I am running PRTG on a server with AMD processor (real hardware). Why do I get negative Ping values for my Ping sensors?
Why do I get negative Ping values on my AMD system?
Modified on 2025-06-10 11:54:38 +0200
Disclaimer:
The information in the Paessler Knowledge Base comes without warranty of any kind. Use at your own risk. Before applying any instructions please exercise proper system administrator housekeeping. You must make sure that a proper backup of all your data is available.
The information in the Paessler Knowledge Base comes without warranty of any kind. Use at your own risk. Before applying any instructions please exercise proper system administrator housekeeping. You must make sure that a proper backup of all your data is available.
Time Stamp Counter Drift
Dual Core or multiprocessor AMD Opteron processors may encounter Time Stamp Counter (TSC) drift in certain conditions.
To solve this problem, please see the following quotation from technet.com:
Edit the BOOT.ini file and add the parameter "/usepmtimer", then reboot the server. Adding the "/usepmtimer" parameter to the BOOT.INI file configures the Windows operating system to use the PM_TIMER, rather than the Time Stamp Counter.
Note: When installing the latest AMD PowerNow! Technology driver from AMD, the BOOT.INI file will automatically be updated with the “/usepmtimer” parameter. While the driver itself does not resolve this issue, the installation process will make the necessary changes to the BOOT.INI file to prevent the issue from occurring.
For detailed information, please see Explanation for the USEPMTIMER switch in the boot.ini
See Also
Apr, 2011 - Permalink