CPU usage spiking

[bsemaiktehr]

My specs are listed below - but I haven't made any hardware changes in 3 months - so I know it isn't a hardware issue.

I have been playing Age of Empires 3 for about a month (fantastic game.) I just booted it up and started to play this evening, and noticed that it was verrry sluggish. I minimized the window to see if there was something running in the background - nothing. I brought up the Task Manager and noticed that my CPU usage had spiked to 100% and was stuck there. It stays at 100% until I quit the game. The same thing happens with Unreal Tournament 2004.

Even stranger, when I right click the UT2004 minimized box in the taskbar, the right-click menu comes up and the cpu usage goes to zero (before I actually close the app.) Then, as soon as I close the right-click menu, CPU usage spikes right back up to 100%.

The most recent software change to this machine was installing the newest version of ZoneAlarm firewall, but the same problem persists even with Zonealarm disabled.

What is going on here?

[Kareeser]

I'm not sure as to why your computer is sluggish, but I can tell you that aoe3 runs in the background while you are in Windows' environment

Mine does the same thing, and it runs fine. It's probably a different issue, not caused by the game. When did you last defrag your computer?

[bsemaiktehr]

It's been a good while. I'll try that.

[glc]

Which process is hogging the CPU when it's at 100%?

[bsemaiktehr]

Whichever game is running is using between 96 and 98 percent of the CPU.

Things I've tried:
Updated Video Driver
Scanned for Spyware
Scanned for Viruses
Defragged HD
Patched Game(s)

It isn't a game-specific problem, so there's something screwy going on with my system.

Edit: I should also mention - only graphics-intensive applications are doing this. iTunes / Fruity Loops Studio are behaving normally. I'm thinking this is video-related.

[fabsio]

I seem to be having a similar problem to you, except I am experiencing it with movie playback. Windows Media Player, Nero Showtime and Winamp all freeze when playing videos. The start of fine and almost immediately the video goes out of sync with the audil and then the CPU usage hits 100%, the mouse freezes and a restart has to be done.

Unlike you, I have just formatted and re-installed Windows to free up some space. I was told to update the BIOS by ASUS which didnt help and I have updated all of the drivers and codecs and they haven't helped either. It strikes me as funny that DivX works fine!

So it seems there are a few of us waiting for an answer here, lets hope we find one.

Fabsio

[Alaron]

fabsio, it's best for you to start your own thread so we can follow along with each person individually.

[fabsio]

Originally Posted by Alaron fabsio, it's best for you to start your own thread so we can follow along with each person individually.

Yeah Alaron, I thought that too but I was reading a similar thread before and the admin had told the originator to join this thread. See Here

But if it makes it easier.....

Dont wanna rock the boat and all

[Panama Red]

Originally Posted by fabsio Yeah Alaron, I thought that too but I was reading a similar thread before and the admin had told the originator to join this thread. See Here But if it makes it easier..... Dont wanna rock the boat and all

Me thinks you misunderstood the moderator note in the thread you linked. The thread originator was told to NOT start additional threads on the same subject. That's not the same as telling a different poster to start their own thread. We discourage multiple threads on the same subject in different forums (cross posting) as well as posting a new problem in someone else's thread (thread crapping).

[fabsio]

ahhhhhhh!!!!

Thanks and Sorry

[bsemaiktehr]

So what else can I try? Would it be worth it to reinstall the Nforce drivers for my mobo? I've tried reinstalling my sound drivers, but that didn't work.

Edit:
Update: Since this post, I have run a registry cleaner program and reinstalled all of my MOBO drivers. Problem persists.

I am utterly baffled.