MSI XP1700+ thoroughbred multiplier problems please help!

I'm having a problem and I've done a few searches on a couple of boards and haven't turned up anything.

I have the following configuration
MSI K7 Master 6501 (green) with Bios 1.5
2x Thoroughbred A's XP1700+'s with L5 mod and reconized as MP 1700+
Antec true 430 power supply
Promise Fastrack 100 TX4 (in 64bit slot 2
2xMaxtor Diamond Max 45 Plus 30gig HD's in Raid 0
USR Performance Pro Modem (in 64bit slot 1)
ATI Radeon 8500LE
Soundblaster Audigy
Lucent Tech 4port USB card
Pioneer PD-115 16x DVD
Yamaha CDR2100 CD-RW
Iomega IDE zip
1 floppy
Running el cheapo heat sinks and fans waiting for second water block.
Corsair 512 meg PC3200 DDR dimm 8-16-5-2-2-2-2 timmings.
Windows XP SP1

Anyway here is the problem. I know that thoroughbred XP1700+'s come factory unlocked because the L1 bridges or whatever they are aren't cut. I had one of them in my old Abit KX7-333R motherboard and adjusted the multiplier to my hearts content and bought a second one a week later.

To the point, when I first power on the system I can set the multiplier to anything I want practically in the BIOS and reboot, and presto instant XP2000+ or 1900+ etc. Anyway after the system has been on a while if I run anything other than the default multiplier the system hangs on a reboot. If I run it at 10.5 which is slower than stock it hangs, if I run it faster than stock it hangs, if I run it at 100mhz fsb it hangs, dosen't matter.

I'm guessing it might be heat related, but I've never seen a heat problem that would prevent you from adjusting the multiplier. What gives, why can't I adjust the multiplier on anything but a cold boot when the machine has been sitting. After it runs a couple of minutes if I adjust it higher or lower and reboot it just hangs. Any ideas? Could it be a bad L5 mod?

I have a similar issue that reoccurs on my Tyan Tiger MP system. I though I finally figured it out last time. I undid the L5 mod, filled the pits, and redid the L5 mod. After that it worked great... for a while, now it's doing it's old trick of booting up, thinking it has XP's. Not sure what to do. I'm gonna try using one CPU at a time on it to see which one is recognized as an MP and which one is recognized as an XP, then replace the XP one with a different modded XP. Maybe it's just one of my chips that doesn't like to run in SMP. I dunno. The system is stable, though. It will work fine with 2 CPU's, then one day, you restart the system and it only sees one. Weird.

Try running your CPU's one at a time and see if they exhibit the same behavior in single-CPU mode..

I am going to get two tbreds today, I hope that I do not have the same problem.

Something else that I discovered about my rig.... Maybe the memory is the problem? This weekend I took it apart, and tried on CPU at a time to see if there was a problem CPU. NO go, I also tired removing all the cards, still no go with adjusting the multiplier after the machine has been on a while. But I did notice the the status lights on the motherboard seem to indicate a memory initilization failure. Could it be there is a wierd incompatibilility between Corsair XMS PC3200 and this motherboard?

Yes, Corsair PC3200 is NOT compatible with that board. Samsung unbuffered PC2700 and Registered ECC PC2700 both work, though. As does Crucial unbuffered PC2100 and Crucial Registered ECC PC2100. (With BIOS 1.3 or higher)

Though it is interesting that for the most part that the Corsair XMS PC3200 I have works. Its only once the board has been on a while that I run into problems with adjusting the multiplier. When I leave it at a default multiplier I have no problems even after the system has been on a while. But after about 2-3 minutes of being on if I adjust the multiplier the system won't post. But if I set it back to default it will run normally. A strange problem? I've RMA'd the board to see if a replacement will cure the problem before I start spending even more money to buy new RAM. Maybe there is a bug in the BIOS on these boards?

That memory is not on the compatibility list. In fact, MSI lists it as incompatible memory on their forums.

I would sell it or trade it for some Samsung PC2700. It works great for me, both the unbuffered and Registered kind.

rottenspam said:

But after about 2-3 minutes of being on if I adjust the multiplier the system won't post.

Click to expand...

The system is on but will not POST? Ehm...

Well, anyways, the 760 MPX chipset seem to have severe memory incompabilities , just like cmcquistion says. You need to use the latest BIOS and RAM that is certified for use with your board.

Be careful about RMA something that isn´t faulty. I dunno how they do it in the US, but over here they charge you a hefty fee if there is nothing wrong.

I apperciate the help I've recieved

what lead me to think I ought to RMA the board was that lots of people over at 2cpu.com are using Corsair XMS memory without problems on the K7 master, and anyone who was having problems were ussually of the nature of I'm using XMS3500 and receiving occasional freezes. I did a search here, 2cpu.com, and amdmb.com as well as posting the same question at those places, and no one has ever experienced the same problem I'm having. Which was, the system would run completely stable at stock multiplier, would boot at any multiplier when cold, but after several minutes of operation would not perform a successful reboot at anything other than the default multiplier. But if it was running at the default mulitiplier it wouldn't have any problems running all day and all night. Also FSB overclocking was problem free. I could run at 150mhz FSB without problems.

The one other thing I failed to mention is that the board was a refurbed board, and it also leads me to suspect that it may have some issues. So based on the fact that others have gotten XMS3200 to work with the board, though some have not, and no one was having my exact problem when the XMS3200 was not working, and it was a refurbed board I concluded it must be a bad board, and RMA'd it. I'll let you guys know if it solve my particular problem, and hey if it dosen't nothing ventured nothing gained! After that next step will be new ram, one piece at a time as John Cash would say.

Well all I got a new mobo finially, and my questions of have been answered.

1st Corsair XMS PC3200 is compatibile with the K7D-master I got it to work just fine, just make sure you don't use the boards auto memory timing detection.

2nd the board was bad, the mulitplier problem was a motherboard problem, the second motherboard didn't have the problem.

3rd My Promise Fasttrack 100 TX4 works in a 66mhz PCI slot whereas the other motherboard it did not work.

All my problems were solved by a new motherboard. RMA'ing this time was the answer.

BTW I went from a 6501-010 to a 6501-030 which has the working USB, and LAN. The previous board was a greenie, and may have been buggie.

Thanks for reporting back

Glad you got it sorted

Glad to hear it's working!

Fold some proteins with that bad boy!