Question for Tom Swift

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ruby
  • Start date Start date
R

Ruby

I am totally baffled by yours and others persistent
comments that CPUs running in the 90+ percent range is
perfectly normal? How can that be when the posters think
that their computers are running slow? My computer is
not considered to be slow, and it runs in the 1-10
percent range. Maybe we're not talking about the same
thing. I'm talking about Windows Task
Manager/Performance Tab/CPU Usage (upper left-hand
corner). Your explanation would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
 
I've been curious about this as well. My CPU sits around
11 - 12%. There are the expected spikes when I start a
program or do something but then it settles back down. At
the moment I've got 5 Internet Explorer windows open, am
playing a CD, running Word and Paint Shop Pro. Perhaps it
has more to do with how new the 'problem' computer is
(i.e., type of ram or ??). I'm on a HP Pavilion - 2.16 AMD
chip - 512 Mb SDRam. I's only a couple of months old and
therefore is only slightly obsolete :). Fast and runs
great!

Bill
 
I believe they are in reference to Windows Task Manager | Processes tab |
System Idle Process | CPU heading. An awful lot of posters seem to be worried
that System Idle Process is using above 90%. Idle being the key word.
 
That's a great question.

If:

1. your computer is free of viruses;
2. your computer is free of adware, spyware and other malware;
3. your computer does not startup with unneeded (in your own opinion)
applications that run in the background;

then the mere fact that your processor runs in the 90+ range is almost
certainly insignificant.

The statement "my processor runs in the 90+ range" is by itself meaningless.
You need to identify what it is that your processor is doing to make it run
in that range. Is it downloading updates for your software? Is it performing
standard Windows maintenance? Is it scanning your hard disk for music to add
to your media player's music library? There are dozens of reasons why
processors are occupied, even when you yourself aren't doing anything.

My heart pumps in the 90+ range (or at least, I hope it does) even when I'm
sitting around doing nothing. As long as you're using your computer smartly,
you can spend less time looking at Task Manager and more time looking at
DVDs.

For a good education on using your computer smartly, look here:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/. In general, Microsoft's web site
is a gold mine of knowledge, and includes more information about Windows
XP - including webcasts - than you will want to know.

Tom Swift
 
Now that you have pointed me in the right direction, I
see what Tom and others were talking about. However, the
way the posters have been wording their questions about
CPU Usage has created the confusion. Thanks for your
reply.
 
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