Conned? Where's my athlon 2600!

[Shabbaman]

Last year I bought a new computer. On the receipt it says it has a athlon 2600+ 333 mhz. Last week I got a error message stating that my computer didn't meet the demands since it was running on only 1250mhz. The 2600 should be running at approximately 2000mhz (source: here, nice bookmark!) so I thought (something censored).
Next I tried two programs named CPU-Z and wCPUid which "read" the chipsets in the computer. They recognized it as an athlon 2000+ (recognized, as in namestring). When I boot my computer it also says it has the athlon 2000 in it.
The last check I could do is to remove the processor cooler and read the print on the chip, but I'm not really qualified to do that (read: most likely to screw up). My guess is that it's a big chance that the shop just gave me the wrong chip, but perhaps my BIOS settings are screwed (I had a major crash half a year ago). In the BIOS I could set the speed of the processor (to something higher like 1250mhz, for example, 2083mhz at which the 2600 should be operating) but I wonder if that could be malicious. I also wonder if it would make any difference and my computer would suddenly recognize it as a 2600. Namestring is namestring, isn't it?

BTW, what makes it even stranger is that the athlon 2000 that is supposedly in the machine should be operating at 1600mhz!

Any ideas?

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

Do you still have a reciept and any paperwork from when you bought it. I would take it back to the store and demand they give you waht you paid for. If they refuse and you have proper paperwork you could file a law suit against them.

 

[Zelig]

I also wonder if it would make any difference and my computer would suddenly recognize it as a 2600. Namestring is namestring, isn't it?

The namestring would change, but go ahead and bring it to the shop if you're not comfortable mucking in the BIOS, since you've got the papers and everything.

 

[Shabbaman]

I have the receipt, but I don't have the box or whatever the processor was shipped in. Never had. It's custom made, so they could always claim I changed it myself.

 

[Speedo]

Odds are that your BIOS was never set right for the chip (or somehow was reset). If your BIOS has an option like "set high performance defaults" try setting that and see if it shows up correctly. Otherwise see if you can look up the FSB clock setting that a 2600+ should have and drop that in.

The AthlonXP chips don't have anything that identifies them as a specific model (at least as far as the numeric rating is concerned) to windows or your BIOS. For example, the file server sitting under my desk has an XP2100+ which is underclocked to 1500+. Both the BIOS POST and windows show it as a 1500+. If I go in and play with the FSB setting, I can make it show up as any model up to a 2100+.

 

[TrailblazingScot]

Another one born every hour! bwahahaha!

A year to notice the suckage of your processor? Mental.

 

[Padma]

FWIW, I had a power supply problem a while back, it messed with my system voltages & speeds. My Athlon2100+ was being reconized as a 1500+ ...

 

[Shabbaman]

Hmmm... I did change my power supply recently. Kitten, thanks for your brilliant piece of useless poetry. Glad to be of your assistance anyday.

 

[Comraddict]

your FSB has to be changed 166MHz. that way 16x133=2066MHz. the way is now 12.5x100MHz=1250MHz.

It is completely your fault and nobody elses. It is in the manual of moherboard.

 

[Shabbaman]

Problem seems to be solved, the BIOS had a "2083mhz" setting and all other settings changed automatically (could've done that manually obv.). The "namestring" now says it's a 2600+, so so much for namestring... Thanks all!