I've been having some stability problems with my computer lately, and I've come to the conclusion that the CPU is going bad. The real problem, however, is that I cannot be certain. The symptom is occasional lockups of random processes. Memtest86+ shows a boatload of errors, but with the caveat that the problem could lie in my cpu's cache.
I put the memory into my wife's computer and ran Memtest86+ there and the memory tests just fine, but the bandwidth reported is much less (about a third less) than on my system, leading me to believe that her computer isn't running the memory at its supposedly rated speed. I'm not overclocking my system, or even manually setting the memory timings — I let the system read the SPD from the DIMMs and do its thing. But I guess my wife's el-cheapo Compaq intentionally cripples performance to help differentiate systems by price point.
So the basic theory is that if memory tests good in one system and bad in another then you probably have a bad cpu (cache). Or a bad motherboard. Or a bad P/S.
So where to start? And how much will I end up spending? My memory bandwidth discovery (crippled performance in the low price computer) makes me leery of just buying a cheap computer. If I'm going to spend money — a few hundred $mackeroo$ — then I want to end up with a faster system, not just a newer one.
Sadly, my mobo is just old enough that I can't seem to get new processors, or even refurbished processors, for it. That means a new mobo/cpu combination, and probably a new cooler as well. But I have to be careful, or I'll need new memory (e.g. DDR2), disk drives (SATA), video card (PCIe), and P/S (ATX2) at the same time. I don't have that many coins in the old change jar.
Sigh. This is turning into a big research project that I really wasn't ready for.
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2 comments:
safe to assume your power's good? i run all of my PCs through a UPS partially to ensure clean power (not common in TXU-land).
Yep, my peecee is on a UPS as well. But that doesn't guarantee that the PSU hasn't flaked out.
Also, I should clarify my subject line: it refers to the fact that new, low-cost computers, while superficially having better specs, appear to be crippled in sneaky ways, like not running the memory with the timings reported by the SPD.
So we've lowered the price, which seems like progress, but there are hidden costs which kinda take back some of the value you thought you were gaining.
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