I recently switched from AMD Athlon 1500+ to AMD Athlon 3000+. My motherboard is Asus A7A266 and it doesn't support the new processor fully, so it's recognized as 2100+ in Windows and it's running at about 2,1 GHz.
I also flashed my BIOS to version 1012.

Now I've been having strange freezing and blue screens. Windows just freezes totally, even the mouse freezes. Ctrl+Alt+Del does nothing, but machine reset works. Explorer used to crash all the time yesterday, it hasn't crashed today yet.
Today I got another BSOD very suddenly, I was just browsing a forum and there weren't anything that would stress the CPU or video card at all, not even pictures. The BSOD was
"DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" and it stated nv4_mini.sys.
I couldn't write the whole error down because the blue screen was somehow too big for my screen and the edges were cut out.

Is the new (used) CPU the culprit here? How can I fix the problem? Should I switch back to my 1.3GHz processor? Is there a free program for benchmarking the processor to see if it's ok?

After you flash a MBoard BIOS you MUST enter the BIOS screens and reset all necessary values. Did you do that? Are you sure the processor is compatible with your MBoard?

Also sounds like you don't have the MBoard chipset and graphic drivers installed.

Do you have onboard graphics?

Go to Event Viewer under Administrative tools to find out more info about the BSOD. It will list all of the numbers there. I'm not sure what you mean by "it doesn't support the new processor *fully*". Are you saying that it supports the AMD Athlon 1500, but not the AMD Athlon 3000 ?

I said it's not "fully" compatible because I can't use the full speed of the processor. I found the optimal frequency/multiplier options from internet and tried those on BIOS, but the computer gave me an error. This combination I now have is the highest frequency I can get, any more and there's an error. :/ The motherboard should be compatible with 3000+ processor (I think I read about it somewhere) but it just isn't. Maybe something else on my system is conflicting with it?

I found some error codes for today and many for yesterday, most of them were about explorer.exe and ntdll.dll:

"Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2900.2180, faulting module ntdll.dll, version 5.1.2600.2180, fault address 0x00018fea." (this had happened many times)

"Faulting application opera.exe, version 9.50.10081.0, faulting module npswf32.dll, version 9.0.124.0, fault address 0x00087a58."

I also found this odd error which had happened weeks ago (I didn't have problems then):
"An error was detected on device \Device\Harddisk4\D during a paging operation."

I ran diagnostics (HotCPU tester Pro Lite edition 4.3) and all other tests were ok except:

HD: File Exception error:All or part of the path is invalid: CPU 0: an unnamed file contains an invalid path.

What does all this mean?

It's odd that the computer freezes when doing almost nothing. I'd expect it to freeze when doing these performance tests, if the CPU is faulty, but it hasn't frozen in about two hours now, while I've been doing various benchmarking tests.

I have external graphics card, Nvidia GeForce Ti 4600 128 Mb. I haven't had any problems with it.

Lightforce

You didn't respond to most of my points.

There were two versions of Athlon XP 3000+ processors.

One ran at 2100MHz using a 400FSB and 10.5x multiplier.

The other one ran at 2167MHz using a 333FSB and 13x multiplier.

Your MBoard is a 266FSB board.

Below is a link to show the different chips.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...

It seems that this mobo doesn't support this CPU:
"Board revision 1.10 with bios 1012 up to
Athlon Thoroughbred Model 8 XP 2600+ (266 MHz FSB)
or Athlon Thorton Model 10 XP 2400+ (266 MHz FSB)."

This CPU (AMD Athlon Barton 3000+) is running as 2100+ now, can it work that way or do I have to switch back to 1500+?

I have reseted the bios settings when I installed the CPU (with help of my computer-geek boyfriend) and I have all necessary drivers installed.

After all, this was just a test. I wasn't planning on upgrading my CPU but then I found this one that didn't cost almost anything and decided to try an upgrade.

Funny, I've had no crashes today since the one hours ago. Yesterday was a pain.

Everest Home edition says my CPU temperature is 49 degrees Celsius, is that much?

49C is not high but the number could be better. If using the same HS/fan from the slower chip the HS/fan might be undersized. Did you apply new thermal paste?

There is a Beta 1013 BIOS file at the ASUS site but I don't know what improvements might be gained.

"This CPU (AMD Athlon Barton 3000+) is running as 2100+ now, can it work that way or do I have to switch back to 1500+"?

No, you don't have to use setting that applied to your other CPU.

If memory serves me correctly the multiplier on your CPU should be locked.

Do you have any FSB options higher than 266?

The processor is the one running 2167MHz using a 333FSB 13x multiplier (AXDA3000DKV4D).

I didn't apply any thermal paste because we were out of it, I must buy new one and apply it.
My old CPU 1500+ was running about 40 degrees Celsius with the same heatsink and fan.

The BIOS gave me odd options before I flashed the BIOS. After that there were the multiplier options I needed, but I couldn't apply the ones required because it would give me an error and the computer wouldn't go anywhere. That's why the CPU is acting as 2100+ now, it's the only working combination of frequency and multiplier.

What I meant with switching back to 1500+ was, should I concretely remove the 3000+ and reinstall the old 1500+ or is this system stable?
Are my problems really CPU related or is something else wrong?

Surprisingly, Opera crashed again minutes ago with the same error log as stated before. In addition I am now unable to copy+paste, whenever I paste it only gives me a row of empty spaces.

I must check the FSB options.

What are your current settings in the BIOS for FSB?

What RAM are you using? If you try to run at 333FSB, if that setting is available, with PC2100 RAM is isn't going to POST.

If you have some higher setting options then play a bit. If you get to where it won't boot then clear the CMOS and then immediately upon the next boot, enter the BIOS and reset values using lower settings.

I have two DDR RAM sticks, one 1Gb Kingston and one 256 Mb something. They have been working fine since last year and I haven't taken them off since.

This is what I found in BIOS (it isn't very familiar to me...):
CPU Speed: Manual, other options: 1300MHz, 1733MHz.
CPU Frequency Multiplier: 160/40 (other options from 100/33 to 166/42)
PCI Frequency: 13.0x (other options: 13.5x, 14.0x, 15.0x, 16.0x, 16.5x, 17.0x, 18.0x)

Sorry if I messed this up, my notes were bad. :/
I tried 13.0x with 166/42 and that didn't work, neither did some lower frequencies with 13.0x. The 160/40 was the highest frequency that booted normally.

I'm not sure if any of these is the FSB, I didn't find anything like that in BIOS.

About clearing the CMOS, I have no idea about that...

The following errors from your post appear to be Internet Browser errors. What browser are you running? IE (what Version?) Opera same question.

""Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2900.2180, faulting module ntdll.dll, version 5.1.2600.2180, fault address 0x00018fea." (this had happened many times)

"Faulting application opera.exe, version 9.50.10081.0, faulting module npswf32.dll, version 9.0.124.0, fault address 0x00087a58."

Look here for "npswf32.dll"

http://www.programchecker.com/file/...

"DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" and it stated nv4_mini.sys.

This appears to be an Nvidia Driver issue. Check the link below

http://forums.tweakguides.com/showt...

So my question would be why are you testing a CPU that you know is obviously not supported to resolve Video and Web Browser issues.

This info derived by google searchs using exact info you provided in your post.

Fix Hardware problems first, then worry about software.

There is nothing to learn from someone who already agrees with you.

I only posted the info about my CPU because these problems started after installing the 3000+ CPU.
I have the latest version of Opera (9.51), Flash player and such. I only use Opera. My IE is version 6, but I don't use it.
I don't have the latest drivers for my video card because some of my games won't work with the new drivers. I don't remember the version number, but it was something 6x.xx.

I was trying to find out IF the new CPU is making these errors appear or is there something else. It's very odd that these problems started after the CPU installation.

Notice that the first error is EXPLORER.EXE, not IEXPLORE.EXE so it's not an IE error but Windows Explorer related.

AMD processors don't really have a FSB. I'm much more familiar with all of this for Intel cpu's. I'm sure jam will chime in on this with a lot more details soon.

kx5m2g

FYI, the 32 bit versions of Athlon XPs do have FSB settings.

Lightforce

The settings like 160/40 are for the FSB and the PCI bus. Running the PCI bus out of spec can cause errors. The PCI bus is 33MHz. Most MBoards of your era have no lock on the PCI bus. You also have an AGP video card, I assume. The AGP bus is an extension of the PCI bus so when you have the PCI bus set to 40 you are running the video card at 80 instead of 66MHz.

Those settings are not something the inexperienced should run at.

I am not familiar with your particular BIOS settings so I can't say if it would be possible to lock the PCI bus.

See if you can set to 166/33 - 2167/ @13x. Those settings would be the stock settings for that CPU.

If you have everest look under the memory listings for SPD and see what the RAM sticks are. If they are both at least 333 speed (PC2700).

Ok, thanks a lot for clearing that PCI bus thing up! I really didn't know what those numbers meant.
I hope that was the problem causing this mess.

BIOS didn't have a setting for 166/33, there was only 133/33 and 100/33. For now I set the CPU speed from manual to 1733MHz to see if the problem really was the PCI speed.

Maybe I could try different multipliers with 133/33 to get more from the CPU? Can it harm my system or the CPU?

I'm really a newbie when it comes to CPU installing and such though I've been using computers for many years. BIOS is still a bit confusing to me.

For some reason Everest refuses to show the RAM SPD info, I could access it some time ago but now there's nothing.

When using non standard settings you could end up with a no POST situation. That would require that you clear the CMOS. That can be done with the jumper marked clrcmos or by removing the MBoard battery for a bit. Either method will work. Be sure to uplug the computer or shutoff the PSU if so equipped. Exercise static discharge precautions.

If you want to play with the settings I suggest that when making changes you boot directly into the BIOS and monitor the temperatures for a bit then try to boot into Windows. You can't really hurt anything but you should have thermal paste on the CPU.

If might be better off starting a new thread in the overclocking forum here to find the best way to get more out of that chip. As I said, get thermal paste on there. Clean off with alcohol and apply a small amount about the size of a rice grain to the center of the CPU.

Ok, I might try that if I have time. There has been no crashes or BSODs today after I changed that setting, so I am happy with this for now. :)

STOP errors such as that for IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL are generated by the operating system, 2000 or higher, not the mboard.

You can get the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error from many causes, but sometimes it can be just because the ram module contacts are not getting a good connection - this worked for me when I got that error:

A common thing that can happen with ram, even ram that worked fine previously, is the ram has, or has developed, a poor connection in it's slot(s).
This usually happens a long time after the ram was installed, but it can happen with new ram, or after moving the computer case from one place to another, and I've had even new modules that needed to have their contacts cleaned.

See response 2 in this - try cleaning the contacts on the ram modules, and making sure the modules are properly seated:
http://www.computing.net/hardware/w...
...

If you try that and that doesn't help, you can also get that error if one or more of the ram modules you're trying to use is incompatible with the mboard chipset - in that case you can certainly have ram errors. Sometimes One or all modules may work fine by themselves, but they do not work properly in ombo with certain other modules. In that case, does it have the same ram in it that was in it when the mboard was working fine? If it doesn't change the ram back to the way it was if you still have the module(s) and the problem will probably go away.

e.g. A recent example.
Just the other day I discovered this problem on someone else's computer. When one of the 2 128mb modules - I'll refer to it as the problem module - initially installed is installed with the other 128mb module that was also in the mboard, or if that one problem module is installed along with other 128mb modules I have, when you run a memory test, there are ram errors for certain tests, varying from about 40 to over a thousand errors per set of 6 tests. Both of the modules that were in the computer test fine by themslves - most of the other modules I have do too. Ram errors are produced when ANY of 128mb modules are installed in combo with the one problem module that was initially in the mboard, on that mboard.
However, that same problem 128mb module works fine in combo with a 16 chip 256mb module I have, on that mboard, and the problem module works fine in combo with almost any module on a different mboard with a different main chipset, and some modules I have work fine in combo on the other guy's mboard, so there is nothing wrong with the problem module, and the mboard it was originally in.

With the two ram modules originally in the mboard are installed, the ram errors are on the low end - e.g. about 40 errors for the 6 test set I used. Windows still worked, but some things were getting corrupted - e.g. a blank Task Manager window, improper colors on some screens in Windows, different text font sizes on the same screen. He was lately occasionally getting blue screens with various STOP errors while booting, including I saw IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL a couple of times myself. I tried cleaning the ram contacts but that did not help. I took the computer home and got no blue screens at all - manufacturer's diagnostics find nothing wrong with the hard drive - the power supply is fine - later on I discovered this problem.
I installed the problem module along with the 16 chip module it works fine in combo with, re-installed Windows, and that system and windows has been fine since.

.....

"After you flash a MBoard BIOS you MUST enter the BIOS screens and reset all necessary values."

What you are supposed to do is load bios defaults, of any kind, after you flash the bios,. If there is one for Optimized defaults or similar, use that. If you had read the manufacturer's directions about how to go about flashing the bios, you are almost always told to do so!!

Why should you do that?

The contents of the cmos part of the bios are usually not cleared automatically when you flash the bios. If the bios version you flashed with is not the same as the version it had before, at least some of the settings in the cmos, which includes what you see in Setup, will likely not work properly.
Loading bios defaults makes sure the contents of the cmos and what you see in Setup are matched to your bios version.