Windows 7 intel t7500 dual core processor performance/usage problem

[watcher]

Hello, I've made a clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate a few days ago, and I started to encounter the following problem after 30-60 minutes:

It usually happens when I'm running a computer game (any game), I experience a sudden fps drop, even though before that, on maximum quality the game was running perfectly, becomes unenjoyable, quit the game. The CPU meter gadget shows 100%, and even after I close everything, browser, windows explorer, the best I get at idle is 70-80%, and if I try to open anything at all, it becomes stuck at 100% again. So I open task manager and go processes, put them in a descending order of processor usage, and see that they nowhere near add up to 100%, even though at the bottom the task manager says CPU usage is at 100%. Phyiscal memory is usually around 20-60%, no problems with that.
If I go to Performance tab, and click on resource monitor, I experience the same thing: the actual usage is nowhere near 100%, I can't see any processes that would explain for the performance drop, in fact the highest demanding process is the resource monitor itself.

The problem presists until I restart the computer, shutting down takes much longer now.
I've been trying to find a solution online for two whole days now, it's very frustrating.

It's a HP Compaq 8510w laptop with Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Build 7600
Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2 GHZ)
Hewlett-Packard 30C5 (Intel PM965 (Cresline-PM) + ICH8M-E)
4GB memory
nVidia Quadro FX 570M [HP]
Intel 82801HB ICH8 - High Definition Audio [B1]
I've tried several suggestions:
Disabling HDAC in Device Manager (High Definition Audio Controller)
Disabling Audio Enhancements in Sound>Speaker Properties
Installing the very newest drivers, including chipset drivers
Running programs in XP compatibility mode
Disabling the gadgets

I've no reason to think I've been infected by malicious software, I can't find any suspicious processes running.

Anything else I could try? This is driving me absolutely mad.

 

[Saltgrass]

If we assume you system is not having some type of mechanical/electrical problem, there are many things that will run a processor up.

In some cases, it has been some utility or part of a utility that is misbehaving. Other cases it was something like an Anti-virus scanning your system. Backup programs may also be involved.

If you leave the system and let it finish, does it eventually stop? Any chance the processor is getting hot?

But you should show something in Task Manager - Performance, or the Performance Monitor, or Resource monitor. If a core is running that much, it should show up.

 

[watcher]

Link Removed due to 404 Error Uploaded with ImageShack.us When idle after the occurance, the meter sometimes goes down to around 60%, but even if I just dare to change the focus of windows, it jumps over 90%, and it becomes very awkward to do anything at all...

 

[Saltgrass]

I wish I could see your attachments, but when I go to Imageshack, I still cannot make them large enough and all I get is advertisements.

You can attach them here by using the snipping tool to take the picture and the paperclip on the advanced replies to attach.

 

[watcher]

Here you go

 

[Saltgrass]

Both Perfmon.exe (Resource Monitor) and Seamonkey are running at high rates. Can you check the Perfmon.exe and then check what shows down below to see if any specific items are running high? Then same thing with Seamonkey. You can also right click the specific process and get extra information. Not really sure, but maybe analyzing the wait chain would expose something.

My Perfmon.exe right now is showing .37 CPU and Firefox .65. I have a different CPU, so it will look a little differently, but not that much.

You processor is running around 55-59 °C, do you happen to know off hand what the max temps are? Of course, if it is running warm, the process taking the CPU cycles is probably causing it. But if the processor were getting hot, it might exhibit some strange tendencies. If heat were involved, possibly the cooling fan has become blocked with dust bunnies and needs to be cleaned out. Do you hear it turn on?

In Task Manager, you need to click the button on the bottom about showing all processes. One may be hiding.

You have shut your system completely down prior to rebooting?

 

[watcher]

It's just a snapshot, in reality, several tasks were wrestling with each other for higher cpu time, because cpu underclocking itself (explorer, seamonkey, perfmon, taskmgr, dwm, skype, etc .exe) Max temperature is apparently 100 celsius, even when the problem occurs, and the meters read 100%, it barely climbs to 70. The fan is fine, it was very well cleaned when I got the laptop, and yesterday I tried again with compressed air, but nothing even flew out. In BIOS I set the fan to be constantly on when on AC power as well. The laptop doesn't feel unusually hot. No, I just restarted straight from start menu. Even if I just put the system to sleep for 2 seconds and restart it, CPU returns to normal behaviour (for a couple of minutes at least ) EDIT: I also ran an AVG scan and it found nothing malicious.

 

[Saltgrass]

It is difficult for an outside observer to be able to track down some process that is using your processor cycles. If you can't stop it by keeping certain things from starting up using MSconfig.exe, you need to pin down which process or processes it is and look at them. Some processes contain threads which might be actually causing the problem, but you need something in addition to the Windows 7 utilities to dig deeper.

If you cannot pinpoint the problem, you might want to look at the link and go through the process for finding and identifying the problem. This is a Microsoft site and safe, but it has tutorials for the software mentioned.

Anyway, going through the process covered in the link might help you see which direction you may need to go.

The Case of the Slooooow System - Mark's Blog - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

 

[watcher]

I've found the cause of the issue, it's not down to a wild process or overheating, but for some other weird reason, the processor is forcing itself to underclock to 195 mhz at x1 from the normal 2200 x11. I've edited all available power settings in Windows 7 to have the CPU always be available 100%, I also downloaded RightMark CPU Clock Utility, forcing the CPU to be at 2200 mhz x11. It worked for a little while, I was problemless for an hour, but then it came back... for some reason it still underclocks. Suggestions?

 

[Saltgrass]

Most intel processors can downclock to save power. This function is normally controlled in the bios and called Speed Step or something like that. If you are using another utility to control that procedure, not sure exactly what to say.

 

[watcher]

There is no setting like in the bios. My BIOS version is Intel (R) Boot Agent GE v1.2.45 PXE Build 086 WfM 2.0

 

[watcher]

Link Removed due to 404 Error This is the readout after the problem occured and I alttabbed