# Quad core showing one core? (stumped)



## jacetech (Dec 5, 2009)

So Ill include system specs in the end but heres the deal.
I have a quad core proc that I was playing around with overclocking. I've pushed this proc from 2.6 to 3.02 before and ran prime95 for 6 successful hours and ran with those settings for a while. Approximately three months later I decided I wanted to see if i could push the clock a little further by upping the voltage a little. During the previous process I had lowered the voltage until the system didn't boot then upped it enough to make it boot just to test power consumption with the new 3.02 clock. All ran fine with that voltage and I was fairly satisfied with the clock so never pushed any further. Well during the first overclocking I had realized that my motherboard didnt have an obvious multiplier. Those familiar with the evga 730a Board will understand what I'm referring to. This time around upon trying to change the clock I had forgotten what specific setting needed to be toyed with to change the clock on the cpu. I decided to get a little more familiar with my bios did some research toyed with the voltages a little bit but nothing that could do any damage. Long story short I figured out How to change the clock via some CPUFID hexi decimal setting. At this point I had reset bios, and the procs default 2.6 so I pushed it to 3.0 just to get familiar with the hexi system. Upon boot, I realized during the running of prime that it was testing as If I've only got a single core proc. And in Task mgr it reads it as a single core. I checked system settings, its reading proc just fine. I checked all drivers everything looks solid. Here is a list of things that I've done to diag the problem, unfortunately with no luck 

Reinstalled ALL mobo drivers
Reset, pulled battery, and even flashed bios
Rolled back to sp1 in vista

The few things I havnt tried include reinstalling the o.s. and reseating the proc.

Here are the system specs

Evga 730a mobo Newest bios update
amd phenom 9950 quad stock 2.6 now at 3.0
8 gigs ddr2 ram
gtx260
raid stripe 7400 rpm 500g sata hdd
vista 64x sp1 (rolled back because this was a recent change that could have contributed, unfortunately it was a no go)

Im afraid its possible that during the over clock and voltage changes I burned my other three physical cores. But am not recieving any cpu errors or crashes of any kind. I'm wondering If its possible the mobo is undervolting my proc at default bios and only able to run 1 of the 4 cores. Or even better wondering if there is a setting of some kind in the 730a bios that allows for core control..


Any Ideas anyone?


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## idtent (Aug 13, 2003)

Check to see if you have hyperthreading or some other setting in the bios. I am not sure what it is called, but should be in your BIOS somewhere..


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## jacetech (Dec 5, 2009)

Yeah...uh hyperthreading is an intel thing.....And I've played with alot of bios settings. Seeing as it is "BIOS" there are hundreds of options....Sooo if you could give me a name....that would be chill 


-Jace:tongue:


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

It won't be in there because this is an AMD processor.

Overclocking is risky business and it's possible that the chip is bad now.


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## idtent (Aug 13, 2003)

Sorry about the intel lingo.... I don't know what AMD calls it, but it should be similiar.


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

You mean HyperTransport?


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## Aus_Karlos (Mar 10, 2007)

In the BIOS make sure you haven't set the option "CPU Cores Enabled" to 1 (Default = Enabled). Its found in MB Intelligent Tweaker > Advanced CPU features. It will be there if your BIOS supports this feature. 
Setting it to 1 = 1 Core, 2 = 2 Cores, 3 = 3 Cores, Enabled = All cores.


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## jacetech (Dec 5, 2009)

So that definitely didnt help. I didnt find anything. hahaha
Anyone here familiar with this board and possibly this situation?


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## Aus_Karlos (Mar 10, 2007)

The CPUFID is equivalent/similar to the CPU multi, AMD just calls it differently.
The Hex goes from 0000 - 0007 (Defalt = 0006)
What voltages where you running the processor at and what was the default?
Do you have "AMD C1E Support" Disabled. This can sometimes interfere with the OC.

Did you change any of the following settings aswell.
CPU-NB DID
CPU-NB FID
CPU-NB VID
CPU DID
CPU VID


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## jacetech (Dec 5, 2009)

It's hard to know without looking at my bios while explaining it in words, however After disabling cool and quiet and getting access to the above mentioned options. Including the cpufid. The only option I played with was the cpufid. After a couple attempts and not understanding the manor in which it wanted input upon reboot bios would let me know there was a cpu error and the system is running in safe mode. After resetting bios and learning that it wanted input ranging from 0a-0 insert variable here. It is now set at 0e which pushes the proc to 3.0
As far as I know the c1 option is disabled. 
my only concern is the safemode description given by bios at the time. But because I didnt check after Im not sure thats when the issue occured. I hadnt messed to much with voltages but I had taken CPU VOLTAGE and turned it to its lowest to find out where the systems so called "Sweet spot" was and where it would boot. After finding that it would boot on the lowest setting I continued from there. However it is now on auto after finding out the cores had been disabled or damaged or whatever the case may be the only thing that is not default like Previously mentioned is the cpufid which is currently set to 0e to make up partially for the performance loss of the missing three cores.


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## Aus_Karlos (Mar 10, 2007)

Your setting the CPUFID too high.
These are the Hex to decimal conversions 
* 00 = x4
* 01 = x5
* 02 = x6
* 03 = x7
* 04 = x8
* 05 = x9
* 06 = x10
* 07 = x11
* 08 = x12
* 09 = x13
* 0A = x14
* 0B = x15
* 0C = x16
* 0D = x17
* 0E = x18
ect...

Then to calculate the CPU speed it is CPUFID / CPU-NB DID X Reference Clock = CPU clock speed.
So you should have the following
CPU Clock = 18 / 1 X 200 = 3600 (If your Reference clock is at 200mhz)
NB Stroke = 18 X 200 = 3600
HT Link = 200 X 5 = 1000

I think you have this..
CPU Clock = 18 / 1 X 166 = 3000
NB Stroke = 18 x 166 = 3000
HT Link = 166 X 5 = 830

Dont increase speed if your CPU is damaged.. You'll end up frying it even more.
What i recommend you doing first is go into the BIOS and hit "Load Fail-Safe Defaults". Save and exit the BIOS and enter windows to check that all cores are back. Fail-Safe will load basic CPU settings with no power-save features or HyperTransport (i think). Once you have confirmed all cores are back enter BIOS and load "Optimised Defaults", save and exit then boot to windows.


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## jacetech (Dec 5, 2009)

Defaults are already returned man, was the first thing I tried when I learned about the core variation. Unfortunately, cores 2 3 and 4 never returned


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## Aus_Karlos (Mar 10, 2007)

Do you have another motherboard in your possession that supports this CPU? If you do, swap the CPU into the other M/B and clear CMOS before you boot. Then check to see if all cores are present.


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## jacetech (Dec 5, 2009)

Hahaa I love it! Someone whos diagnostic skills and strategies are on a similar level to mine. I've gotten to that conclusion already to test the board and cpu. Unfortunately I posses neither another multicore am2+ or another amd2 socket board. 
The rest of my house consists of intel users and more up to date socket types suchas the am3+


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## jacetech (Dec 5, 2009)

Done some research and was wondering if anyone was familiar with an option in bios that allows core control? Turning on and off certain cores persay


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## jacetech (Dec 5, 2009)

YAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAYYAYAYAYAYy I fixeded it 
It was operating system Installed and activated 7 and it fixed my problem! you have no idea how sweet it is to have your computer running on all four legs after being used to hobbeling pirate style on one for like 2 months 

Windows seven actually fixed a few of my other problems as well O.O
and my core temp dropped from 32 to 27 just by installing the o.s.
I may have just become a 7 believer, ahahaha Think someone just rolled over in their grave 

Thanks guys for all of your help, youll be seeing me around the forums I'm sure of it. As I am not done overclocking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


WOOOHOOOO:grin: 
File attached btw


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