Dual Athlon XP

# 1 16-10-2002 , 08:55 AM

Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: London, UK

Posts: 3,198

Dual Athlon XP

Phew...after a painful parturition my new computer is finally up and running user added image

Well, most of it. I'm getting the second processor today, but I'm pretty confident it will run in dual mode with two Athlon XP processors. I modified the proc by the instructions found here and at the boot time the BIOS reports: AMD Athlon MP 2000+ user added image

For the modification I used silver paint meant for repairing cut foils on a PCB.

Putting the system together was the most difficult one I've ever done (i've built numerous computers). First of all I had to alter my old midi tower case to fit all the components in it user added image

The back panel cover plate had to be removed due to the extra connectors on the main board. I also had to move the fastening thing that holds the HDs to a new place. Otherwise the memory sticks would have been in contact with it.

Then the real fun begun. It was time for the first boot:

- no smoke -> this is a good sign...
- some text on screen -> it might work...
- "AMD Athlon(tm) 1250MHz" -> WTF? A BIOS Bug? Hmm...let's continue to the bios setup.
- setup done; reboot; same texts plus "This is not an MP compatible processor..blah blah" -> Crap. It doesn't work. Let's continue anyway...
- Windows 2000 Starting (I was lazy so didn't reinstall it) -> *cronkle cronkle cronkle* -> looking good... -> *cronkle cronkle crash* -> oh well...

Then I removed all extra peripherals, disabled some on-board stuff and booted with the w2k restore disks. Ok, windows booted but behaved really weird? I tried installing the drivers which came with the mobo but the computer was extremely unstable. One time it would boot and the second time it would crash immediately. But I didn't give up. After a while I remembered that in the past I had changed the computer type from ACPI Compilant System to a Standard PC to gain full manual control over the IRQs and stuff. So I changed it back to ACPI and it got better. But still kind of unstable. I kept wondering why the bios detected the processor as a 1250MHz Athlon??? After few hours it hit me. Darn...F(&%&/ user added image

...The frigging FSB jumper! I had set it incorrectly. It was in the 100MHz position while it should have been in 133MHz. After correcting that I booted again:

- no smoke -> drumroll...
- "AMD Athlon MP 2000+ 1 CPUs" -> WHEE!
- Windows booted and all problems were gone!

A DIY man's nightmare one might say but still so far so good. Let's see what happens when I throw in the second proc. Whish me luck...

Kari
- My Website
- My IMDB

Do a lot, Fail a lot and Learn a lot!

Last edited by kbrown; 16-10-2002 at 09:00 AM.

Quote

# 2 16-10-2002 , 08:24 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2002

Location: Boston, USA

Posts: 75

hehe, nice man. yeah, that fsb will grab you by the nuts and give you a scare if you're not careful. congrats!

Signatures are the opium of the masses.

Quote

# 3 17-10-2002 , 02:57 AM

Supreme Being
Join Date: May 2002

Location: Athens, Greece

Posts: 1,123

wicked man.. congratz.. hehe :p

Quote

# 4 19-10-2002 , 02:07 PM

Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: London, UK

Posts: 3,198

Ok, now I'm pi$$ed off.

I got the second processor. Modified it as well. And the system booted in dual mode. But strange things started to happen. The most serious problem was that my other HD started corrupting files. So I wiped it clean and did a fresh w2k install with latest updates and all. But still I wasn't pleased. Finally I decided to flash the bios with the latest version. The flashing went ok, no errors whatsoever but after booting the system it only beeps and the D-Led (on-board diagnostics system) hangs on memory detection test. I tried to clear the CMOS and I also removed everything else but the video card. I also tried with only one CPU but still no workie... I'm out of ideas. I think I'll return the mobo and get the ASUS A7M266-D board...

(using my old computer now user added image

)

Kari
- My Website
- My IMDB

Do a lot, Fail a lot and Learn a lot!

Quote

# 5 19-10-2002 , 02:13 PM

SM Tea Boy
Join Date: Apr 2002

Location: Prague

Posts: 3,228

Dam that sucks i feel for ya user added image

David

From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

Quote

# 6 19-10-2002 , 03:09 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Jun 2002

Location: Texas

Posts: 374

That sucks, sorry to hear about yor problems. What board did you get anyway?

Quote

# 7 19-10-2002 , 03:14 PM

Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: London, UK

Posts: 3,198

MSI K7D Master-L.

Now that I read the forum @ www.amdmb.com I'm not sure about the dual athlon system anymore. It seems that every mobo has some sort of problems user added image

Kari
- My Website
- My IMDB

Do a lot, Fail a lot and Learn a lot!

Quote

# 8 19-10-2002 , 05:21 PM

Subscriber
Join Date: Jun 2002

Location: Texas

Posts: 374

All i can say is i have that motherboard and zero issues. You just need to be carefull on the components you select, especially memory. I use corsair reg ecc myself and MP processors. If you take a look over at www.2cpu.com you'll see this board is very highly regarded. Hope you can get this resolved.

Quote

# 9 20-10-2002 , 12:44 PM

Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: London, UK

Posts: 3,198

It seem that I'm going to be off from modeling for a while. I just can't get that darn thing to boot anymore. You can read the whole story here: https://forums.2cpu.com/showthread.ph...light=k7d+bios

Over and out user added image

Kari
- My Website
- My IMDB

Do a lot, Fail a lot and Learn a lot!

Quote

# 10 28-10-2002 , 04:49 PM

Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: London, UK

Posts: 3,198

Just FYI

The story continues: https://forums.2cpu.com/showthread.ph...threadid=26911

Kari
- My Website
- My IMDB

Do a lot, Fail a lot and Learn a lot!

Quote

# 11 03-12-2002 , 08:08 PM

Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: London, UK

Posts: 3,198

Woohoo... I finally got me duallie 'puter back from service. The Kingston (!) mem sticks were bad after all. Now everything seems to be ok (I'm typing this msg on it). Now I need to install all the rest hardware and software back so I'll be offline for a while. C ya soon...

Kari
- My Website
- My IMDB

Do a lot, Fail a lot and Learn a lot!

Quote

# 12 03-12-2002 , 08:16 PM

SM Alumni
Join Date: Jun 2002

Posts: 509

Glad to see the problem has been solved user added image

Darkon

Red bellows of flame have blackened my stones
Convulsing my frame and cracking my bones
Hell's dragons of steel who roar in their chains
Crawl into my caves to suck out my veins.....

-The Mountain P.F.M.

Quote

# 13 04-12-2002 , 05:34 AM

Subscriber
Join Date: Aug 2002

Posts: 1,135

The Kingston mem chips??? Wow, but were they the wrong type or were they flawed?

Btw, congratulations, I can imagine your happiness I think.

I do not support Bush! Nor Saddam! Long live UN!

Quote

# 14 04-12-2002 , 07:33 AM

Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: London, UK

Posts: 3,198

The old sticks were right type but they had different brand chips on them. The system was unstable right from the start until it didn't boot at all. The new sticks has Infineon chips while the old were something else. The logo on them looked like Mitsubishi but someone said they're Toshiba chips. Anyway now it works rock solid and is slick like goose's sh17 user added image

Kari
- My Website
- My IMDB

Do a lot, Fail a lot and Learn a lot!

Quote

Dual Athlon XP

Posting Rules Forum Rules

Similar Threads

Topics

Free Courses

Full Courses

VFX News