cpu slowdown...POR QUE!!!! - Computer Help & PC Help Forums

dave8753 · 08-21-2008, 05:46 AM

This has been bugging the living CHRIST out of me.

My PC is slow...i mean really slow.

I formatted my HDD and installed windows XP 32 bit SP2 (I had Vista 64 bit before and it isn't compatible with ANYTHING)

There is literally NOTHING installed on my computer besides drivers (which are all up-to-date straight from the manufacture's website and all are digitally signed to work with my OS), Office 2007, Age of Empires 3, and Bitcomet.

While you may think some of these programs interfere with it...keep in mind that the computer was showing the symptoms BEFORE anything was installed except windows. (leading me to believe I have a hardware problem)

my specs are as follows:
Motherboard: ASUS P5KC
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6550
GPU: ATI Raedon X1950
RAM: 4 GB (all kingston memory)
Network Card: Netgear W311T 108Mbps (PCI)

What leads me to believe that it is a CPU problem is because I did a little search on the internet and I found 2 other people who had the EXACT same problem I have and their specs are completely different than mine except the...you guessed it...the Intel E6550.

The main issues are this:
Windows loads extreamly slow (Task Manager shows 97% on idle process tho)
Installation of programs such as Age of Empires, Photoshop, and Adobe Acrobat Reader took 2 hours, 3 hours before i quit, and about 10 minutes respectively.

What the hell is going on?!
I have a reasonably fast computer and my 5 year old laptop installs programs, loads windows, and executes programs faster than it does.

POR QUE!!!!!!

**Dalo Harkin** · 08-21-2008, 07:55 AM

Right first things first - have you been told by windows updates that you need an INTEL CHIPSET DRIVER?
The only thing that will cause your CPU to 'throttle' when it shouldn't is the lack of the intel chipset driver.

THIS is VERY common on ASUS boards.

Also is ALL the RAM the same speed?

PS - welcome to Free PC Help

**Seth** · 08-21-2008, 02:21 PM

Is the computer slow in Safe Mode?

dave8753 · 08-21-2008, 08:04 PM

Yes, all of the ram is exactly the same.

Yes, i have installed the intel chipset drivers.

Yes it is slow when it boots into safe mode

**Dalo Harkin** · 08-21-2008, 08:30 PM

Have you disabled anything in the BIOS for the CPU?
also have you manually set the timings for the RAM from the manufacturers site?

dave8753 · 08-22-2008, 05:27 AM

I don't know how to do any of that...so no

**Dalo Harkin** · 08-22-2008, 07:18 AM

Ok I would say that its more a problem with the RAM not running right than your CPU then:-
can you tell me the model number of the RAM sticks and I will get the timings and talk you through setting them in the BIOS.

**Seth** · 08-22-2008, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dalo Harkin

Ok I would say that its more a problem with the RAM not running right than your CPU then:-
can you tell me the model number of the RAM sticks and I will get the timings and talk you through setting them in the BIOS.

Or as a quick test Dalo, Dave can first test the system with one stick only.

**Dalo Harkin** · 08-22-2008, 02:14 PM

^^ Agreed - they should be DDR2 RAM and if they are Dual Channel then leave one in slot 1 and 3.
If they are not dual channel leave one in slot 1 as Seth said.

Windows 32bit versions will only utilise 3.25GB of RAM anyway so effectively one stick is wasted.

**Seth** · 08-22-2008, 02:20 PM

I was thinking of going to the lowest denominator and just trying one stick. Even if it was dual channel, I believe that would be fine, as the ram would just run as a single channel.