my three DIMMs data collected using ctspd software is available on the
page:
http://an.feedle.com/memory/

1. That's what's written on the first DIMM:
56 MB Hynix 134A
HY67V28820HCT - H Korea.
Hynix 56
0134
HYM71V32635HCT8-H
PC133U-333-542
256MB Sync 133MHz CL3

2. Second:
256MB VM VT28SD16M8PC-7

3. Third:
128MB Winward WN57V658020T-7

There is now 3-3-3-10 setting by SPD in Bios.
Bios is the newest 1014 beta3.

And I was planning to upgrade it for tualatin 1.4/133MHz... :(:::...

Please, HELP! :)

Cheers!
andy
 
Cheers!




Look to some older posts in this NG, describing special issues to BX
related PC User.

Also I have to say, my P2B-F is doing about 142MHz.. tested with one
PC150 Cl.2 Mushkin. 128M 16mx8 DIMM. 150 FSB is just working with the
P3B-F, CuBX from ASUS.
The older P2B and P2B-B are weaker.... 125MHz??? I don´t know. Maybe it
work, too.

http://free-pu.htnet.hr/BXRAM/




Best Regards,

Daniel Mandic
 
Look to some older posts in this NG, describing special issues to BX
related PC User.
Click to expand...

I didn't find anything helpful, yet.

Main question is: how can I figure out whether I have memory or graphic card
problem or maybe something else?
Also I have to say, my P2B-F is doing about 142MHz.. tested with one
PC150 Cl.2 Mushkin. 128M 16mx8 DIMM. 150 FSB is just working with the
P3B-F, CuBX from ASUS.
Click to expand...

What graphic card had you got when testing it? And memory what company
produced it, what SPD data etc?
The older P2B and P2B-B are weaker.... 125MHz??? I don´t know. Maybe it
work, too.
Click to expand...

The problem is I can have 33 MHz PCI only for 133 and 100 MHz CPU bus
frequency, for 124 MHz I would have 31 MHz PCI. Have a look:
http://an.feedle.com/memory/FSB_settings_asus_p2b-b.gif

But of course I might try it as well.
http://free-pu.htnet.hr/BXRAM/
Click to expand...

Thanks, but I've seen it before here:
http://homepage.hispeed.ch/rscheidegger/ram_bx_faq.html

Cheers!
andy
 
Cheers!




Look to some older posts in this NG, describing special issues to BX
related PC User.

Also I have to say, my P2B-F is doing about 142MHz.. tested with one
PC150 Cl.2 Mushkin. 128M 16mx8 DIMM. 150 FSB is just working with the
P3B-F, CuBX from ASUS.
The older P2B and P2B-B are weaker.... 125MHz??? I don´t know. Maybe it
work, too.

http://free-pu.htnet.hr/BXRAM/




Best Regards,

Daniel Mandic
 
What graphic card had you got when testing it? And memory what company
produced it, what SPD data etc?
Click to expand...

see my first reply!
The problem is I can have 33 MHz PCI only for 133 and 100 MHz CPU bus
frequency, for 124 MHz I would have 31 MHz PCI. Have a look:
http://an.feedle.com/memory/FSB_settings_asus_p2b-b.gif
Click to expand...


GeForce3. FSB was at 95MHz. Nvidias are known for working up to 100MHz
AGP.

For what would you need more speed than 31MHz?




Best Regards,

Daniel Mandic
 
GeForce3. FSB was at 95MHz. Nvidias are known for working up to 100MHz
AGP.
Click to expand...

So why such bad results for half of the cards in this test:
http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20000321/index.html
For what would you need more speed than 31MHz?
Click to expand...

33 is correct value according to the specifications.

The whole manual of my mb is here:
http://an.feedle.com/memory/p2bb-102_ASUSa.pdf

Perhaps software limiting of AGP to 1x would help if it is the graphic card
which causes the problems:
http://www.technologyvault.co.uk/ge...play=faq&nr=178&catnr=3&prog=gef&onlynewfaq=0
?

a.
 
andy said:
I didn't find anything helpful, yet.

Main question is: how can I figure out whether I have memory or graphic card
problem or maybe something else?
Click to expand...

As I said in email, run memtest86 overnight to verify your RAM is 100%
free of errors at 133Mhz FSB. That is fundamental to upgrading and
overclocking any P2B series motherboard - there's no point in looking
for problems elsewhere, or attempting to boot an OS, until it runs
memtest86 indefinitely without error.
 
andy said:
So why such bad results for half of the cards in this test:
http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20000321/index.html
Click to expand...


How do you mean that?

33 is correct value according to the specifications.
Click to expand...


25 MHz is also a correct value, according to the specifications.
33 is the maximum.

The whole manual of my mb is here:
http://an.feedle.com/memory/p2bb-102_ASUSa.pdf

Fine.


Perhaps software limiting of AGP to 1x would help if it is the
graphic card which causes the problems:
Click to expand...


I don´t know. The P2Bseries is AGP 2.0 compliant (look on SiSoftware
Sandra), so 2x should work, and I never had troubles with 2x.
But, I have one Game which have caused troubles with 2x (Closing the
program and returning to windows). The Hotline of this game suggested
me to enable 1x :-))) What a Joke.
The P2Bseries can autodetect the AGP card and sets the correct values
like 1x, 2x, sideband adressing and more. If the card is a 2x then 2x
works as it should work.
You can see the i82443 like a reference.

----

Just an example: I have tried a Kt133A with a 1800 Palomino
512MB, Cl.2, 133 (266) FSB, BIOS Speed Settings full power,
GeForce4 ti4200, AGP2.0 at 4x sideband enabled and!
Fast-writes.


The Result was just poor. Baldurs Gate II with Open GL Graphics was a
horror, laggings and laggings.
I have had so much higher numbers (4x, 266MHz, 1533MHz, FastWrites....)
but I did´nt see the result :-)
The fast CPU did´nt get the picture. The way tho the VGA-Connector is
blocked. :-)

----


All I know is, that I saw: GeForce2 (Creative), Voodo3 3000, and my
4ti4200 working with 89MHz AGP, very well. Matrox not.




What GfX Card do you have?






Best Regards,

Daniel Mandic
 
As I said in email, run memtest86 overnight to verify your RAM is 100%
free of errors at 133Mhz FSB. That is fundamental to upgrading and
overclocking any P2B series motherboard - there's no point in looking
for problems elsewhere, or attempting to boot an OS, until it runs
memtest86 indefinitely without error.
Click to expand...

I did the test overnight with memtest86+ v. 1.60 for the two 256MB
memories at 100 MHz.
6 passes, and no errors.

I done some more testing with interesting results.

In chronological order.
I started the testing with the two 256 MB DIMMs and VIO 1.5V

1. FSB 124 MHz, PCI 31.0 MHz: beeep, beeep, beeep
2. 140 , 35 : beeep, but on the second try it started and crashed after
displaying "PCI device listening".
3. 150 , 37.5 : beeep
4. 133 33.3 : first try: hanged up on EPA sign, second time: beep
5. 105 35 : running fine
6. 110 36.7 : works well again
7. 112 37.3 : all fine
8. 115 38.3 : still works :)

Now I changed VIO to 3.66 V

9. 133 33.3 : beeep
10. 124 31 : works fine!

Now I removed Hynix memory from the first DIMM socket, and moved VM
memory from second DIMM socket into the 1st DIMM Socket. VIO still 3.66 V

11. 133 33.3 : beep
12. 124 31 : beep ; I moved then memory in the socket as sometimes it
happens that there is no electrical contact and... it helped... it worked
fine after that. :)
13. 133 33.3 : now it works too!

Back to the VIO 3.5V. Still only one 256 MB VM DIMM in the first DIMM
Socket

14. 133 33.3 : it still works!

Now I added second 256 MB Hynix memory to the second Socked.

15. 133 33.3 : blue screen, core dumped, windows restarting, then again
the same blue screen etc.

Now I removed 256 MB Hynix, and put 128 MB Winward in the second DIMM
Socket, in the first socket there was still 256 MB VM memory.

16. 133 33.3 : blue screen or beep

Swiching to VIO 3.66 V again

17. 133 33.3 : still blue screen

Removed Winward 128 MB

18. 133 33.3 : works well

Inserted Hynix to the third socket, leaving second socket empty, in the
first socket still the VM memory.

19. 133 33.3 : system crashed during startup and restarted, next time a
message displayed that file in System32\Drivers\Ntfs.sys not found or
damaged, and that I need to use rescue operation using Win xp
installation disk. :/

I removed Hynix and left only VM in the first Socket

20. 133 33.3 : working fine ; system didn't report missing ntfs.sys again

Well, that's all for now. I didn't try to insert either Winward or Hynix
alone in the first socket.
Initially it seemed that changing to VIO to 3.66 V helped, but since I
changed it later back to 3.5V and it still worked with one DIMM only it
seems that it's not that crutial after all.

So what can I do now? Buy better memory? Which one is good? From the
unbuffered one, because I guess I might find it difficult to find the
buffered one, and besides for some reason in the mb manual they say that
I should not use buffered:
http://an.feedle.com/memory/p2bb-102_ASUSa.pdf

Even when it was 66 MHz with the old celeron I had quite often electrical
contact problems. 3 DIMMs were inserted, and for example only one or two
were detected initially, I had to move memories a bit, or remove them and
insert again untill eventually all three were seen by bios when computer
was starting.
So perhaps in this case sometimes it has been also contact problems.
However, there is no visible dirt in the sockets, so I don't know why
these contact problem appear. I tried to clean it in the past with
alcohol C2H5OH, but it didn't help much.

Have anyone had similar problems?

One more thing. Apart from VIO jumpers (marked as vcore), next to it
there is also another set of jumpers marked in one position "test", and
in the other "normal" - what is that for? AFAIR there is nothing about it
in the mb's manual:
http://an.feedle.com/memory/p2bb-102_ASUSa.pdf
 
I've done some more testing.
Those two 256 MB DIMMs (one Hynix, one VM) which didn't show any errors
with 6 passes in memtest86+ with FSB set to 100 MHz, did not behave that
nicely with 133 MHz FSB.

With VIO set to 1.66 V VM memory showed around 315 errors after 1 pass.
Errors were in most of the types of testes performed by the program,
particularly many in the test no 6 and 5. However, when VIO was set to
1.5 V the same memory caused only 2 errors (both in test no 6) in one
pass.

The Hynix memory with VIO 1.5 V FSB 133 MHz demostrated 68 errors, most
of them in test no. 5.

The 128 MHz Winward memory didn't want to work at all with 133 MHz.

It's curious that they didn't show any errors at all at 100 MHz, and show
them now with 133 MHz. All those memories are allegedly 133 MHz (have
even stickers on them saying that). You could also see the ctspd screenshots.
However, because the memtest86+ implicitly tests not only memory but also
the CPU, L1 and L2 caches as well as the motherboard it is impossible for
the test to determine what causes the failure to occur, so perhaps those
errors are not due to bad memory, but mb failing to work correctly with
133 MHz?
What do you think?
 
motherboard it is impossible for the test to determine what causes
the failure to occur, so perhaps those errors are not due to bad
memory, but mb failing to work correctly with 133 MHz?
What do you think?
Click to expand...


Hi!



I have decided to buy three times 256MB PC133 Cl3 SDRAM, and I want see
them run in my P2B-F. Without buffering. If I will use 133MHz than it
will not work. But with 103MHz or 100MHz FSB, there is a possibility of
a chance to get it running. With 66Mhz it should work for sure.
More Mhz, less DIMM´s.
Less Mhz, more DIMM´s.
So far as I know: At 150MHz only 128MB is working, one row.

Well, your P2B-B.
When you want to test just your MB then I would suggest you to put the
best and fastest RAM you have, Just ONE!. Start with 133MHz/33PCI. Make
the BIOS Ram settings as low as possible (maybe before starting with
133MHz and dont set to SPD detection, as it would take Cl.2 when you
have 100MHz on). Set Clock3 (3-3-3) (you could disable automatic and
set it manually - the clock cycles) and Idle Timeout to 8!
Test your machine with Software or Games. For Example: Diablo II or
Neverwinter Nights, also ID´s Quake3 is good for checking the whole
system. When you can play several hours without freezin or crashing,
then it looks good.
Try to use a PCI-VGA Card, when 133MHz crashes. Maybe your Leadtek
cannot work stable at 89MHZ!! PCI GfXCards are a alternative for BX
users to get access to more FSB Speed.
If everything goes O.K. Then tune up the BIOS to the fastest settings,
I will just tell you these: Clock2 (2-2-2) and Idle timeout infinitely.
But be sure that your RAM is a real PC133 Cl.2 (2-2-2-6 at 133MHz!!!!)
otherwise if it is a
Cl.3 leave the Bios on 3-3-3 and test on.

You can look at specifications for your RAM with programs, like
SiSoftware Sandra, Lavalys Everest (Freeware) and so on.


Good Luck!



Best Regards,

Daniel Mandic
 
andy said:
Even when it was 66 MHz with the old celeron I had quite often electrical
contact problems. 3 DIMMs were inserted, and for example only one or two
were detected initially, I had to move memories a bit, or remove them and
insert again untill eventually all three were seen by bios when computer
was starting.
Click to expand...

Try some tuner spray on the memory slots, something that's not too
aggressive.
So perhaps in this case sometimes it has been also contact problems.
However, there is no visible dirt in the sockets, so I don't know why
these contact problem appear.
Click to expand...

Could be you're living near the sea (quite corrosive), or the DIMM slots
on your P2B-B might be of subpar quality. (IIRC early P3B-Fs were
supposed to have quite low-quality DIMM sockets.)
JFTR, I'm running two Infineon PC133 sticks (256 meg + 128 meg, 3 banks
total) in my P3B-F 1.04 with an 800EB at 133 MHz. Never bothered to test
150 MHz extensively except for a check whether the system still boots
(it does).
One more thing. Apart from VIO jumpers (marked as vcore), next to it
there is also another set of jumpers marked in one position "test", and
in the other "normal" - what is that for? AFAIR there is nothing about it
in the mb's manual:
http://an.feedle.com/memory/p2bb-102_ASUSa.pdf
Click to expand...

I think "Test" bumps both VIO and VCore by about 10% or so. I didn't
know P2B-Bs included VCore jumper settings... always thought all P2B
series boards didn't have provisions for adjusting this.

Stephan
 
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