CPU overheating may cause Vcore to raise?

mormakil · Post by **mormakil** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 10:24 am

My Zalman 6000cu clip started to show it weakness some days ago. I notice that suddenly my cpu temps rise 10 degrees, I believe cause by a bad contact between the die and the hs. I tried reseating it, changing the clip (but it won't ever fit, it was bended even if I haven't used it before), but the hs won't fit firmly. I had temps of 72 degrees at load and I made the mistake of checking hs sujection while the pc on, so I briefly separate the hs just enough to cause a shutdown due to cpu overheating (BIOS says it shutdowns automaticly over 110º). I guess that saved my 2500 Barton, but I decided to change my heatsink.

I bought a MCX-462-V and after a first bad mounting which result in higher than normal temps, I reseated it. The temps now are within a safe margin but not that good, right now I'm having 49º when folding with a 92mm L1A at 1900rpm.

But the most weird thing is yet to come. Bios reports a Vcore voltage of 1.85V !! Shouldn't stock Barton 2500 Vcore be 1.65V? I believe I had not this vcore before, I should have notice. Vcore is now at Auto setup in Bios and trying a 5% increase (just to see if auto setting is rising vcore from stock) make it worse, 1.95V. How can this happen? Maybe is related to the overheating and thus the cpu needing more power to be stable? Something damaged on the MB?

I believe temps are higher than should be because of this Vcore.

Any advice?

mormakil · Post by **mormakil** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 10:39 am

It gets even worse. I went away for a while to see the news (terrible terrorist attack here in Madrid). When I went back, I couldn't believe it, Vcore was now 1.65 and temp were nearly 10 degrees lower. But it didn't last long, I was watching at EasyTune4 and suddenly Vcore raise again to 1.85 flip to and from 1.65 a couple of times, and now it's at 1.85 again.

I'll go away for a while to see what happens then, if it's related to something, don't know. Any help?

dukla2000 · Post by **dukla2000** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 12:19 pm

I dont have any good ideas: normally reporting (e.g. in MBM) needs to be taken with common sense about what is reasonable, except you are seeing (extreme) temp & VCore fluctuations. Yup, temp is directly proportional to VCore.

I can't think of any particular damage that could happen as a result of your experiments. Actually, my instinct would be the mobo has a problem rather than the CPU. Can you set in the BIOS (or jumper) the absolute VCore, rather than 'auto'?

And just cause I saw this incredible 'sight' today and had to post it somewhere, I hope your thermal paste does not look like this:

(The guy doing the review posts the picture without comment, let alone an apology!!!)

mormakil · Post by **mormakil** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:27 pm

No manual vcore setup option in this motherboard, and setting a % increase, increase over the auto voltage it seems.

How does the MB knows the vcore of the cpu? Maybe as result of the overheating the cpu needs more vcore to be stable and reports to the motherboard somehow?? or the motherboard notice and automaticly raise the vcore. I'm having 1.9V in some moments.

dukla2000 · Post by **dukla2000** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 2:53 pm

mormakil wrote:How does the MB knows the vcore of the cpu?

It is based on how the 'bridges' on the CPU are jumpered. The CPU passes a particular pattern of highs/lows on certain pins and the mobo is then expected to set that voltage.

Probably not the perfect description

Another site that may help explain this is OCInside. Not sure that this link is the best page to start from but basically that tool/page will show you how to force certain voltages.

But that is why I figure it is more likely the mobo in trouble: although you describe the CPU being 'victim' of your playing, I can't imagine things could be that bad to change what should be a static set of connections on the CPU into a variable set. However if the mobo also took some punishment, then certainly it does have the ability to vary the VCore dynamically and it may have gone 'mad'?

NullObject · Post by **NullObject** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:04 pm

mormakil wrote:It gets even worse. I went away for a while to see the news (terrible terrorist attack here in Madrid). When I went back, I couldn't believe it, Vcore was now 1.65 and temp were nearly 10 degrees lower. But it didn't last long, I was watching at EasyTune4 and suddenly Vcore raise again to 1.85 flip to and from 1.65 a couple of times, and now it's at 1.85 again. I'll go away for a while to see what happens then, if it's related to something, don't know. Any help?

Off topic but,
It is good to hear that you weren't one of the victims of that terrible attack. It was sad for me to hear the news and hear of the damage they have done to both the people and the subway system. I really like Madrid and the people there. I found the system a nice and convenient way to get around.

Again glad to hear that you are ok and I hope anyone else from Madrid here is fine too.