For some time now I have been wondering if I have a problem with my processor or how it is set up on the motherboard.
The processor is a Genuine Intel Pentium IV 3.06GHz and it is on a ASRock P4VT8 Motherboard. I have 768 MB of RAM and running on Windows XP Pro 2002 with Service Pack 2.

It was upgraded six months ago by a local PC builder who unfortunately moved to Canada or I think I would have queried it with him. I have always Just wonder if it is functioning correctly.
Whenever it has got any sort of work on processing lots of data or like this morning I was just doing some large photo editing and touching up, it just takes forever and eveything just freezes up and takes forever to come back.
It seems at maximum load, and it only running at 50 to 54% in Windows Task Manager CPU Usage History. I have never seen it at 100% ever.
I can hear the fan in the CPU at it's maximum and I know when the screen is going to unfreeze when I hear the tone of the fan drop.
I have checked time after time to see if there are any other processes running at the same time and there is never anything else going on.
Is this normal. Should it not be giving me 100%.
Prior to this upgrade I had worked with a Pentium III 700 and I don't feel the benefit of the IV like I think I should.

The fan sounds don't sound good. Generally you wouldn't want the CPU running at 100%. That's usually when things freeze.

Check this page in your BIOS Setup:
System Hardware Monitor: You can check the status of the hardware on your
system. It allows you to monitor the parameters for CPU temperature,
Motherboard temperature, CPU fan speed, and critical voltage.

http://www.asrock.com/product/product_p4vt8.htm

Also you can use this program for active temperature monitoring:
http://www.lavalys.com/products/over...ng=en&pageid=1

You might also want to consider that, if you have problems during graphics-intensive periods such as photo editing, you might have a struggling graphics card.

Thank you for your replies and advice.
I have downloaded the Everest Home Edition PC Report. It is excellent. I am not sure what to look for if it indicates a problem.
My graphics are a 256Mb GeForce FX5600XT which I think should cope alright.

Ref to my earlier description of the processor not ever running any higher than 50 to 52%, i this a normal thing ?.

When I am running the Max I run (such as web cam/ messenger | surfing | downloading)

My CPU usage is rarely over 60%.

If it is ever above that then performance goes downhill.

Thanks for the feedback
Much appreciated

Glad it helped

& Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday pommie5!

(Geez, ~FINALLY~, someone older than myself! (Aug 18/50).) ;>) ;>)