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Screensaver and CPU usage

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Guest

Screensaver and CPU usage

#1 Post by Guest »

Hi, I'm new to Sarge (and Linux). I've put all sorts of meters on my desktop (CPU usage, RAM usage etc..). I have noticed that when the screensaver runs, the CPU is being used up 100% by the process. If needed, here's some relevant info about my computer:
CPU: Pentium 4, 2,66 Ghz
RAM: 1024Mb DDR 400Mhz
I've never noticed if the same thing happens under WinXp. Maybe this is normal, but as far as my knowledge goes, I don't think it is very healthy for a CPU to run at 100% for maybe 1/2 an hour or even longer...
So my question(s) is/are: is this use of the CPU perfectly normal? There isn't anything to worry about as far as the CPU's health goes? Or is there something wrong in my system and I have to do something about it? And if so, what?
Just in case you need to know, I use the moving clock as screensaver.

Thanks for any opinion/comment on the matter

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dawgie
Posts: 430
Joined: 2004-06-16 21:30
Location: New Hampshire USA

Re: Screensaver and CPU usage

#2 Post by dawgie »

Anonymous wrote:Hi, I'm new to Sarge (and Linux). I've put all sorts of meters on my desktop (CPU usage, RAM usage etc..).
Have you tried the "moaning goat meter"
http://linuxmafia.com/mgm/
#apt-get install mgm

I have noticed that when the screensaver runs, the CPU is being used up 100% by the process.
Just in case you need to know, I use the moving clock as screensaver.

Thanks for any opinion/comment on the matter
Have you checked other screensavers? Some of them are very resource-intensive. Or it could be a bug with that particular screensaver.

The only time that I have cpu usage near 100% was when I had an occasional frozen screen with an older version of mozilla-firefox and I had to kill the process to end it.

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Terje
Posts: 117
Joined: 2005-03-25 12:38

#3 Post by Terje »

Could also be your graphics driver. I have an ati card, and with the original ati driver in debian, my cpu rose to 100% when playing a divx movie. With the fglrx drivers from the ati-site I can play 2 movies at once and not have 100% cpu load :-)
Registered Linux user number 391283.

Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity.

Guest

#4 Post by Guest »

are you using an opengl screensaver? Some screensaver are only good at saving your screen, not your CPU cycles. I personally turn it off, so I only get a black screen after 10 minutes...

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