Tech question: 1 download using 80-90% CPU power normal?

[Frank N. O.]

I'm downloading a game demo and now WinAmp can't play right and any windows or such I open are clearly lagged and a quick look shows 80-90% CPU usage all the time. I don't remember this being something that has happend all the time so how come it does it now? I recently ran a full virus-sweep and came up clean, could it be a fragmented hdd or maybe just that it's time to do a clean windows-install again?

Also, while I got a topic up. I got 2x1gb Kingston HyperX RAM, appearently capable of 1200MHz but it seems it doesn't go over the normal 800MHz, would another 2x512mb RAM giving 3gb dual-channel ram of the same type do some good?

Frank

[Commander]

Are you using a wireless router? If so, what kind of router and adapter combo do you have. I ask because I know of some adapters that cause CPU spikes that become noticeable when you are playing music, especially if a download is going on at the same time. Aside from this, I am not aware of any download I have ever made taking up that much CPU power. It must be something else, and the D/L combined with the WInAmp is just the the straw that breaks the camel's back.

[Frank N. O.]

I have a router/hardware firewall but it's wired, it's a Linksys model BEFSX41 according to the label underneath and while I do have an Xbox360 and another computer on the router then neither were switched on at all at the time.

As I wrote above then opening a browser window and a website would also show lag with WinAmp stopped, and it was the same if I switched streaming radio to a small amiga tracker song module on my hdd.

One thing I can think of is the virus-control scanning the file, however I've downloaded other files recently (2 at once actually) without the lag I experienced earlier today and since I don't have automatic scans enabled then it couldn't be that that drained cpu power.

Edit: I just remembered something. AsusProbe II lists the maximum safe temperature for the motherboard to be 45 degrees C and it's usually above that unless I put a tablefan on the open case-side, could it be due to overheating (I don't normally run the monitor program)?

Frank

[Commander]

I had overheating problems in the past myself, and the symptoms were similar. One way to tell would be to try it after a cold boot and see if the lag persists. In my case, I was overloading the CPU with Battlefield Vietnam when I only had a single core CPU and crummy video card. I have not heard of a download causing enough CPU demand to overheat though. Sometimes the heat sink needs a liberal application of thermal paste, which is a cheap insurance anyway, so might as well try it, it certainly can't hurt.

There is a program out there called "Process Explorer". It allows you to see all the hidden processes running on your PC, and also allows you to shut down the ones you don't want. It works FAR better than Windows Task Manager, I suggest you and everyone else find and download it. This may help, but even if not, it is a handy tool to have for future instances. Also, run Adaware, sometimes spyware starts bunging up your PC when trying to do anything involved with moving data in and out.

I now it sounds silly, but have you tried releasing and renewing your IP address? I find that when my downstream speed gets clogged, this usually helps. Also, just for curiosity sake, go to www.speedtest.net and see how fast you're moving data in and out. With your wired router, I can only surmise that the problem lie with your ISP, another program(s) running in the background, the site from which you are downloading, or as you suggest, overheating. Step by step elimination should narrow it down.

[Frank N. O.]

I tried looking at the temperatures after my last post and saw it was at 44C with the default limit set to 45C. I now have the small fan directly on the open caseside cooling the motherboard down but it didn't seem to make much of a difference.

I'll take a look at the explorer, thanks for the link. I usually manually close down unneeded processes to clear processing power (I can't seem to find out how to keep from starting at boot-up).

I did the test and with WinAmp running stand-up (which is what I usually listen to together with 80s music to set a good mood) and I got 6754 kb/s download and 425 kb/s upload which seems fine.

I wonder if it's the dual-core cpu on a normal 32bit Windows XP Pro that's causing problems, I think I heard some say that it could/should use a 64-bit edition.

Frank

[Commander]

That speed test does seem pretty good alright! Must just be something with the server from which you are downloading.

Re: the dual core on 32 bit, I run the same and have no issues personally. Sometimes, however, with certain applications that were created before the dual core CPU's were made, I will need to shut down a core or else suffer horrible lag. This occurs mainly with games; NHL 07 was the real bugger, and a few other ones plus some audio editing software.

To choose which programs start up automatically at bootup, do the following.

Click start button, choose "run" and type "MSCONFIG" in the box, hit return. A box should come up with options in it, so click the "startup" tab. A menu will appear with the various programs listed, and you can check or uncheck whichever ones you desire. After doing this, the next time you boot you might get a message that says you have altered the default startup programs, and will ask if you want to restore them. Do not, just force it to stay the way you set it. That should help with startup programs.

Teej

[Frank N. O.]

Thanks for the info, that should come in handy.

I've defragged my hdd and some sites bog the compute down so it might be something with the servers that are slow like you said, at least it's not that big a problem having it slow down like that when just surfing the internet. Thanks for the help :beer:

Frank