Help me with a Athlon 64 x2 3800+

sloeer · Post by **sloeer** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 11:48 am

I got an Asrock dual sata2 socket 939 motherboard and an Athlon 64 x2 3800+ 2GHz 'Manchester'-core. I wanna use it in a home server but I got some problems.
No matter what I can't get the the system below about 90W. A P3 Tualatin based system with the same hd/gfx/nic runs around 65W. The A64 runs at 165W full load/boot and drops to 90W idle. This is with Cool n' quiet enabled since I cannot get it to boot below 1.1V (c n'c idle voltage btw), 1.075V (c n' c off) fails even at 720MHz. I have limited possibilities to experiment with different components. Is there any reason to continue? Will the athlon 64 ever beat the P3? Have I missed some BIOS setting? Maybe a different motherboard? Single core CPU?

Thanks

Vicotnik · Post by **Vicotnik** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 1:32 pm

I cannot find any specifications for that ULi chipset right now but I should think it's a bit of a power hog.

yoitsmeremember · Post by **yoitsmeremember** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:49 am

If you want better control of your timings, you can try disabling C'n'Q and running CrystalCUPID (if your mobo supports it), which might let you clock it lower than C'n'Q does. Be careful with it though, as if you set your multiplier too low it can lock up your system (no permanent damage, at least for me, just reboot).

washu · Post by **washu** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:09 am

If you are using XP do you have the Cool n' quiet driver installed and the correct power setting?

Have you used CPUz or similar to verify that the clock is going down?

I got my 95W TDP Athlon 64 (but single core) at about 60W idle from the wall. CPU clock was 1 GHz when idle.

Klusu · Post by **Klusu** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:49 am

Idle CPU should draw about 8W (1.1V, 1GHz)
Chipset-perhaps 10W
What else? Graphic card?
How do you measure 90W?

sloeer · Post by **sloeer** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:11 am

Thanks for all the response.

The reading at the wall, with a cheap power meter, drops from 165W to ~90W when WinXP has finished booting, so I presume Cn'C works. I tried rmclock, and it says that Cn'C works and the multiplier has dropped.

The system only contains cpu+motherboard+ram (tried 1-4 sticks, about 7W drop with 1 vs 4)+120gb IDE seagate+intel pro1000+old PCI matrox 8MB gfx (a really old one without HS or fan). So, the system is'nt very heavy

I should say that it's running from an old, crappy 200 or 250W PSU. I tried another, equally crappy, and it made things 10W worse.

What do you make of the CPU? It seems unlikely that at 1.1V it's is rock stable but 1.075V is impossible even at 720MHz. Could I have gotten one that just barely passed the factory tests?

Klusu · Post by **Klusu** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 12:46 pm

I guess unstable is your MB, not the CPU.
Do you use DDR400? Try at 333, may improve stability.
Good PSU could make the difference, too.
And, I guess, your meter measures VA, not W.

sloeer · Post by **sloeer** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:07 am

I realize now after reading one of the stickies that my X2 manchester cpu is vcore locked. Nothing below 1.1V works. I'll maybe try a 3500+ single core, otherwise I'll sell everthing. I noticed that this kind of old crap is going for quite alot on some auction sites. Hopefully I'll be able to buy a mini-itx atom or some cheap matx+celeron system for the money.

RedAE102 · Post by **RedAE102** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 5:44 pm

sloeer wrote:I realize now after reading one of the stickies that my X2 manchester cpu is vcore locked. Nothing below 1.1V works. I'll maybe try a 3500+ single core, otherwise I'll sell everthing.

Socket 754 and 939 Venice single cores also suffer from this 1.1V lower limit lock, including my 754 3400+, and the 939 3200+ in my friend's HP laptop. (yes, HP had the brains to put a DESKTOP Athlon 64 in a laptop at one point in time... this one came paired with an ATI Radeon Xpress 200 chipset).