Few Issues in Windows 7 64-Bit

I was running my laptop perfectly, and I've come up across certain dumb issues with programs and such (Steam game installs). Knowing they could be fixed, I did a System Restore back to a day before the problem. I restore, and decide to run a scan (AV is Avast! free Antivirus). It turns out, a BSOD appears and physical memory dump fails. I decide to restore my paptop back to 10 days before the issue.

Laptop starts working perfectly, but I have noticed these issues for a couple of days:


1.) CPU Usage used to be at 0-1% almost always, now it's around 0-6% even when laptop is idle.

2.) Audiodg.exe starts chomping off CPU resources when I start to play Steam games. Doesn't happen with Google Chrome. Only chomps about 15% CPU though.

3.) It's been minimally slower (By minimally, I mean MINIMALLY. Like, things may delay an extra second than they used to delay and such).

4.) HDD keeps making a strange noise (I doubt it's dying. Laptop is since December and I have started to notice the sounds since... Always? I suppose it's Windows 7's retardation to check the drive every 2 seconds to see if it's good).

5.) I suspect that the audio is lower than it has always been. Usually used at 24%, but I used to be able to perceive it EASILY, now it takes effort to hear at same volume (I doubt I have some kind of hearing disorder )

6.) Games that use the Nvidia card are playing slower. On previous times, they ran perfectly on high. Now, I can see lag on high and random freezing (which fixes after like... 7 seconds?).

Now, what may be wrong with my computer? I have factory reset a month ago due to some issues, and I don't really want to do it again (if needed, then of course).

Well, I forgot to post my laptop's specs. which are the reason why I worry about the CPU randomly going up.

Intel Core i7 2630QM
Nvidia GT540M
640GB 5,400RPM HDD (Hitachi)
15.6" 1366x768 Res.
Windows 7 64 Bit


Or, for more exactitude, Asus K53SV-B1.


Also, I ran a Windows Performance Index assessment just for the lulz and it dropped from 6.0 to 5.5