Problems running a multi-core on Windows

[zaneyard]

Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz Q6600
XFX nForce 680i LT SLI Motherboard
Cooler Master 1000 Watt
OCZ 2x 2gB ddr2 800
Evga nVidia Geforce GTX 280


I am helping my neighbor and friend build a new computer. Everything in the install has gone fine until we tried to install the OS.

The system would blue screen while loading the install disk for both XP Pro and Vista Home Premium 64-bit
After everything, the disk would no longer blue screen for both OS's when, and only when, the processor had only one core enabled. As long as the bios only has one core enabled, the system was able to install and run. Only problem is that paying for a quad core and only being able to use one core of it is kinda stupid.
Have run memtests and they have passed.

These are some of the specific blue screens.

Bad pool header
Config_Initialization_Failed
The driver is mismanaging system PTEs.
IRQL_NOT_OR_LESS_EQUAL
There was also one that told me to make sure if I had enough disk space.
One about trying to read write-only memory.
All of them include instructions on disabling caching and shadowing.

They will only appear if more than one core is enabled in the bios. Different screens will appear at times with no change in between.


Anyone have any idea what this might be? Intel wants me to drop the CPU into another known working motherboard compatible with quad-core. I don't have one laying around.
Still waiting back from XFX after posting the specific blue screens.
Personally I think XFX botched the mobo bios.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer help.

 

[theAnimal]

Have you checked for a BIOS update?

Have you installed all the latest drivers?

Is the RAM running at the specified voltage? OCZ tends to need more than default 1.8V.

If you've already done all that, format the drive, take out one stick of RAM, and try re-installing.

 

[zaneyard]

Have you checked for a BIOS update?

Have you installed all the latest drivers?

Is the RAM running at the specified voltage? OCZ tends to need more than default 1.8V.

If you've already done all that, format the drive, take out one stick of RAM, and try re-installing.

It's on the latest bios

Drivers are installed properly

RAM is at proper timing and voltage

Tried installing with one stick of RAM, wouldn't let me proceed w/o only one core enabled.

 

[theAnimal]

Do you have a different video card or RAM you could try?

Have you run Memtest+?

Anything else in the system such as a sound card?

 

[cfvh600]

Dodgy motherboard?

 

[zaneyard]

Do you have a different video card or RAM you could try?

Have you run Memtest+?

Anything else in the system such as a sound card?

I could try to swap out the Video Card, but that seems as if it is running perfectly.
I ran a 3Dmark test. solid FPS in the GPU tests. The two CPU tests failed at 0 FPS all the way through. (course the system is technically running with a 2.4 ghz single core)
have tried multiple memtests.
onboard sound.
really nothing else in the system.

Dodgy motherboard?

Dunno, thats what i was thinking, that the bios isnt supporting it correctly.

anyone else have any experience with the XFX 680i LT SLI?


also, blue screen list updated

 

[zaneyard]

Well, I think that our next plan of action is to RMA the mobo and try a new one. XFX is not responding to our ticket. Though I have a feeling this model mobo is just plain not working with the proc. for some reason. Lets hope our current one is just defective.

 

[_DW]

Do you know the proc is good? Could be a dodgy proc too

 

[zaneyard]

Do you know the proc is good? Could be a dodgy proc too

i have no idea, it seems like the proc. is fine though
idk if we can return the proc at all, i remember reading that there are no warranties on it.
if we get a new mobo and it still doesn't work, part of me still wants to think that the specific model is bad.

as far as the proc. i have no way of testing it. we dont have anything else running that supports quad core.

 

[Zorg]

Dump the POS mobo and get a P45.

nVidia, fix the 680i chipset!

 

[Shadow703793]

^+1. True that.

 

[night_wolf_in]

dude, did you try taking one ram stick out? vista will never install using 4GB of ram even if it is 64bit. it is the most common mistake do when using 4GB ram. im amazed nobody told you to try to install with only 2GB of rams.

 

[zaneyard]

dude, did you try taking one ram stick out? vista will never install using 4GB of ram even if it is 64bit. it is the most common mistake do when using 4GB ram. im amazed nobody told you to try to install with only 2GB of rams.

tried it already. like i said, the only thing that let me pass was to disable all the other cores.

 

[night_wolf_in]

oh, sorry. then ill have to agree with the guys. drop that mobo

 

[johnnyq1233]

If it installs with only one core enabled then I would suspect a faulty 2nd core...
Too bad you don't have a second board to try that cpu in..unless you have a friend that could check it out ....or maybe go to your local comp store and see if they can test the processor for you..(free of course!).
But in the end you've 1 of 2 things.....1. a faulty board. 2. a fauly cpu.
God luck and hopefully you'll get a fix soon!

 

[jerreece]

I have the same CPU, on the exact same Mobo and it works fine. However, I'm on my second motherboard. First mobo worked fine for a few months, then suddenly stopped working. Sent it in to XFX and they shipped me a brand new one.

The 680i chipset isn't great for quad core CPUs in general, especially for overclocking and such.

If you're waiting on XFX to respond to your ticket, keep in mind it takes them at least 24 hours to respond to anything you submit. When I went through my tickets with them, I'd post something and it literally took a minimum of 24 hours to get a response. If I replied minutes after they responded, it still took 24 hours to get another response.

Either your CPU is bunk, your motherboard is bunk, or your BIOS didn't flash properly onto the board and isn't right.

If I had the choice to build my system all over again, I'd get an Intel mobo (P45).

 

[zaneyard]

If it installs with only one core enabled then I would suspect a faulty 2nd core...
Too bad you don't have a second board to try that cpu in..unless you have a friend that could check it out ....or maybe go to your local comp store and see if they can test the processor for you..(free of course!).
But in the end you've 1 of 2 things.....1. a faulty board. 2. a fauly cpu.
God luck and hopefully you'll get a fix soon!

i tried different combinations of cores, unless only the first core is good and all of the other three cores are bad (doubt it) then i think there is something wrong with the mobo.
we are gonna send it in to tiger to get a new one, if that one doesn't work then we are gonna try to get them to give us credit and get an intel mobo.

I have the same CPU, on the exact same Mobo and it works fine. However, I'm on my second motherboard. First mobo worked fine for a few months, then suddenly stopped working. Sent it in to XFX and they shipped me a brand new one.

The 680i chipset isn't great for quad core CPUs in general, especially for overclocking and such.

If you're waiting on XFX to respond to your ticket, keep in mind it takes them at least 24 hours to respond to anything you submit. When I went through my tickets with them, I'd post something and it literally took a minimum of 24 hours to get a response. If I replied minutes after they responded, it still took 24 hours to get another response.

Either your CPU is bunk, your motherboard is bunk, or your BIOS didn't flash properly onto the board and isn't right.

If I had the choice to build my system all over again, I'd get an Intel mobo (P45).

yeah, its been about 2 full business days and they still haven't replied. we are still going for an RMA

thanks for all the help guys

 

[zaneyard]

We bought an Asus Intel P45 motherboard and got it from UPS today.
We will be finishing the hookups tonight and will report back with results. Cross our fingers that it boots!

 

[Shadow703793]

^Good luck

 

[cfvh600]

Hi zaneyard I hope it will work now!

 

[zaneyard]

... We got it all installed. Powered on, no video.
let it sit for a little bit, it would completely turn off and on by itself.
then we got it to show the bios and stuff for about 5 seconds before it went away again
at that same time, the USB keyboard would light up if you hit a key and then it would turn back off.
now all it does is sit at a black screen

im thinking that we fried that mobo somehow, and the old one we had was just kinda funky.

im gonna try and get the old one back in to make sure we didnt fry the gpu or proc.
i guess it just seems like we are gettting screwed with mobo's. i was actually thinking of bringing it in to the local computer place so they could swap **** out and isolate the problem.

thanks for all the help you guys have given us.

should i be making a new post, cause im technically on a different "problem" ? w/e i guess

 

[zaneyard]

well, after a bit of reading, it sounds like the mobo is improperly grounded to the chassis
ive been reading a bit about the grounding test and i think that is the next plan of action

anyone have any thoughts on improper installation of the mobo in the chassis actually ruining the mobo itself, or will it be fine if we re-install it properly?

 

[zaneyard]

ground test produced the same results as before

we brought it in to a computer place and they will do diagnostics on it. I'm thinking that we're gonna hear that it's a bad mobo, but if they can get the thing running with a different one, then we can just RMA the two old ones and sell them or something...
Should hear back from them next week or so.

Thanks for all the help again.

 

[cfvh600]

Hope you get it sorted zaneyard. Good luck.

 

[zaneyard]

Thanks