Why does my Compaq 1.80Ghz P4-Mobile max out at 1.20Ghz ?

No expert on laptops or Intel processors in general (brought up on AMD
powered self-built desktops) but had the opportunity to put together a
Compaq Evo N1000v (1.80Ghz Pentium 4-M, 512 Mb memory) from two scrap
machines so gave it a go.

Everything went together much better than I could have hoped and everything
is working as it should apart from the fact that according to CPUID,SIS and
Fresh Diagnose the 1.80 Ghz Pentium 4-Mobile (with or without stepping
enabled) is only running at 1.20Ghz (12x multiplier rather than the 18x
multiplier it should be) and this appears to be confirmed by various CPU
benchmarks test and day-to-day use as the laptop doesn't seem to running
much faster than my PII/300 Mhz which it replaced.

There's nothing in the BIOS to change the multiplier so as anyone any
suggestions as to what can I do to get this laptop running at its correct
speed or is the CPU on the way out?


Geoff

Have you flashed the BIOS to the latest version? if you've used a board with
a lower version it might not recognise the CPU properly, also have you
installed the chipset drivers?
"Geoff" <geoffpughAThouseofstephanieDOTcoDOTuk> wrote in message
news:460c6ead$0$8732$...
> No expert on laptops or Intel processors in general (brought up on AMD
> powered self-built desktops) but had the opportunity to put together a
> Compaq Evo N1000v (1.80Ghz Pentium 4-M, 512 Mb memory) from two scrap
> machines so gave it a go.
>
> Everything went together much better than I could have hoped and
> everything is working as it should apart from the fact that according to
> CPUID,SIS and Fresh Diagnose the 1.80 Ghz Pentium 4-Mobile (with or
> without stepping enabled) is only running at 1.20Ghz (12x multiplier
> rather than the 18x multiplier it should be) and this appears to be
> confirmed by various CPU benchmarks test and day-to-day use as the laptop
> doesn't seem to running much faster than my PII/300 Mhz which it replaced.
>
> There's nothing in the BIOS to change the multiplier so as anyone any
> suggestions as to what can I do to get this laptop running at its correct
> speed or is the CPU on the way out?
>
>
> Geoff
>
>

Likely you have a speedstep CPU that is stuck in the "low speed" mode.
It's possible that you have a bios or motherboard or chipset that
doesn't support SpeedStep.


Geoff wrote:
> No expert on laptops or Intel processors in general (brought up on AMD
> powered self-built desktops) but had the opportunity to put together a
> Compaq Evo N1000v (1.80Ghz Pentium 4-M, 512 Mb memory) from two scrap
> machines so gave it a go.
>
> Everything went together much better than I could have hoped and everything
> is working as it should apart from the fact that according to CPUID,SIS and
> Fresh Diagnose the 1.80 Ghz Pentium 4-Mobile (with or without stepping
> enabled) is only running at 1.20Ghz (12x multiplier rather than the 18x
> multiplier it should be) and this appears to be confirmed by various CPU
> benchmarks test and day-to-day use as the laptop doesn't seem to running
> much faster than my PII/300 Mhz which it replaced.
>
> There's nothing in the BIOS to change the multiplier so as anyone any
> suggestions as to what can I do to get this laptop running at its correct
> speed or is the CPU on the way out?
>
>
> Geoff
>
>

BIOS is the latest version and all latest drivers have been installed (force
of habit have built that many desktop systems) and the settings in XP are
optimised for speed rather than battery economy. Even disabling stepping in
BIOS doesn't make any difference it still runs at 1.20 Ghz yet is correctly
identified as a Pentium 4-M @ 1.80Ghz in BIOS (and elsewhere).

The only significant difference between enabling and disabling stepping
(obviously the root of the problem) is that with stepping enabled the laptop
will not boot at all with mains power connected - disconnect the mains
adaptor and it boots up ok.

Thanks for your suggestion, but it looks like I am going to have to live
with it until I can afford to upgrade to a new laptop.

Geoff

"Fixer" <> wrote in message
news:8K2Ph.36839$...
> Have you flashed the BIOS to the latest version? if you've used a board
> with a lower version it might not recognise the CPU properly, also have
> you installed the chipset drivers?
> "Geoff" <geoffpughAThouseofstephanieDOTcoDOTuk> wrote in message
> news:460c6ead$0$8732$...
>> No expert on laptops or Intel processors in general (brought up on AMD
>> powered self-built desktops) but had the opportunity to put together a
>> Compaq Evo N1000v (1.80Ghz Pentium 4-M, 512 Mb memory) from two scrap
>> machines so gave it a go.
>>
>> Everything went together much better than I could have hoped and
>> everything is working as it should apart from the fact that according to
>> CPUID,SIS and Fresh Diagnose the 1.80 Ghz Pentium 4-Mobile (with or
>> without stepping enabled) is only running at 1.20Ghz (12x multiplier
>> rather than the 18x multiplier it should be) and this appears to be
>> confirmed by various CPU benchmarks test and day-to-day use as the laptop
>> doesn't seem to running much faster than my PII/300 Mhz which it
>> replaced.
>>
>> There's nothing in the BIOS to change the multiplier so as anyone any
>> suggestions as to what can I do to get this laptop running at its correct
>> speed or is the CPU on the way out?
>>
>>
>> Geoff
>>
>>
>
>

As you say the CPU is stuck in "low speed" mode and there doesn't seem to be
a way of getting out of it. According to the manual the BIOS and motherboard
both support stepping and the CPU is recognised correctly and the latest
BIOS and Drivers are installed. Even disabling stepping in BIOS makes no
difference to the processor speed. Is it possible for the stepping to be
faulty but the CPU still working albeit at the lower speed.

Geoff

"Barry Watzman" <> wrote in message
news:460d23eb$0$25371$...
> Likely you have a speedstep CPU that is stuck in the "low speed" mode.
> It's possible that you have a bios or motherboard or chipset that doesn't
> support SpeedStep.
>
>
> Geoff wrote:
>> No expert on laptops or Intel processors in general (brought up on AMD
>> powered self-built desktops) but had the opportunity to put together a
>> Compaq Evo N1000v (1.80Ghz Pentium 4-M, 512 Mb memory) from two scrap
>> machines so gave it a go.
>>
>> Everything went together much better than I could have hoped and
>> everything is working as it should apart from the fact that according to
>> CPUID,SIS and Fresh Diagnose the 1.80 Ghz Pentium 4-Mobile (with or
>> without stepping enabled) is only running at 1.20Ghz (12x multiplier
>> rather than the 18x multiplier it should be) and this appears to be
>> confirmed by various CPU benchmarks test and day-to-day use as the laptop
>> doesn't seem to running much faster than my PII/300 Mhz which it
>> replaced.
>>
>> There's nothing in the BIOS to change the multiplier so as anyone any
>> suggestions as to what can I do to get this laptop running at its correct
>> speed or is the CPU on the way out?
>>
>>
>> Geoff
>>

Sorted - CPU problem. Swapped the CPUs over and everything now appears to be
working as it should. Thanks for your suggestions.

Geoff

"Geoff" <geoffpughAThouseofstephanieDOTcoDOTuk> wrote in message
news:460c6ead$0$8732$...
> No expert on laptops or Intel processors in general (brought up on AMD
> powered self-built desktops) but had the opportunity to put together a
> Compaq Evo N1000v (1.80Ghz Pentium 4-M, 512 Mb memory) from two scrap
> machines so gave it a go.
>
> Everything went together much better than I could have hoped and
> everything is working as it should apart from the fact that according to
> CPUID,SIS and Fresh Diagnose the 1.80 Ghz Pentium 4-Mobile (with or
> without stepping enabled) is only running at 1.20Ghz (12x multiplier
> rather than the 18x multiplier it should be) and this appears to be
> confirmed by various CPU benchmarks test and day-to-day use as the laptop
> doesn't seem to running much faster than my PII/300 Mhz which it replaced.
>
> There's nothing in the BIOS to change the multiplier so as anyone any
> suggestions as to what can I do to get this laptop running at its correct
> speed or is the CPU on the way out?
>
>
> Geoff
>
>