Lots of ram, why is computer gumming up?

[greensteak]

I have an 8200 dell dimension, 2.2 mh intel 4, w/ 1 gb ram and a 250gb
hard drive that has 170gb free.

I'm doing a few different things at once, like writing 4.5 gb to a dvd
using Nero, logged onto AOL listening to the radio, and doing a
computer backup using Windows Backup utility. While all that's going
on, I decide to move a gig or two of files from one directory to
another.

Well, things start running like molassas. I open task manager, and it
says I have a half of gig of ram remaining, and that the processor is
running at 5%. This tells me that everything going should be purring
like a kitten, right? So, I wonder whats clogging the pipes?

GS

 

[Matt Gibson]

I'd say you're starting to saturate your hard drive.

Try not doing so many hard drive intensive things at once...does the system
still slow down?

Matt Gibson - GSEC

 

[Yves Leclerc]

First of all: I think it still not recommended to do anthing else when
writing DVDs/CDs or a backup. These need more processing power than normal.

 

[bwah-hahahahahahah]

Are you a troll or an idiot?

 

[Leythos]

I have an 8200 dell dimension, 2.2 mh intel 4, w/ 1 gb ram and a 250gb
hard drive that has 170gb free.

I'm doing a few different things at once, like writing 4.5 gb to a dvd
using Nero, logged onto AOL listening to the radio, and doing a computer
backup using Windows Backup utility. While all that's going on, I decide
to move a gig or two of files from one directory to another.

Well, things start running like molassas. I open task manager, and it
says I have a half of gig of ram remaining, and that the processor is
running at 5%. This tells me that everything going should be purring
like a kitten, right? So, I wonder whats clogging the pipes?

The problem is based on Disk I/O - you are doing a BUNCH of disk I/O
activities, it's going to be slow.

 

[Leythos]

First of all: I think it still not recommended to do anthing else when
writing DVDs/CDs or a backup. These need more processing power than normal.

Read what he said - 5% CPU load.

The problem is Disk I/O bandwidth, he has a laptop and they generally
don't have the fastest of drives.

 

[R. McCarty]

Writing to a DVD requires the Disk drive to keep the burning buffer
filled. Other things like streaming media and file copying interrupts the
buffering action. Since all processes are likely at a normal priority, the
system is struggling to keep all of them satisfied with CPU Cycles &
drive access.

Remember, a disk drive is the slowest part or biggest bottleneck to
performance on a PC.

Use Task Manager and add a few columns to the Processes view &
you can see how XP works under such a load.
Page Faults
I/O Counts
Handles
Threads
Peak Memory Usage
Pay particular attention to the CPU Time.

 

[Guest]

I fully agree with your already posted replies.
RAM is the garage where you keep your cars and if you try to drive all 6 of
your cars out the door at the same time, you will have a bottleneck.
You have seek time, transfer rate, and copying a DVD alot is dumped into
ram and then copied and then dumped again and then copied again, until the
task is done, if you are sharing the ram with another program. Programs may
use your RAM as a holding area for the software needed to accomplish the task
as well as a holding area for some of the labor that you are requiring.
You are only AS FAST as your WEAKEST LINK and that sounds like your Hard
drive and DVD writer. The radio isn't as RAM hungry or resource hungry as the
DVD writer and then to transfer a Gig file which without the copy program is
already as large as your RAM. well unless it just requires a re indexing that
will tie up a bit as well.
Slow down, drink some lousey coffee like I have.
Listen to these guys, they are smarter than me and will really help you.

 

[Al Dykes]

I'd say you're starting to saturate your hard drive.

Try not doing so many hard drive intensive things at once...does the system
still slow down?

Matt Gibson - GSEC

Any chance the DVD is a slave on the same channel on the C drive ?

I find the 5% CPU figure suspicious.

 

[Richard Urban]

You better learn how to use a computer. Why don't you use it to cook you
dinner at the same time?

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Christian]

Defrag your hard drive.

 

[Ron Martell]

I have an 8200 dell dimension, 2.2 mh intel 4, w/ 1 gb ram and a 250gb
hard drive that has 170gb free.

I'm doing a few different things at once, like writing 4.5 gb to a dvd
using Nero, logged onto AOL listening to the radio, and doing a
computer backup using Windows Backup utility. While all that's going
on, I decide to move a gig or two of files from one directory to
another.

Well, things start running like molassas. I open task manager, and it
says I have a half of gig of ram remaining, and that the processor is
running at 5%. This tells me that everything going should be purring
like a kitten, right? So, I wonder whats clogging the pipes?

GS

It sounds to me like you are more likely to be making coffe coasters
rather than usable DVDs.

CD and DVD burning is highly sensitive to interruptions in the data
flow. I would not even consider doing another task while a CD burn
is in progress - I time these for coffee breaks, phone calls, etc.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[greensteak]

The Plextor is plugged directly into the motherboard. It is not slaved.

The 8200 is not a laptop.

There has never been any buffer underrun, even when multitasking. I
burn dvd's at 2.4x, and haven't had any problems.

Thanks for the information. That's what I needed to know.

 

[Leythos]

The Plextor is plugged directly into the motherboard. It is not slaved.

The 8200 is not a laptop.

There has never been any buffer underrun, even when multitasking. I
burn dvd's at 2.4x, and haven't had any problems.

Thanks for the information. That's what I needed to know.

Sorry, any computer, with a single CPU and one drive controller, will
suffer from your described problems. If I do all that you describe on my
Dual Xeon with IDE for the burner/CV and SATA for the hard-drives I don't
see any lag.