|
Subject: Re: Palomino 1.8 Ghz self-destructing with new mobos?
Name:
 ludicrous
Date: 10/30/2001 8:54:39 PM (GMT-7)
IP Address: 138.67.48.22
In Reply to: Palomino 1.8 Ghz self-destructing with new mobos? posted by
Dan Druff
Message:
This one has been going back and forth on various forums, but to summarize:
1.) The board THG was using was apparently relying on an external temperature sensor, although THG misrepresented it as being the bahavior of the Palomino's internal thermal diode.
2.) An EXTERNAL sensor may be able to react in time if the CPU's fan fails, but it cannot save the processor in the event that the heatsink falls off. The reaction time is too slow, electrically. Of course, if a 1+ pound heatsink falls off the CPU and vacations south through your case, the next victim is the $300 GeForce3 card that just got a crash-course in Newtonian physics, courtesy of a copper apple. A heatsink completely falling off the CPU is likely to be a highly destructive event even if the CPU is somehow saved.
3.) The Palomino's internal thermal diode is virtually real-time in effect, BUT it does not internally control the CPU's operation. The motherboard has to PROPERLY support it.
4.) #3 HAS been done and demonstrated by AMD (see #5), and it works. However it will be a little while before motherboard manufacturers integrate this level of protection onto their boards, and as it will add some $1-2 to the board's parts cost, we possibly will not see it on lower-end boards regardless.
5.) Although they were supposedly intended only as internal training videos, two clips later produced by AMD found their way onto the Internet -- and they show that the Palomino CAN be saved by its internal diode on a properly-implemented setup, and second, if a P4 loses its heatsink it will slow down as shown in THG's video, but if left running for several seconds beyond that the P4 will nonetheless overheat and shutdown without further ado.
6.) The Palomino 1800+ is actually a 1.53GHz part, not 1.8GHz, although it adequately spanks a P4 running at 2.0GHz. Confused yet? 
|