While playing any games, though this issue is more prevalent in Team Fortress 2 and World of Warcraft, my computer intermittently goes into some sort of CPU overload. Every 10 or so minutes, frame rates drop to near zero, the CPU usage jumps to 100%, and the games become unplayable. This lasts for about 5-10 seconds, whereupon everything resumes normally.

Specs are as follows:
-Intel Core2 T7200 @ 2.00 ghz (dual core)
-2048 Ram
-2x 120gb Hard Drives
-GeForce GO 7600
-64 Bit Operating System - Windows Vista Ultimate

Other programs in use while gaming:
Kaspersky Internet Security (Full version)
Speedfan
Winamp (Sometimes)
MSN (Sometimes)

I've owned this laptop for several months now, and this issue only started occuring a few weeks back. There have been no major patches, upgrades or changes made to the machine that would have triggered this issue (At least that I can think of). This is the thing that confuses me most. Why would my computer run perfectly fine for months, and then develop this bad habit?

Ive gone so far as running the game with task and process manager open, trying to see if any particular application or process is eating up CPU or RAM when this occurs, with no success. The programs on my computer are only ever using half my available RAM, so I doubt it's a memory issue (I've run Memtest as well, no errors).

I've posted about this issue in the past, though no solution offered has completely done away with this VERY annoying issue. I've tried everything from disabling indexing on Vista (this did boost overall performance), running in compatibility mode (also a slight improvement), defragmenting, running antivirus software (the computer is clean and well protected), turning OFF antivirus software (In case it is some sort of auto updater/scanner kicking into gear), cleaning out the laptop, cooling it, etc. Nothing has helped. Every 10 or so minutes the performance drops, then goes back to normal.

I've read posts regarding a similar problem in regard to other games. Suggestions ranging from driver updates to better cooling have been brought up, and I've tried them all. Short of a system reformat (Which I prefer to avoid) nothing has helped.

If you have had similar problems, post your story here as well. I'd like to see how it compares. Perhaps we all have some problem in common.

There is a problem for the mobile computing on the games.

You can purchase the active cooling dock for your laptop, and disable the speedstep for your CPU.

I believe that speedfan does nothing to the fan, because it is full automatic.

Every moment, the laptop heats up, it has to reduce the speed and loads to cool down.

How do you disable the speedstep for your CPU?

People have suggested that this is a heating issue, which makes me wonder, again, why this would only start to BE an issue after several months of use?

If it was heat it could be because the CPU's heatsink is covered in dust and therefore can't cool down the CPU as well as if it was clean

I hope this laptop is....toshiba ?

Just as general information, i expect your two 120GB hard drives are actually one 250GB drive partitioned into two parts. I'm also guessing that one of them is called SYSTEM and the other DATA? It would be pretty hard to get two 2.5" hard drives into one laptop unless it has a big case, although i expect it has been done before.

You make good guesses! The case is rather large though, and I can see two possible slots where hard drives might be. The names are System and Data however. Its an HP Pavilion DV9000 laptop.

Ok, i don't agrees that you remove the recovery partitions. It is imperative that you leaves it alone, unless you have the recovery cds.

stalling applications is COMMON on laptops due to marginal cooling.

Laptops are not well suited to gaming in the first place.

more RAM, faster processer

try also gel coolant system

you use a 286, please use the edit button.

Heh. 80286.

Disregard 286's suggestion about gel.

Why don't you try out one of those dock coolant? All you had to do is buy the dock, plug in the USB and you are good to go.