Dreamscene sucking all my CPU. Plz help.

[Donger723]

Hey all, I recently made the jump to Ultimate x64 and love it. However
I recently installed the Windows Dreamscene and then followed it up wit
Stardock Deskscapes. This is when i realized something fishy with m
video card/driver/config/??

Everything is stock, no OC or anything. Brand new formatted HD and O
so theres nothing that seems abnormal - I infact have pretty much n
progs installed yet. My specs as following
ULTIMATE X64[/B
*3GB RAM
*AMD 64 X2 +3500
*SAPPHIRE RADDEON X850 PRO
[B]PERFORMANCE SCORE -- GRAPHICS: 5.9 GAMING GRAPHICS: 4.9 PROCESSOR
4.1 MEMORY: 4.6 HD: 5.
So given that, I figured i should be able to run most things fairl
smoothly. Heres the problem, with a still background pic my cpu idles a
0%, with a Windows DreamScene video it idles at 40%, and with Stardoc
Video it idles pretty much at 90-100%! Ram stays at 30% for all. Now
understand those videos can be somewhat of a step up to a still picture
but buddies of mine with similar computers tell me they are idlin
around 15%. 90% seems to be a red flag that somethign isn't right. I'v
installed ATI's newest Catalyst drivers (7.10 I believe), ran throug
all the Windows updates, and made a half attempt to get codecs. Grante
a wallpaper is fairly superficial, but I figure if theres somethin
wrong in the video department, it's going to show its face when
attempt at games or photoshop rendering. Does anyone have any ideas
Please hel

--
Donger723

[brink]

Hi Donger,

It really depends on the Dream file (Stardock video) that you are
using. Some will use more resources than others. Download a few other
Dream files and try them to see how they vary as a test.

'*http://www.wincustomize.com/skins.aspx?libid=50&sort=rating&c=1*'
(http://www.wincustomize.com/skins.aspx?libid=50&sort=rating&c=1)

Shawn

[Donger723]

Hi, thanks for the reply. Yea I tried about 10 different ones and they
do vary in cpu usage (+-10%), but it still in the alarming areas. It is
just bizarre given my specs, I feel like theres some underlying problem.
Thanks again for any advice.

[brink]

Donger

You might look in the Resource Monitor to see what is using the CPU.
Open Task Manager, click *Performance* tab, and click *Resource Monitor
button. Just expand the CPU section at the right to see. Look unde
*Average CPU* to see the average cpu usage for the process

ATI has the 7.11 version out now if you do not already have them

'AMD GAME! Drivers and Utilities
(http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx

Shaw

--
brin

*There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them.*
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[AvatarOfTheShip]

I've got a Q6600 and 4GB RAM with a GF8500 and none of the
Dreamscene/Stardock backgrounds hit any of my cores very hard. I guess
it really does look like a driver thing because although everyone says
the 8500 sucks (they started saying this after I'd got one, naturally)
-*even*- my lowly card copes. ATI have always had a reputation for great
silicon but crap drivers.

[cge]

well, the problem here is that your gpu sucks you need to upgrade. depending
on the mobo, if you have a new mobo (in the last year) you sould go for 8600
or up or a 2600xt or up then you sould be fine. the reason is the gpu cand do
all the requirered things to run dreamscene so the cpu has to help. but with
a new gpu aka video card you sould be fine.