CPU utilization up to 100% (periodically)

[gga01]

Hi,
this is a very special one and for sure not caused by CloneDVD/AnyDVD, but it occurs using these programs and I have a lot of confidence in those guys joining this forum; maybe somebody has a hint.

My system (XP SP3 on AMD 6000+, 3 GB RAM, 3 optical drives) is pretty stable. Using one instance of CloneDVD it's utilized up to 35% CPU, shuffling ~13MB/s data from the DVD-drive, everything's fine.

As I use normally several rips at the same time, a second instance of CloneDVD (or TSMUXER on a BD) got started ripping from another DVD-drive a similar amount of data/sec.
CPU load goes up to ~50-60%, which is fine.

But then, after ~20sec., both CPU cores are utilized 100% for ~8sec. with almost no data throughput during that time (system is almost frozen). Then it goes down again with normal operations. Then up ..., down, ... , see attached sample graph.

I went through all kind of process explorers, CPU limiter, changed CPU affinity with almost no findings. Using other high CPU utilizer like DVD2ONE gave the same picture.
Same operations on a single core CPU (another PC) works fine: CPU goes up to ~80%, but not to this 'freeze' extend.

I know this is off topic, but I have no more clue whom to ask (I'm close to change my core system).

Thx. for any hint

GGA

 

[mmdavis]

I'm not sure, did you look at the "Processes" tab while this was going on to see if anything was running intermittently (software trying to update, virus scan, etc)? The only thing in XP that used to really bug me with CPU usage was the System Idle Process. Seemed that it was running even though other processes were running too that should have kept it from eating up the CPU.

 

[gga01]

System Idle is just the value of 'free working capital' that other processes could use, so the more 'System Idle' the less CPU is utilized.
There are no other -visible- processes trying to utilize, this is not the cause.
In those 100% utilization phases just the main processes like CloneDVD jump from avarage 30% to 50% each.

 

[mike20021969]

The only thing in XP that used to really bug me with CPU usage was the System Idle Process. Seemed that it was running even though other processes were running too that should have kept it from eating up the CPU.

This made laugh quite a bit - I had to check it wasn't 1st April.
Thanks 8)

 

[mmdavis]

This made laugh quite a bit - I had to check it wasn't 1st April.
Thanks 8)

OK, maybe not worded quite right, the point is, it seemed to me that on XP when the system idle process was very high (so nothing else taking CPU time), the computer seemed to almost freeze for a while (if it had been idle for a little while) before doing what you wanted (mouse slow, opened program took longer to respond, etc). Something was going on in the background when it didn't show anything going on. I haven't noticed that same tendency with Win7 (same machine specs, virtually same programs).

 

[Clams]

OK, maybe not worded quite right, the point is, it seemed to me that on XP when the system idle process was very high (so nothing else taking CPU time), the computer seemed to almost freeze for a while (if it had been idle for a little while) before doing what you wanted (mouse slow, opened program took longer to respond, etc). Something was going on in the background when it didn't show anything going on. I haven't noticed that same tendency with Win7 (same machine specs, virtually same programs).

Are you sure it wasn't just a case of slow reaction time because the hard drive went to sleep?

-W