G50Vt-X5 - CPU constantly at 50% & Ticking HDD

I just received my G50Vt-X5 (refurb'd) today, and I'm just testing it out.

I've noticed a few irregularities, but the one that stands out the most is the constantly high CPU usage. It's idling at around 50%. With just IE running, it will fluctuate anywhere from 55-80%. Has anyone had similar experiences with CPU load issues? I'm thinking it's a software/OS issue, but could hardware damage also cause CPU load to be abnormally high?

It may be the copy of Vista that came with it, and I'm planning on reformatting soon to remove the crap that came with this OS (the GeekSquad stuff on it suggests that it's a refurb'd Best Buy model. I bought it from TigerDirect). I'll update the situation when I do so.

Also, has anyone had HDD failure issues? My HDD (I think) is making weird ticking noises which coincides with the hard drive flashing light at the top. I'm contemplating whether or not to get a new one. I would do so in a heartbeat if I had the funds, but unfortunately these days I have to hang on tightly to every penny in my possession.

School starts in 3 weeks and I wanna get everything sorted beforehand - running into malfunctions at school would be a nightmare (away from home).

Thanks for any insight, and hope to hear from you guys soon

 

Are you still under warranty?

 

How many processes do you have running? Is your antivirus performing a scan?

Anyways, the clicking problem sounds bad. Try to get it checked out through the warranty