# CPU Usage Skyrockets - Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 30, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-usage-skyrockets-why/483718 "2009-01-30T15:27:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-usage-skyrockets-why/483718/1 "2009-01-30T15:27:30Z")
When I go here [http://www.killington.com/winter/the\_mountain/maps/interactive\_trail\_map/index.html](http://www.killington.com/winter/the_mountain/maps/interactive_trail_map/index.html) and click on the interactive trail map, which uses Macromedia Flash, my computer’s CPU skyrockets to 60-65%. I’m using Chrome, but Firefox behaves in the same way. Why? This looks like a pretty simple task. Also, when this happens, I can hear a very loud “whirring” from my computer what is this sound? Something similar happens sometimes when I play streaming video. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-usage-skyrockets-why/483718/2 "2009-01-30T16:31:36Z")
My computer reacts like this too. Not the processor but the whirring. The loud whirring is the fan ramping up to cool off the processor. I would suspect that your video card and processor are sharing a load, so that’s why video is so processor-intense for you. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-usage-skyrockets-why/483718/3 "2009-01-30T17:10:15Z")
It only does this when you choose to see the open lifts. Something in the script that runs the animation is taxing the CPU. Almost certainly a fault with the platform (Flash issue) or very sloppy/inefficient code maybe? ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-usage-skyrockets-why/483718/4 "2009-01-30T17:16:08Z")
I would say sloppy/inefficient code. It is pretty neat though. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-usage-skyrockets-why/483718/5 "2009-01-30T17:58:04Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > My computer reacts like this too. Not the processor but the whirring. The loud whirring is the fan ramping up to cool off the processor. > > I would suspect that your video card and processor are sharing a load, so that’s why video is so processor-intense for you. If this is the case, is there anything I can do fix it? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-usage-skyrockets-why/483718/6 "2009-01-30T18:44:57Z")
Short of having either the application (the trail map) or Shockwave rewritten, no. If it’s the sound bothering you then you might be able to get a chassis with better insulation. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-usage-skyrockets-why/483718/7 "2009-01-30T18:57:58Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > If this is the case, is there anything I can do fix it? Are you asking if you can stop the fan from whirring so much when the processor ramps up? No - it’s not a bug it’s a feature 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-usage-skyrockets-why/483718/8 "2009-01-30T19:44:40Z")
I was referring to the possibility that the video card and processor may be sharing a load. Can this be altered? Does this question even make any sense? ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-usage-skyrockets-why/483718/9 "2009-01-30T19:49:19Z")
I don’t see how the video card would be doing much of anything on that particular app. Maybe when streaming video, it’s possible your video card is working a bit harder to render it. What are your system specs? ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cpu-usage-skyrockets-why/483718/10 "2009-01-30T21:54:08Z")
2 GB DDR2 150 GB avail memory Athlon 64 X2 processor