Cu-mine Celeron 566 in PCChips M767V -> L2 cache disabled

Don't ask how to over-clock.
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CodeOptimist
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Hello,

I've got a Coppermine Celeron (566MHz) FCPGA processor in a PCChips M767V board using a Slot 1 to Socket 370 converter (slocket). Yes, I know - shame on me for using a PCChips motherboard :P It's the only available motherboard I have at the moment.

The board boots up fine (recognizing the chip as a "Pentium III 600MHz") and boots into Windows fine. Except, the L2 cache is disabled for some strange reason! (only the 32KB L1 cache is "reported")

I thought this might be because it's a slightly older board, so I found the latest BIOS for it (dated 04/02/99) and flashed it - no difference. Apparently the "great" fellows at PCChips didn't bother to add Cu-mine support in the BIOS :wink:

Is there anything I can do here, other than finding a different motherboard? I've looked through the CMOS setup menu just in case and have not found a "L2 Cache Disable" setting :) There were no problems with an older 400MHz P2 Celeron processor.

Help!
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
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This calls for checkup5:

http://www.digit-life.com/articles/cpuerrata/

In the case of AMI BIOSes, there's no other alternative.
CodeOptimist
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Thanks for the link. Let me see if I understand it right: I have to use the utility checkup5.exe to upgrade the CPU errata microcode stored in the BIOS. All I have to do to perform this is run checkup5.exe in a clean DOS enviroment?
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
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Exactly. Remember to use the updated pep.pdb file included in that page.
CodeOptimist
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Are you sure I need to use that file? I glanced at the readme for checkup5.exe and it said the external database was no longer required because the latest version is included in the executable.
ajzchips
El cheapo dude
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Good you've read. Last time I resorted to that site was a couple of years ago. OK, so you now know what to do :-)
CodeOptimist
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Ok, I'll let you know how it goes :)
CodeOptimist
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:( Checkup5 ran fine and applied a revision update, but it didn't help my problem. 32KB is still the reported size of my cache.

Maybe my motherboard just doesn't like CuMine processors?
CodeOptimist
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A thought: Is it possible that the L2 cache is actually being used, but just not reported? The computer seems to run fast enough (not much HD swapfile activity w/ 192MB of RAM). If the L2 cache was *really* disabled, how noticeable would the slowdown be?
Denniss
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Try CPU-Z and/or AIDA32

They might show L2-Cach enabled or disabled

I have a small old DOS-program checking memory activity and it will give out a graph .
You should see a drop at 32K and at 128K if L1/L2 are anabled and only at 32K if L2 is disabled
KachiWachi
The New Guy
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Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Denniss - I have that program...cachegraf. The graphing is pretty cool. :-)

You can also use cachechk or maybe ctcm, etc...
Rainbow
The UniFlasher
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Or CCT386.
Patched and tested BIOSes are at http://wims.rainbow-software.org
UniFlash - Flash anything anywhere
Sharedoc
Notebook Genius
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Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2003 8:46 pm
Location: Finland

L2 can be activated with Powerleap utility

http://www.powerleap.ca/Downloads/PLeap ... _0_0_1.exe
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