Help with my CPU?

Hey all... I have a notebook with a Pentium 4 2.8ghz CPU(512 MB ram). It seems as though when I run certain programs, such as SETI@Home, TDS-3(during scans), and some 3D screen savers, My CPU runs at %100. I am concerned that my CPU may burn out if I was to allow one of these programs to run for a long peroid of time. Is there any advanced settings that could "tone" down my CPU? ANy ideas / suggestions would be great!

 

Hi ArchAngel_8!

I would suggest you have a look here at AnswersThatWork: Task List Programs.

It is most likely that you have too many programs loading at startup resulting in an overloaded CPU. Lots of people have problems because of this.

Another place you can check Startup List programs is at http://www.sysinfo.org/.

 

yup that to to many programs on start up espechialy if you runing xp

also when you run tds it good ideal to temporarly disable your screensaver

 

programs i recomend disabeling on start up

Aim
realplayer
quicktime
musicmatchbox
winamp
messenger
yahoo

here an example of crap to disable on start up that you can start manuely rather then end up useing 100 percent cpu

 

more garbage

 

and even more garbage

 

thats just an ideal if you see many of the same junk on your pc those are the ones you can uncheck thats most common

im on windoiws xp

but usealy this is all universal

its not as hard as you might think

go to run from your start tab go to run
type in msconfig hit go or ok

hit start up tab
and see if you see many of the ones on my list

plus the ones i typed out
uncheck them

but from now on you have to restart those programs manuealy

basicly hit there littile icon button lol

 

This will probably sound counter productive to the end result you trying to achieve, but on my box (Win98 SE)
I found quite by accident that running a wav. file using Quicktime actually decreases my CPU usage by as much as 20%. Even with the CPU running at 100% (when AV scanning for example) just running the wav. file will cut it down to 80%. Sounds weird I know but it works for me.

 

Hey guys, thanks for the tips, info, screen shots and links!

I guess I will have to do a little reaserch and see what can go and what needs to stay. Its funny, with all of the loaded services, drivers, and proccess my machine only uses %12 of my CPU, sometimes less. When I start Seti@Home, or a TDS scan, it jumps to %90 - %100 ? I am especially surprized by the Seti program because it is supposed to use little or no recources, as a means of encouraging people to help out with the program? I posted a Thread on the SETI help forum but it was deleted ANywho.. Thanks again Guys!

 

Hello Archy,

This is a little late but you might find it useful. Pieter Arntz has suggested visiting black viper's page on streamlining XP. It is worth looking up. Something like "Blackviper xp startup" on google ought to produce it. its a very popular sight....but if you don't want to i do remember this part...

Use services.msc (click start, then run, then type "services.msc") because it is safer to use than msconfig.exe and shut down as many services as is appropriate. it includes brief descriptions of the services. also helpful is that if you double click a service you can see its properties. click on the tab called "dependancies" and you can see what if any services depend on the service that you are contiplating stopping. Many services you will shut down have no dependancies but also several will.

now, for shutting do the "autostart" programs, this is not quite the same as shutting down autostarting services, though they are easily confused. As Mr. Blaze and others pointed out there is the

start, run, type in msconfig, click thae "autostart" tab and check and uncheck boxes route. I have noticed in my implimentation of XP a little quirk that many programs installations will install shortcuts in your "startup folder" (click start, then "all programs", then look for the startup folder) for instance, for some reason adobe gamma does not show up in the msconfig autostart programs, but its icon is in the all programs startup folder, and so until you stop it it autoloads....dont worry, forget all that!

if you are looking for an alternative that is a little easier (maybe) and you have spybots search and destroy installed, there is help.

start spybots S and D, and then look for the catagory "tools" and click.
then you see autostart, and of course, click. Now you see a window that is remarkably similar in look and feel to the one in msconfig. i like using it better for some reason.

Hope those alternatives help. It takes a lot of time to learn what is what and the terminology does not help. Bookmark black viper because he defines every important service and what they do and who is likely to need them. that saves you tremendous effort. sounds odd, but i eliminated about 75% of my computer resources hogs and i never even missed them.

if your like a lot of people you will be encouraged by what you can do.

-HandsOff