100% CPU Usage
#1
Anyone had this problem? CPU running at 100% all the time when i'm running D2. I've searched for the problem/solution but cant seem to find it anywhere.

Incidentally, i have a GF4 Ti 4200 128mb video card with an Athlon 1.2 and 768MB DDR RAM.

Any ideas?
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*shavenlunatic - Europe
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#2
I dont have this problem, but I will share one sorta similar.

Christmas day, I updated DirectX, and nvidia drivers as per MS.

Machine is; P4 Intel 2.53ghz, 1G ram DDR, nvidia GeForce Ti 4200 128mb, Win2K Pro (5.0, Build 2195)

Flawless operation for the last six months.

Since the mentioned updates, I get "unhandled exception" errors, which cause a game freeze. Cntrl+alt+del opens Task Manager and I notice in the performance tab, a spike to 100% of cpu usage that coincides with the freeze.

I aint playin hc till this is fixed, I'll tell ya!

http://www.blizzard.com/support/?id=adt0274p

I'm going to try what is suggested here before I panic and remove all heavy blunt objects from a 20' perimeter around my comp. :lol:

There may be something here at blizzard that may help your situation ShavenLunatic.

Don't ya luv yer 'puter, I do.

NB
Sense and courtesy are never common
Don't try to have the last word. You might get it. - Lazarus Long
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#3
Get a processor :)

Diablo does not need a strong video card, rather it is a CPU hog. I got a 2000+Xp, and it is pretty busy (skelemancers are practically unplayable). With a P4 2400 my friend reports that he experiences no lag (that processor has hyperthreading, so the 50% CPU usage says little).
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#4
When you say "all the time", does that include when you have D2 minimized to look at the task manager?

If it does, then it is a problem, and I'm afraid I can't offer any suggestions.

If not, then there isn't anything wrong at all since it's not uncommon -- indeed, odd otherwise -- for modern games to hog the CPU.
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#5
If you updated video drivers from the MS site, that could be the issue. The drives on windows update are rarely the same as the manufacturer drivers. Just go to www.nvidia.com and get the latest drivers from there.
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#6
Go to town once an hour and run this program called "Fast Defrag" It's less than a MB in size, if I remember, and only takes about 1-2 minutes(depending on your system size I think) to free up memory. As long as it can lower usage to 40% or so, you're safe. Not uncommon for it to reach 90-100% while running D2
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#7
YZilla,Dec 28 2003, 10:55 PM Wrote:When you say "all the time", does that include when you have D2 minimized to look at the task manager?

If it does, then it is a problem, and I'm afraid I can't offer any suggestions.
Yes, all the time, as soon as D2 loads, even in the chat screen it is sucking up 100% CPU. Bah. Its not a memory or processor managment problem im pretty sure as my processor has been stress tested and my ram is nails and high speed. I'ts gotta be a bug somewhere, wish I could find where.

And no, I dont update my drivers from microsoft, I get them directly from the manufacturer.

Think I might downgrade my version of DirectX though, I vaguely remember this causing problems in the past (when i had the beta anyway)
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*shavenlunatic - Europe
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#8
Gnollguy,Dec 28 2003, 04:03 PM Wrote:If you updated video drivers from the MS site, that could be the issue.  The drives on windows update are rarely the same as the manufacturer drivers.  Just go to www.nvidia.com and get the latest drivers from there.
Good suggestion!

Trying this now for my problem.

Someone mentioned DirectX. My version is 9.0b (4.09.0000.0902) Anyone else using this version? Are you having problems?

Wouldn't be the first time Billy Gates downloads whacked out my machine.

The folks at MS support are being very helpful, though.

I'd tear out some hair, but there is not enough left to waste. :lol:

NB
Sense and courtesy are never common
Don't try to have the last word. You might get it. - Lazarus Long
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#9
I've been through 2 CPU upgrades in my D2 playing time and it's always taken up 90+% CPU when running. This starting from CD2 with older versions of DirectX to now with updated nVidia drivers and DX. It's just a CPU hog.

It will let other apps run, though, when I alt-tab out to do other things. I've never really had any problems with it.
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#10
Although the latest NVidia drivers are working just fine for me, your system might be one of the few that makes to act strange. (My system was one of the few that didn't work very well with the 43.xx detonators :P )

You might want to visit www.guru3d.com, they have just about every single NVidia driver over there available for download. If you still know the version number of the previous drivers you were using, try downloading that one, if not, take a look at their forums to find out which drivers should perform well on your computer.
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#11
AssA,Dec 30 2003, 01:44 PM Wrote:Although the latest NVidia drivers are working just fine for me, your system might be one of the few that makes to act strange. (My system was one of the few that didn't work very well with the 43.xx detonators :P )

You might want to visit www.guru3d.com, they have just about every single NVidia driver over there available for download. If you still know the version number of the previous drivers you were using, try downloading that one, if not, take a look at their forums to find out which drivers should perform well on your computer.
good advice, but I'm one step ahead of you, i've downgraded my video drivers several times (stepping back one version at a time) and still the same problem.

This constant crashing out is causing my HDD to become damaged, grr. I think Diablo might be going in the bin soon unless I get this sorted. Damnit. Please dont make me play neverwinter nights or something!! Damn you blizzard!

:D
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Don't think cos i understand... i care
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*shavenlunatic - Europe
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#12
You've probably tried this as well, but if not it's worth a try to swap Diablo's video modes (DDraw to D3D or vice versa) by using the videotest utility in your D2 folder.

Also, blame Microsoft for making you install crappy software :P
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#13
AssA,Dec 31 2003, 01:44 PM Wrote:You've probably tried this as well, but if not it's worth a try to swap Diablo's video modes (DDraw to D3D or vice versa) by using the videotest utility in your D2 folder.

Also, blame Microsoft for making you install crappy software :P
heh. yep yep yep. Been there done that and still no change.

FYI - D2 finally blew my processor last night, so if anyone has one spare then id appreciate it, lol :D
a55of rot13

539 tbh


Don't think cos i understand... i care
Don't think cos we're talkin... we're friends



*shavenlunatic - Europe
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#14
Yes! Constantly! I have a Pentium 4 2ghz, 512 MB SDRAM, 32-bit (or maybe 64, I just don't remember and am too lazy to look it up) GEforce video card and I always have 100% CPU usage when D2 is running, but I don't have any lag. Now when I start running more applications when D2 is running I get insane lag and D2 starts giving me errors.
"The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained liberation from the self." -Albert Einsetin
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#15
MEAT,Jan 3 2004, 09:31 AM Wrote:Yes!  Constantly!  I have a Pentium 4 2ghz, 512 MB SDRAM, 32-bit (or maybe 64, I just don't remember and am too lazy to look it up) GEforce video card and I always have 100% CPU usage when D2 is running, but I don't have any lag.  Now when I start running more applications when D2 is running I get insane lag and D2 starts giving me errors.
yeah, i get allsorts of "error loading sprite" and "cannot draw line" and stuff, ive just taken it that it was due to my HDD getting damaged, but god knows


Well, no more D2 for me untill i get a new processor.... gutted :(
a55of rot13

539 tbh


Don't think cos i understand... i care
Don't think cos we're talkin... we're friends



*shavenlunatic - Europe
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#16
It usually happens when your computer has loaded many greedy programs,such as a scanner
some good things to do before running diablo:

-clear cookies,history webites,temporary files
-disable some programs:
start up menu/execute/type msconfig/start up/uncheck almost all programs except the firewall
-shut up internet explorer
-set up your comp as a server (system/performances)
-increase internal cache
- tweak your graphic card
-if still lagging,choose 2D instead of 3D,choose a smaller resolution
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#17
A program or a game don't burn processors;if that happens,this is because of weak/out of order fan ;inadequate fans cause processors to die very fast
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#18
Abramelin,Jan 10 2004, 02:33 AM Wrote:A program or a game don't burn processors;if that happens,this is because of weak/out of order fan ;inadequate fans cause processors to die very fast
I agree completely, and I would go so far as to say it was a faulty Fan/Heatsink seating that was causing your D2 errors, shavenlunatic.

As for the original topic, AFAIK pretty much all games will use 100% of available processor time because they are always trying to draw new frames. D2 is presumably capped at 100 Frames Per Second, so unless you see 100 fps constantly (type "/fps" ingame), then your computer will be constantly drawing new scenes every frame. Even if you were averaging 100 fps, I'd wager that D2 will still draw more frames and then simply discard them... bottom line: D2 will use 100% of available processor time where it can. If you're running a program in the background that demands a certain amount of CPU time at a high priority, it will get it and D2 will suffer.

Also, if you are running a Distributed Computing type research application, like Folding@Home, then this program will also cause your CPU usage to be 100% constantly. However, F@H and its ilk will only use spare, or unallocated CPU cycles, so they do not slow down your system whatsoever. Hope this helps.
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#19
My Fans are a bit iffy, and I know this, but as I am a bit short on cash then they will have to stay that way. I have an external fan blasting cool air into the PC and as I have reduced D2 to its lowest res and turned off shadows etc. Also reduced my windows resolution


I play other games, WC3, Counter-Strike (renound for being resource hungry), Tony Hawks etc.. all more graphically challenging and yet none of them use 100% processor or crash on me...

hmmmz
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