When playing a game my cpu usage goes all the way up

sometimes when im playing a game like cod2 or cs:s im getting 60-80 fps and higher on some cs:s maps , anyways ill eb gettign a good playable framerate then all the sudden bam my frames go to like 10 im like wtf. so i reformated my hardrive thinkign it was a virus. so im playing my games some more and its still doing the same thing and then one day i noticed when my games are running i pushed ctrl alt delete and i saw my cpu usage was at 100%!!! what can be cuasing this and how can i fix it?

 

The CPU is going to run at 100% when you play a game, that's perfectly normal.

If there is a lot of explosions or stuff on the screen, your frames are going to drop.

If you want better performance, try running the game under DirectX 7. To do so, go into CoD2, enter the graphics options, and set the Rendering Mode Preference to DirectX 7 instead of leaving it on DirectX 9 or Auto.

DirectX 7 does not look as good but gives a huge performance boost - there are no special effects, shadows, reflections, etc.

 

um i already run it at dx7 on cod2 and on cs:s dx 8.1 i think i may have explained my problem wrong. see i can soemtimes play for hours with no fps drop even with explosions big things and such my frames go back up. but when i have this problem my frames stay at 20 for about an hour or so and then will go back up. if i exit the game soemtimes that dosen even help

 

I'm pretty sure it's heat related. Check your temps when it occurs. I believe that when the GPU reaches above 75* C the computer throttles down until it cools off. My old v4000t did the same thing all of the time.

 

Yeah, you must have stated your problem wrong. It's definitely a heat issue.

When the graphics card gets too hot, it will turn down its power and clockspeed so it doesn't damage itself.

What I would do is buy a laptop cooling pad - the ones made by Vantec (aluminum construction) are the best. That should help a lot.

 

will taking out the battery when plugged int he wall help any? and what is a good cooling pad brand that i could pick up at a store liek wall mart or best buy? also is there anythign else i can do to reduce heat? and can i make liek a temporary cooler like some ice in a sealled baggy wrapped in a washcloth (lol that sounds really desperate)

 

Best Buy has Targus ChillMats, I have one actually. They're overpriced and the Chillmat is pretty cheap, but gets the job done.

For now, prop up the back of your notebook with a pencil or something (put it under the rubber feet) to get better ventilation.

 

I just got an idea, i am gonna try putting my laptop on my air vents (on 72 degrees) and see if that keeps it any cooler what do you guys think?

 

yes, it is definitly overheating. you can prop up the back of your laptop with something, cd cases for example. i havent had any overheating problems yet, but if i do i plan on getting a cooling pad for it.

hope this helps.

pb,out.

 

Having the laptop under an air vent will definetly help. Any drop in ambient temperature is going to help keep the laptop cooler. As mentione above propping it up will help it get more ventilation under the casing and help heat escape faster.

A small desk fan might also help reduce the heat around the laptop. And when playing a game your hand are almost always directly above the laptop, creating a heat source which can actually be quite intense. A desk fan across the keyboard and your hands can help get rid of all that heat quickly as well.

 

it has nothing to do with the video card. The problem is the processor, when it reaches 70 degrees it starts underclocking itself since such a noticeable drop in fps. All you have to do is to download Notebook Hardware Control and lower the voltages so it won't overheat anymore. I used to have the same problem with my HP...

 

Most properly coded games today don't use your CPU 100% constantly. I've got a copy of CS:S and it rarely ever actually hits 100%. Normally it's half of that or lower. It really depends on what's going on in game. There are some poorly coded games like RCT3 that use 100% CPU even in the main menus or when the game is paused and you're looking at nothing. It all just depends on how the game was designed.

On CS:S I would confirm the overheat problem others have been telling you. My system will normally switch between the fans on high and the fans on medium during gaming if I'm not using a cooling device. I use a Pacific Breeze.

 

by undervolting, doesnt it lower the speed of the processor? you overclock by raising voltage to it (usually, sometimes you can use stock voltage with higher clocks), wouldn't it have the reverse effect by undervolting?

pb,out.

 

i bought a targus chillpad and a antec yesterday. the targus one didnt do anything at all and the antec, while better, dosent work for as long as i need it to. im goin to download Notebook Hardware Control and try undervolting my notebook but wat do i do?