Building an AMD 4800+ overclocked game/crunching machine

[Keith75]

Sorry to hear that. Sure can be frustrating. I have been pretty luck over all but I have had a dead MOBO and also had a 3700 that had a bad memory controller. Everything worked fine as long as you only put memory in slot #1. Anywhere else or add another stick and no Post. After eliminating everything else it turned out to be the chip. AMD was notified and they had me a new one in just under 7 days.

Keith

[Steve Lux]

I replaced the motherboard on my 4800+ system. The directions stated that the BIOS fan was optional. Apparently it isn't. It seems that inflection and syntax are lost in the translation. The system is back up and running, but now it has other problems.

I think I have determined what is causing problems with my 4800+ system. I installed Windoz's XP 64 Pro edition because of its supposed design for advanced math processing on 64 bit capable systems. Googling around I find that it has quite a few compatability issues. Anyhow, daily I have multiple WU's getting "stuck" for hours at a time and the system automatically re-boots a couple of times a day. Consequently I think this system is running at about 60% capacity.

The way this computer is acting tells me that something's not right with this OS. Last night I ordered the standard Win XP Pro OS. I'll do an OS reinstall this weekend. After I get this system stable then I'll feel comfortable with some OC'ing. I'm expecting to get more than 1000 credits a day out of this system without any drastic OC'ing.

[Evil-Dragon]

I was going to put on Windows 64 bit Edition onto my main rig... kinda glad I didn't really. You'd be better off sticking to 32 bit edition until Vista is done, since it should be better supported by manufacturers for 64 bit.

My advice, wipe, reinstall with Windows XP 32bit for the meantime. You won't be gaining any great leaps and bounds with 64bit anyway (not at the moment)

[Steve Lux]

I upped the processor voltage last night a bit just to see if it would have any effect and the 4800+ hadn't hiccuped all night. After I get home from work I'll make a determination if this system can handle a little OCing. That may be my project for Sunday (the one day a week I don't have to work). I may simply have a crappy processor that can't handle the standard BIOS OC of 10% without the extra millivolts.

[Brucifer]

Don't go blaming XP-64. It is a good windows implementation. Your lockups, etc., are either driver issues or mobo/cpu/mem. My XP-64s on dual cores run just great. My XP-64 stuff is the most painless association that I've ever had with windows.

You might try loading up the 64-bit version of Suse and see how that runs, and see if you are still getting lockups

While the clients are primarily 32-bit for all the projects out there, it is still better to try and stay with a 64-bit O/S if possible, even for running 32-bit clients.


Myself, I'm a linux freak. I keep as minimal on windows as possible. But I am impressed with XP-64 though.

[Steve Lux]

I just replaced the 64 bit version of Win XP on my AMD 4800+ with the standard Win XP. So far so good. I just could not get the 4800+ system to stablize in any reliable way.

On problem though; how do I get the BOINC listing to show them as the same system after I have replaced the OS? In my case the computer listed under me #246686 is actually computer #239825.

The difference is that I have replaced the operating system. Hopefully with something a bit more stable. If I can make it 24 hours without it locking up one of the cores that will be an improvement.

[Nflight]

I believe you can merge the two computers, you will only be able to do this under your preferences though. I think it is under your account info through the title page of the project your working on. There you can veiw and merge the two I hope!

[Steve Lux]

Ah, it won't let me merge the hosts because I named the computer differently when I installed the new OS. Aparently hosts have to have the same name to be merged.

Hm... I wonder if I buy a 4800+ cpu and put it in my 3800+ system if Boinc will recognize the difference (not that I actually plan to do that, but I do wonder).

[Empty_5oul]

i think it would make a new host.

unless you keep the same everything and just downgrade the processor. As soon as it benchmarks itself it will realise the new processor. You may get a day on the 4800 scores though!