problem in OpenGL apps and on desktop (high CPU usage)

Discussion in 'Graphics Cards & Displays' started by samGT, Jul 30, 2010.

  1. samGT

    samGT Newbie

    i have a problem that has really annoyed me, i have done all i could but it's still present! :wall:
    the problem is that in solidworks which is an openGL based CAD application, moving the mouse over graphics area causes a 50% CPU usage, others get only 10 to 12%.
    also moving the mouse over the desktop in windows 7 causes a high 40% CPU usage if there are many icons on the desktop.
    i suspect this is a graphics card problem.
    my specs are:
    CPU: Pentium D 945 (3.4 GHz)
    RAM: 2Gigabytes DDR2 (4 512Mb pieces)
    Graphics card: Nvidia Geforce 9500GT
    motherboard: Gigabyte GA-945PL-S3
    OS: Windows XP SP3, Windows 7 (both 32 bits)

    please help!
     
  2. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    Does it cause any noticeable effect on the performance of your computer? Or is it only noticeable via the CPU usage monitor?

    Cause the CPU will throttle down to a lower speed when it idles, and a high CPU usage whilst it's at a slower speed doesn't mean that a lot of work is actually being done.
     
  3. samGT

    samGT Newbie

    yes,it's a drag on performance,the 3D app i use doesn't work as smooth as it should. plus it causes my fans to blow faster and make alot of noise.
     
  4. zy

    zy zynine.com Staff Member

    Is this recently or it happened long time ago?

    Did you check the heat sinks to make sure they are clean & the fan is functioning properly?
     
  5. samGT

    samGT Newbie

    a long time! i have tried to keep the inside of my PC really cool,but there is no difference. fans will blow slower but the CPU usage problem is still there.
     
  6. zy

    zy zynine.com Staff Member

    I wonder if you can get hold of a spare Core 2 Duo to test your motherboard/cpu

    I previously ran a Pentium 4 3.2ghz setup, it hogs resources :nuts: and doesn't run smoothly.
     
  7. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    Hmm.. It could just be that the processor is slow. The Pentium D is a pretty slow processor, even if it's dual-core.

    Even a low-end Mobile Core 2 Duo or Pentium Dual-Core processor is much, much faster than it. zy is right... if you can get hold of a Core 2 Duo or Pentium Dual-Core, try that and see if it "solves" your problem.

    BTW, professional 3D apps usually use the CPU to render the scenes, although the viewports are powered by the graphics card. If you have a Quadro or FireGL card though, the render can be offloaded to the Quadro/FireGL.
     

Share This Page