MSI KT3 Ultra 2 = Big Problem

[krowdpeleeza]

Hey all
Just bought this beast of a mobo MSI KT3 Ultra 2....great board except I can not get it to run my Athlon XP 1600+ @ 133 fsb. Everytime I set the cpu frequency to 133 it gets past the post ok and reboots right before the xp logon screen.
I'm frustrated!
Does any body have any ideas on what i can do.

specs
athlon xp 1600 +
msi kt3 ultra 2
400w psu
3dfx voodoo 5500 pci
128 mb ddr
ms xp pro

 

[Rick]

Some of the only things I can think of might be your memory is rated at 100Mhz (200Mhz) or you have the memory cas and ras speeds too high (Lower the faster). You PSU might be underpowered.. But you said you have a 400 watt, so scratch that. Your CPU could be overheating, forcing it to reboot.. So check your temperature in Hardware Monitor in the BIOS.

If you've manually edited any of your settings, try using your BIOS defaults and let it auto detect CPU voltage, memory speed etc..

Also, previous MSI boards have had problems with using the third DIMM slot for memory. Try placing your memory modules in the DIMMs closest to the CPU.


Next, I would try flashing your BIOS with the latest update from MSI. I would strongly recommend flashing it while using the 100Mhz bus though, since 133Mhz seems unstable.

 

[krowdpeleeza]

well my processor runs kinda hot but it ran that hot before I changed my mobo.....I just invested in a new thermal take volcano, i should be getting it on monday....
I dont think that my psu i have is a very good one....it was one of those came with the case no name psu's.....I think that might be the problem.....
when i set the cpu frequency to 100mhz my cpu only runs at 1050mhz.... yeah its stable but its not what i paid for ....
I did set the bios settings to their defaults and i only changed the
cpu frequency and I get the same problem......
I guess what i need to look for now is a new power supply.....anybody have any ideas

 

[Rick]

I'm not too sure about the PSU. If it is 400 watt, even if it is a cheap PSU, it should be enough.

You can try unplugging some other devices such as your soundcard etc.. This will use less power and this may be a way you can test if it is your PSU or not.

Have you tried overclocking the FSB? How far can you go? You may be able to get it near 133MHz without much trouble since your memory and processor were designed for 133MHz.

 

[krowdpeleeza]

Great idea man....
I'll try that as soon as i go home from work.....i do have a lot of periphs
2 case fans
1 cdrw
2 hdd
1 processor fan
sound card
modem
vid card

 

[Didou]

Since the post sequence works well, I suppose the diagnostic leds don't say much.

I have quite a few devices myself but my 400W PSU works fine. Does your PSU have an "Approved by AMD" sticker on it ? A cheap PSU can really give you many problems on Power sensitive devices ( especially a mainboard ).

 

[timbob]

crowdpleeza, You might want to check on your psu for a TCO rating. Total Combined Output for your 3.3v+5v =(should probably be more than 190 Watts.There is a good guide for buying a psu here;
http://www.ocworkbench.com/articles/psu/psup1.htm
No brand names are mentioned, just what to look for and why.
timbob