Device fails to maintain accurate timekeeping
Device fails to maintain accurate timekeeping
I'm facing a bothersome problem with one of my older machines. It runs fine otherwise, but lately the clock seems to be lagging behind. After adjusting it in Windows Settings and comparing with another device, the time drifted past by more than seven seconds in just five minutes. Even after about half an hour, it was still several minutes out of sync. I'm puzzled since this hasn't happened before. The CMOS battery isn’t showing signs of failure, but plugged into mains power wouldn’t help either. Could there be a hardware or software issue affecting the timekeeping?
I believe the CMOS battery helps preserve time when the system is off. It doesn’t supply power during operation, but keeps a minimal charge for the CMOS while the computer is unplugged. This ensures the clock continues running without needing a reset each time. On older models it also supported the BIOS memory, keeping settings between reboots. Today most systems rely on flash memory instead of maintaining that charge. If the issue continues, consider replacing the battery or checking your BIOS setup. Unless there’s another reason, such as unusual environmental factors, this is likely unrelated to a nuclear reactor.
Indicates a failed CMOS power source, according to Ottoman's report.
It would be unusual. A faulty CMOS battery often doesn’t affect things when the PC is off, as long as the PSU remains active for standby power. You should still be able to replace the CMOS battery without losing your settings, although it isn’t recommended if you drop it onto the motherboard—it could damage components that are still powered. Motherboard designs may differ, possibly causing this issue with this particular model.
I've always believed this setup operates round the clock, having worked reliably for years, which means the battery could be the problem. I think replacing it might resolve the issue. In previous experiences, machines without a CMOS battery have faced similar challenges, so this motherboard seems likely to be the cause. There are also other unusual behaviors tied to the network controller and memory settings, but that doesn't surprise me.
The CMOS battery isn't needed when the computer is powered on, that's for sure. You can swap it out because it's inexpensive, though it probably won't solve your problem. Here are some reasons why the RTC might drift: general drift, temperature changes, aging effects... These explanations aren't very useful for finding a solution. I suspect the aging drift could be the cause. In Windows, you can turn on automatic date and time settings (under settings), but it seems to update only once daily. You can check this link for Windows 10 that might help you set a more frequent update: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/wind...0878658183 Good luck!
It seems you're wondering about variations in time perception across different operating systems. Would you like to explore how that works?
I might just have to give that a try. I also just remembered that I have another one of these exact same boards sitting in storage. It's been a few years since I last used it, but IIRC it has a 2600K installed. Whenever I get a chance I'll throw that board on the bench and see if it exhibits similar behavior with the battery out of this board.
Consider adding an ntpclient to keep time more frequently, since the clock seems to lag a lot.