IC7-G CPU is unworkable or... Problem

Tim G · Aug 28, 2003

Hello,

I decided to have a go at building my own PC. I went with an IC7-G Max II Advance MB, which I had read good things about and dug deep into my pockets for an Intel Pentium 4 3.06 GHz processor with 800MHz FSB. I also went with 1Gb of DDR PC3200 RAM from Crucial.

The machine powered up OK but then gives the error "CPU is unworkable or has been changed, please recheck CPU soft menu"

So, I upgraded the BOIS to the latest on the ABIT website (16 I think), However I STILL get an error!

Start up screen shows:
Main Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.00 GHz (200x15.0)
Memory Testing: 1048576K OK
CPU Brand Name: Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.00GHz
Hyper-threading Technology CPU Detected (Enabled)

(Dual Channel Mode Enabled)
Memory Frequency for DDR400 specification
Host/DRAM frequency is 200/200 MHz
AGP/PCI frequency is 66/33 MHz

Then it detects my Maxtor HD and TDK CDRW and says:
CPU is unworkable or has been changed, please recheck CPU soft menu

CPU Soft Menu shows:

Brand Name: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
Frequency : 3.00GHz
Cache Size: 512K

CPU Operating Speed 3000(200)
x - Ext. Clock (CPU/APG/PCI) 200/ 66/ 33MHz
x - Estimated New CPU Clock 3.00GHz
x - N/B Strap CPU As By CPU
x - DRAM Ratio (CPU

RAM) By SPD
x - AGP Ratio (CPU:AGP

CI) Auto
x - Fixed AGP/PCIFrequency 66/33MHz

CPU Power Supply CPU Default
x - CPU Core Voltage 1.5500v
DDR SDRAM voltage 2.6v
AGP Voltage 1.55v

OK, I can't figure this out, it looks alright to me, can anyone tell me what the values should be?

TIA - Tim

Tim G · Aug 29, 2003

I got bored and decided to install XP Pro and come back to the BIOS problem. When I finished I went back to have another go - I did deliberately select SAVE & EXIT when I finished (but I had done that before) and this time it worked! Let's hope the settings stay put!

I haven't loaded any of the drivers, etc. yet, so I don't doubt I'll be posting again, but hey, for the moment I'm happy.

Don't see why install an OS would help - just dumb luck?

DiGGr _spamtrap_ · Aug 29, 2003

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 19:27:56 -0700, Tim G
wrote:

Hello,

I decided to have a go at building my own PC. I went with an IC7-G Max II Advance MB, which I had read good things about and dug deep into my pockets for an Intel Pentium 4 3.06 GHz processor with 800MHz FSB. I also went with 1Gb of DDR PC3200 RAM from Crucial.

The machine powered up OK but then gives the error "CPU is unworkable or has been changed, please recheck CPU soft menu"

There is no such thing as a P4 3.06 @ 800 FSB, so one of those figures must be wrong; what youve got is either a P4 3.06 @ 533 FSB, or a P4
3.00 @ 800 FSB.

If the former, thats the answer to your problem - try 23x133 instead of 15x200 and it should work. If the latter - sorry, cant help you.

FireFox · Aug 29, 2003

"DiGGr _spamtrap_" wrote:

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 19:27:56 -0700, Tim G
wrote:

Hello, **snip** pockets for an Intel Pentium 4 3.06 GHz processor with 800MHz FSB **no

such animal**

I have a 3.0c (200mhz bus(x4 of course)) and the first thing to do is switch to manual config. Change your memory voltage to the boards max for memory (2.8v if I'm not mistaken). The chip is supposed to be 1.55v I think, but my ps (450watt) only gives like 1.48 in auto mode, so I changed that setting to 1.625 and now the chip gets its 1.55v. Overclocking will require 1.675 or higher (probably, but that isn't written in stone and you should use the lowest voltage that works) and that will raise the temp so cooling is paramount. I don't have anything other than air cooling (the boxed Intel processor fan, the fan on the mb, the fan on my ti-4600, 3 case fans (1 in the front blowing in 2 in the back blowing out), and of course the fan in the ps). I'm stable at 229. I'm using geil ddr400 memory (pair of 512mb duel channel) running it at it's spd rating of 2.5, 4, 4, 8. I can't use the "special" gaming features of the mb at all, but at these settings (3.43ghz) I get 10164 MIPS Dhrystone, 4632mb/s ram int and 4474mb/s ram float (this is with outlook express, seti@home, weatherbug, Norton anti-virus, linksys logging and a few other programs running in my system tray (I'm sure, I'd get better if I closed these things, but why test in a configuration you aren't going to be running in?)). This, of course, is just my opinions and experience. Take it only as information to add to what you already know.

(-: FireFox

Tim G · Aug 29, 2003

There is no such thing as a P4 3.06 @ 800 FSB

My mistake, I had another look, it is a 3.0

For anyone with the same problem, I upgraded the BIOS to version 16. Loaded the Optimum default setting and then saved. For some reason, after I loaded the XP Pro OS and SAVED & EXITed the BIOS settings again it worked (for now at least).

The specific info shown on the start up screen is:

Main Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.00 GHz (200x15.0) Memory Testing: 1048576K OK
CPU Brand Name: Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.00GHz Hyper-threading Technology CPU Detected (Enabled)

(Dual Channel Mode Enabled)
Memory Frequency for DDR400 specification Host/DRAM frequency is 200/200 MHz AGP/PCI frequency is 66/33 MHz

Then it detects my Maxtor HD and TDK CDRW.

CPU Soft Menu shows:

Brand Name: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz Frequency : 3.00GHz
Cache Size: 512K

CPU Operating Speed 3000(200)
x - Ext. Clock (CPU/APG/PCI) 200/ 66/ 33MHz x - Estimated New CPU Clock 3.00GHz x - N/B Strap CPU As By CPU
x - DRAM Ratio (CPU : DRAM) By SPD x - AGP Ratio (CPU:AGP

CI) Auto x - Fixed AGP/PCIFrequency 66/33MHz

CPU Power Supply CPU Default
x - CPU Core Voltage 1.5500v
DDR SDRAM voltage 2.6v
AGP Voltage 1.55v

Thanks for everyone's help - Tim

John Lewis · Aug 29, 2003

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 19:27:56 -0700, Tim G
wrote:

Hello,

I decided to have a go at building my own PC. I went with an IC7-G Max II Advance MB, which I had read good things about and dug deep into my pockets for an Intel Pentium 4 3.06 GHz processor with 800MHz FSB. I also went with 1Gb of DDR PC3200 RAM from Crucial.

The machine powered up OK but then gives the error "CPU is unworkable or has been changed, please recheck CPU soft menu"

The message that you saw is perfectly standard when
loading a new processor.

So you hit DEL and did check CPU soft menu as requested ? Then hit F10 and "Y" ?

Did you first read the manual, particularly the BIOS section, before powering up the board ? The Abit MB manuals leave a lot to be desired, but do contain a few gems of useful information.

So, I upgraded the BOIS to the latest on the ABIT website (16 I think), However I STILL get an error!

Upgrading a BIOS without first knowing how to drive the MB BIOS screens and settings seems a little like putting a very large elephant in a china shop. A good way of ending up with a totally dead board. You did read the BIOS revision documentation on the Abit Website didn't you ? Did it mention anything about fixing "CPU is unworkable........... " ?

Also, when you upgraded the BIOS, you did discharge the CMOSproperly as instructed in the manual, didn't you ? Including unplugging all power from the computer ?

John Lewis

Start up screen shows:
Main Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.00 GHz (200x15.0)
Memory Testing: 1048576K OK
CPU Brand Name: Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.00GHz
Hyper-threading Technology CPU Detected (Enabled)

(Dual Channel Mode Enabled)
Memory Frequency for DDR400 specification
Host/DRAM frequency is 200/200 MHz
AGP/PCI frequency is 66/33 MHz

Then it detects my Maxtor HD and TDK CDRW and says:
...

Tim G · Aug 31, 2003

OK the BIOS memory loss has been sorted - that's the good news.

I tried removing, cleaning and re-seating the battery (this is a brand-new motherboard remember) and that worked for one re-boot. The next day - same old problem, "CPU is unworkable or has been changed, please recheck CPU soft menu". i.e. it had lost the settings again.

So I gave up, got the board out of the machine and went back to Frys. I got another board and looked at that with the assistant before leaving the shop. On that one the fan had come off the board and one of the fan's anchoring hooks was missing! The third board we looked at appeared OK. I have installed it, updated the BIOS to 1.7 (while I was at it) and done several start-ups from cold. All SEEMS to be OK, but I will be watching the start-up screen very carefully for the next few weeks!

Conclusion: Abit needs to improve their packaging, transportation and QA systems, at least in Northern California, if not everywhere. I would strongly suggest some sort of cushioning material needs to be added around the board - I didn't start off as a programmer, I spent 10+ years as senior designer for LINPAC (one of Britain's largest packaging manufacturers!)

TomG · Aug 31, 2003

interestingly enough, Abit just went to new packaging with these boards!