2.4c- looks like it degraded

[Chaos_Being]

I had been running my 2.4c at 3.3ghz for a little over a year, at stock voltage even. I started getting some random lockups in games a few weeks ago. I figured I needed to reformat (I had been meaning to for a while anyways, but kept putting it off- after I work on computers all day, I don't always feel like working on my own ) Finally I got around to reformatting, and the problem seemed to go away for a week. Then, it locked up again a couple of times. I double-checked to make sure I had the newest drivers, and I did. The computer is running service pack 2 (which I do like, I may add.)

That pretty much left me with what I had been hoping hadn't happened. I downclocked 100mhz- running at 267fsb now instead of 275. And I haven't locked up since. Since I've been running at stock volts the whole time (except for a few short tests at no more than 1.6v,) I'm pretty annoyed that my processor did this. Granted, I can't really notice the difference in performane, but I really hope it doesn't decide to degrade more. Also makes me wonder about my other rig at 3.6- how long is that going to last?

Figured I'd vent a little. It doesn't always take a lot of volts to hurt your cpu apparently

 

[ewhenn]

You know, I was wondering abotu that myself... I am in the process of OCing my 2.0A... I plan on finding what it will OC to MAX Stable with stock VCore and then backing off about 200 MHZ to try to safeguard from that.

You did get quite and extreme OC out of your chip..

Did you keep it on the edge of stable (meaning just a tad higher was not stable in testing) or did you do what I plan on doing?

 

[Chaos_Being]

it was right on the edge of stable. Prime would crash in less than 30min at 276fsb, but I was 24+hr stable at 275.

 

[ewhenn]

Thanks for the insight... I will see how mine holds up... I will post the results in about a week as I do the testing...

My motherboard upgrade alone (no increase in clock) really improved performance.. what a dif a good mobo can make.

 

[WeldZilla]

My son has been running his 2.66B processor at 1.725 volts for 22 months now. Zero degradation!! Runs as good as the day it was fired up. he runs a fsb of 163 @3260mhz daily. The only problem he ever had was with his mem. Which seem to start dying after about 17 months. we sent it back to OCZ. They confirmed what we confirmed and in 2 more days he had 2 new sticks in his machine and he was running smooth again.

 

[mtb856]

I agree with Weldzilla, if you're running stock vcore there shouldn't be any degradation from overclocking. Did your temps ever get too high while you were overclocking?

 

[Falkentyne]

I've said this all along....ever since the mod at futuremark posted it.
Simply high frequencies (at stock voltage) can cause GNDS in northwoods. But no one chose to believe me...(Everyone blamed my 'system'). And yet, when it happens to others....
Now the probabilities aren't that high...granted.
Not every chip will degrade like this. But frequencies can degrade a chip, and voltages simply push it along like a nice oil-slicked road...

Imagine if you had run that chip at a +.075 vcore. You would have definitely encounted GNDS after just a few weeks/months, instead of past a year...

But again, as above, there have been a couple cases of GNDS where it was the _memory_ degrading. But most have been CPU's.

 

[larva]

Hmm, I guess you will have to hire somebody to work on it.

I really doubt there is anything wrong with the cpu, and I am certain that if there is it was destined to fail, OC or not. Since you wish to know about the cpu, you must test the cpu. Another quality MB/ram/powersupply/video card will allow you to have a chance at uncovering the truth. Since you work on computers you should have access to some components as well as realize you are just playing guessing games until you use them.

 

[Falkentyne]

Hmm, I guess you will have to hire somebody to work on it.

I really doubt there is anything wrong with the cpu, and I am certain that if there is it was destined to fail, OC or not. Since you wish to know about the cpu, you must test the cpu. Another quality MB/ram/powersupply/video card will allow you to have a chance at uncovering the truth. Since you work on computers you should have access to some components as well as realize you are just playing guessing games until you use them.

Larva is right, as usual.
You do have to isolate the problem. And as he said ,there -are- still the rare cpu's that will degrade, no matter what. Just like there are some people throwing 1.75+v into northwoods and getting no GNDS at all--the problem is ,when they tell others "go ahead, do it, it won't have a problem" and then it ends up costing people hundreds of dollars, when "yes, they do have a problem". (Larva, you see what I mean, right?).

However there have been a few verified reports of people having GNDS at stock voltages, and they replaced the CPU and regained their high overclocks. But none of the GNDS at low voltages occured within the "normal" time of a few weeks-months, that we see it happen at voltages 1.625-1.75. So, indeed, it -can- happen, but if it does, it just wasn't meant to be anyway. But there is something about those northwoods though... I never saw anything like this on a P3.......

 

[veryhumid]

same thing happened on my 30-cap 3.0C. Kept it at stock but they chip still degraded maybe as much as 50-100MHz. I guess there are other factors. Can anyone clarify what "burn in" is? I know manufacturers do it. Is just running the chip in a system "burning it in"?

 

[Falkentyne]

same thing happened on my 30-cap 3.0C. Kept it at stock but they chip still degraded maybe as much as 50-100MHz. I guess there are other factors. Can anyone clarify what "burn in" is? I know manufacturers do it. Is just running the chip in a system "burning it in"?

How fast was your 3.0C running?
What was the stock voltage?

have you had any problems with the EE chip you have now?

 

[CandymanCan]

My friend's 2.6c was oced to like 3.6ghz and lately his cpu has been degrading he can barely reach 3ghz now.

 

[Chaos_Being]

Yes I remember reading about veryhumid's chip, just decided to degrade on him despite stock voltage...

At first I thought my problem may be video related, as it would only freeze while playing games or running a video benchmark- however, if I remember correctly it did freeze a few times while I still had my 9600pro installed (which runs beatifully in my wife's rig, no lockups at all.) That seems to throw out the possibility of my current video card being the culprit- of course, I could install it in another machine and see if that one locks up.

If it isn't my cpu, it could also be my ram...I just need to run a memtest. Its been running at 2.8v its whole operating life, so maybe it got a bit toasted... *shrug*

Like you said Larva, I would need to swap some parts from my other PC to find out exactly what's going on. However, I'm not quite annoyed enough by a loss of 100mhz to warrant buying new parts if that is what I need (I know that probably sounds very weird to a bunch of the people here I can't exactly afford new parts anyways though, unless it "degrades" more- then I'll have to get new stuff one way or another.)