Perplexing CPU problem

[ldb]

Wanted to see if my external USB hard drive was visible in DOS. Booted up machine and got a Hardware Monitor issue warning from BIOS. Did as suggested and went into power menu and could find no mention of what might be wrong. Noticed that CPU temperature was steadily climbing, checked fan, OK. V core voltage appears to be OK, Moving cursor around in Hardware Monitor section of BIOS very difficult but nothing else appears to be wrong. No problem moving cursor in rest of BIOS.

Shutdown computer and removed USB drive and rebooted and still get hardware error. Turned off halt command in BIOS and let boot into windows. Once in windows, CPU begins to cool down and computer seems to run normally.

This is a 6 year old computer home built. The CPU is a 1.6a P4 Northwoods running @ 2.133 G. It has been rock solid so far. Recently, I have added 256K of ram to total 512K. Increased video card color depth from 16 bit to 32 bit color. The USB hard drive thing was just a test, and I believe I have had this plugged in before boot in the past but never checked if it was visible in DOS. The drive is accessible through Explorer.

Checked my BIOS V core setting which I have set to "Auto" and this seems to be working properly keeping 1.5-1.568 volts going to the CPU. I switched to manual v core and the voltage selections presented were NOT what they should be. They are supposed to be 1.5-1.85V and they were 1.1-1.275V, very confusing so I went directly back to "Auto".

I am a little afraid to spend any time in DOS or BIOS due to the CPU runaway temp thing. Maybe the CPU is heating up trying to cope with BIOS warning?

Any suggestions, Thanks

[starcraftmaster]

lol 512k of ram

u mean 512 mb of ram right?

because if u dont then mabye gettting a new computer would be best lol

but i got no anwers to ur thing but llol

[ldb]

I was going to reflash the BIOS, but it may just be the MB hardware sensor going bad. The computer seems to run just fine after booting so I guess I am just going to leave well enough alone.

[tee charoen]

Hi Idb,

Its perplexing allright! Whatever the problem is it would seem that it points either to the motherboard that has

gone faulty for some reason or other, or just as likely the fact that you mentioned you got the cpu clocked to 2.133ghz

from 1.6ghz. I am more inclined to guess that it's the latter, why dont you try clocking it back to the original rating

and go through booting up to Dos again with the Usb drive attached. Watch if cpu temp climbs again.

I have seen a fair share of motherboards/cpu's and I dont think that your having added more ram, or upping color depth on the desktop has a bearing on the issue.

Try touching the heatsink the moment you have switched off the pc and if it's hot to the touch you probably would

do well to get a better heatsink. Pentium Northwoods in my experience invariably run cool and when you touch the

heatsink they are mildly warm but never hot. Even a well cooled P4 Prescott is much warmer than a Northwood when you touch the heatsink its attached to but it never feels so hot that you would move your finger away.

Still, its a mystery and it seems that the Motherboard/overclocked cpu combo that has worked so well in the past

is beginning to get flaky somehow. It also helps if you have a spare mobo to test with all settings identical, and see what

voltages are reported in the bios. I would have thought overclocking requires one to step up the voltage in small steps

and not stick to the original cpu voltage rating.

Sorry cant be of more help. Gd luck.

tee charoen

[ldb]

Thanks for the reply. I guess I think the MB is starting to go. The CPU normally runs in the 80-100 degree range during normal internet surfing and in the 80's idle. If I play a flash video or play games like I used to in the past, the temp will climb over 100 degrees and then come back down. I just cannot see it going over 100 degrees by just being in the BIOS. But this is what it would do if I let it go long enough say over 5 minutes. My only explanation is that the CPU is trying to find information from the BIOS and having some trouble with it and heats up during the polling for info.

By bypassing the halt on command, I boot directly and then everything runs normal. I do not find my normal CPU temps excessive, just what happens when I am in BIOS. These Northwoods are well know for their overclockability. The rest of my system buses are at normal clock speeds and this MB does support CPU's @ 533 FSB. I do not have a spare MB to test and the CPU temps in BIOS climb now without the USB drive attached. It may have just been a coincidence that when I tried to see if the USB drive could be viewed in DOS that is when I got the first Hardware warning also. It may be time to start thinking about a new computer, 6+ years is pretty decent IMO.

[tee charoen]

I just cannot see it going over 100 degrees by just being in the BIOS. But this is what it would do if I let it go long enough say over 5 minutes. My only explanation is that the CPU is trying to find information from the BIOS and having some trouble with it and heats up during the polling for info.

By bypassing the halt on command, I boot directly and then everything runs normal. I do not find my normal CPU temps excessive, just what happens when I am in BIOS.

Hi Idb,

Hmmm, depending on your room ambient temperature it can! I have an average ambient room temp of 30c (86Fahrenheit)

it's the sweaty tropics - lol! Here I have tested a variety of Northwoods particularly the 3.0 - 3.2ghz and when I am

in the Bios, I would usually peep at "Hardware Info" - lo and behold I do get 40c-41c (about 107 F),

(I believe you meant Degrees Fahrenheit as u mentioned 100 degrees without C or F, else had you meant C that wd have equalled 212 Fahrenheit! could boil water for tea there! If its really Celsius you meant then its time to junk the mobo. )

Continuing.. once I get into the desktop the 3.xghz Northwoods would settle to about 36-37C (98F), and if air conditioning is switched on they go down to the 31-33C's (88-91F).

Incidentally I have always observed that being in the Bios, or in Dos, cpu temps *are* generally 3-4 C higher,

but that pertains partly to the hot ambient temps I get here. Surely 98se doesnt have cpu throttling ability.

Maybe better brains than mine can explain.

Still, those are my figures for comparison. Just my 2 cents. Best!

tee Charoen