CPU Usage Will not drop below 20% at Idle

[CyberGenX 0]

Just built a 1.7GHz Celeron, 256MB PC2100, Intel 845 MB, Sound Blaster 128, Intel Nic, GeForce 2 GTS. Loaded FRESH INSTALL of Win2K and all Packs and Patches. Only have Norton 7.51 running, no others programs or driver helpers. Even after disbling a sh*t load of services the CPU usage never drops below 20% at Idle! WTF!, there is nothing running, even when I turn off Norton it stays at 18%-22%.

 

On my old AMD 1.2GHz CPU at work with pretty much the same set up I see 0%-2% at Idle. Is there something I am missing?

 

CPU Throttle is at 12.5% in BIOS, and it is not overheating. I am not using any onboard devices except the USB for my scanner.

[jimf43 0]

1-2% at idle should be right. And, you shouldn't have to disable services like that.

 

Did you install the Intel chipset utilitys?

 

http://www.majorgeeks.com/redirect.php?site=1&file=1667&gfile=yes

 

http://www.majorgeeks.com/getfile.php?file=835&site=1

[Jerry Atrik 0]

what process is using the resources

[CyberGenX 0]

I installed the chipset drivers that came with the board.

 

When I open Task Manager I have 16 Processes and in the CPU Field it has zeros all the way until System Idle Process which is at 99. Nothing else so much as peeps above 01.

 

 

What am I looking for in the Major Geeks links above?

[Jerry Atrik 0]

try and run a benchmark

according to the services u arent idling at 20%

[jimf43 0]

Quote:

I installed the chipset drivers that came with the board.

When I open Task Manager I have 16 Processes and in the CPU Field it has zeros all the way until System Idle Process which is at 99. Nothing else so much as peeps above 01.


What am I looking for in the Major Geeks links above?

Umm... sorry those links need to be pasted into the browser input... blame this site... they do work.

the first one is the latest 845 chipset optomization and the second is the application acceliator. both from intel.

[CyberGenX 0]

What am I looking for in the benchmark?

[Jerry Atrik 0]

i shoulda explained but i was in a hurry

if u really have a 20% draw and it's hidden like u have indicated

it should stick out like a sore thumb on a benchmark

 

if not then suspect the program thats telling u it's running at 20%@idle

[CyberGenX 0]

Task manager is telling me 20% CPU Usage at Idle. I will try running some benches, just don't know what bench prog. will tel me what's running. This IS a fresh install of windows 2K SP3, so the only progs on it are Norton and all the drivers and patches for Intel and Windows.

[Jerry Atrik 0]

and the task manager also says no processes are working above 1% or so

sometimes the graph is wrong

any benchy will work as long as there is sunthin to compare to

sandra sisoft works well

[CyberGenX 0]

On Sandra 2002 it benches lower than a P3 1.0GHz! Results are 2500MIPS and 1601MFLOPS. WTF.

 

 

Update: So far tried disabling ANY onboard hardware, Flashing BIOS and running Adaware incase there is anything on there by mistake. Still will not drop below 20%.

[Jerry Atrik 0]

doh!

now im clueless. dont even have a w2k to test on

 

scanner still plugged in? u on a home lan

use sisoft and look thru the system info's

 

other than that im out of ideas

[CyberGenX 0]

Yeah I unplugged the USB devices and even pulled cards. I have another machine that has the same board and CPU so i will install 2k on it and see if it does the same thing. :x

[Champion_R 0]

Is it kernel time(red bar) or not(green bar)?. Turn on show kernel time.

[CyberGenX 0]

It is green bar, CPU usage. The when I turn on to Kernal time it is close to being in sync with green bar, it varies once it a while by 1-2%.

[Champion_R 0]

Then all the usage is kernel time. Try different video and sound cards. I assume ur already running bare minimum.

 

P.S. I'd also check your DMA settings and make sure DMA is turned on.

[Champion_R 0]

Quote:

BUT, the "SYSTEM PROCESS" in taskmgr.exe processes tab is really alot of things iirc, drivers processes as well. A shame it's not broken into all of its parts so you could "Zero-In" on the offending process!

I'm sure he said there is no processes on the processes list including system using any CPU time bar the idle process. Definately seems driver or hardware related.

[CyberGenX 0]

Here are the hardware specs:

 

Intel Celeron 1.7GHz

Hoxtek MB with Intel 845D chipset (lastest BIOS)

Kingston PC 2100 DDR, 256MB

GeForce 2 GTS 64MB DDR (41.09 Dets)

Sound Blaster 128 PCI

Intel NIC 10/100

IBM Deskstar 40GIG Drive Main

WD 30GIG Drive MP3s

12X DVD

ATI TV Wonder VE (MM 7.1)

Canon USB Scanner

HP LaserJet 3P LPT1 (with IRQ enabled)

DMA is enabled on all drives

 

Windows 2000 SP3 with I.E. 6 SP1 and ALL Windows Updates

 

 

I will try pulling cards today, as I was pretty sick yesterday (sniffle)

[CyberGenX 0]

!!!!!SOLUTION!!!!!

 

I pulled the Sound Blaster and rebooted, 0% CPU Usage! Yay! So after downloading the lastest Creative Drivers and reinserting the card still 0% Yippy yippy So this whole time it was the good ole sound blaster. Well thanks to all for your help and tips, now I can play!!!

[Jerry Atrik 0]

saweeet