Processors
Intel® Processors, Tools, and Utilities
14506 Discussions

Pentium 4 not running full speed, cpu or motherboard issue?

idata
Employee
1,137 Views

I have an old system that I've just noticed isn't running the cpu at the speed it was designed.

CPU is a Pentium 4, 2.4GHz, and identified as such with the Intel cpu id program with following details:

===================================

Intel(R) Processor Identification Utility

 

Version: 4.22.20100224

 

Time Stamp: 2010/08/12 23:54:03

 

Operating System: 5.1-2600-Service Pack 3

 

Number of processors in system: 1

 

Current processor: # 1

 

Active cores per processor: 1

 

Disabled cores per processor: 0

 

Processor Name: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40B GHz

 

Type: 0

 

Family: F

 

Model: 2

 

Stepping: 7

 

Revision: 37

 

Maximum CPUID Level: 2

 

L1 Trace Cache: 12 Kµops

 

L1 Data Cache: 8 KB

 

L2 Cache: 512 KB

 

Packaging: FC-PGA2

 

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep(R) Technology: No

 

MMX(TM): Yes

 

Intel(R) SSE: Yes

 

Intel(R) SSE2: Yes

 

Intel(R) SSE3: No

 

Intel(R) SSE4: No

 

Enhanced Halt State: No

 

Execute Disable Bit: No

 

Intel(R) Hyper-Threading Technology: No

 

Intel(R) 64 Architecture: No

 

Intel(R) Virtualization Technology: No

 

Expected Processor Frequency: 2.40 GHz

 

Reported Processor Frequency: 1.80 GHz

 

Expected System Bus Frequency: 533 MHz

 

Reported System Bus Frequency: 400 MHz

===================================

Note that the expected FSB is 533, but it's running at 400, and this is apparently the reason it's running at 1.8GHz vs. the rated 2.4.

Motherboard is an ECS P4VXASD2+

BIOS is latest available for it, and while I've had this since new, never actually noticed or checked to see if it ever ran at 2.4GHz, I suspect not.

BIOS shows it running with 400MHz FSB, but it also says the cpu is Frequency LOCKED, so cannot change the FSB setting to 533, even though all the specs say the motherboard supports 533.

Question is, is this a CPU issue (locked at 400MHz FSB?), or a motherboard issue mis-recognizing the cpu as being locked and set to run at 400MHz instead of 533?

Thanks for any tips.

Rich

0 Kudos
2 Replies
idata
Employee
292 Views

Hello;

The problem can be related with a desktop board and processor compatibility issue, is not common to have a 'locked' option under the processor in BIOS, it can be that the desktop board can run your processor at 400 mhz only, I do recommend to contact the desktop board manufacturer for any BIOS settings that you may need to change.

Also, if you need to determine that your processor is properly detected by your desktop board I recommend you to download and the install the Intel(R) processor Identification utilty, you can download this application at the following url:

http://www.intel.com/support/processors/tools/piu/ http://www.intel.com/support/processors/tools/piu/

idata
Employee
292 Views

Thank you very much. I already ran the processor ID utility from Intel and it correctly identifies the processor, and is what showed it was running with a 400MHz FSB, hence my query.

I've got an inquiry at the mbd mfg as well.

Thanks!

0 Kudos
Reply