TROUBLESHOOTING

Updated 05/11/02 by Tim B @ OCWorkbench.com

1. Why is my system unstable at 133/133 ? How do I resolve unstability at 133/133 ?

If you are experiencing the instability when running your XP processors or Athlon model C (e.g. Athlon 1.33G, 1.4G), there are various reasons that could lead to instability.

The first probably reason is due to heat problems. Try testing the system outside the case and see if the system runs fine. Monitor the CPU temperature from BIOS and see if it exceeds 60 Deg Celsius.

Next, check your CPU heatsink and make sure it is spec. up to support your processor. Certain older coolers can support up to TB 1.2G. This sort of heatsink will not be good enough for your athlonXP or 1.33G and above processors.

The other possibility is due to the chipset's heatsink. If you remove the heatsink, you will notice that a double sided tape is used instead of thermal paste. The double sided tape is a bad conductor of heat and it will trap the heat of the chipset (that is why when you touch the heatsink, it feels cool). Remove the tape and apply thermal paste onto the surface of the heatsink and attach the heatsink by using two droplets of super glue on two diagnoal corners of the chipset (it might be difficult for you to remove the heatsink, so do it carefully).

The third possible problem could be due to RAM used. It is advisable to try out with the minimum sticks of ram and increase gradually. The best is to start with 1 stick. If after adding another stick of RAM the system is still unstable, the last possibility is your PSU.

For a description on how PSU affects system stability, please read PSU FAQ

If you have tried all the above methods and none works, you might have gotten a bad board. Please RMA the board.