As the title says, for some reason FSX just recently started using all 4 cores at 100%. I am getting literally like 2 fps. Just a week ago I was flying fine with the PMDG 737 NGX then all of the sudden S just hit the fan. I didn't change anything, and this happens even with min graphics. I am running intel i5 2500K 3.3 ghz turboed to 3.7. Cant overclock it because apparently I was stupid a year ago and bought the ASROCK H61. I also have the GTX 680 graphics card, this sounds like its way better than what I really need for FSX since its CPU based. I am running a 500W power supply, 8 GB of ram as well. It also is doing it with just flying a 172 on default settings. Do I need to factory restore my shitbox of a computer? Oh and I tried reinstalling fsx, squawkbox, and pmdg. Thanks in advance! 

What's the CPU temperature?  Use RealTemp

http://www.techinferno.com/2012/11/23/realtemp-techinferno-edition-now-available/

 

Is there anything else running in the background? (Antivirus/java updater/ etc) I had Intel RST spiking my CPU to 25% constantly after my BIOS reset.

Have you tried any other games or benchmarks?  500 Watts seems a little borderline for the power supply on that system.  I wonder if it is causing issues?

If it's using all 4 cores at 100% all the time, I would agree with Ryan... it sounds like something is running in the background. AV, or perhaps a virus. Do run a virus scan.

 

Watch out for synthetic stress tests, sometimes Prime95 will fail to shut down, and carry on running in the background, happened to me once.

 

Also as Ryan said, check your CPU temp, it's possible that dust has built up, or a CPU fan has failed, and the CPU is overheating. Thus, the CPU could be throttling back. Ordinarily you would get lock ups before that, but worth checking.

 

I don't think it's related to your PSU, as the CPU running at 100% on all cores seems related.

Okay so update, I checked out the hardware inside of the tower after everything went to hell again while not even on fsx. The CPU fan would move like 2 degrees at a time and then stop, it was definitely struggling. All of the temperatures seem all right though. Right now the CPU temp is at 32C/89F and the fan speed is at 2100 RPM. It didn't look like there was too much dust built up but I will probably go buy some canned air just to make sure. Any other ideas guys? I appreciate the help greatly! 

If worse comes to worse I guess this might end up just giving me an excuse to buy a new MOBO/CPU/PSU

Also I'd imagine there's no malware since I just did a factory restore. 

You need to check the CPU temp at full load, while running something demanding, not at idle.

 

The CPU cooler fan may well lower it's RPM at idle if PWM, but it shouldn't stop.

 

Have you checked to make sure nothing is running in the background?

Nothing is running in the background, all the connections appear to be fine inside of the computer. I suspect that running the CPU at full load would increase the CPU fan RPM but this is not the case, it seems like the CPU just shuts off and runs at like a Windows 95 speed lol. 

Hmmm perhaps the motherboard's cpu fan connector is crappy....  not sure though.  Wonder if you could test another case fan with the CPU fan power connector?  Hopefully someone else can chime in I'm not sure if that's safe or not.  But if your CPU fan already isn't running I don't see the harm in testing without it for just a little while.  I presume you have a heatsink?  What is the exact CPU cooler?

Sound like a faulty CPU cooler fan to me. Causing the CPU to overheat and throttle back. If so, it's not a good idea to keep stressing the CPU to the point that it throttles back.

 

I doubt it's the fan header.

 

Is this a PWM fan? You could enter the bios and set the PWM fan control to run the CPU fan at max rpm. If it still won't, then as Ryan said, try another fan.

 

There's no problem with using the CPU fan header for a three pin or 4 pin fan. But if the fan you try is a 4 pin PWM fan, then obviously it wont ramp up to full RPM unless under load, or unless you set the fan to run at full speed in the bios, or any motherboard software utility you have.

 

3 Pin fans will of course run at full RPM.

Have you also checked your HD activity?

If your system is continuously writing something to the HD then your CPU will be at 100% What is your HD temperature? Modern 1TB plus hard drives need fans too.

Modern 1TB plus hard drives need fans too

 

 

No, they don't. The natural airflow from the front of you case is enough. Either from the front case fan, or courtesy of a slight negative case pressure.

 

He has confirmed that nothing is running in the background.

 

He's already told us that his CPU fan isn't ramping up when it should.

No, they don't. The natural airflow from the front of you case is enough. Either from the front case fan, or courtesy of a slight negative case pressure.

 

He has confirmed that nothing is running in the background.

 

He's already told us that his CPU fan isn't ramping up when it should.

If they never need cooling why then are cooling fan modules produced for them?

I use one and consequently the HD temperature never goes above 26c

That's a lot less hot air inside the case. It all contributes.

Hello I had similar problem to this on my rather old but still good (For Fs9) P4 setup.

I had a problem with something called 'system interrupts'. I would start the PC and very quickly these system interrupt things would climb until they were using 100 percent of the CPU .The result was the same as you record ie FS running with very low (unusable) frame rates and the PC running very poorly and slowly for any other tasks as well.

The cause in my case was a failing Graphics card.

I replaced the card and immediately the problem was solved.(like having a new PC )

Please excuse my lack of technical expertise and description of my symptoms.

Others may be able to chip in with a info about system interrupts if you suspect this may be at the bottom of what's causing you grief.

PS there are free programs that will show you if SIs are causing you PC to run badly.(not sure if its the same for multi cored jobbies though)

Anyways some thoughts

 

Socks

Hmmm perhaps the motherboard's cpu fan connector is crappy....  not sure though.  Wonder if you could test another case fan with the CPU fan power connector?  Hopefully someone else can chime in I'm not sure if that's safe or not.  But if your CPU fan already isn't running I don't see the harm in testing without it for just a little while.  I presume you have a heatsink?  What is the exact CPU cooler?

As a mechanical engineer...I've always been told if it buzzes don't touch it. With that said my electrical knowledge is pretty low haha. The two other fans I have in the system have larger 3 pin connectors with a red and black wire running to them, while the cpu fan is hooked up to a much smaller slot on the motherboard with a 4 wire connection consisting of black, green, blue and yellow. So its a no go in testing a different fan to the motherboard. 

 

I was able to do a flight with my PMDG from KMSP to KMDW no problem last night and the fan cooled the CPU as it was supposed to. Earlier today while just listening to Pandora however, the CPU fan stopped again and the temps of the CPU went up to the 70 degrees C range. I saw readings of 0 RPM, and then it would show 1100 RPM momentarily before returning to the 0 RPM. When it showed 1100 RPM nothing would actually happen but you could tell the motherboard was trying to power the fan. 

 

I am guessing that I have enough current supplying all of my required systems since it seems to be fine running FSX and the PMDG on maxed out graphics like I just mentioned, but when the fan decides to quit running and the CPU overheats all hell just breaks loose and I get that minimum 1 FPS while the CPU is trying to prevent being overheated. 

 

Is there another way to determine if its the Motherboard vs the Fan? I may end up having to buy myself a new MOBO which might work out as I can't OC this H61 anyways. 

Martin - I have the Fan settings all to Full on in the BIOS, still no change, computer works great and performs great when the CPU fan wants to do its job. 

Sound like a faulty CPU cooler fan to me. Causing the CPU to overheat and throttle back. If so, it's not a good idea to keep stressing the CPU to the point that it throttles back.

 

I doubt it's the fan header.

 

Is this a PWM fan? You could enter the bios and set the PWM fan control to run the CPU fan at max rpm. If it still won't, then as Ryan said, try another fan.

 

There's no problem with using the CPU fan header for a three pin or 4 pin fan. But if the fan you try is a 4 pin PWM fan, then obviously it wont ramp up to full RPM unless under load, or unless you set the fan to run at full speed in the bios, or any motherboard software utility you have.

 

3 Pin fans will of course run at full RPM.

If they never need cooling why then are cooling fan modules produced for them?

 

I use one and consequently the HD temperature never goes above 26c

 

For the same reason manufactures fit huge heat spreaders on RAM, it's a gimmick, a marketing tactic. RAM, even overclocked doesn't need huge heat spreaders. Same applies to hard drives, extra cooling is NOT required. Manufacture's will sell all kinds of gadgets that aren't necessarily essential.

 

I have a 1TB Western Digital black hard drive. It's installed in an Akasa hard drive caddy. No cooling, not even ventilation holes. Despite heavy use, no issues whatsoever.

 

As I said, hard drives do not need dedicated cooling, the hard drive will run within the manufactures thermal specifications, courtesy of just the front intake fans, or even with a gentle breeze courtesy of negative case pressure. Hard drive cooling is not something we need to get obsessed with.

 

The two other fans I have in the system have larger 3 pin connectors with a red and black wire running to them, while the cpu fan is hooked up to a much smaller slot on the motherboard with a 4 wire connection consisting of black, green, blue and yellow. So its a no go in testing a different fan to the motherboard.

Depends what you mean by large connectors. If they are Molex connectors then of course, they won't fit into a motherboard header. However you can buy a Molex to 3 pin fan adapter. 

 

3 pin fan connectors will fit into a 4 pin PWM motherboard header.

 

If your CPU is indeed throttling back due to excess heat DON'T keep on allowing it to do so. It's not good for your CPU.