AMD K6-2 on DFI board Via Apollo chipset Help needed

As a newbie to overclocking I am inspired by this site to great things. But first ...

I have two computers with a K6-2 Rev8 Step 12 processor on a DFI board with Via Apollo Chipset. I found that my installer had one going at 500 and one at 400 MHz so I managed to change that!

Sandra reported that my procerssor was a "K6-2 3DD (Chomper) 266-550 2.2-2.4V" so I guess I should be able to get it to 550 (and that would not even be overclocking!) But every time I tried to get a 5,5 multiplier the computer failed to boot. Checking AMD's specs I see the voltage for 550 should be 2.3 rather than 2.2 - still will not boot. (I also note that 2X is considered 6X for these CPUs so 600 should be possible ... Will not boot)

Could this be a bios problem? Checking DFI's bioses I note the last was dated Dec 2000, and that is the one reported on bootup - although an earlier bios is said to specifically identify AMD 550 MHz processors. I ***-u-me that a later bios includes the earlier fixes...

Any ideas?

Welcome to the forums!!!
A good place to start is the Begginers Guides on the front page
All I can say is that all of the K6 series or at least from the K62, are not very good overclockers... If u have sufficient cooling u may need about 0.2-0.4 more Vcore to get extra 50Mhz, like I need to get from 400 to 450... If u'll get the cheapest Socket A cooler u'll be set...
Good luck. don't up the core voltage (Vcore) to more than 3.0 volts. even w/ good cooling the chip still can die. so be carefull

the k6-2 had a high vcore it's above 2.0 v
so the procesor is bad overclock

::Help:: Windows error messages; AMD K6-2 DFI board

Newbie question 2:

I managed to get the speed of my K6-2 just above 500 (95 MHz x 5.5) and the computer booted. Just. I now get either WINDOW PROTECTION ERROR or "An exception 0E has occurred in 0028:C000B8C8 in VXD. This was called from 0028:C1466C94 in VXD"

What is happening? Is this a software problem or what?

PS: Thanks for the two replies to my first question; I shall explore the voltages if I can sort out this problem!

I think either the CPU or the RAM doesn't like the overclock. Take it down to about 90 x 5.5 = 495 and/or boost the voltage a bit. In my experience, Windows protection errors are often caused my memory playing up.

ya that usually happens when you went to far
just go back into the bios and back it off to 94x5.5 or the last stable boot you had

AMD K2: newbie saga continues

How do you guys know what speed your CPU is supposed to go at? One has a KT6-2 300 another has a K6-2 500; Sandra says mine is a "K6-2 266-550 2.2-2.4V" so I ***-u-me it should go at 550!

Anyway thanks to you lot I increased the voltage and got it up to 522 by fasb 95 x 5.5 - an exceedingly small step for overclockers but a large one for me.

Now three issues concern me:

(1) New errors when I go higher (to 550): POST succeeds but then I got no system disk (1st time) and got it stuck on Verifying DMI Pool (whatever that is) 2nd time.

(2) Volts. I have seen references here to I/O Voltage and Core Voltage. What is the difference? I upped the voltage using dipswitches from 2.2 to 2.4 to get the CPU up to 522. Which voltage is that? The Core Voltage reported by MBM bore no relation - it was higher. When Sandra (or AMD) say the CPU is "2.21-2.4V" which one does it mean?

(3) Temperature: I got the messages from you experts about temperature, so I went into Bios and enabled the alarm thingy. Default was 70 degrees C before the panic button was hit. I reduced it to 60. What is the accumulated wisdom about this?

Thanks. I'll be careful.

Thanks. Upping the voltage two points did it. I'ld love to know why and what was happening ...

It seems you start a new thread every time the question changes a little. I can't answer you properly with the questions spread out over so many threads like this. Please keep your questions about this specific situation in this thread.

Re: AMD K2: newbie saga continues

PaulWilliams5 said:

Sandra reported that my procerssor was a "K6-2 3DD (Chomper) 266-550 2.2-2.4V" so I guess I should be able to get it to 550 (and that would not even be overclocking!) But every time I tried to get a 5,5 multiplier the computer failed to boot. Checking AMD's specs I see the voltage for 550 should be 2.3 rather than 2.2 - still will not boot. (I also note that 2X is considered 6X for these CPUs so 600 should be possible ... Will not boot)

Could this be a bios problem? Checking DFI's bioses I note the last was dated Dec 2000, and that is the one reported on bootup - although an earlier bios is said to specifically identify AMD 550 MHz processors. I ***-u-me that a later bios includes the earlier fixes...

Any ideas?

Click to expand...

It's not a bios problem. The "K6-2 3DD (Chomper) 266-550 2.2-2.4V" is just a listing of the general category the chip fits into. If it was factory rated for 550 then running it at 550 would not be an overclock but if it's rated less than that then setting it to 550 is overclocking. Few K6-2 chips will actually get to 600 stable. Don't be surprised if yours doesn't. If you want to know what it's default, factory rated, speed is it should be stamped on the heat spreader on the top of the chip.

kwoon said:

the k6-2 had a high vcore it's above 2.0 v
so the procesor is bad overclock

Click to expand...

K6-2+ chips are rated for 2.0v default. K6-2 (non +) are rated between 2.2v and 2.4v depending on their speed and when they were made.

PaulWilliams5 said:

Newbie question 2:

I managed to get the speed of my K6-2 just above 500 (95 MHz x 5.5) and the computer booted. Just. I now get either WINDOW PROTECTION ERROR or "An exception 0E has occurred in 0028:C000B8C8 in VXD. This was called from 0028:C1466C94 in VXD"

What is happening? Is this a software problem or what?

PS: Thanks for the two replies to my first question; I shall explore the voltages if I can sort out this problem!

Click to expand...

If it ran fine at the lower setting then it's a problem of not getting enough power at the higher speed rating. If it won't run stably then bumping up the core voltage, in .1v incraments, should eventually get you to a stable boot. If you aren't using any exceptional cooling I suggest you stay at or below 2.5volts. Also lowering the bus rate to raise the multiplyer is counter productive, you're slowing down the rest of the computer to speed up the cpu. The difference between 95mhz and 100mhz isn't too bad but the most productive overclock comes from bumping up the fsb as high as the computer can handle and then raising (or lowering even) the clock multiple. My K6-2 450 takes about 25 hours to crunch an average SETI work unit when set to 100X6.0 (600mhz), when set to 112X5.0 (560mhz) it takes about 22.5 hours, even though the cpu is running 40mhz slower. When I set it to 124X4.5 (558mhz, it's current setting) the average time is about 21 hours, even though the cpu is 2mhz slower than the slowest of the other two settings. I'd work towards upping the bus rate, not lowering it. If you set the multiple low, for example 3.0, then you can up the fsb to a high level like 112 or 115, or however high your board will go, and see if the system will hold. If it won't you know it isn't the chip's fault because 115X3 = 445mhz, and you already know the chip will run at that speed.

PaulWilliams5 said:

Now three issues concern me:

(1) New errors when I go higher (to 550): POST succeeds but then I got no system disk (1st time) and got it stuck on Verifying DMI Pool (whatever that is) 2nd time.

(2) Volts. I have seen references here to I/O Voltage and Core Voltage. What is the difference? I upped the voltage using dipswitches from 2.2 to 2.4 to get the CPU up to 522. Which voltage is that? The Core Voltage reported by MBM bore no relation - it was higher. When Sandra (or AMD) say the CPU is "2.21-2.4V" which one does it mean?

(3) Temperature: I got the messages from you experts about temperature, so I went into Bios and enabled the alarm thingy. Default was 70 degrees C before the panic button was hit. I reduced it to 60. What is the accumulated wisdom about this?

Click to expand...

For part 1 that means your system isn't stable. You either need more voltage (which may be dangerous as I don't know what your voltage was when you tried 550mhz) or you need to accept that your chip won't go that fast.

Part 2. Your core voltage wil be the lower of the two ( I hope!!!) Core voltage for that chip is 2.2v-2.4v as stated above, I/O voltage will be 3.3v-3.6v. These are factory numbers. you can exceed them if you are very careful and make a dedicated effort to apply extra cooling.

Three. I don't know about other people's wisdom on temps for these chips but I've read that some versions of the K6-2 will handle up to 95c while others can only take up to 75c. I think 60c-65c is a good range to set your alarm at.


Man I'm tired after all this typing and quoting!

Thanks Eobard - sorry about creating the new threads.

Alas my board does not go above 100 fsb, so that limits the choices a bit; your explanation of the relationships between fsb, multipliers and performance was fascinating and instructive to say the least and your lengthy reply was greatly appreciated.

So the dipswitches clearly affect the CPU, i.e. the Core voltage? I note that the core voltage as reported by MBM is in fact higher than the actual setting of the switches by about 0.2-0.3V.

Is it just the temperature that fries CPUs or can a too high voltage do it on its own?

Eobard:

Just read your reply to another K6-2 thread. I notice you upped your I/O voltage (as well?). So far as I can see - but I shall look again - there is only one voltage I can regulate on my board.

You mention Softfsb or CPUfsb. I take it these are software solutions to upping the fasb beyond the possible physical settings of the mobo. Do they really work well and where do you get them?

Both SoftFSB and CPUFSB work on the same principle. The chip that regulates bus rate in a computer may be capable of more settings than the motherboard is set up for. Your board may only have two settings but the chip may have 6, 8 or more. When installed under windows the program will take over the chip and set it to a new speed, one not available in hardware, and regulate that new speed. Your chip may be capable of 112mhz, if so then you install the program, tell it which motherboard (or which clock chip model) you have and then the software will change your bus rate from 100 to 112mhz. As to where to get them just to a yahoo search for either name, you should have no limit of places to download from.

About the I/O voltage, I've never used that board so I wouldn't know which jumper or switches to change (if any). You mention that MBM is giving you bad readings for core voltage so I'm hesitant to ask but what does you I/O voltage read as?

I for one do not trust MBM but I am in the minority. Most people seem to have good results using it, I installed it once and it said something like my temperature was 185c and I was running 200 volts though my chip (or some rediculous numbers like that). Maybe you should use something else to double check your numbers. SANDRA has voltage reading capabilites. It's in the motherboard subsection.

Thanks again Eobard.

You may be amused at the latest development. The ventilator fell off the CPU on my test rig.

So profiting from your advice about what CPUs really are I looked at the top of the CPU. It was marked K6-2/400. So now I know. I had already overclocked it by more than 25% (to 533) and I thought, because Sandra said it was a K6-2 233-550, I was only trying to get it up to its max specs level! I'ld better take back what I said about my useless installer - he did know what he was doing.

Wouldn't it be nice, and perhaps less confusing, if AMD put the spec speed in its identification of its CPUs?

Activating alarms of course saved the CPU. Got some thermal paste and found that the temperature was around 20-22, and that in the mild SW of France rather than benefiting from Canadian winters! However, now for the superglue to stop it falling off (the plastic lug on the Mobo is broken!)