Serious Problem - AMD 6000

[riaan]

Hi guys, I'm sorry to say but I've been sneaking about on AMDUsers.com for almost 2 years now every so often, and tonight I join because of a huge problem, and frankly I don't think I'd get better advice anywhere else than right here!

Old box:

AMD X2 4600 2.4ghz dual core
4GB DDR2 RAM ( 4 x 1GB PC 800 DDR2 RAM)
gigabyte k8 triton board
XP Pro, 32bit, SP2
Ran great, full boincing 24/7 up until end of August.

New box:

AMD 6000 3.0ghz dual core
4GB DDR2 RAM ( 4 x 1GB PC 800 DDR2 RAM) - taken from old box
asus m2n-mx board
fresh install XP Pro, 32bit, SP2

only (maybe) difference factor: in new box, os has been installed on old 80gb ide for easy access to swap between new linux flavors to be tested with the new hardware, instead of on a 50gb partition on sata2 320gb seagate. boinc folder resides on sata drive anyway, so not seeing much of an issue there, but stand to be corrected.


Whenever I start BOINC, it usely runs fine until just after the CPU calcs have been done... And then the slowdown begins, bigtime!

Changing tabs in Firefox takes almost 5 seconds to open up, nothing even remotely graphical, ftp raw commands and text, changing between programs causes the poor pc to have a heart attack... windows get stuck, programs not responding and I'm having all my days...

Have battled with this now since 1 sept, now i can't take it anymore... If anyone can guide me into fualtfinding where i haven't been, that would be greatly appreciated.

Know my way around computers so its a go-ahead with tech lingo, hate Intel more than I do anyone else and reckon i've found the place that might just save a few hairs on my head... any ideas?

[Robert P. Herbst]

This may be an over simplification, but have you run your disk cleanup recently? There is also a program out there I've had great luck with, it's called "Clean Up" it was free ware. I can send you a copy of the Install Program if you want me to. No guarantees, just something to try.

[riaan]

Hi Robert,

fresh install XP Pro, 32bit, SP2

[LeBo]

Have you loaded all your Motherboard drivers (IDE @SATA) that comes wit a new m/b on a CD_ROM disk?

[riaan]

Hi LeBo,

yup, uploaded all drivers... Even installed the Asus update utility, but stupid as Asus now seems, you need to update the utility itself first and the software is not to be found via their current software... doubt whether it's the bios levels though...

[BobCat13]

Have you disabled AMD Cool 'n' Quiet in the BIOS? Asus boards have Cool 'n' Quiet enabled by default, I believe.

Since boinc runs at low priority, the system may be slowing down to 1.0 ghz. When I first setup my X2 6000+ on an M2N-SLI Deluxe it would not run full speed until I disabled the CnQ option in BIOS.

[riaan]

Hi BobCat13, thnx for the first lead i haven't checked, will reply

I'm going to check the BIOS first thing in the morning for the Cool 'n' Quiet option like you suggested...

I followed one of the links to QCPUID/CPU Status and according to that the CPU is running full steam at 3013.87/88mhz.... Running Boinc and watching it die it's slow death, it jumps up to 3014.10MHz, so not sure whether that's the issue, but it's one I haven't thought about....

Another question for you, would the AMD Cool 'n' Quiet driver installed from the CD also be a culprit in this if the bios options solves this problem?

[BobCat13]

I followed one of the links to QCPUID/CPU Status and according to that the CPU is running full steam at 3013.87/88mhz....

Is that a typo? Only 88 MHz on the system clock reading? For reference, I am showing 3030.50/202.03 MHz with a multiplier of 15.

Another question for you, would the AMD Cool 'n' Quiet driver installed from the CD also be a culprit in this if the bios options solves this problem?

It might be, but I cannot say for sure. I never installed that from the CD as I knew I wasn't going to be using it.

You can always try uninstalling it to see if it helps.

[riaan]

Is that a typo? Only 88 MHz on the system clock reading? For reference, I am showing 3030.50/202.03 MHz with a multiplier of 15.

BobCat13,

it's running constant at 3013.87 / 3013.88 MHz.... full speed the entire time...

Haven't checked the bios yet, but, just checked the A'n'Q software, the version on the CD that came with the board, had installed as K8 A'n'Q.... WTF????

Just need to do something about one of the competitions I run for the next hour or so, and then will reboot and see what hapens...


PoorBoy,

The max amount of defragmentation I ever got after a clean install is maybe 3%... And even after installing the full suite of software I use every day, it only goes up to about 4%...

What installation method do you use to get 30%/40% fragmentation? (not arrogant, valid question)

[Nflight]

PoorBoy,

The max amount of defragmentation I ever got after a clean install is maybe 3%... And even after installing the full suite of software I use every day, it only goes up to about 4%...

What installation method do you use to get 30%/40% fragmentation? (not arrogant, valid question)

Riaan: I think this is the solution at hand. Your description of only able to get 3% of your system to finish seems to mean your impatient for the results. Allow the machine to do the full defragmentation not once, but three times. I have done this on all my machines and have even giving this advice to my instructors at the schools I have attended in the last 20 years. I have two machines on Asus boards both 4200+'s. One is on an SLI Deluxe and the other is on A8N board. A8N board is just slightly over clocked, ASUS boards do not like to O/C, they become unstable as mine has over 8%. I recommend as Vaughan has mentioned in his last post - Toss the Asus board and buy a Gigabyte and start over, My next board will be Gigabyte.
Process to do defrag: ON Windows XP; Click Start and slide to All programs, look for Accessories, then slide down to System Tools, Open Disk Defragmentor, let the program run three times. By the time your at the last time the speed of the full deframentation should be accomplished in about 1 to 3 minutes, not the initial 45 or more minutes to accomplish.