CPU running at 38% to 42% plus all the time, even when idle

M

Madmaxneo

Posts: 35   +8
Normally when at idle my cpu runs at 0% to 3%. I've run all kinds of scans with my AVG and anti malware bytes but nothing ever shows up. I also run ccleaner (fully updated) and it never finds any problems except for the normal registry errors.
Here are things that I think may be an issue: svchost is running a little high at around 19% average. I read somewhere about a virus that disguises itself or attaches itself to the svchost files. I ran through all the steps to check for and remove this possible virus but nothing was found or seems out of place except for the high cpu usage and the svchost cpu usage.

My system:
core 2 quad q6700 overclocked to 3.4 ghz, temps stay at between 45 deg to about 54 deg max.
Asus P5n-D MB
Windows 7 ultimate 64 bit
8gb 800mhz RAM
evga GTX 750Ti 2gb graphics card
Sound blaster Zx sound card
OS and some programs running off a 120 gb ssd.
All games and programs on a 2 tb WD black HDD.
All my drives are connected via PCI-e 2.0 port using a SATA 3 card.
I am not sure if this is important or not but my windows gaming index score is a 7.4.

Please note my set up has been like this for about 7 months and the high cpu usage started about a month ago.

Can someone please help?
 
An update on a few things I recently noticed:
The CPU temps for the first two cores do increase to about 57 deg when it's been running awhile, whereas the last two cores are running at normal temp..
I also noticed on the graph of my Logitech G13 gamepad that it shows not all of my CPUs are at that CPU load and it is primarily only the first core and partially the second core.
Sometimes if I do a restart the CPU usage returns to normal, like now it is at 3% though all I have is 6 browser windows open in chrome. Sometimes when I restart the PC after being off for a few hours it still boots up with the 40% cpu usage.

I have read that MSE has really upped its game and is all you really need nowadays. I also read something about AVG causing problems in cpu usage or using system resources but I thought that was handled a couple years ago. Unless of course this is in reference to AVG maybe not being able to find the virus, that I can see also.
I've been told that I need to go through a special procedure to uninstall AVG all the way, I'm not sure if this is true but I will use my revo unistaller just in case. Thanks for the help. I will let you know how it works out.

Bruce
 
I have been trying to download MSE but the download link on the MS web page does not work. I sat there for like 20 mins waiting for the the dowload to start and nothing. Then I clicked on "if your download doesn't start in 30 seconds click here..." But it kept sending me back to the same page for the download that doesn't work. I think I went trough the whole process like 3 or 4 times.
 
Do you have all the Microsoft Updates applied, even the optional updates? MSE is part of those...
 
I uninstalled AVG and installed MSE. Nothing seemed to change but while I was running MSE on my secondary drives CPU usage jumped up to about 70%. Shortly after that I got a message for windows updates and installed all of them. Now my CPU usage is down to normal.
 
Just when I thought it was safe... The cpu usage is back up and this time so is the RAM. The RAM increase is from a service associated with MSE so I am not as worried about that. I shut my PC down for a few hours this morning and when I booted it back up (it's is a little quicker with MSE), and after it was all the way up, I noticed the CPU usage was up to 67%! But again is was a service associated with MSE. But now it is back to the not-so-normal 35% to 41% cpu usage and my CPU temps are a little high. I am not sure if that is important but the core temps are: Core0 54, Core1, 55, Core2 49, and Core3 50. I am using Real Temp GT and have a Logitech G13 that shows the CPU and RAM usage when the PC boots up.
Also I disconnected an external drive last night before the CPU usage dropped to the good normal just to see if it was associated but even after I reconnected it and rebooted it seemed to have no effect. Now the external drive is connected via a USB 3.0 PCIe card. It is disconnected right now and the CPU usage is still high though. I am wondering if that PCIe card might be going bad or is somehow associated because the svchost service that is running a little high is for a plug and play adapter. What do you think?
 
Go ahead and use the computer normally and don't worry about the CPU usage % unless a problem arises... Like pauses or blue screens
 
LOL... yeah but by then it may be to late. Because when it runs that high the CPU temps go up and that will end up being a problem as time goes on. It is running great right now though. After I posted that last message I got a message to install more update via windows update. I did the updates, rebooted as directed, and there was no change. I even disconnected the external drive. I ran a scan and nothing popped up (as expected) then I turned off the PC for like 90 mins and since then it has been running fine. I will have to reconnect the external drive eventually but if the idle time stays low in the meantime and goes back up shortly after reconnecting the external drive then it is probably the USB 3.0 PCIe card I have it running through. If not then it is the drive though I doubt it.
 
Well I just rebooted after having the PC shut down for two hours because I was watching TV, and now it's back up to 38% to 40% cpu usage. I also restarted it once and no change. I didn't think of the PSU as when they have gone bad before I couldn't even boot into windows. It might be the PSU. I purchased the PSU either refurbished or used but I have been running it for over a year. So is there a way to check it without pulling everything out?
 
But I really don't want to do that with my new gaming build just around the corner. Unless I can find a good one that will run a GTX 750Ti video card and the overclocked CPU for a real low price.... Do you have any recommendations?

Of course I could just go ahead and get the PSU for the new gaming rig, though I am not sure this old rig could handle that much power...lol. I am getting the EVGA SuperNova 1000 P2 for the new machine.
I am currently comparing liquid CPU coolers for my gaming beast. I was comparing the H110, the H110 GT and the H105. I think I will probably go with the 110 GT as it may be a little more expensive ($20 more) but it is at the top of the list for those that have tested it......
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I got a BSOD lastnight, during a game of Starcraft 2. Prior to that I had restarted the computer 3 times after it being shut down for like 2 hrs just to get the CPU usage down to normal. After the BSOD the computer restarted and I still had high cpu usage so I restarted again and it was back to the low CPU usage. I was able to enjoy a full game of Starcraft 2 at that point.
 
I did some heavy troubleshooting today. I deleted some programs that I have not used in awhile and might have been suspect like Team Viewer and a few others. I also did scans with Malware bytes and Security Task Manager. Though I can't get updated definitions from Malware bytes because my trial version is out of date I was able to run a scan and it found about 2 dozen potential problems like some rocket extension for Chrome that isn't listed in the extensions for Chrome. I got rid of all of them. Security Task Manager (STM) found one potentially harmful driver but it will not give me any information on it as I do not have the fully licensed version. Everything I have done so far has not solved the problem as my 40% cpu usage continues even after multiple restarts now. There is a chance the driver that STM found is the problem as everything I have done points to the possibility of a driver issue but I am unable to make that purchase right now. Is there another way I can find out if I that driver is the problem?
 
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