Cpu/chipset slow-down problem

[dansimmonds1979]

Dear All,

I would be so grateful for your help.

I am having a serious problem with my set up (A8V-VM-SE mobo with amd 64x2 4800+ 1gig ram 7600gt x-fi running mce 2005).

It all works great untill after a while playing games or using demanding music creation software - the processor slows down - and I mean slows down! It is barely usable.

I thought it was the NB chipset overheating so bought a decent heatsink with fan - fitted it and there is hardly any difference. The CPU is never over 40 degrees and the NB seems to run into trouble at 48 degrees. It's like when it comes over heavy load a high pitched noise starts and the system slows down. If I TAB+ALT back to windows it takes a while but then gets back to full speed.

I have look EVERYWHERE on the net but no one seems to have the same problem as me.

I have the latest drivers for everything.

As I say - I would be so grateful if anyone could help me.

Best wishes,

Dan Simmonds

 

[gavinseabrook]

Could you please give a more detailed system specification?

 

[dansimmonds1979]

Hi, thanks for getting back to me.

More details:

It is a Asus socket 939 board with a K890 northbridge chip. 2400mghz with 1.3 voltage.
Dual Core amd64 4800+
160 gig HD
ram is 1gb pc3200 ddr 400mghz

can't think of anything else - let me know if I have missed out something important.

cheers,

Dan Simmonds

Thanks for getting back to me.

More details:

Asus socket 939 with a K8 chipset. Cpu is 2400mghz at 1.3 voltage.
Dual Core AMD64 4800+
Ram is PC3200 DDR400mghz
160gig Maxtor HD
PSU is 400

Let me know if I have missed out something important.

Cheers,

Dan

p.s I have tried blowing cool air into the case with a hair dryer which keeps the performance up so it certainly seems like a heat issue but the NB at 48degrees doesn't seem that hot compared to some peoples systems

 

[kirock]

I don't think the Northbridge will cause the slow down you're describing though. It would probably just cause a BSOD or lock-up.
So it really seems to me that CPU is over heating and thus I don't trust the 40C reading you are posting.
Check that the HSF is seating correctly on the CPU die(hasn't shifted) and probably best to remove it and apply a new coating of thermal compound anyway.

How long have you had this system? Has it always run like this?

 

[dansimmonds1979]

I have only had it a few weeks and it has always run this way.

I was able to blow cold air directly onto the NB and this stop the prob all together - didn't work so well when aimed at the CPU though. Using speedfan the temp of the 'system' starts at about 36 degrees and rises to 48 at which point it slows down. The cpu temp rises but not by much.

Could you explain what a BSOD is? Please excuse my ignorance!

I have been doing some more searching and found that there is a hotfix for xp sp2 with dual core systems causing them to slow down or behave strangely. I'm at work so can't test it until I get home but it sounds hopeful.

Any more ideas or advice would be appreciated.

Dan.

 

[dansimmonds1979]

sorry - just saw your link to bsod info - ta.

 

[dansimmonds1979]

Dear kirock,

I have tried the hotfix - no luck.

I flashed the BIOS - no luck.

I cleaned the heatsink and fan and the chip and reset the thermo paste - no luck.

Think you're right about it not being the NB overheating - speedfan seems to report the wrong temps for the wrong bits.

The temp seems get to 48 centigrade then start slowing - looking at other posts people have temps as high as 55+ with no probs - i am baffled. The fan runs at no higher then 3500rpm too - I would have though it should go quicker than that?

Would you expect this system to run ok with standard cooling?

Any other ideas would be much appreciated.

Yours in hope,

Dan Simmonds

 

[kirock]

The 3500 RPM for NB fan is fine for the 40-48C temps you are reporting.

Some of these mobo monitoring programs (SpeedFan, Everest) just don't seem to read everything correctly. So I suspect it's not reading the CPU temp correctly. However when you say you blow cool air directly on CPU and it didn't help does seem to indicate the temp is ok. Have you tried with the case side off and a table fan blowing in on it?

This should be fine with stock cooling as long as the HSF is installed correctly and sitting down firmly on the CPU die. If there's a small air gap it won't take long to overheat under load. The thermal paste is meant to take up minute gaps between the HSP and CPU top, but if the fan doesn't sit down close enough then it's like there's no thermal paste at all and the CPU will overheat at the slightest load.

Another thing you might try is reset your BIOS to fail safe defaults just incase something in the Advance settings got turn up and you are giving the CPU to high a voltage.