High background CPU useage

[fj]

I'm running an Athlon XP 2000 on a KT7 Turbo 2 MB. The CPU useage, with
nothing else running - Indexing off - continuously runs between 10% and 30%.
Just to check, I did a format up install of XP SP2 with same results.

Only peripherals other than the ones on the MB are the video card [Geforce2
MX200], late model hard drive and a Sony CDRW.

Is this a known problem/issue with the KT7 Turbo? Is there anything that
can be done to reduce the amount of background CPU useage/requirement?

Even on my 1.13Ghz PIII thinkpad the background CPU useage is 4%-7%.

Thanks

 

[John Doe]

I'm running an Athlon XP 2000 on a KT7 Turbo 2 MB. The CPU useage,
with nothing else running - Indexing off

What is Indexing?

- continuously runs between 10% and 30%. Just to check, I did a
format up install of XP SP2 with same results.
Only peripherals other than the ones on the MB are the video card
[Geforce2 MX200], late model hard drive and a Sony CDRW.
Is this a known problem/issue with the KT7 Turbo?

Not running Windows 9x. That was my last mainboard, still have it
around.

Is there anything that
can be done to reduce the amount of background CPU
useage/requirement?

If it were at 50% and you were using Windows 9x, I would suggest
ACPI (or whatever the BIOS power management thingy is called). It's
a peculiar thing. If you install windows with that enabled, system
monitor will always vary from 50% usage.

I have had 20 to 30% CPU usage showing. At the moment, I don't
remember what the solution was.

Are you familiar with MSconfig?

Why don't you do Control+Alt+Delete and see what is using the CPU?
Windows XP has that feature.

 

[Dave C.]

I'm running an Athlon XP 2000 on a KT7 Turbo 2 MB. The CPU useage, with
nothing else running - Indexing off - continuously runs between 10% and 30%.
Just to check, I did a format up install of XP SP2 with same results.

Only peripherals other than the ones on the MB are the video card [Geforce2
MX200], late model hard drive and a Sony CDRW.

Is this a known problem/issue with the KT7 Turbo? Is there anything that
can be done to reduce the amount of background CPU useage/requirement?

Even on my 1.13Ghz PIII thinkpad the background CPU useage is 4%-7%.

Thanks

Do a start, run, msconfig, startup tab, UNcheck everything, apply, OK,
reboot. Now your CPU usage should be between 1%-5% at most. If so, go back
into msconfig and start checking off items one at a time until your CPU
usage goes up again. Then you will know where the problem is. -Dave

 

[fj]

I'm running an Athlon XP 2000 on a KT7 Turbo 2 MB. The CPU useage,
with nothing else running - Indexing off

What is Indexing?

- continuously runs between 10% and 30%. Just to check, I did a
format up install of XP SP2 with same results.
Only peripherals other than the ones on the MB are the video card
[Geforce2 MX200], late model hard drive and a Sony CDRW.
Is this a known problem/issue with the KT7 Turbo?

Not running Windows 9x. That was my last mainboard, still have it
around.

Is there anything that
can be done to reduce the amount of background CPU
useage/requirement?

If it were at 50% and you were using Windows 9x, I would suggest
ACPI (or whatever the BIOS power management thingy is called). It's
a peculiar thing. If you install windows with that enabled, system
monitor will always vary from 50% usage.

I have had 20 to 30% CPU usage showing. At the moment, I don't
remember what the solution was.

Are you familiar with MSconfig?

Why don't you do Control+Alt+Delete and see what is using the CPU?
Windows XP has that feature.

The Task Manager shows System Idle at 98 - 97% while CPU useage shows the
10% to 30% numbers. This inconsistency between the numbers is a known issue
and is caused by Task Manager not being able to identify CPU useage to all
the running processes.

 

[John Doe]

....

The Task Manager shows System Idle at 98 - 97% while CPU useage
shows the 10% to 30% numbers. This inconsistency between the
numbers is a known issue and is caused by Task Manager not being
able to identify CPU useage to all the running processes.

Isn't that a good lead? Maybe the inconsistency is affecting CPU
usage display. It's not a known issue on my Windows XP SP1 system.

I guarantee that my K7T Turbo2 6330 v5.0 showed an appropriate 1 or
2% CPU usage when idle. I am meticulous about that, ever since
Windows 3.1/95. That's why I put enough effort into figuring out
that installing Windows 9x with ACPI/whatever enabled in the BIOS
will permanently cause your System Monitor CPU usage to vary from
50%.

Good luck.

 

[John Doe]

....

The Task Manager shows System Idle at 98 - 97% while CPU useage
shows the 10% to 30% numbers. This inconsistency between the
numbers is a known issue and is caused by Task Manager not being
able to identify CPU useage to all the running processes.

On second thought.

That doesn't negate the suggestion. Aren't there other utilities
you can use to view CPU usage information? Microsoft's Power Toys has
one I can think of, I don't know if it relies on the same code as
Task Manager.

As suggested in my other post, you can see false System Monitor
readings if ACPI is enabled in the BIOS when Windowss is first
installed (at least in Windows 9x, not sure if specific to certain
mainboards).

Can you tell whether the CPU is in fact being taxed?

 

[fj]

On second thought.

That doesn't negate the suggestion. Aren't there other utilities
you can use to view CPU usage information? Microsoft's Power Toys has
one I can think of, I don't know if it relies on the same code as
Task Manager.

I'll take a look. Couldn't find anything on Google.

As suggested in my other post, you can see false System Monitor
readings if ACPI is enabled in the BIOS when Windowss is first
installed (at least in Windows 9x, not sure if specific to certain
mainboards).

This is a fairly new motherboard - ACPI is no longer an option in the BIOS.
Win 2000 and XP both automatically install ACPI.

Can you tell whether the CPU is in fact being taxed?

I don't have any independent way to determine whether the CPU is in fact
being used. I did find that it's a known issue that the sum of cpu useage
by process in task manager can be different than the number in bottom
border.

Net of all this is that, with a completely clean, fresh install of Win XP
there is this 10%-30% CPU useage on this motherboard. Using the same
install CD on three other systems the background CPU useage is 0% to 4%.
While it'll be interesting to track down just what is driving the CPU
useage, I think it's been isolated to the motherboard itself. So, for $80
and a known/limited amount of time I can fix it.

Thank you for the ideas!

 

[JAD]

no USB? USB broadband modem? Network differences?

 

[John Doe]

....

This is a fairly new motherboard - ACPI is no longer an option in
the BIOS. Win 2000 and XP both automatically install ACPI.

I told you twice already that I own the same mainboard. It was my
last mainboard.

The owner's manual says:
IPCA function
This item is to activate the ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power
Management Interface) function. If your operating system is
ACPI-aware, such as Windows 98SE/2000/ME, select Enabled. Settings:
Enabled and Disabled.

Strangely enough, my current BIOS has and APIC setting.
IPCA
ACPI
APIC

What will they think of next.

 

[fj]

...


I told you twice already that I own the same mainboard. It was my
last mainboard.

Sorry. Missed that. [FWIW - I have been passing over the power management
settings since using Win 2K. Default on the motherboards has always been
ACPI.]

The owner's manual says:
IPCA function
This item is to activate the ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power
Management Interface) function. If your operating system is
ACPI-aware, such as Windows 98SE/2000/ME, select Enabled. Settings:
Enabled and Disabled.

Strangely enough, my current BIOS has and APIC setting.
IPCA
ACPI
APIC

What will they think of next.

In any case, the setting is ACPI.