My CPU runs at 100% with any game, then shuts down

[arredondo]

Help please. Here is my rig:

Hardware:
AMD A64 3500+ @2.0 ghz
Asus A8V Deluxe
2GB Corsair Value Select PC3200 (2x 1GB)
BFG 6800 GT
Antec Sonata w/TruePower 380W PSU

Software (all updated)
Windows XP
Zone Alarm Firewall
NOD32 Virus protection
Ad-Aware
CCleaner
Spybot
Security Task Monitor

All software is reporting that there is no problem. However, there is a problem since for the last three months this rig will run at 100% CPU processing when I run any game on average to high settings. Eventually this blitzes my game session, forcing me to restart the computer and go down to the barest settings if I want to play. I never had the problem before, and games that used to get pumped up settings don't work long if I don't tone them down.

Besides checking for malicious problems, I also checked the equipment. I switched out the processor, RAM and video card but have the same results. Any tips for me? The only thing I haven't done is a full XP re-installation. If I need to try that, can I back up my data to the same hard drive but in a different partition, or am I best to backup data on then secondary drive.

Thanks.

 

[JustaGeek]

I think it might be a conflict between ZoneAlarm and NOD32.

Try to uninstall the ZA, or maybe just turn it off and enable Windows Firewall for the time being.

Good luck!

BTW, I don't know what the Security Task Monitor is, but it might be interfering with ZA and NOD32 - disable it and see if it helps.

And it should be OK to back-up data on a different partition, but it is always safer to have it on a different drive.

 

[jaythespacehound]

If you do go a re-installation make sure to format the windows partition then do a fresh install, not just a reinstall.
That's probably what I'd recommend at this stage... It definitely sounds like software to me.

Also, how much free space is there on your drives?
Especially the one with your swap file, and the one where games store their temp data (probably C🙂
If that gets low the cpu could be doing a lot of swapping of data... Check your page file usage too.

Good Luck!
Jay

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Any 3d game will peg your cpu to 100%. They are designed to use every bit of power available, hence higher frames with better hadware. Otherwise they would be capped at 60 or so

 

[btcomm1]

Could be your motherboard is the problem, also I know you switched out the CPU, did you re apply thermal grease or compound? Have you checked the temps on the CPU are they good?

 

[arredondo]

When I put in the new A64 3500 chip (previously it was the 3200), I applied new Artic Silver paste. The temps never spike and are well below threshold when it locks up. I carefully watch a temp monitor and notice that there are no issues at all while playing.

Security Task Monitor is only a week old and the problem has been much longer than that. I'll try to disable NOD32 and the firewall, but I don't see how a possible conflict there is being resolved by me making my games play with low specs. I'll try it anyway.

I have a lot of space on my drives to play with. In fact, I doubled the amount of C: space this weekend with Partition Magic but the problem remains. I'll double check the swap file and make sure it has plenty of headroom. If that doesn't solve the problem, then my first reformat ever attempt is next.

I have two physical hard drives... a 40 GB in four partitions and a 160 GB with three partitions. My Windows XP, firewall and virus protection are on C: of the 40 GB. Pretty much all my general utility and game programs are on D: of the 40 GB. I have documents on a third partition of that drive and my media files (music, movies, pics) are on a partition of the 160 GB drive.

My question about reformatting is, am I only formatting the C: partition of the 40GB drive, or will it reformat the entire drive altogether? If so, then I won't have a lot of reinstallation to do, it seems since most programs are on other partitions.

Can I simply backup all the stuff I want to save onto the second 160GB drive and know that it is safe from deletion, even though I technically won't re-format those data partitions? Finally, what link offers the best step-by-step instructions for reformatting?

Thanks!

 

[btcomm1]

I think it's your motherboard, but you can try the software suggestions they suggested.

 

[jaythespacehound]

You only need to reformat the C: partition. Any programs installed on other partitions will likely stop working (registry will be deleted) but not actual data on those partitions will be lost.