CPU Speed/Repair problem.

The_Scary_Man

Hi,
My PC packed up last week so I brought it into a PC shop to get it sorted, they tolds me that my Mainboard was fried and I needed another one. So I said OK and asked them to put in a 1.7 Ghz Athlon processor while they were at it.
I was quoted a price of €591, so I said go ahead.
When I got the PC back my GeForce 2 mx graphics card wasn't in it, he told me that the mainboard he put in didn't have an AGP slot in it.
I said that I was'nt too happy about this and he said that he would give me a PCI card, I said ok simply for the sake of not wanting any more hassle even though I wasn't too happy about it.
When I got home I did a check with SiSoft and the CPU test told me that there was a 1.1Ghz athlon processor in the machine. I rang him up and told him this and he said sorry that there had been a mistake and to bring it in a week later when he had the 1.7Ghz processor.
I brought it in after he rang me to say he had the parts. I just collected it again and did the SiSoft test and it tells me that there is a 1.15Ghz processor in the machine, I then tested it with TweakMe Gold and this also told me that I had a 1.15Ghz processor.
I rang him back and he said that the guy who installed the processor is adamant that he put in a 1.8Ghz processor.
My question is, before I go kicking up sh1t is there any chance that I have a 1.8Ghz processor in my machine and the utilities aren't reading it properly?
He actually did put a new mainboard witha an AGP slot in and put in my own graphics card back in.
I don't want to name the shop but if he is trying to fvck me over I will name them just to save others the hassle.

Ta,

Scary

JustHalf

Alright, here's what I think happened.

First of all, you probably shouldn't have gone for a board without AGP. Second of all, looks like you have an Athlon XP 1700+ (which runs at 1.47GHz) running on a 100MHz bus (as opposed to the bus speed it should be running on, which is 133MHz)... ie, 3/4's the speed.

Here's how this could be the case:

The XP 1700+ runs at 1.47GHz.

1.47GHz * (3/4) = 1.1025GHz

Check your FSB speed in the BIOS, and I reckon it'll turn out as 100. Hopefully you can change this to 133.

If you don't know how to do this, tell me the make and model of the motherboard and I can find out for you.

The_Scary_Man

Thanks for that info. The FSB speed is set at 100MHz.

The board is a SOYO K7VTAPRO-2AA6 with a VIA KT133 chipset.

Thanks for the help.

Quigs Snr

First off you paid far too much for far too little. The fact that the idiot did not think to set the correct FSB for your CPU suggests he is incompetent in the extreme.

Secondly, by accepting a non-agp board you have ensured that you will be upgrading the MB again very soon. If you can take it back to this clown and demand a decent board.

JustHalf

As far as Soyousa.com are concerned, that board doesn't exist. I can't find any K7VTA boards there without AGP.

Are you sure you're not talking about any of these?

http://www.soyousa.com/products/proddesc.php?id=44
http://www.soyousa.com/products/proddesc.php?id=43
http://www.soyousa.com/products/proddesc.php?id=42
http://www.soyousa.com/products/proddesc.php?id=41

Gerry

Its quite pointless, if the board has a kt133 chipset, it won't run at 133, and you should get back to the shop and point it out. This isn't the first time I've heard of this either.

note that Scary Man did say

"He actually did put a new mainboard witha an AGP slot in and put in my own graphics card back in. "

So the agp issue is irrelevant, but the fact that your fsb will not run at 133 is a farce, and you should demand a replacement board with the kt133A chipset.

JustHalf

Whoops, I did not see that

Saruman

Eh stooopid question time... he got a new mobo and cpu however he did not mention ram.. and so if he only had PC100 ram in there before and thats what is still in there then he will not be able to set it to 133 FSB.. So the stooopid question is.. Does he have PC100 ram?

By the way what does the bios say the CPU is? I would be more inclined to look at that than Si-Soft Sandra, then check the mobo and make sure the guy has not just overclocked it.

TacT

Sounds like you've been jerked around (maybe unintentionally because the guy who fixed your pc doesn't know what he's doing) it doesn't take a genius to install a cpu at the correct speed ffs.
Name and shame, I'd hate to have to go through any of that ****e when I had made a simple request for an upgraded cpu +motherboard.
I think you are in a position to make demands here due to the **** you've been through, I would march on in there and tell them you've had enough, you want your new motherboard with FULL AGP2.0 compliance and 4X support and your cpu to run at it's rated speed
I can't believe this muppet gave you the cpu at 100fsb thinking you would just go away with a 1.15 Ghz chip and a motherboard that doesn' t support the cpu you have purchased (at it's rated speed, which is what you are entitled to since you specified it to him in the first place)

_CreeD_

I too would like to know just who it was, and avoid them like the plague.
The whole thing is ridiculous, from firstly effectively stealing your Gfx card (you weren't asked could they take it so thats what it amounts to), giving you a non-agp mbd (Im presuming there was integrated video), an outdated PCI vid card, then an outdated chipset/Mbd that they obviously didnt even bother turning on to test if they didn't see the CPU speed was down.
It isn't just incompetent, at the very least it all borders on criminal.

Saruman

I see he is in Cork so i assume thats where the shop is... at least i wont stumble into it here in Dublin by mistake.

Kix

If I were you, assuming that you feel you'd be up to it, I'd ask for my money back and get an upgrade kit from www.komplett.ie (do a search for "upgrade kit AMD"). You'll probably save over €100 and get properly matched mobo, CPU, fan and RAM.

I've heard a few people here say that they were good. Haven't used them myself but I am strongly considering it.

K

Saruman

Yeah i got a case, Asus mobo (KT333 chipset), 512 DDR (333) and Athlon XP 2100+ all for about €850. The Chip was €275 i think, can get much cheaper boards than the one i picked but not with the same features or overclockability of the asus. Only problem was the chip blew after a few days so i sent that back on tuesday and am waiting for the replacement.. delivery was great though... ordered Friday, Got monday.. chip blew Wednesday though gr.... and no it was not over heating or lack of cooling... Though i will certainly have more fans added when i get the new chip.

www.komplett.ie is my choice...a little more expensive than Scan but im thinking faster shipping and more reliable.

Gerry

The scary thing is how often they get away with this.

JustHalf

KT333, not KT7333

zAbbo

As mentioned here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=53666

A Consumer Awareness site is badly needed in Ireland, both for suppliers and buyers.

Maybe not so much as a slagging thing more of information and help.

Saruman

Originally posted by JustHalf
KT333, not KT7333

Thanks for pointing out the typo Justhalf! nice one m8, ill edit that now.

The_Scary_Man

Thanks for all the info lads, I was able to sort it out in the end.

The mainboard has a KT133A Chipset and I as able to reset the jumpers to upgrade the FSB speed to 133 and everything is working well now.

So in the end things aren't as bad as I thought they were, but having said that if I didn't know anything at all about computers then I would have been working away happily with a 1.1GHz processor from the first time he put it in.

Winters

when they told you the motherbord was gone..why nit just go out and buy the motherbord and processor. It would have been far cheeper that the price they quoted you.

The_Scary_Man

I just thought that it was too big a job for me to do myself, but I'll definitely give it a go the next time.
I don't think I'll ever put my PC in to a shop for repairs again.