Slight hangups while playing games on my laptop

[Entensity]

While playing games I am experiencing slight hangups every so often, at random intervals. It lasts for a split second, and is just enough to be an annoyance. I've noticed when this occurs, my CPU usage drops down to 0% or near 0%, then back up to normal.

Any ideas what's going on?

[GHoosdum]

Which HD did you order with yours, Entensity? If it's a slower model, that might account for some lagging as you describe. Try a defragmentation and see if that helps.

[Entensity]

* Genuine Windows XP Professional
* Intel(R) Core(TM) Duo processor T2500 (2.0 GHz)
* 17.0" WSXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1680x1050)
* 256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7600
* 2.0GB DDR2 SDRAM (2x1024MB)
* 80 GB 5400 RPM SATA Hard Drive
* Super Multi 8X DVD+/-R/RW w/Double Layer Support
* Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
* No TV Tuner w/remote control
* 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* Microsoft(R) Works/Money
* Genuine Windows XP Professional Backup CD
* HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope


...but i really dont think that is the issue...but it's not using the HD during the times that this happens. its while playing games and such.

[papermate]

So, does anyone have any idea on the HD audio issue. Getting 5.1 surround sound to work with a single 3.5mm headphone jack?

[Entensity]

More importantly what's causing my CPU drops?

[papermate]

This thread isn't really a troubleshooting thread, you'll probably get more help at a place like techsupportforum.com. From what I know, random short lockups can be caused by cache issues with the video card. In games that use the same engine as americas army I know you can open the console (~) and type flush to flush the video card cache.

[GHoosdum]

So, does anyone have any idea on the HD audio issue. Getting 5.1 surround sound to work with a single 3.5mm headphone jack?

I don't think you can by default - SledgeHammer got 5.1 channel sound on his by adding a new sound card.

More importantly what's causing my CPU drops?

Did you check on the hard drive per my recommendations above? It does not sound like a CPU issue to me at all.

[Lincoln]

what's causing my CPU drops?
I agree with GHoosdum that's likely to be related to your hard drive speed. I'd hypothesize the CPU drop happens when data is being written to and from the drive because that happens comparatively slowly on a 5400rpm drive. Does the game use most or all of your memory? You might have more luck starting a new thread about this issue, though it is a bit obscure.

[Entensity]

I have 2 gigs of memory, and it's not using all of it.

This doesn't happen at any particular time. I see HD activity at other times and no drops occur.

[GHoosdum]

Can you define a "CPU drop"? Are you using the term to describe sudden lag and framerate drop within a game? When it happens, is the CPU activity pegged at 100%? Or have you even checked the CPU itself during these times?

All games or just certain games? Different games use your HDD to different extents. For example, I know that Oblivion uses it extensively. My wife's PC, which I just upgraded, is able to play Oblivion at about 40 FPS on average. After I installed AOE3 on the same HDD, however, she was seeing sudden random drops to under 10 FPS at different times throughout the game. It turns out that AOE3 had seriously fragmented the hard drive. I defragged the disk and Oblivion was performing at a regular steady clip again.

Another possibility is that you're overestimating the ability of the video card in that rig. It's good, but it's not enough to run every game at full settings - it takes a lot of per-game tweaking. It may be that you're experiencing FPS drops during certain times when the video card just can't handle everything that is being thrown at it.

[Entensity]

By CPU drop I mean my CPU usage drops to 0% or near 0%, and the game seems to catch up for a split second. I had CTRL + ALT +DEL performance graphs up while playing World of Warcraft, and it normally seems to run around 80% CPU usage, and when I noticed the slight hangup I Alt + Tab'ed out and discovered that when it occurs my CPU usage drops down.

This is occuring in all games that I play. World of Warcraft and Silk Road.

I'm not overestimating the graphics card, I have all the settings tweaked for WoW, as it is the main reason I bought the laptop to play at LAN parties, and it runs at a steady 40 - 60 FPS at all times. I just get these split second hang ups. Barely noticeable it occurs so fast, but annoying nonetheless.

I would understand the HD issue if these were HD intensive games, but they're not. So I can't seem to pinpoint the problem.

I defragged just the other day.

[papermate]

Does it always happen or does it only happen after you've been playing for awhile? You might want to try the flush command like I said if it's happening after a fair amount of playing. Also, WoW might be maxing out your internet connection. In other words, when you turn to see some massive landscape that hasn't been cached into your computer your computer waits for all the information from the WoW server and then processes and displays the landscape. So if you have a slow internet connection, that might be the problem.

If none of that works, you might want to try scanning your computer for viruses or spyware. Defraging the hard drive is also a good way to increase computer speed.

[Leonardo]

Is this a new problem? Is it perhaps related to the temperature in the room where you are playing. I'm wondering if the motherboard is throttling the CPU if/when it gets hot.

[Entensity]

It's not temperature related...occurs when cool too.

[Entensity]

Up. :)

[RWB]

This glitch you referr to would normally sound to me like a cache issue with textures, on cards with low amounts of memory(note I understand you have a card with 256MB of memory and a system of 2GB of RAM, I'm just saying...) it has to play catch up when you turn around to load the textures into memory real quick.

Of course this could be a result of HDD or driver issues as well as CPU throttling as leo mentioned.

I would probably bet on a driver issue though, or some background program kicking in randomly, I've had similar issues with HP Desktops.

[FatFunkey]

i orderd the same system (same specs and all) and u hopefully ill have it on monday and see if it does the same on WoW (i play it 2 :P)

but wow always locks up for a sec if you like get to a major town or something....or is it happing to even low populated areas

[Entensity]

up

[FatFunkey]

i just played wow for 2hrs with your same stuff can i ask whas your laptop unplugged mine was plugged in and i got no hang ups what so ever

playing WoW Oblivion deus ex no hang ups at all

so im either gussing your running it on battery or you got some spyware/virus already (which i hope not :X) or what background programs are u running :?

EDIT your running profesional im running Media center..thas the only dif in our hardware, and since Media center XP is based off the Profesional Version of Xp i dont see a faultin that

[Entensity]

I play plugged in.
What are the specs of your system?

[FatFunkey]

the exact same hardware minus the OS
2.0 Ghz Dual Core Yohan
2gig Ram
80gig SATA HDD 5k rpm
7600 Go

its the hp dv8000t
only difeance in hardware is the fact i run Windows XP Media Center while u run XP professional

by any chance are u blocking the fans? espically the bottom 1 that i think sucks in cool air

[Entensity]

well uh...the bottom one sits on my desk, how else will i not block it?

[Thrax]

Does this only happen on WoW?

[Entensity]

Nope happens in every game. Here's some of my new findings...

-- It occurs more frequently when the system has recently been turned on. After running for about an hour or so, it gets warm so you'd think it'd occur more frequently then, but it doesnt.

-- I almost think it occurs when the fan speed either slows down or changes. It seems like it happens when something is going on inside the system related to temperature control. When it gets warm, the fans don't ever seem to change speed, and it doesn't seem to occur.

[Leonardo]

Hmm, it might be the motherboard BIOS throttling the CPU frequency when the processor gets hot. It's probably set to do that.

[Entensity]

Right...but if it was being throttled, you'd think it would run slow as it got hot.

Nothing slows down, it just freezes up for a split second. Throttling would be slowing stuff down over an extended period of time. My issue is it freezes up for a split second, and then goes back to normal. And by split second i really do mean less then a second.

[Entensity]

And plus like i said, when its been running a long time and its warm, it occurs less if even at all.

[Leonardo]

Yes, your logic is correct. Sorry, I went through your posts too fast. Throttling would only occur if the CPU were too hot. Doesn't seem like that would be right after startup.

[Entensity]

Yup. like i said, seems to occur when something is going on that is changing the fan speed or something. like i hear this weird noise...its not a hard drive searching noise or anything... its just... unexplainable, and it seems to occur during that noise.

[Entensity]

New info...seems like it occurs when a new sound is played, that hasn't been played before. Example, the specific slashing of a blade instead of the normal ones. But once its played once, seems to be better.

[Entensity]

bump. again, seems like it is sound related. if a sound hasn't been played yet during gameplay, it seems to hang up the first playing of it.

[Leonardo]

OK, this is a stab in the dark, as I don't pay much attention to sound with computers. Some sound chips/cards can be switched between "HD" and analog. Have you experimented with sound settings?

[Leonardo]

If this was already suggested and I didn't see, please excuse me: consider uninstalling all sound drivers and then reinstalling. Check task manager to see if you have duplicate sound applications running simultaneously.

[Entensity]

I will try that...if the CPU is being throttled when it's hot, is there anyway to stop this?

[Enverex]

There should be something aptly named in the BIOS to control it or just turn it on/off.

[Entensity]

I'm guessing HP hid that ability from users...becuase I don't see it.

Actually, how do I even access the bios properly? I've been pressing like F11 or something during startup. Is this the correct manner?

[Enverex]

It will tell you when you turn it on, it will say something like "Press F2 to enter the BIOS" or "Press Del to enter SETUP" etc etc, something along those lines.

[Entensity]

It definitely seems to be sound related. I noticed when playing regular Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne single player that it did it when a new sound was being played...example...

I clicked a specific building that has a sound that is played on click, and that sound had not been played yet that gaming session. Then the next time that sound was played, no hangup occured.

I can't seem to figure out how to fix the problem though.

I tried reinstalling the drivers.

[csimon]

I have a windowsXP SP2 hd hotfix I'd be willing to share. No guaranteed results. All you have to do is be sure that you have WinXP SP2 and not have the SP1 hotfix installed ...if so remove it. PM me your email and I'll send it to you. It worked for me and it may work for you.

It is High Definition Audio Driver Update KB888111.exe ...was very hard to get and may still be.

[Entensity]

There is no option in the BIOS related to temperature and CPU throttling.

[Entensity]

Still needing help with this issue. Have had no luck fixing it.

[Entensity]

up up, months later