X2 Wierdness.. one core runs at load even when idle?

[J-Pepper]

I have a dual core system.. overclocked and perfectly stable wit adequate cooling.

 

But I get this really annoying thing occuring... that when ever I have my computer running for a while, core number 2 will start to run at 90% load for no apparent reason. This is a pain as I have no processes running other than 'system idle process' and I don't know how to get the CPU to stop doing that unless I reboot.

 

It's really funny... overall CPU usage is about 40% as the first core isn't doing any work (as normal) but the 2nd core is 'doing' something for it be always be at 90% load.

 

System:

 

X2 3800+ @ 2.6Ghz @ 1.5V (260x10)

1.5GB Ram (1GB OCZ PC3500 & 512MB Corsair PC3200 @ 217Mhz, 2,3,3,7 @ 3.0V)

DFI Lanparty nF4 SLI-DR

Club3D 7800GT

Audigy 2

Tagan 480W

 

Water cooled (idle @ 23-25deg, load (2 x core) @ 38deg, load (1 x core) @ 31-33deg)

 

WinXP SP2, CnQ disabled, CnQ driver not installed

 

Anybody have any idea what's up? and why does my #2 core always run at load when the computer is idle? (it's always the #2 core, the right-hand CPU usage history window in task manager, never the #1 core).

 

This is really puzzling me???

[red930]

Does it exhibit the same behavior when at stock settings?

 

Also, you should really make a sig with your system specs in it before a mod catches you.

 

Edit: and I just noticed you're mixing RAM...surprised you could oc it at all.

[NetMavrik]

Open Task Manager, go to the Processes tab, click the CPU or the CPU Time tab to sort the processes. The maximum time a process can have on a dual core system is 50%. Your rogue process will be at 40-45%. Also check processes total CPU Time. The SystemIdle Process will probably have the most time. The rouge process should also have it's CPU Time incrementing every second or so.

 

Post back with the name of the process.

[J-Pepper]

that's the thing... as I said in my first post, there is no other processes running (i.e. taking up cpu time) apart from 'system idle process' which is at 99... everything else is at 0.

 

Mixing ram poses no issue for overclocking if you know what each stick of ram is capable of and at what voltages... i never bought into the 'matched pair' marketing as I just saw it as that... pure marketing... and RAM is speed binned PCXXXX for resale, but it doesn't mean it won't neccessarily run at a different rating.

 

I must also add that it doesn't occur when I first start the PC.. starts probably around an hour or two in... not exactly sure as most of the time I never notice it happening as the X2 is multitasking as it should.

[red930]

Does it actually appear to bog down your system? Or is task manager just reading something wrong?

[J-Pepper]

it does when I do something that needs full power (like BF2 gaming)... and I know it's doing 'something' as my temperatures change, as I posted in my first post.

 

Normally at idle, my cpu should be in the low 20s, and at full load (prime affinity 0 & 1), it's in the high 30s... but when the 2nd core kicks in for no apparent reason, temperatures hover around the low 30s... so it's definately doing 'something' as it's working quite hard to raise the temperature of the core.

[Pyr0]

did you install the dual core processor drivers from AMD?

[red930]

Sorry, I don't think you answered my first question, does it do the same thing when not overclocked?

[NetMavrik]

that's the thing... as I said in my first post, there is no other processes running (i.e. taking up cpu time) apart from 'system idle process' which is at 99... everything else is at 0..

 

If Task Manager is show cpu utilization, then it is assigning that time to a process. That is why I asked you to sort by "CPU Time", not just "CPU". What are the first few processes other than SystemIdle that have the most running time?

[J-Pepper]

ok..

 

this is not something that I can reproduce, but it has happened at stock as well as at my current over-clock... but the wierd thing it, my computer has been on for an hour or so now and it hasn't occured so far.. really wierd.

 

and with the CPU and CPU time... in my task manager... I only have a column saying CPU and no 'CPU time' column.

And the next processes apart from system idle (which sits at 99) is taskmgr.exe, alg.exe and sometimes svchost.exe... but not always, usually it's the first 2.

[DarkPurity]

Just to ask the obvious, have you run a virus scanner?

[Soul.Survivor]

I think there's some confusion because it's not possible for the idle to be at 99% and have a process using ~90% of one core. It adds up to 100% unless something's really broken at which point I would at least attempt a repair installation of xp if not format and reinstall. Sounds like viruses and/or spyware to me.