Lost core and thread count on i7 3960 cpu

raglafart

raglafart

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 21, 2013
Messages
227
I've had the CPU block and Pump in all in one water cooler failure. The PC still boots up okay. But it's kinda slow these days.
I hadn't checked the CPU performance for a while and I just did an intel check on my system and instead of a seeing 6 core 12 thread count on the CPU the Intel report came back with only a 3 core 6 thread count.
I just did a second check with CPU-Z and again it also shows just 3 cores and 6 threads.
Have I fried my CPU? I thought it would either work or wouldn't and surprised to see it's half working!?
i7-3960x-02.JPG
i7-3960x-01.JPG
 
I've never seen something like this. Very interesting.

I have seen a small amount of debris on the socket making an entire memory bank on a LGA2011 Xeon machine not work, (turned out to be a small piece of tape)

Clean the bottom of your processor off, make sure you don't have any bent pins, and see if that helps.
 
The CPU was working fine until the pump/cooler block failure.
Trouble is it's still working. I've tried sorting it out in the bios, but now that is giving me only a max of all or 4 cores, I can't remember if it ever showed 1,2,4,6. It's the fail from the intel sites CPU health check. This is what I get below. It still boots up and is running though
I think I'm just going to have to anti up and buy a new second hand CPU.

i7-3960x-03.JPG
 
Don't want to lose what I've got!
I'll test it out once the replacement arrives, I can't live without my desktop and while it's still up and running and booting okay.
I'll test it out once I have a back up. Thanks guys.
Cheers JG
 
reseat the cpu, and flash bios to latest available... ill bet anything all cores comeback
 
I've seen this exact same thing happen to a friends 980X a few years back. Lost 3 of the 6 cores. We tested over and over and replaced the CPU even to rule out the board. I know he had it overclocked for a long time and under water as well. Don't know if he had a pump failure and overheated it before he called me asking for help lol.
 
FlawleZ said:
I've seen this exact same thing happen to a friends 980X a few years back. Lost 3 of the 6 cores. We tested over and over and replaced the CPU even to rule out the board. I know he had it overclocked for a long time and under water as well. Don't know if he had a pump failure and overheated it before he called me asking for help lol.
Click to expand...
Okay, I'm a bit further down the track, I ordered a 2nd hand i7-4930K on eBay from the US (I'm in Australia) which arrived just this morning. I also bought a 2nd hand one here in Australia which like the i7 3960 only showed 3 cores and 6 threads. The bios is showing all 6 cores as available. I've just fitted the latest CPU i7 4930K and again it's only showing 3 cores and 6 threads. I'm inclined to think now that this is a motherboard and not a CPU issue. I'm going to try one of the 4930's in my wife's P9 X79 Pro
 
Well it's apparently no the CPU. Did you ever clean the socket with Deoxit, the pins may be corroded or have oxidation on them from overheating.
 
vick1000 said:
Well it's apparently no the CPU. Did you ever clean the socket with Deoxit, the pins may be corroded or have oxidation on them from overheating.
Click to expand...
You can't get Deoxit here in Australia, the only thing I have is the WD-40 Specialist Fast Drying Contact Cleaner. I used it on the CPU, but not the socket
It doesn't take long to get take the CPU in and out so will give it one more go and see if it helps. The MB is now of course out of manufacture and repairing doesn't look like a viable economic alternative. None of the diagnostics seem worth a damn.
I'm not overclocking now or game playing and just want a reliable PC. To a certain extent I have that, I only worry seeing the CPU listed at half it's potential.
Thanks for your reply Vick
Cheers JG
 
Okay, got that and Windows seems to be seeing 6 cores, but as you can see CPU-Z is only showing 3.
 

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Just a quick side note for OP.
alt + tab = screenshot of active window


Master_shake_ said:
Did you check to make sure windows is using all cores?

There's an affinity menu in msconfig in the boot tab under advanced settings.
Click to expand...
That's not affinity, but yeah its can limit the number of cores


-- edit --
Its alt + print screen.
 
raglafart said:
Okay, got that and Windows seems to be seeing 6 cores, but as you can see CPU-Z is only showing 3.
Click to expand...
That would be 6 logical cores. so only 3 physiscal core with 2 logical cores per physsical cores.
That is your issue then. Why is this even enabled on your system?
 
Okay. Did the contact cleaner thing just now and still only 3 cores being registered. I'm thinking more and more that it's the motherboard now. Just have to try one of the CPU's in my wife's machine to confirm it.
That'll be later tonight.
 
Can you grab a linux live disk and boot to it, just to make sure it's not your windows install that went sideways? If the bios is showing all 6 cores, it sounds like the motherboard is ok.
 
Okay, the CPU that only showed 3 cores and 6 threads works fine on the P9X79 pro board and shows the full 6 cores and 12 threads.
So I used the Microsoft help and remote access. They did a full reinstall of the Windows SP1 Pro 7 64 bit. I spent the best part of 3 hours going through the process.
I have now ruled out the CPU's and the OS, it's looking like a board issue.
The only thing I can think of is to re do the bios in both Bios 1 and 2 and if that doesn't work I'm not sure where to go.
In the bios I can see that it is seeing all 6 cores, but when you do a CPU Z it only shows 3 cores still, it's the same with SIW, 3 cores and 6 threads and also the Intel possessor diagnostics for 64 bit, 3 cores 6 threads. My 3960 came up with a fail, but even with only the 3 cores the 4930K come up with a pass!
Any further suggestions welcomed.
I am now installing 179 Windows Important updates!
Cheers JG
 
Ummmmmm!
This Rampage 4 BE has been a real PIA. It has been a dud. I guess the cooler failing is one thing, but I'd never spent so much money on a mother board before. I can understand the CPU getting fried, but I'm really cranky the board has died.
It wouldn't accept Win 10 and has been a real pain. Ah well, it is what it is.
Any suggestions on what to do next?
Abandon LGA 2011, 64 gig of ram and a i7 4930 CPU and go with what ?
or just replace the MB ?
Open to suggestions, though I'm still bootable, but only with 3 cores!
Cheers JG
 
I mean, it's really up to you as to whether or not you want to continue with X79 or not. Boards are getting harder to find and expensive, but you wouldn't have to completely rebuild as you already have a lot of RAM and several CPU's.
 
There are some cheap Chinese X79s out there that are supposed to be functional...

 
Well the Asus board is made in China too! I think it's a possibility. What I can't understand is how the system is still working and booting okay, doesn't like stress testing now though.
I'm just about to reload both bios and see if that makes a difference. I'll plug on and see if I can find an answer.
I've reloaded all the early original drivers, Microsoft did the custom reinstall of Windows, I think I've finally gone through the last update cycle. The first one had 179 updates!
I've got a Corsair 120 gig SSD, I'll try loading Linux on it and see what happens.
Thanks for all the input so far.
Cheers JG
 
Success!!!!!!!
I had a Corsair 125 gig SSD and did a quick install of Linux Mint and it showed a 6 core CPU. I then wiped the drive and did a fresh install of Win 7 and guess what? Yep I've regained my lost cores. So the motherboard is okay and so is the CPU so it's going to be a clean install and I'm up and running again.
I thought the Microsoft Custom re-installation would have resolved these issues, clearly not.
Got to say I'm really happy that I haven't got to replace the board, my apologies to Asus for inferring the board was a dud. In hindsight up/down grading to Windows 10 and then because of the unusable instability of Win 10 rolling back to Win 7 has probably had a large part to play.
Hope my experiences may help someone else.
Cheers John
 
SvenBent said:
That would be 6 logical cores. so only 3 physiscal core with 2 logical cores per physsical cores.
That is your issue then. Why is this even enabled on your system?
Click to expand...

seems like ^this guy found the problem back on monday.
 
mnewxcv said:
seems like ^this guy found the problem back on monday.
Click to expand...

I don't think so. In order to see what windows sees, you must enable the check box under the advanced boot options. It doesn't mean you have to select that option for bootup, but to show us the readout, he would have to momentarily select the box.

Unless the box was already selected before he entered this menu. Who knows, he kinda just flew right past that suggestion.
 
auntjemima said:
I don't think so. In order to see what windows sees, you must enable the check box under the advanced boot options. It doesn't mean you have to select that option for bootup, but to show us the readout, he would have to momentarily select the box.

Unless the box was already selected before he entered this menu. Who knows, he kinda just flew right past that suggestion.
Click to expand...

might be right. It's a hell of an odd problem to begin with, tough to say it's one thing or another. Software is just such an easy one to test, as in, wipe the drive, if problem is still there, it isn't windows.
 
I've started a clean installation on another drive and all is good. The CPU is checking out fine with the full 6 core 12 thread count. I'm going to do a clean install on both my wife's and my pc's.
It's a bit of a time, but it's clear both pc's are suffering from old installations. The only minor hassle was my 500 gig SSD is now in a "Frozen State" and I couldn't secure wipe it.
Otherwise all looking good now.
Cheers JG
 
When I upgraded fra 4C/8T to 6C/12T Windows 7 still only saw 4C/8T...I had to run a registry-file, reboot and then Windows 7 saw the added cores of the new CPU.

Glad I don't use Windows 7 anymore.
 
Factum said:
When I upgraded fra 4C/8T to 6C/12T Windows 7 still only saw 4C/8T...I had to run a registry-file, reboot and then Windows 7 saw the added cores of the new CPU.

Glad I don't use Windows 7 anymore.
Click to expand...
Are you running 10 now? I had massive problems trying to run 10 and think most of my 7 problems have derived from winding back 10 to 7. I'm sure they've sorted a lot of the early issues out with 10 but I really hate the graphics. Maybe it's time to up to 10
 
I have run Windows 10 since it came out.
I really dislike Windows 7 now...it so clumsy to work in compared to Windows 10.
 
auntjemima said:
I don't think so. In order to see what windows sees, you must enable the check box under the advanced boot options. It doesn't mean you have to select that option for bootup, but to show us the readout, he would have to momentarily select the box.

Unless the box was already selected before he entered this menu. Who knows, he kinda just flew right past that suggestion.
Click to expand...

That was what OP stated. he has probably tried to "tweak" hi system following horrible bad and misundstood teaks and screwed himself over.
if the check box has never been enabled the core selection part will show a greyed out 1.
If it shows 6 it MUST have been enabled at least prior.

So yeah user error at its finest
another ror for not listing to people telling him it the issues so he "fixed" it by reinstall setting this setting back to default.
OP could haved saved alot of troubles by listening to the answers he got.



-- edit --
Here is the default setings in windows 7. notice the grey out 1, NOT a 6.
Untitled.png
 
However the system files were corrupted is now an academic question.
What I now know that I didn't when I made my first post was what was wrong in what part of the system, CPU, MB or the OS. Being the OS is an easy fix and I've tested that on the small Corsair drive.
Now I know what's screwed up I'm fine. I don't have to buy a new MB and all the associated costs with upgrading the CPU and RAM and I now have two fully functional i7 4930K's that will do me for a few more years.
I'm going to do a clean install on my 500 gig drive and be very happy I got away with just losing the i7 3960 which comes up as a fail on the Intel diagnostic.
Just hope this helps anyone else who sees a similar problem down the road.
Cheers JG
 
Oh, the 3960 was bad?

That explains it, you needed to go into the boot config and change it to 6 cores since windows won't change it automatically to max cores.
 
Last edited:
The 3960 is also a 6 core CPU. I did go into the boot config and that's why when I installed the 4930 and got the same 3 core issue I was understandably disappointed, confused, and posted my original post here. The RED Intel diagnostic FAIL was why I thought okay it's gotta be the CPU (which may well be buggered, I don't know because I dropped in the 4930 and haven't worried about the 3960 since)
When the 4930 showed only 3 cores I dropped it into my wife's machine, which I've already gone into and it worked fine, all 6 cores and 12 threads.
So then I was worried because I thought it may either be the MB or the OS
I had Microsoft do a CUSTOM RE INSTALL on line which took the best part of 3 hours. I thought if there was a problem with the OS it would have been fixed by the CUSTOM RE INSTALL, it didn't so now I'm thinking the MB
Someone here said try a clean install of Linux and I did. This showed a 6 core CPU, so then I did a Clean Install of Win 7 and hey, 6 cores and 12 threads.

So, it is 100% a Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 bit error.

I am doing a clean install on my EVO 850 drive and in the interim using the corrupt drive to check emails and other stuff until I've finished setting up the other drive.

Thank you to the guy who suggested doing a clean install.
I don't like not solving things and am still working on seeing if I can stumble my way around the Window tools and see if I can't get the problem on this drive fixed, but I'm not worried about all my hardware anymore.
Cheers JG
 
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