AMD: CPU Identity problem.

Emyr · Post by **Emyr** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 3:44 am

I'm running the PC-chips M848A, with an e-buyer el-cheapo PSU.

My Processor is an AMD Sempron 2400+ (retail box, so it's definitely that!), yet it's been reporting at boot time as an Athlon MP@1GHz.

For a while it did report correctly, although I haven't a clue how or why it corrected itself, and later reverted.

I'm using the stock heatsink with the thermal pad, so it can't be shorting out any connections on top of the processor, if there are any there.

tehfire · Post by **tehfire** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 6:53 am

Have you checked out what kind of processor Windows says it is? By right-clicking My Computer and going to properties? May be a bug in CPUID...

Emyr · Post by **Emyr** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:01 am

CPU-Z says athlon MP
XP says athlon MP

they're both working fine, because

the BIOS says athlon MP

There have been periods in the past months when the BIOS has reported it correctly as a Sempron 2400+,

quikkie · Post by **quikkie** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:51 am

I was going to say "have you updated the bios recently?" but then I realised that CPUID would be using the "CPUID" instruction that a lot of processors newer than 5 years old have and therefore would not be reliant on the BIOS (AFAIK) to identify the CPU.

Emyr · Post by **Emyr** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 7:27 am

I tried to find an updated BIOS when the problem first occurred, only I bout my board about a month after the latest BIOS was released, so I already had it!

Running slow might be good for my temps, but I'm not using a temp-sensitive fan controller, and my framerate is suffering!

Saribro · Post by **Saribro** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 9:10 am

Have you tried manually settings FSB speed in the BIOS? (I suppose it should be 166Mhz instead of 100?)

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:12 am

The multiplier is 10x on that chip, so the bus speed must be set at 100. If the CMOS isn't holding onto that, check the battery, it may be dead and resetting everytime.

Also doublecheck that the BIOS is updated and any jumpers on the board are set properly. If the bus speed is set correctly to 166 you will have the proper speed.

They may not have updated the BIOS to properly recognize the Semprons as such--give em a name like Athlon MP instead *shrug*

Emyr · Post by **Emyr** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:26 am

psiu wrote:The multiplier is 10x on that chip, so the bus speed must be set at 100. If the CMOS isn't holding onto that, check the battery, it may be dead and resetting everytime.

Also doublecheck that the BIOS is updated and any jumpers on the board are set properly. If the bus speed is set correctly to 166 you will have the proper speed.

They may not have updated the BIOS to properly recognize the Semprons as such--give em a name like Athlon MP instead *shrug*

YAY!

I disabled the BIOS auto-detection of clock and RAM speed, set them both to a nice 166MHz for 1:1, and voila:

+10,000 Clever points for PSIU

Which begs the question: If a Sempron and an MP both have the same Family and Ext. Family data, then would a clocked MP be detected as a Sempron?

And does this mean Semprons are suitable for multiprocessor boards?