HELP - Computer slows down for a few seconds every few minutes

[StevenG]

Over the past two weeks, my computer has developed a very strange slowdown problem. I first noticed this while playing UT. Every few minutes (usually 2-5 minutes), the computer just slows down for 5-10 seconds. I mean REALLY slows down, so that the framerate is about 1-2 fps and the game is basically unplayable during the slowdown. And then it just goes away, and the computer returns to normal for a few minutes until the next slowdown occurs. As you can imagine, this is not helping my online UT game.

It's a Win98 machine, with an Epox 8k7a mainboard, and Athlon 1.4, and a GeForce3. Here's what I've checked so far, and have had no luck isolating the problem:

-- The slowdown also happens in the UT2003 demo and in Age of Empires, so it is not-software specific (or even 3D-Specific, because AOE is not a 3D game).

-- There are no background tasks running. This is a dedicated gaming machine and I'm very anal about keeping my startup folder clean. When I Ctrl-Alt-Del with no applications running, my computer is running only the two required tasks - systray and explorer.

-- There are no scheduled tasks in the Task Scheduler.

-- The computer is NOT accessing the hard drive during the slowdowns.

-- I had not installed any new hardware, software, or drivers for several months before the slowdowns began.

-- I have not set up any CPU temperature alarms, although I am running a little bit warm (peaks at about 60C).

Has anyone seen anything like this before? I'm baffled. Is there a utility for Win98 that will allow me to see all the processes that are running, so I can see if there is a process that is intermittently hogging the CPU?

Thanks!

 

[davidkay]

I use to have this problem a long time ago with Windows ME. I think its when windows ME is taks up more RAM for no reason. The best bet is to do a brand new installation of Windows XP. Your system can handle Windows XP easily. I'd upgrade personally!

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Well, it sounds like the system hardware config is fine. What's the only thing that's running through all the tests with different software that you see the "slow-down" in?

Windows.

When you've got nothing else running and a clean task manager, try playing Hearts or something for 10 minutes and see if you see any sort of system degredation. Does it only happen when you're playing games? If so, does it only happen when you're playing a game that initializes DirectX or something like that? Start thinking about the underlying system tools that run the programs that you're seeing the lag in. Also, it might be time for some basic system maintenance like a scandisk and defrag.

</clueless brainstorm>

nik

 

[Peacekeeper100]

I have a similar problem with Win98SE when I run out of memory. But if I close all system tray apps it goes away. How much memory do you have? I wonder if it has something to do with Windows not using the swap file wisely. I know that I am out of RAM, but the HD led doesn't come one. I think either windows isn't using the swap file or else hits it so fast that the led doesn't have time to come on.

 

[GAZZA]

If my memory serves me correctly there apparently is a problem with the way Win98 uses memory , from what I can remember 98 had a tendency to use the swapfile before using all the system memory and that there was a registry tweak that was supposed to reverse that effect.
Like I said it was a good year or two I read about this .

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