Could I possibly be thrashing my computer?
 

I have a 3.2 GHz core 2 duo at home with four gigs of ram. I have always run Prime95 at full capacity on that computer. About two days ago, the computer has started running my LL test with about 21% of the processor left to the System Idle Process. I checked whether other programs are starting up, but no other ones are. I checked whether I am filling up my RAM, but I'm not even reaching 1GB.

I can't for the life of me figure out why this LL test is suddenly running so slowly!

Help!!

Hmm...are you saying it's running an [i]LL[/i]? In that case, it's extremely unlikely that Prime95 is thrashing the computer, since the LL uses only a few MB of RAM. If you're doing P-1, that would be a different story; I'd listen to see if your hard drive is going bonkers with activity. That will tell you definitively whether the computer is thrashing.

If you are doing the LL and yet the HD is thrashing, then my guess would be that another process is causing the thrashing.

Did it drop a worker/core? Is it thermal throttling?

Check out by using [URL="http://download.cnet.com/Process-Explorer/3000-2094_4-10223605.html"]Process Explorer[/URL] (google for the latest version).
It will show some annoying processes much better.
It is possible that some malware or a service is starting frequently -- and Prime95, naturally, yields.

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;237371]Did it drop a worker/core? Is it thermal throttling?[/QUOTE]
It doesn't seem to have dropped a worker core. How can I check for thermal throttling?

[QUOTE=Batalov;237391]Check out by using [URL="http://download.cnet.com/Process-Explorer/3000-2094_4-10223605.html"]Process Explorer[/URL] (google for the latest version).
It will show some annoying processes much better.
It is possible that some malware or a service is starting frequently -- and Prime95, naturally, yields.[/QUOTE]

I will try this, though I haven't seen other effects of malware.

[QUOTE=dominicanpapi82;237447]It doesn't seem to have dropped a worker core. How can I check for thermal throttling?
[/QUOTE]

Install CoreTemp: [URL]http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/[/URL]

And check while running LL what happens to the frequency. If it goes down then the cpu is throttling. Do you often clean the cooler dust?

[QUOTE=em99010pepe;237448]Install CoreTemp: [URL]http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/[/URL]

And check while running LL what happens to the frequency. If it goes down then the cpu is throttling. Do you often clean the cooler dust?[/QUOTE]

I don't know how to clean the cooler dust. I'll check how online. I'll install that program tonight and let you know how that goes.

[QUOTE=em99010pepe;237448]Install CoreTemp: [URL]http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/[/URL]

And check while running LL what happens to the frequency. If it goes down then the cpu is throttling. Do you often clean the cooler dust?[/QUOTE]

got anything that will work for my pentium D as it says I'm not supported.

[QUOTE=science_man_88;237480]got anything that will work for my pentium D as it says I'm not supported.[/QUOTE]

That one doesn't have a heat sensor, you will have to check temps on BIOS.

[QUOTE=em99010pepe;237500]That one doesn't have a heat sensor, you will have to check temps on BIOS.[/QUOTE]

that sucks lol I didn't want to restart to find it. and I don't remember /have a clue how to access it.

[QUOTE=dominicanpapi82;237336]I have a 3.2 GHz core 2 duo at home with four gigs of ram. I have always run Prime95 at full capacity on that computer. About two days ago, the computer has started running my LL test with about 21% of the processor left to the System Idle Process. I checked whether other programs are starting up, but no other ones are. I checked whether I am filling up my RAM, but I'm not even reaching 1GB.

I can't for the life of me figure out why this LL test is suddenly running so slowly!

Help!![/QUOTE]

You might increase the priority of Prime95 by one. Sometimes IO-bound processes (like virus scanenr) slow down the overall system