# espn.com and cpu usage

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/espn-com-and-cpu-usage/350745>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 31, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/espn-com-and-cpu-usage/350745 "2006-03-31T19:33:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Spezza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Spezza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spezza)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/espn-com-and-cpu-usage/350745/1 "2006-03-31T19:33:10Z")

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What is [espn.com](http://espn.com) doing to my computer? I noticed that each time I am viewing that site my cpu usage climbs into the 50%ish range. Opening task manager, when at [espn.com](http://espn.com), I notice Firefox.exe is constantly taking up between 15% and 60% of my cpu time. Any other site I go on this does not happen. Even with multiple tabs open and multiple windows of Firefox open, it never takes more than an average 5%. So what is [espn.com](http://espn.com) doing to my computer? How, and why, is it consuming so much of my cpu time?

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**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/espn-com-and-cpu-usage/350745/2 "2006-03-31T19:59:20Z")

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They have some scripts(probably JavaScript) running on the page. That’s how they have the “Spotlight” section scroll through the different headings.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/espn-com-and-cpu-usage/350745/3 "2006-03-31T20:54:38Z")

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It’s most definitely not the javacript, it’s the flash-heavy content. The whole top third of the page is all Macromedia Flash, and so is all the dynamic content including some of the ads on the right-hand edge. That’s what’s eating your CPU cycles.

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**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/espn-com-and-cpu-usage/350745/4 "2006-03-31T23:37:56Z")

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> [@Q.E.D.](#):
>
> It’s most definitely not the javacript, it’s the flash-heavy content. The whole top third of the page is all Macromedia Flash, and so is all the dynamic content including some of the ads on the right-hand edge. That’s what’s eating your CPU cycles.

:smack:  
What he said.