Ok, so I bought this nice mobile processor and a good motherboard. Now, whenever I am using the two together, I need to reset my CMOS (on my motherboard) to get the computer to display video and to power up my USB connection. I was really getting aggrivated by this because I can’t save any options in BIOS. If I save them, it restarts the computer but it kills the video and USB connections. So I need to reset CMOS again to get it to turn back on. But reseting CMOS clears the BIOS. Quite a problem.
I tried a friends CPU (his is a desktop processor) and it loaded find. I was able to save BIOS information and when it restarted, it didn’t kill the video. It let me load windows and it was fine. When I took his out and replaced it with mine, it did the same thing. I had to reset CMOS just to get it display.
On a side not, and I don’t know how important this is (actually, I don’t know what it is) but my Motherboard isn’t letting me POST.
So, here is my question.
Does this sound like a motherboard problem (not recognizing my mobile processor while it does the desktop) or does this sound like a CPU problem (Mine being defective, his being good)?
I’m assuming you have on of the kits that allow the mobile processor to work on the desktop motherboard, or have a board that supports it natively. If no to those, I’d say it’s a compatibility problem between the processor and board.
You say it doesn’t let you post, what does it do? After you clear the CMOS, does it just sit? No video and not booting? Any beeps?
Mobile processors are not the same as the regular processor. It needs to be listed as compatable with the MB. The little switch you did with the CPU tells you, that a incompatability exists.
This is a total WAG (I’ve never really worked with mobile processors on desktop computers), but my guess is that the motherboard is designed, by default, to provide a certain voltage to the CPU and the rest of the components. Ordinary desktop processors generally take around 3.3V or a bit higher for higher end processors. Mobile processors are generally designed to operate on lower voltage to save power when operating on battery. Most motherboards are also designed to detect when a processor is overheating due to excessive voltage or insufficient cooling (an important factor for overclockers) and shut down the system. It could be that your processor requires less voltage than the board supplies by default, and thus the system fails to POST. Resetting BIOS may roll it back to “safe” (underclocked) levels, thus allowing it to POST and boot properly.
I can’t say why it isn’t saving those settings, though. That’s usually symptomatic of a dead/dying BIOS battery (the CR2032 disc battery usually located next to the BIOS reset jumper) but on a new motherboard I can’t see that being a factor – even if it’s an old stock motherbord; those batteries typically last several years.
Thanks guys, I never thought about the processor volatage. I will check it out before I contact new egg.
I also thought they were compatible. I guess that is because my old motherboard was a micrtoATX board and the proc was a mobile proc. I will have to check and make sure. I guess I just thought socket 754 was the same all around.
It would be easier to diagnose the problem if you’d post the model of your mobo and CPU.
Have you tried checking the mobo manufacturer’s website to see a) if your CPU should work in your mobo, and b) if not, if there’s a BIOS upgrade available to make it work?
Also, if you could answer the questions asked in Diku’s post, that could help us figure out what’s going on.