CPU random jumps... need help

[Forchunet]

I just finished installing my second custom computer. After some initial random shutdowns and slowdowns I reseated my cpu with some arctic 5. The computer runs smoothly now however i still get the occasional cpu usage jump. Sometimes when I open folders the cpu usage jumps all the way up to 100%. Even as I type this it's jump to 100% atleast twice. The case is getting enough cooling seeing as i've left it open. Yes the heatsink fan is rotating...

what can I do?

 

[bmxfreakrider]

...spyware???....first, what cpu u got, what its ghz(or mhz if its old) how much ram u got, how many active progs u got runnin, and last, but not least, run spybot-search and destroy..

 

[Forchunet]

i doubt its spyware seeing as the comp if brand new. 1 day and ive barely used the internet

its an AMD 3800+ with 1gb of ram.

well i updated the vid drivers and now the monitor turns black and then goes back on every few minutes. its like totally random...

could this possibly be a ram issue. i traded for 1gb really generic pc3200 ram. The brand is named Centon.... heh maybe it was a bad idea?

 

[Syrillian]

"could this possibly be a ram issue. i traded for 1gb really generic pc3200 ram. The brand is named Centon.... heh maybe it was a bad idea?"

Run Memtest on your system. That will help clear the air a little. If Okay, move on to next piece of the puzzle.

 

[Jayce]

I don't know if this helps, but when I open stuff on my computer with an AMD 3000+ I get the jumps too. Just now I opened a new firefox page, and it jumped to 92%. I'm running 2 gigs of ram as well.

In Linux, I run this program known as wine, which emulates a windows operating system to play certain games. When I'm playing half life in Linux, my system usage RARELY goes below 95%. Normally it's a steady 99-100% and rarely moves.

 

[Forchunet]

hmm

well i ran the memtest and it ran fine...

well i took the ram out anyways and replaced it with some more generic 512mb sticks (heh im too cheap to buy good ram). Then I reseated the vid card.

runs good so far. no more blackouts no more slowdowns. Im just hoping for the best right now. gonna let it run like this for a few days and if all is well then ill start tweaking it up to get it running smoother...

thanks for any help guys. ill be back for sure once something goes wrong... *crosses fingers*