[Resolved] LanParty NF2 Ultra B: bad cpu?

[tetsuo000]

i've had these stability problems for a while, not sure if i was ever totally stable, since this problem only manifests itself sporadically (ie playing a game, watching a dvd, emerging), so i got a cpu testing utility to reproduce the problem and it does so consistently. the utility is CPUBurn-In (in winxp) and it is burnK7 in linux. if i run it in winxp long enough (less than 30 minutes) it will crash the machine. if i run it in linux from a gentoo live cd it returns an error 255 indicating an fpu/mmx error. i've tried the following BIOS: 6/19, 1/31, and the one official DFI bios all with the same result, all having loaded the optimized defaults but changing the CPU voltage to 1.65 (i have an athlon XP 3200 barton). should i try all of the bios' or is my CPU fubar?

[king of nothing]

i've tried the following BIOS: 6/19, 1/31, and the one official DFI bios all with the same result, all having loaded the optimized defaults but changing the CPU voltage to 1.65 (i have an athlon XP 3200 barton). should i try all of the bios' or is my CPU fubar?

Have you tried the 11/24/2004 BIOS? It's supposed to take care of a lot of the problems with XP3200+ CPU's.

[tetsuo000]

i flashed the LPNF2UBDB24.bin file, now it doesn't boot and the 4 status led's glow steady. did i use the wrong version? that web page is a bit confusing, like what is the difference between the 2 11/24/04 BIOS files?

 

should i try the N24LDB24.bin file?

[king of nothing]

i flashed the LPNF2UBDB24.bin file, now it doesn't boot and the 4 status led's glow steady. did i use the wrong version? that web page is a bit confusing, like what is the difference between the 2 11/24/04 BIOS files?

 

should i try the N24LDB24.bin file?

They are the same bios. The difference is the method you use to flash with each. LPNF2UBDB24.zip contains a .bin file which is to be used with awdflash. The other one is the "Diamond Flash Image" one. To use this one you download the .exe file, execute it and it creates a bootable bios-flashing floppy for you.

 

So when you say you can't boot.... do you mean it won't post or Windows won't boot?

 

Did you clear CMOS after flashing?

Did you load optimized defaults?

[tetsuo000]

sorry for omitting some info.... when i say it won't boot i mean it won't post, like it just sits there and does nothing, no video, i can't even get into the BIOS configuration screen.

 

i have tried clearing the CMOS twice, no good. could this be a bad flash even though the flash utility reported success?

[king of nothing]

It's possible that it's a bad flash. If you can't post then you won't be able to try flashing the other version.... unless you have another computer you can use to hotflash your chip.

 

It could also be that your bios settings are messed up. I'd suggest unplugging the psu, taking the battery out, and moving the cmos jumper to the clear position. Then leave it there for a couple hours. Then plug it back it, put the battery in and move cmos jumper to run. Try booting with only cpu, vid card, and one stick of ram. If it posts.... load optimized defaults and save and exit.

 

Also... I was reading a review of your ram at Rojakpot.com. They mentioned that the "plug-n-frag" feature set the timings right at 2-2-2-5 but it didn't raise the voltage to the recommended 2.75v. I'm not sure what timings and voltages you are using... but this could potentially be a problem. One that might keep it from posting.

 

Do you have any other ram that you could try booting up with? Or maybe a different cpu that doesn't default to 200fsb?

[tetsuo000]

reflashing is not an issue for me, i have several spare chips and an eprom burner. i will try clearing the CMOS as you have suggested (i didn't take the battery out or let it sit for hours...).

 

i also have a single 512 stick of ram i can try booting with. but just to make sure it wasn't a bad flash i'm gonna try reflashing when i get home. it just seems odd to me that the default settings were fine for 3 different versions of BIOS and then all of a sudden my RAM doesn't like the default voltage setting.

[king of nothing]

reflashing is not an issue for me, i have several spare chips and an eprom burner.

It's good to see you've come prepared.

 

i also have a single 512 stick of ram i can try booting with. but just to make sure it wasn't a bad flash i'm gonna try reflashing when i get home. it just seems odd to me that the default settings were fine for 3 different versions of BIOS and then all of a sudden my RAM doesn't like the default voltage setting.

Yeah.... reflashing it is probably a good idea..... just to be sure. And the voltage thing would seem strange to me as well.... but it seems that different BIOS'es act differently. Dunno.... it was just a thought.

 

Good Luck.

[tetsuo000]

It's good to see you've come prepared.

 

yeah man! we don't need no stinking savior!

 

anyway, reflashed, still won't post. tried booting with single 512 ram module, no change. i guess the one thing left to try is clearing the CMOS for 8 hours. i really hope this BIOS fixes my stability problems as it is becoming a PITA to work with.

[Angry_Games]

yeah man! we don't need no stinking savior!

 

anyway, reflashed, still won't post. tried booting with single 512 ram module, no change. i guess the one thing left to try is clearing the CMOS for 8 hours. i really hope this BIOS fixes my stability problems as it is becoming a PITA to work with.

 

if clearing for extended time doesnt fix it, I suggest RMA for the board to eliminate it from being the (a) problem.

[tetsuo000]

ok cleared CMOS for 8 hours, still won't post. my board is rejecting this BIOS like a bad kidney. is there like a second-best BIOS i could try? it posts/boots fine with every other BIOS i have tried, except this one that is supposed to solve my instability problem. :confused:

[tetsuo000]

hmmm i neglected to put the switches /QI/Sn/Py/CC at the end of the awdflash command, is this important?