Intel CPU with wrong speed and mulitplier?

Intel CPU with wrong speed and mulitplier? *Partially RESOLVED*

Hello,

I am new here and new to OC'ing in general. I have tried the search function but I wasn't able to find the answer to my specific issue. If I omit any pertinent info in my post please let me know and I will post it.

My Specs are:

2x XFX 8800GT G92 512MB SLI
XFX 680i LT SLI (nForce chipset)
C2D E7200 @ 2.53 Ghz (M0) <--- supposedly
4x Corsair PC2-6400 RAM 5-5-5-18 2T
2x 150GB WD Raptor 10000RPM HDD
Creative XFI Fatal1ty edition
1000W Modular PSU (I can't remember the brand, it isn't terrible)
Antec 900 case

Bios: Phoenix v. 6.00 PG

20 - 30 fps average

WHY is my core speed only 1600 Mhz???

My problem is I have been experiencing below average FPS in source games (particularly TF2) for my system spec. I have spent 3 weeks playing with settings,drivers, DX versions, reformatting etc. So I am inclined to believe that the problem is on a system/hardware level.

(I have optimized the cvars and backed the game down a few notches from what it recommended for my system. My friends with the same settings and comparable drivers are getting higher fps on lower specs. It is not my connection I get 25Mbps down 1Mbp up and it is stable, I get low latency 30 t0 50 ms and only get any choke when there is lots of action and my damn computer can't keep up)

I have tried a little bit of OC and I noticed something odd: My multiplier is stuck to 6x. I thought my CPU multiplier was set to 9.5 and Bus to 266Mhz but it seems to be 6.0 and 266Mhz.

My CPU runs about 60 C maybe a little more under heavy load (stock cooling). I bought a can of compressed "air" to clean out any dust but have yet to do it.

In my BIOS TM1 and TM2 are turned off.

Did I get a bad chip or something?

Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: Please see new pic near the bottom, I was finally able to get the modifier to 9.0x, though that was the max I could input in the BIOS, stock speed of 9.5x was not accepted.

I cant see the picture but it seems like you have EIST/Speedstep/C1E enabled in teh bios.

When you put the CPU under load does it change to 9/9.5???

put it under load see if it goes up in cpuz if so its speed step intels way of help cooling down can be disabled in bios
Rich

Most likely: this.

Your below average frame rates are due to a CPU bottleneck. You CPU in stock form can't even come close to feeding 2 8800GT's in SLI. Read some stickies at the top of the Intel CPU section, ask some questions, and OVERCLOCK THAT THING You will see a major increase in FPS.

Thanks for the replies so far. I just ran both toast and prime95 for about 10 minutes each and my mulitplier and core speed did not budge the entire time. I checked in Task Manager and cpu load was 100% and it took a while to even get into Task Manager under the load. Core speed did not go above 1600.2 Mhz and Multiplier stayed at 6.0.

Is it a power issue?

Not to bump but I just checked my BIOS:

Nvida GPU Ex is enabled

Limit CPUID Max Val is disabled
Intel SpeedStep is disabled
PPM Mode is Native
CPU Thermal Control is disabled
C1E Enhanced Halt State is disabled
Execute Disable Bit is enabled

All these options have not been changed since I reformatted last week.

Mittens2184 said:

Thanks for the replies so far. I just ran both toast and prime95 for about 10 minutes each and my mulitplier and core speed did not budge the entire time. I checked in Task Manager and cpu load was 100% and it took a while to even get into Task Manager under the load. Core speed did not go above 1600.2 Mhz and Multiplier stayed at 6.0.

Is it a power issue?

Click to expand...

You have a 1kw PSU, I highly doubt its power considering you can run your rig on half that wattage.

Mittens2184 said:

Not to bump but I just checked my BIOS:

Nvida GPU Ex is enabled

Limit CPUID Max Val is disabled
Intel SpeedStep is disabled
PPM Mode is Native
CPU Thermal Control is disabled
C1E Enhanced Halt State is disabled
Execute Disable Bit is enabled

All these options have not been changed since I reformatted last week.

Click to expand...

Thats just odd. You got me.

Is it a defective CPU? Should I try to contact intel?

Go into bios, and reset to optimized defaults

You could try to set the multi manually in the BIOS too.

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology or EIST is throttling your speed. Just go into BIOS and switch it off.

What OS are you running?
XP prior to SP3 had issues with ACPI that would result in the CPU running on 6x regardless of load. I'm not sure if vista has the same issues.
The fix is to either download the patch for XP, or upgrade to SP3 which has the patch built in.
(In the laptop world, no ACPI support in XP/SP1/SP2 also leaves the CPU fan turned off full time)

MARCI said:

Go into bios, and reset to optimized defaults

Click to expand...

Done. I had to change one option from default to boot (I don't have a floppy drive after all) and then I ran prime95 and CPU-Z, still 1600 MhZ and 6.0x multi.

thideras said:

You could try to set the multi manually in the BIOS too.

Click to expand...

There is no option for it, it is not selectable in ANY screen, other phoenix BIOS have the option selectable, mine does not.

jgv115 said:

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology or EIST is throttling your speed. Just go into BIOS and switch it off.

Click to expand...

This has been turned off. Still no solution.

Bobnova said:

What OS are you running?
XP prior to SP3 had issues with ACPI that would result in the CPU running on 6x regardless of load. I'm not sure if vista has the same issues.
The fix is to either download the patch for XP, or upgrade to SP3 which has the patch built in.
(In the laptop world, no ACPI support in XP/SP1/SP2 also leaves the CPU fan turned off full time)

Click to expand...

I am running a rip of Win XP Pro called Win XP Lite it is
"Build 2600.xpsp.080413-2111 (Service Pack 3)"

Keep in mind I reformatted from legit Windows XP Pro SP3 about a week ago, I had the same problem then.

Please help me figure this out. I talked to Intel and they said I had to upgrade my BIOS (My BIOS version was new in 2007) I went to the XFX site and downloaded the newest BIOS (v8) ISO and tried to burn it to a DVD, it kept failing. I am going to go buy a CD-R if I have to.

My mobo also supports nTune so I opened it up to see dynamic BIOS options and used the drop down menu to select a 9x modifier (there was no 9.5) and rebooted. However upon reboot I was back at 6x.

Help!

I flashed my BIOS to version P08A and I can now select a manual multi from 6x -9x!!

Though this still isn't quite stock speed (2.4Ghz vs 2.53Ghz) I plan to OC the FSB to more than make up for it. It may not be as good an OC'er as a E7200 with a stock multi it still should do well.

I poured through the XFX site and I guess the 680i LT SLI didn't OFFICIALLY support the E7200. They supported every chip from E6XXX to E8XXX and beyond but I think the E7200 was unique in having a multi of 9.5 rather than 9.0 or whatever.

I got the mobo at a GREAT deal so I will have to be more careful with my next build. Thanks so much to everyone who weighed in and gave me tips on what to do, it really helped me narrow down the last variable.

I plan to post my first OC experience tomorrow!

-J

Excellent. Glad you figured it out. If you do decide to drop the multiplier for any reason, be sure EIST & C1E are both turned off. Good luck with your OC; stop by if you need help!