What's going on with my system???

[gas-man]

Hey guys, I posted this over in general hardware but didn't have much luck so I thought I'd ask it here as it relates to my SMP system.

First off, some system background info:
MSI K7D Master-L
2 x Athlon XP1600+ (W/c)
2 x Elixir 256mb PC2100
AMD Radeon 8500LE 128mb
SB Audigy
IDE Controller (4 drives)

Anyway, for the past few days I've had this really weird problem. When I start up the computer, it will not post and there is a weird noise coming from inside, similar to a fan having trouble or the HDD LED just going to town. This noise is not a fan.

What I have to do is either reset or power off and back on the machine at least 10 times each time I want to start it, and the odd time it will actually post and log in.

I've checked and it's not any of the HD's, it's not the optical drive. The LEDs on the motherboard told me it was getting hung up on the RAM - so yesterday I played around with the RAM, sometimes it would work, sometimes not, so I don't think it's the RAM either. Memtest showed no RAM problems.

Everything was fine before this problem, the only thing i can think of was that i changed some mem timings in the BIOS, but I also changed them back, but the clicking continues.

The computer will either hang with R-R-R-R which according to the manual means the CPU is damaged or installed improperly. Whenever I boot and get the R-R-R-R - the hard drives don't spin up, does this mean it is the power supply and not my RAM?

Or it will hang at R-G-R-R which is the memory detection test - will hang if memory module damaged or not installed properly.

If I remove a stick of RAM, it sometimes hangs at G-G-R-R which is decompressing BIOS image to RAM for fast booting.

Once I get it to the G-G-R-R stage, it's a matter of hitting reset X times until it boots up.

I checked the PS with a multimeter and all voltages are fine.
Also, for the record, I am not overclocked in any way.

Changing the FSB jumper from 133 to 100 seems to sometimes help the system boot, but it is also hit and miss as in it will sometimes start and sometimes not, regardless of jumper setting.

Here are the readings from MBM5:

Case - 31C
CPU - 27
CPU - 27

Core 0 - 1.73V
Core 1 - 2.50V
+3.3 = 3.25
+5.0 = 4.87
+12.0 = 12.28
-12.0 = -12.27
-5.0 = -5.29

Also the computer, 3 times now, has randomly shut itself off, which makes me think it's going to die soon so I'd really like to get this problem figured out.

Thanks for reading and I hope you guys can help!

 

[aftermath]

1. core 1 is the dimm voltage not the core of cpu 1 the board allways reports like this in speedfan or whatever on my pc too thats how i know.
2. from the sound of it your not overclocked. Is that right?
3. sure its not the pump or psu fan grinding away?
4. do u have a fan on the northbridge?
5. check the mainboard and the psu for singes of leeking capaciters.
6. what are the memmory timings could they be to tight?

 

[Wyno]

Had similar problems with my mobo. random reboots and hanging at various stages when trying to POST. Changing the FSB to 100 helped but not enough. I come to the conclusion after I tested all my components on a different K7D that it was the boad. Your symptoms are alot like mine. Hope that helps. I RMA'd mine last week.

 

[gas-man]

Thanks for replying aftermath -

-I am not overclocked at all
-I am 100% sure it is not a fan or pump noise
-I have a fan on the NB
-No sign of bad caps
-I set the RAM timings to "Fail-Safe Default" in BIOS

Thanks for replying Wyno -

You're kind of confirming my worst fear(s). Oh the pain of taking everything apart, including 2 waterblocks Could you tell me, briefly, how you RMA'd the board - whether there was an e-mail address to write to, etc. Thanks

I'm pretty sure that the problem is the board, but I'll hang around here in case anyone has any tips for me, who knows maybe it is something else.

 

[Xenocide]

i am getting the same thing, and now it wont' reconize 1 stick of my bh-6, im pretty mad, im running on 256megs of ram

 

[gas-man]

Xenocide, sorry to hear that, but welcome to the club Do you get the same POST problems and freeze-up problems?

Hopefully some more knowledgeable people will be able to help us out here.

 

[Xenocide]

yup, same led light ups too, it only works if i have 1 stick of my ram in, i sent the other stick to a friend to test for me, hes gonna let me know, i hope its not the ram

 

[Xenocide]

i gave up, sold it and the ram, started over from sratch, back to single cpu heh...

 

[gas-man]

Mine is getting harder and harder to get started each time. I figured out that the clicking noise is the green LED on the motherboard right near the NB flickering, trying to get going.

I'm going to RMA mine, and since I'm going to be taking it all apart, I'm think of popping in some better/more RAM and a couple of those overclock-crazy mobile Barton CPUs.

 

[Ramlaen]

I had a similiar problem, but once i was able to insert cmc's RAM timings in the guide and lowered my fsb some it went away.

 

[gas-man]

Well I too have given up

Running an old Pentium 450 with 192mb ram right now, took out my MSI and filed for an RMA number - I hope it doesn't take too long though.

On closer inspection of the board, I found many of the small green filter capacitors tops' bursting a bit - the insulation was coming out the top, which of course is not a good sign.

So I hope my board can be fixed/replaced - it's a Jan2002 production v1.0....

I'll post an update Thanks all!

 

[Xenocide]

hrm good luck!

 

[spldart]

I was about to recommend checking something on the PSU but you mention a swelling cap....

 

[gas-man]

Actually, it was about 10 swelling caps

 

[thockar]

MSI K7D problem

hi all,

I think the MSI 6501 (K7D Master ..) ony supports one ..XP , if you want to run in SMP mode, you have to take ..MP CPU's.

If you want to run SMP mode, follow the recommendations of MSI.
Take a powersupply with a minimum of 30A on 3.3V and 40A on 5V.

Do not try to use any cheap equipment for a SMP system.
Take a very good Powersupply.
Take ECC REG RAM (min PC2100) from Corsair , Infineon or Kingston.
Take the best cooling fan (Zalman, Termaltake) or take a watercooling system.
Take a big towercase with extra fans to bring the heat out of the case if you have taken cooling fans for the CPU's.

If you have build a system following this recommendations - it will run very well.

If you plan to overclock such a system take extra good equipment.

- Building a very good SMP system is not so easy.
- Doing a realy good overclocking - needs a lot of knowledge.
Overclocking a SMP system (normaly nobody needs to do this)...Try to combine the last two sentences!

To overclock a MSI K7D Master L (6501) :

Do not change any value in the BIOS from the default and run a stresstest like PRIME95 for some days - best is to monitor the system with ... (take the MB5). If you've got no error on your system
first tune up the speed of the RAM (than smaller the value than better).
Repeat the stresstest or take MEMTEST!
Then set the VCORE for the CPU's to the maximum, and speed up the FSB until you get error with the test and go back to the last good FSB speed. Then try to maximize the CPU-multiplier - if you can. Then minimize the VCORE until you get errors with the test and set VCORE to the last good value!
And do not forget to look at the temperature of the CPU's - it should never be higher than 65 C any time and under any conditions!

My System is running well with the following selections:

MSI K7D Master L (6501)
2 x AMD MP 2400+
FSB 150 MHz (CPU' s at 2250 it's more speed than a 2600+)
2 x 512 MB ECC REG PC2700 Infineon CL 2.5
RAM is running at 2,2,2,2 (with thermatake RAM - cooler)
Vcore = 1,81
Vram = 2,51
3,3 = 3,31
5 = 4,73
12 = 11,98
-12 = -12,19
-5 = 5,14

all components are waterchilled
temp:
CPU0 = 55 C
CPU1 = 56 C
Mobo = 39 C



The system is solid rock - running PRIME95 (one PRIME95 on every CPU)
for over 2 month.


Thockar