High CPU usage when downloading?

[empty87]

High CPU usage when downloading?
Hi,
I have a Dell dimension 8300 desktop. Only recently, my computer has started to have a high a CPU usage whenever I am downloading stuff, be it from torrent or from firefox/IE. By having high CPU usage, my mouse would get laggy, the music I played from I tunes/wm player would skip, keyboard input would lag and skip too. All this only happen when I am downloading, I am still able to play games, or run several program at the same time without lagging.

Does anyone have any advice to help me with this problem?

Thanks in advance

Here is a link to my PC specification:

http://www.pcpitstop.com/pcpitstop/Summary.asp?TechExpress=NY7SPWZ1HYJSHP1Q

 

[NathanM]

Hmm...

What firewall are you using? You might want to try downloading something with it disabled and see if that corrects your problem.

 

[talldude123]

you have alot of RAM, unusual for a Dell.

Scan for spyware and viruses.

 

[empty87]

I am using Mcafee, it is still the same problem with no firewall =(

I scanned for both viruses and spyware, cleaned everything but I still have the same problem

I just added 2 x 1GB additional ram recently, but the problem has been there even before I added the ram.

Thanks for the advice so far guys

 

[jbc]

Mc Afee's firewall typically uses a lot of CPU time since it takes an active view to protecting your system. On top of that the hard drive is the second slowest component on your computer, which contributes to the problem. The slowest part of your computer is you. You can add all the RAM you want and it won't make a difference. The only thing that you can do to fix this problem is to put in the quickest hard drive controller that you can lay your hands on. The only solution is to read for the drive faster.

 

[empty87]

Jbc, what you said is not helping me at all. I do understand that the Mcafee uses a lot of CPU, and that my hard drive reads a bit slow, but this has not been the case the past few months. I did not change my antivirus or HD a single way. Why is the problem occuring only now and not before then?