system interrupts causing 60-80% CPU usage

[namniffum]

I have a computer that I built from the ground up.

it contains:
biostar mcp6p3 motherboard with on board
nvidia GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 graphics
amd athlon II x2 245 2.9ghz dual core cpu
2 2gb ocz gold 1066 ram
windows 7 home premium 64 bit

I have, since day one, had this cpu drain. I can run linux (ubuntu 10.04) without any problem at all (at least with the cpu, software different story). I have been trying for almost a year now to fix this by going through various forums and got no where. I have tried:

removing/rotating ram
running in safe mode
downloading latest drivers
using driver managers
messing with power management
taking it to a computer repair place for three hours
disabling all nonwsentials like usb and sound

I am at wits end, this problem is constant and annoying.

PLZ HELP ME

 

[marsmimar]

Hello namniffum and welcome to Seven Forums.

Without knowing exactly what process is running/draining the CPU it's hard to offer any specific advice. Have you checked Task Manager to see what's causing the drain? Couple of other free tools that might help to pinpoint the problem:

Process Explorer

Process Monitor

You could also try diagnosing with a clean boot.

How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7

 

[namniffum]

thats the problem, there are no apps open and none of the processes are taking more the 2%, the only way I can even find the system interrupt is in the resource monitor. this is where i got the percentage and it is unstopable.

 

[marsmimar]

The unique capabilities of Process Explorer make it useful for tracking down DLL-version problems or handle leaks, and provide insight into the way Windows and applications work.

Then I'd give Process Explorer a try. You don't have to install it, you can run it in your browser from the Run Process Explorer link on the right side or bottom of the web page.

 

[namniffum]

the process explorer says that it is a interrupts and discribes as hardware interrupts and deffered procedure calls. the pid is also n/a.

 

[cmd187]

Can you post a screenshot?

 

[namniffum]

here is that screen shot

 

[Bullgoose]

Give this link a try

Hardware Interrupts & DPC's Using Up CPU - The PC Guide Discussion Forums
Hope it helps.

 

[Buddahfan]

Hardware Interrupts & DPC's Using Up CPU - The PC Guide Discussion Forums
Hope it helps.

Speaking of DPCs you might want to look at this.

The DPC Latency Checker tool

If any kernel-mode device driver in your Windows system is implemented improperly and causes excessive latencies of Deferred Procedure Calls (DPCs) then probably drop-outs will occur when you use real-time audio or video streaming applications. For an explanation of this effect see Background information below.

The DPC Latency Checker tool determines the maximum DPC latency that occurs on your Windows system and thus enables you to check the real-time capabilities of your computer. DPC Latency Checker works independent of any external hardware. Using this tool may be helpful in the following situations:

• You experience interruptions (drop-outs) in a flow of data processed in real-time, for example an audio stream, video stream or a sequence of measuring data, and you want to find out the reason for this problem.
• You want to verify that your Windows system is configured properly so that it is capable of handling real-time data transfer before you install the corresponding streaming application.
• You want to check if a particular computer system is suitable for streaming applications, for example before you buy this system.

For more information on the Deferred Procedure Call mechanism and how an excessive DPC latency will affect a streaming application see Background information below.