Eating System Resources

from WinCustomize Forums
Alright, just installed XPCursors, Logon Studio, and Window Blinds. Now when using Media Player or Kazaa I'm noticing significantly larger uses of system resources when viewing visualizations. Beforehand, my computer wouldn't even blink, now it starts breaking a sweat (30%+ usage). I uninstalled the programs to see if that would help, but it still did the same thing. Yeah, so, I'm a bit nervous. Any way I can configure things to get my performance back? I've got Radeon 9700 Pro Video and P4 2.53MHz, so I know it should be able to handle this. Wondering why things are backing up...

Thanks for any help!
2,334 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I use the Quicksilver WMP skin and it uses 40-50% cpu usage alone with mp3s. I'm on a 750 AMD, 512 ram, GeForce 2 and XP Pro.

Not sure if this is normal. Using WB 4.1, Cursor XP, Icon Packager and Sysmetrix.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Doubt if it's anything to do with WB.My pc always jumps up in proc usage with visualizations so i never run them.I do know that XP has a bug in it in relation to explorer and avi files that causes huge processor runtime.Probably not your problem but watch for it.Sometimes just selecting an avi will cause it to do a continuous details lookup.
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm also running a P4 2.53ghz...Right now I am running Adobe Photoshop,WB4,CursorXP,SkinStudio,MusicMatch Jukebox and of course IE

My CPU barely drifts between 1-2%

The RAM takes the hit...How much and what kind of RAM do you have?
WMP Visualizations consume quite a bit.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Kazaa can actually suck it down pretty good. Which process is using it up?

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
As for the WMP Visualizations, I'm using the Quicksilver skin which has no visuals.

Click on my name and you will see it.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I guess I am misunderstanding

You said,
"Now when using Media Player or Kazaa I'm noticing significantly larger uses of system resources when viewing visualizations."

It's not the Stardock programs Kazaa will eat you up evertime...I don't use it anymore
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Zodiaq~, Matt Broox said that not me. I was the second poster. I don't use Kazaa either.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Lol...See...It was definitely me misunderstanding Sorry about that The DJ..

Time to go take a nap
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
TaskInfo2003 has a shareware venison so you can check it out. Fantastic utility that not only lets you see what exact processes are running on your system and the resources they are using, it also lets you see in depth information on processes making external (network) connections and it lets you see each thread of each process. Actually it does a lot more than that, but the gist of it is. You can see exactly what is doing what and the things it is interacting with.

It also allows you to return system resources bye clearing the disk cache, flushing memory quickly or in depth optimization by def raging your ram and removing unloaded program dll's and so on...

It is an option to look at to get things under control....

TaskInfo Main page with description of application.
http://www.iarsn.com/taskinfo.html

download page...
http://www.iarsn.com/download.html
[Message Edited]
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well, I seem to have somewhat resolved the problem. I downloaded a smaller "blind" and it seems to eat up less resources. I still have problems playing the visualizaion>alchemy>random...before I installed all these skinning programs my computer played it without a problem...now it's stuttering through it. It's not THAT big of a deal...just wondering if these programs did some tweaking of some video settings that I might be able readjust or something. Thanks for the posts too.

And, Zodiaq, I've got 512 of PC2700.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Matt...Seems you have about the same setup as myself

I just don't have the luxury of that 9700 Pro...Damn

8500DV...It's not too bad though

As far as I know the Stardock apps don't tweak any Video settings...Not 100% positive though