4400 x2 cpu load problem?

[Befuddled]

Over the weekend I opened task manager and noticed that it was showing one core running at 100% (the kernel was that high also) and the other @ 1%. No programs were open and the computer had been idling for ½ hour. I opened AI booster and it showed one core at 100% and the other @ 50%. There is no HDD activity while this is occurring that I can tell (no light, no noise).
Ran virus check (AVG) and found nothing. Downloaded Defender and Spybot, updated both and ran. Nothing found by Defender and Spybot found a couple of tracking cookies. Updated chipset and graphics drivers. No change. Tried older drivers. No change. Downloaded CPU drivers, installed, did reg hack, and installed hotfix. No change.
If the computer has been shut down for awhile it takes @ 10 minutes for the CPU usage to rise. The temps seem to remain constant, CPU 46-47 C, MB 52-54C, during this rise in the load. These temps don’t change no matter how long it runs like this. Temps confirmed in bios (v1009)
The only anomaly I found was when I run Spybot. About half way through the CPU load evens out, both cores running @ 50%, and when it has finished the usage is down to 0-1% on both cores for 1-2 minutes. Then one core shoots back up to 100% again.
Went into Admin Tools>services and one by one paused or stopped anything I could. Made no difference. Went into MSCONFIG and turned everything off that didn’t matter. No change. I have searched a number of forums, including this one, and done searches on Google to no avail.
New to dual core and my knowledge about computers is somewhat limited. Any idea what might be causing this or is it possible that 2 separate programs are reading the load wrong.
As of today computer has been running for 1/2 hour and problem has not recurred. Temps are at cpu 43, MB 49

[3NZ0]

Do you have a creative sound card?

[DAK1640]

Sounds to me like a virus...I would reload XP

[G H Z]

Sort the task manager processes tab view by clicking on the CPU column, that should give you some idea what is causing the problem, or if you want to be more detailed run perfmon against the processor.

[knob]

Do you have a creative sound card?


Can creative cause this?

[NightCrawler™]

Creative has been known for having rather irritating driver issues and unwanted files to be loaded.

[Befuddled]

I am running on board sound (was going to get XFi until I read you could only use digital connection with Creative speakers)
I doubt that it is a virus as this computer is one of the clients and the other computers continue running without this issue (wired network...host + 2 others). This build is only @ a month old.
I forgot to put in the original post that I was watching processes while this was going on (many hours over 2 days) and the only thing using CPU was System. Tried to recreate it last night. After an hour or so it occurred again but only lasted for @ 10 minutes. This was shortly after I had run 3DMARK05 in an attempt to 'shake things up'

[Frisch]

Could you list the processes in task manager.

[Befuddled]

I'm at work now so cannot. Once again the only thing using cpu was System, jumping between 7-50%. I will try to get a screen shot tonight.

[thinkingbear]

Once again the only thing using cpu was System, jumping between 7-50%
XP Task Manager does not show all info available. Try this free program called Process Explorer (http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.html). It will give you more info than Task Manager, maybe show what is calling the System thread. It will even show you which files access that process, and changes color when they do. In my case I can see csrss.exe Client Server Runtime is calling its parent smss.exe Session Manager it in turn being a child of System. I had a similar problem, ProcessExplorer showed my I was losing 17% of my CPU to IRQ conflicts, moved my sound card from slot 2 to 3 and it was fixed. GL

[Befuddled]

This is what I got this evening after running for @ 2 1/2 hours. Seems like the problem developes after the CPU temp exceeds 46C at this point. But now both cores are somewhat equal. System seems to return to normal when the temp drops back to 46C but one test is not sufficient to test that theory. I will be busy the rest of the week so may not get to troubleshoot anymore until the weekend. Thanks for the help and will keep you updated.

44474

[Befuddled]

XP Task Manager does not show all info available. Try this free program called Process Explorer (http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.html).


I'll give it a try.

[thinkingbear]

Seems like the problem developes after the CPU temp exceeds 46C at this point. But now both cores are somewhat equal. System seems to return to normal when the temp drops back to 46C
I think it would be the other way around, high temps are not causing the CPU utilization but the CPU cycles are causing the rise in temp. That is an interesting screen shot, I have never seen red in my task manager...what does that mean? What we need to see is the Processes tab instead of the Performance tab in Windows Task Manager.

[Befuddled]

I think it would be the other way around, high temps are not causing the CPU utilization but the CPU cycles are causing the rise in temp. That is an interesting screen shot, I have never seen red in my task manager...what does that mean? What we need to see is the Processes tab instead of the Performance tab in Windows Task Manager.

As you are in the Task Manager performance window click on view>show kernel times.
Page down on the doc I posted and I have the processes at @ the same time.

[thinkingbear]

As you are in the Task Manager performance window click on view>show kernel times.
Cool. Been using XP a long time now but never saw/used that view before. Thanks.

Have you had a chance to use Process Explorer to check and see what is using the System process? I am very curious.

[Befuddled]

I started it up last night but didn't have the time to 'get to know it'. Initial impression is quite positive.

[Befuddled]

Have you had a chance to use Process Explorer to check and see what is using the System process? I am very curious.

I've been trying to duplicate the problem with limited success. Ran Sandra cpu burn 10 times and got it to kick in but only lasted for a few minutes, not the hours it lasted over the weekend. Interestingly the Kernel did not show until the 4th cycle of the burn in. I have no idea what this might mean, if anything.

I did get this screenshot after the final run (word document was over a Mg so I went with the gif)

[bioxeed]

I've recently been experiencing the same issue here. The weather is getting warmer and normally the machine will be running fine for general tasks. But if i do anything cpu intensive like play a game I can reproduce this error every time.

It also seems to only happen when the cpu temp climbs above 55C for me. Though I dont think it's directly related to temperature as I've watched the cpu temps drop down to 50C before the cpu usage will spike. Though on cooler days where the cpu temp drops down quickly I don't see this strangeness.

I've done a virus and spyware check and there weren't any (unless you count some stupid browser cookies). I've also checked the processes running with process explorer and it's split 50/50 between hardware interrupts and system when this happens.

Did anyone find a solution for this?

if it helps my system is
opteron 170 @ 2.5
asus a8n32-sli
2gb team extreem cronus micron (running 1:1)
leadtek 7900gtx 512mb
emu 1212m soundcard
2x samsung 172x monitors

edit: oh and sorry for the thread dig but this thread pretty much exactly matched symptoms i've been seeing

edit2: did some tests and it seems definately cpu related but i'm not sure exactly what the issue is. Also watching it in process explorer after a while it switches from the interrupts taking up the cpu to DPC before eventually dropping back to idle. The drop back to idle also coincides with the temp dropping below 55C - not sure which is the cause and which is the effect from watching it however :(. Also it only ever seems to load one core and almost always the 2nd one. I've only ever seen this happen and core 0 take the load once. Interestingly core 0 is also generally the warmer core of the two (from the readings from core temp).

[Console]

Is print spooler using up all the resourses ? I know i have seen that happen a few times @ work one the process was killed and the temps files deleted every thing was fine

[bioxeed]

havent checked that. but not sure how that would be the problem given that i havent been trying to print anything either.