SE6: overclock problems (nothing extreme, just FSB 66->100)

Hi ya!

I got a "dead" (no picture said the guy, I was buying a 128MB SDRAM from him
and I got the mobo for free) SE-6 (v.1.0) some time ago and finally, on
Thursday I put together a websurf box. A piece of cake - just bios reset and
it was ready to serve. It has a Celeron II 566, /w Golden Orb, Club 3D ATi
Radeon 7500, and two pieces of 128MB 133MHz SDRAM's, in the two slots
farthest from the processor socket. The first SDRAM is an old two-sided one,
and the other one is a bit newer, single sided type of SDRAM. The latest
bios (fresh from Abit web pages) has been downloaded and installed.

Now I'm having some peculiar problems:

If I run the system in auto settings (66MHz FSB, 100MHz for the SDRAM)
everything goes fine.

If I rise the FSB to 100MHz to squeeze the last drops out of the Celeron, I
have to also rise the voltage from the stock setting of 1,5V to 1,7V's
before the system gets stabilized. Now, everything SEEMS to be OK, but for
some obscure reason I don't seem to be able to run the 3DMark99MAX. It
freezes every time. On the other hand, 3DMark 2000 is running perfectly and
so do everything else. Except that one and only piece of software, which
will crash every single time.

The power should be good enough, it's a 300W Seventeam (a coincidence -
Zalman is selling the same type of PSU's under their own label in other
countries, I mean its got the same product code, specifications, looks and
everything).

Suggestions?? I have already superficially checked the caps and they SEEM
fine (yes, I know it doesn't necessarily mean anything if they just look
fine). Is there something I should know about Radeon on this mobo (or Radeon
on ANY mobo, never had any before this one)? How about bios settings (AGP
Aperture, AGP 2/4, delayed transactions and whatever the ones having an
effect here are), I have kept them as close as possible to the default ones?
Driver issues? Latest set has been downloaded from ATi pages and installed.
Should the (mobo) chipset heat sink be equipped with a fan if I rise the
FSB, it currently only has the ugly green thing on it? Could it be so that
this particular Celeron doesn't like to be overclocked and she (processors
are always female, think about their temper and strange ways of behaviour
:-) just gets confused if I try to make her work too hard? Well... if
someone has something constructive to say, please do so. While waiting for
that, I'll remove the single-sided DIMM and try running the test with the
double-sided only. For some reason I feel it could be the memory (those two
probably won't run together, not even if they were both in perfect
condition).

--
gt

"GinTonix" <> kirjoitti viestissä
news:bmpsst$cr$...
> Hi ya!
....problems cut off...

And, it really is that only the 3DMark99MAX doesn't work. Am I missing some
general knowledge here?

> gt

Nothing extreme ... just a 50% overclock!

Does your 3DMark program run with the FSB set to 66Mhz.?

Try Prime95 ... Google for it. Does it run error free at 100Mhz.?
If not, then back off on the FSB till Prime95 runs error free.


"GinTonix" <> wrote in message
news:bmpsst$cr$...
> Hi ya!
>
> I got a "dead" (no picture said the guy, I was buying a 128MB
SDRAM from him
> and I got the mobo for free) SE-6 (v.1.0) some time ago and
finally, on
> Thursday I put together a websurf box. A piece of cake - just
bios reset and
> it was ready to serve. It has a Celeron II 566, /w Golden Orb,
Club 3D ATi
> Radeon 7500, and two pieces of 128MB 133MHz SDRAM's, in the two
slots
> farthest from the processor socket. The first SDRAM is an old
two-sided one,
> and the other one is a bit newer, single sided type of SDRAM.
The latest
> bios (fresh from Abit web pages) has been downloaded and
installed.
>
> Now I'm having some peculiar problems:
>
> If I run the system in auto settings (66MHz FSB, 100MHz for the
SDRAM)
> everything goes fine.
>
> If I rise the FSB to 100MHz to squeeze the last drops out of
the Celeron, I
> have to also rise the voltage from the stock setting of 1,5V to
1,7V's
> before the system gets stabilized. Now, everything SEEMS to be
OK, but for
> some obscure reason I don't seem to be able to run the
3DMark99MAX. It
> freezes every time. On the other hand, 3DMark 2000 is running
perfectly and
> so do everything else. Except that one and only piece of
software, which
> will crash every single time.
>
> The power should be good enough, it's a 300W Seventeam (a
coincidence -
> Zalman is selling the same type of PSU's under their own label
in other
> countries, I mean its got the same product code,
specifications, looks and
> everything).
>
> Suggestions?? I have already superficially checked the caps and
they SEEM
> fine (yes, I know it doesn't necessarily mean anything if they
just look
> fine). Is there something I should know about Radeon on this
mobo (or Radeon
> on ANY mobo, never had any before this one)? How about bios
settings (AGP
> Aperture, AGP 2/4, delayed transactions and whatever the ones
having an
> effect here are), I have kept them as close as possible to the
default ones?
> Driver issues? Latest set has been downloaded from ATi pages
and installed.
> Should the (mobo) chipset heat sink be equipped with a fan if I
rise the
> FSB, it currently only has the ugly green thing on it? Could it
be so that
> this particular Celeron doesn't like to be overclocked and she
(processors
> are always female, think about their temper and strange ways of
behaviour
> :-) just gets confused if I try to make her work too hard?
Well... if
> someone has something constructive to say, please do so. While
waiting for
> that, I'll remove the single-sided DIMM and try running the
test with the
> double-sided only. For some reason I feel it could be the
memory (those two
> probably won't run together, not even if they were both in
perfect
> condition).
>
> --
> gt
>
>

I have an SE6 on an old computer and it is very stable. I have PIII-733 at
FSB=140MHz. Could go higher but the onbord sound will quit. Since everything
works at rated speeds and you only have problem at overclock you can assume
the overclock is problem. The OpenGL tests are most sensitive to memory/CPU
errors. To isolate, try Memtest86. Also be sure not to overclock AGP/PCI bus
too much. Experiment with memory timings. Be sure to Assign IRQ to VGA,
disable Passive Release and VGA Pallet Snoop, and not cache anything. I
replaced a bulging/leaking capacitor on mine.

-Kent

Are you using the DIP switch to set frequencies or Soft Menu? The best is to
set switch to allow BIOS to set frequency as you will have a lot more
control.

-Kent

Yeah, but you're only overclocking about 5%. The OP is looking at
a 50% OC. There's an enormous difference.

"Kent_Diego" <> wrote in message
news:BWekb.70724$vj2.29956@fed1read06...
> I have an SE6 on an old computer and it is very stable. I have
PIII-733 at
> FSB=140MHz. Could go higher but the onbord sound will quit.
Since everything
> works at rated speeds and you only have problem at overclock
you can assume
> the overclock is problem. The OpenGL tests are most sensitive
to memory/CPU
> errors. To isolate, try Memtest86. Also be sure not to
overclock AGP/PCI bus
> too much. Experiment with memory timings. Be sure to Assign IRQ
to VGA,
> disable Passive Release and VGA Pallet Snoop, and not cache
anything. I
> replaced a bulging/leaking capacitor on mine.
>
> -Kent
>
>

"Kent_Diego" <> kirjoitti viestissä
news:BWekb.70724$vj2.29956@fed1read06...
> I have an SE6 on an old computer and it is very stable. I have PIII-733 at
> FSB=140MHz. Could go higher but the onbord sound will quit. Since
everything
> works at rated speeds and you only have problem at overclock you can
assume
> the overclock is problem. The OpenGL tests are most sensitive to
memory/CPU

Yes, everything goes fine without overclock. Probably it is the CPU - it
seems that it is not a good sample of those early FC-PGA Celerons (a 566
one). Not all of them can take the 100FSB and it seems I have one of them.
Maybe more voltage would do the trick but I'm not going to fry it. I'll
rather have my kids (5,5 and 2 yrs:-) have a live 566 Celeron in their games
machine than a dead one in the closet and a 350 P2 in the machine instead.

> errors. To isolate, try Memtest86. Also be sure not to overclock AGP/PCI
bus

Remind you, FSB 100 is one of "the safe ones", that's why I'm either going
to get 100 or not going at all. At 100MHz FSB everything is in
specifications, i.e. AGP, PCI and memory.

> too much. Experiment with memory timings.

Timings are as slow as I can get them on SE6.

> Be sure to Assign IRQ to VGA,

Sure...

> disable Passive Release and VGA Pallet Snoop, and not cache anything. I

Hmm.. passive relase disabled..? Gotta try that one. Pallette snoop has
always been disabled in my PC's.

> replaced a bulging/leaking capacitor on mine.

All of them seem to be doing fine, and MBM5 (installed it AFTER getting the
problems) shows that all the voltages seem to be OK.

>
> -Kent
>
>

"Colon Terminus" <> kirjoitti viestissä
news:QPekb.487191$...
>
> Nothing extreme ... just a 50% overclock!

Yup, for the early FC-PGA Celerons it is nothing extreme. Just like the good
old Celeron 300A - if you had one which wouldn't run at 100FSB you'd have
been really unlucky.

>
> Does your 3DMark program run with the FSB set to 66Mhz.?

Yes, it does. I know - just don't overclock and that's it. Maybe the SE6
just cannot force the CPU to run on 100MHZ FSB and that's the end of the
story.

>
> Try Prime95 ... Google for it. Does it run error free at 100Mhz.?

Gotta check that one out. Thanks for the tip.

> If not, then back off on the FSB till Prime95 runs error free.

I'll go back to 66MHz FSB if it won't go flawless at 100. Or then maybe I'll
try the P3 650E at 133 FSB.. the Celeron would then go to a BF6 which gives
a lot more oppoturnities than SE6 v1.0.

--
gt

"Kent_Diego" <> kirjoitti viestissä
news:Wkgkb.70737$vj2.7352@fed1read06...
> Are you using the DIP switch to set frequencies or Soft Menu? The best is
to
> set switch to allow BIOS to set frequency as you will have a lot more
> control.

I've gotten used to do the trick in bios, just for the reason you described.
Besides, it is a lot easier.

> -Kent

--
gt