Issue with my Prescott

I am having a strange issue with my Prescott, it is a Mobile P4 518 2.8GHz. I have all settings in the BIOS on their default values including 133MHz bus speed. When I run CPU-Z, it says my multiplier is only 14x (the CPU's actual multiplier is 21x), and only clocks it at 1862MHz. The Windows system properties dialog says that the CPU is indeed running at 2.8GHz, contrary to what CPU-Z is telling me. If I run an old *** build of WCPUID, I get completely different results. WCPUID tells me that it is running at 2793 (2.8GHz), but it says my bus speed is 200 and the multi is still 14x. I'm not sure where its getting the 200MHz bus speed at, maybe its just doing the math to come up with it. When I do an arithmetic benchmark in Sandra, my CPU seems to be running more on par with a 2GHz CPU instead of with a 2.8GHz CPU where it should be. This is an older motherboard (ECS 848P-A v2.2h) and it does not appear to have any C1E, TM2 or EIST settings anywhere. It also does not have any options for multipliers (Here is a link to the mobo manual, if anyone is curious.) I tried setting the power scheme to "Always On", and it had no effect. This does not seem to be a speedstep issue. I get the same results from CPU-Z and WCPUID at idle and 100% load. I have also tried disabling HT. I have updated to the latest BIOS.


Here is a pic of Windows system properties.



Here is a pic with CPU-Z and WCPUID.



Here is a pic of the Sandra benchmark.



And here is a photo of my POST screen.




I don't have any other motherboards that this CPU will work in, because they are all older and I don't think they support HT. So I don't have any options for trying this CPU in another machine. Perhaps I am ignorant to something obvious, or I am doing something completely wrong. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

sounds like its a multiplier issue, but if you can't find a setting in the bios to change the multiplier back to 21, I don't know how you could fix this. Windows system properties is wrong just like on my computer if I post with a 7 multiplier, it still thinks its an 8 because 8 is stock for my cpu. Good luck.

no what it looks like is going on is that the mothboard is defualting 133mhz fsb when it should be 200mhz fsb for 2.8ghz. 14x200=2.8ghz, go into the bios and look for the fsb selection.

Evilsizer said:

no what it looks like is going on is that the mothboard is defualting 133mhz fsb when it should be 200mhz fsb for 2.8ghz. 14x200=2.8ghz, go into the bios and look for the fsb selection.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion, Evilsizer. Unfortunately, the multiplier for this CPU is 21, not 14, according to this. Just for the hell of it I tried it at 200MHz, and it would not post, even with PC3200 memory.

well according to cpuz you are using a mobile p4 in a desktop board. the p4 deskboards dont have the EIST function like the mobile boards do. there for it is using the lowest multi being 14x for power saving in laptops. the only choice is to either put the cpu into a laptop or get a new cpu with HT.

Yes it is indeed a mobile CPU, as indicated in my first line. I guess I'll just have to run it at whatever bus speed I can get it up to. Thanks for the help.

yea i dunno why but i missed that completey about it being mobile cpu.

Too bad, I was hoping for a modest 3GHz overclock. No big deal. The notebook it's from became more trouble than it was worth, so I parted it out. I'll just keep this setup as it is. If I buy a new CPU it sure isn't going to be a 478.

cheers