My System is as follows:
Chaintech 7nif2, video out to TV
1.8GHz AMD Duron (which is only running at 1.6GHz, even though I updated the motherboard bios. any idea why? it ran at 1.8 on my previous MB)
PVR-350
Some generic USB audio device
256 MB RAM
80GB ATA HD
2x 200GB SATA HDs, configured as raid-0
Knoppmyth R5A16.1

My CPU has a little trouble playing video back while it's working on transcoding or other CPU intensive tasks, so I'd like to use XvMC. It works, but when any kind on-screen display is up (volume indicator, menus, etc), they display in grayscale and blink, and the video stutters. Solution?

well if you use xvmc this will happen. there is nothing that can be done about the b/w osd, but you can marginalize the stuttering by changing the fade value in one of the config files. I forget which one right now. Just search for fade and xvmc on the forums here.

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Xsecrets

Thanks, I set the fade to 0 as an old topic suggested. it doesn't really help though.

Does anyone have any idea how to get my CPU running full speed? With the additional 200MHz, I might not need XvMC. I played with the bios a bit with no luck, is there a jumper setting I might need to try?

An underclocked CPU usually means the wrong speed of ram, or an incorrect setting in your BIOS. What is the FSB speed of that CPU? Make sure your speed settings for the ram match up with the FSB of the CPU. Run just to make sure it's actually underclocked.

Ah, been a while since I looked at it. it's actually running at 1.4, not 1.6. I forgot it was that far under.

here's what proc said about it:


The CPU is 266 FSB, as is my RAM, here's the newegg pages on both:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819104160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820141502

I used the same RAM module and CPU on my old MB, and it ran at 1.8GHz. The old MB was a Via chipset, and I couldn't get it working with R5.

AMD processors do not run at their rated speed. The clock speed is less than the rated performance of the processor.

I have just being doing a little bit of research and found that apparently the DURON do run at full speed and the settings for a1.8Ghz processor should be:

FSB: 133
Clock Multiplier 13.5

Give that a go in your BIOS of your Mainboard.

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Girkers

Ah, thanks.
But the 7NIF2 doesn't seem to have an option for setting the multiplier, even though it lists FSB and multiplier settings for various CPUs in its manual. Guess I'm SOL?

I have been doing a bit more research for you and have found that you have a jumper on the mainboard that lets you set the FSB.

Jumper JP25 needs to be set to 133 as it currently looks to be set to 100MHz. If you look at page 16 of your manaul it will show you the location of the jumper.

Then in your BIOS you want to go into the section called "Advanced Chipset Features" and there should be the setting for the FSB Frequency which you want to set to 133. This is referenced in page 28 of the manual.

For reference I downloaded version 4 of the manual.

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Girkers

The options in the bios do allow me to set the clock speed, but it always reports it as 133 at bootup, and the CPU speed at 1350MHz

According to the manual, the jumper does appear to be in the 100MHz position- assuming it means when the side with the PCI slots are facing away from you like in the illustration, but when I put it in the other position, it doesn't boot- the power LED just blinks.

You could try setting your settings to there default in the BIOS, which should default to a 100MHz FSB. Change the jumper and then see if it boots.

Do you have the latest BIOS for your board, I think from memory it was version 4. I will just check...

Yep version 4, here is the link:
http://www.chaintech.com.tw/tw/eng/product_spec.asp?MPSNo=13&PISNo=15

Is there anyone that knows of a program for linux that can show you the FSB and Clock multiplier the system is currently set at? This would confirm what the FSB is set at.

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Girkers

Thanks, I'll give it a shot later. I'm completely exhausted today. university festivals in Japan are really something else...

I've got version 4, I made sure to update the bios when I first noticed it wasn't running up to speed. I've tried other versions as well, there was one on the page that specifically said it added support for faster durons if I recall.

Guys -- it doesn't matter what your CPU speed is, XvMC always stutters with the OSD, especially under R5A16. You might find some improvement in later versions of Myth, as the devs have been working on XvMC. But it bascially doesn't work very reliably. Soon, maybe, it will.

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I think you missed something, We're talking about getting my CPU up to speed so I don't have to use XvMC.

First off, XvMC isn't really necessary. My box does *worse* with it on, especially with the OSD, so I keep it off. Second, if your box is stuttering when transcoding, change the transcode options to make the tc process more friendly (i.e. lower the priority).

I have yet to come up with the magic way to keep my box from ever stuttering. The hardware is adequate in my opinion but XvMC sucks.

Yes I agree that XvMC should be off at the moment, but the problem gamnark is having is not having his processor running at its full potential leaves him short on overhead for transcoding and the like.

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Girkers