CPU Usage

Iv been wondering about the performence of my cpu the last few months.
I started noticeing a constent lag with my system with the more programs/applications that were open. But over time it seemed to get that way even with only one or two things open.
It was then that i noticed that my CPU usage showed FFXI as (always) useing anywhere from 90-100% Now ill admite the comps a little bit old, but as a disabled person im not gonna complain. But i am courious as to whats going on with my CPU. Iv talked to other ppl running ffxi with a lesser version or slower speed and not having any of the same problems. Any ideas?

Processor is a Pentium 4 running at 2.8 ghz

If you pull up task manager Ctrl + Alt + Del and look at processes it will tell you what is using how much of your cpu but dont go clicking stuff off unless your sure what it is cause disabling the wrong thing can stop windows working but it might be worth a look, good luck.

yea, thats where my numbers are comeing from. Its the task manager that listes ffxi as taking 90-100% CPU useage

Oh right i read wrong sorry lol.

guess i could elaborate a bit more...
Since it started showing 90-100%, iv made a few small changes to my comp (for various reasons). None of which has rly seemed to effect it any. I Got another stick of 1g ram (comp only holds 2gb total) And i replaced my old harddrive with a 500 gb one. (tho data wise its almost an exact copy)

But now its at the point where having ffxi and ffxiah.com or wiki running is enough to seriously lag my comp at times.

What Operating System are you using?

Windows Xp home edition

I had this problem when my gf used to play a game that used flash player it started go up to like 90% and crash but i cant remember what fixed it :( think i replaced the hard drive or processor.

Well iv already replaced the HDD, deffenitly not the processor tho

Check "svchost.dll" or maybe it's "svchost.exe" ... been a looooooong time since I messed about with XP.


Also, is it polboot.exe that's using 90%+ CPU? or just that your CPU is being used at 90%+ period?

Edit: Check those in Task manager.

The problem most likely means that you need to clean off the debris that's preventing the CPU's fan from cooling it. Meaning it's overheating and running at minimal usage therefor FFXI the highest use of CPU space you're currently running is taking up 90%. Take it to a computer shop if you're not skilled enough with computers.

Even with Speedstep at full throttle on a P4 system, especially a 2.8GHz native P4, he should be using much less than 90% of his CPU. In fact, I don't think the P4 even throttled up to max while running ffxi. :| It's likely not dust, but it wouldn't hurt to take the side panel off and clean the heatsink/fan assembly.

You replaced the HDD so thats fine if your ram isnt working properly the cpu would have to work harder maybe.

theris a few svchost.exe, but their not taking any cpu usage. Only one in a while will it jump to 2% but only for a second or to.

On my last HDD i did have a cpu usage prblem with a dll file that wouldnt seem to go away, but since it was low on space left anyway, i jsut replaced it. No dll problem as of yet. But cpu useage issue still here opviously.

Its pol.exe that is taking 90-100% cpu useage

Ill admite it needs a cleaning right now, But i generaly do clean it out. The problem remain uneffected dispite being clean or dirty

Ok, you may want to try downloading a program called "CPUID" and running it on your PC. That will tell you what the actual speed of your CPU is.

(I know it's marked as a 2.8GHz, but may be running in a reduced state due to power management or like Remora said, just clogged with dirt.)

Even so... I don't think it should be using that much CPU... The minimum the P4 Speedstep would take that processor is 1.4GHz, which should still be plenty...

Also... your CPU fan may not be dirty... but make sure it is actually running. You can eyeball it with the side panel off, but if you can check in the BIOS it would be even better as it may be moving... but only at like 20% the normal speed.

Where can i find that, short of a googel search?

I only say dust/dirt might be causing this, because not to long ago my CPU was overheating/showing that I was using to much CPU space. I just took off my side panel and cleaned out the dust and debris (mind you if I didn't I probably would have fried my cpu) turned my computer back on after cleaning the fan area and its been working fine since.

www.Download.com/Glary Utilities
Glary Utilities is Great for Cleaning up your computer,

First make sure your running full 2gb's, (My Computer > rightclick/proties) Common for computers cut your GBs Short Edit: Thow i Don't think there anyway to Fix this Problem than buying more GBs >.>;,
2nd, do a Diskclean up
3rd, Make sure to Defrag, New HDD could have alot of files fragmented and causeing it running Slower,
3rd. Make sure your Virtueal Memory isn't full Either A. Change it 2 a Higher Set amount, or B. Set it so your computer adjusts as it fills up,

1. It lists a 2.0 gb
2. I do fairly often noramly, but i alwaso did it again jsut last night
3. Same as 2
3rd again. How do u check the virtueal?

Edit: Normaly you do get a message showing that your full, but its also common to get near full and it start causeing problems,

* Click Start, then open the Control Panel.
* Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
* Click the Advanced tab.
* Under Performance, click Settings.
* Click the Advanced tab.
* Under Virtual memory, click Change.
* Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file (virtual memory) settings that you want to change. In almost every case, this will be your C: drive.
* Click to select the "System managed size" option, then click Set.
* Click OK three times and restart your computer.

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html is the link to CPUID. Pick the option that fits your Operating System from the right side menu :)


Copy/pasted from Microsoft support site:

To manually change the size of virtual memory, follow these steps:
Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
Click the Advanced tab, and then under Performance click Settings.
Click the Advanced tab, and then under Virtual memory click Change.
Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file that you want to change.
Under Paging file size for selected drive, click Custom size, type a new paging file size in megabytes (MB) in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, and then click Set.
Click OK to close the dialog box and apply changes.

Edit: Doh! I was beated to das punch ; ;

Sysinternal's process explorer can help find "hidden" resource leeches on your system. You can get it here. There is also an option to replace your standard task manager with this one which is pretty cool.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx

Be sure to clean out your start up programs too.
start ->
Run ->
msconfig ->

check the selective startup on the general tab and then move to the startup tab and uncheck anything you do not want starting up. Just be sure you understand what each program is as I'm certain you want your firewall and antivirus to start up.

Nice and easy way to keep a few of the less advanced programs from starting up when you don't want them to. Many just run in the background stealing small amounts but they add up.

It currently set to Custom size. Inital size 1536. Maximume 3072. (total 426k) should that be changed?

Optimally, you want the minimum and maximum sizes to be the same. Pick a number that is 1.5-2x your installed RAM. So you would want 3072 or 4096 for both the maximum and minimum settings. (I'd even say 2048 would be a great place to set it.)

Edit: I'd recommend the lower number... With Windows XP you're not going to run into issues with this very often.

lower number being 2048? (just to be sure)

I ran that glary utilites program. As well as cpu-z. Tho im not entirly sure what im looking for on cpu-z. The core speed perhaps? (which is 2793.0 MHz)

If that doesn't fix it up, you can always try out "HijackThis" and do an analysis of your registry entries to see if you have any weird stuff (redirects, operations, etc.) put in there over the years.

HJT isn't the easiest program to use for the layperson (as you can do a lot of damage to your computer if you just start deleting entries willy-nilly) but there are lots of existing online directories that help analyse HJT code references and registry sections to easily get you up to speed on what are "good" entries and what are "bad."

But hopefully it won't come to that for you, and Glary or CPUID helps you out.

i set em at 2048 to see.

at first when i logged back into pol, cpu useage stayed at 90-98% tho it occaasionly dipped to high 80's. Minute or to later tho, is running at avg 65%, but its jumping around from 50-80% every other second