[Gllug] processor problem

[Peter Ball]

On 16 Oct 2003 at 22:26, Chris Bell wrote:

> On Tue 14 Oct, david.crossland at talk21.com wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > Hi all, i have a problem with installing any linux distribution.  I
> > have a amd-k6 500m hz processor (time computer).  The CD is inserted
> > and the computer is booted, the linu x kernel boots up and continues
> > until the following lines appear
> > 
> >   enabling new style K6 write allocation for 128mb
> >   CPU: L1 cache:32K (32bytes/line), D Cache:32K (32bytes/line)
> >   CPU:AMD-K6(tm) 3D processor stepping 0c
> >   checking 'hlt'instruction ...
> > 
> > At this point i the computer freezes and requires pressing the power
> > button for an ext ended length of time to restart the computer. 
> > This has never occured before and i hav e  previously installed
> > other distros sucessfully (i have tested i nstalling these other
> > distros and have had the same error).  What i want to know is, d oes
> > this suggest that my processor is malfunctioning and would i be
> > advised to replace
> >  it?
> > 
> > I even get odd error in my windows installation, crashes, errors
> > when installing and r unning programs many of which have never
> > occured during the time i have had the comput er.
> > 
> > I have checked the IDE cables and my hard drive and these function
> > normally.
> > 
> > if you have any thought then please help
> > many thanks
> > david
> > 
>    Sorry, Demon have only just condescended to deliver your email.
> 
>    You may have 100MHz memory and the processor clocked at x5, with
>    all
> other components running at maximum speed. It could be that Time were
> pushing a slightly dodgy kit of parts right up to the limit, so it is
> giving timing errors.
> 

At the sort of time this computer would have been built I was called in by a fair number 
of purchasers of pc's supplied by two companies with names beginning with T.  Build 
quality, documentation and customer "service" were crud or worse.

 Also about then I had many reliability problems with AMD processors and since then I 
have largely got my customers to use celeron's on the budget machines.

I support a fair number of machines with celeron's and so far as I can remember I have 
only had one single fault  which I put down to a probable celeron processor failure.

I suspect that AMD's are now much more reliable (so long as the cooling and power 
supply are 100%) but I don't support enough AMD's to be really confident on that.

-----------------------------------
Peter Ball
Computers For Linguists
peter.ball at marguet-ball.net
Tel:    +44(0)20 7732 1741
Fax:    +44(0)20 7358 9214
Mobile: +44(0)77 1968 2913
45 Endwell Road, London, SE4 2PQ, United Kingdom


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