100% CPU usage on 3ghz Core 2 Duo?

[goretech]

Is anyone else getting 100% CPU utilization on their Core 2 Duo?

I have a ATI 4870 1gb video card, 3ghz Core 2 Duo, and 4 GB of ram with Windows 7 64 bit.

The game automatically sets my settings to HIGH, with 4AA however its super laggy. So i turned everything to medium and 2AA however its still really jerky and slow. I don't think its my video card so I assume 3ghz Core 2 Duo is not enough? I tried turning shadows to low, and it was no help either.

In my resource monitor that game with win 7 I see Civ5 taking 65% cpu, and steam.exe taking 35% cpu. When scrolling in the game it is very jerky.

I am debating to reinstall windows or upgrade, but I'd like some feedback from the community if possible.

Thank you,
Goretech

 

[Quboid]

Pretty much every game uses 100% CPU utilisation. Why not? That's what it's there for. Steam using 35% seems odd, unless Civ is integrated with Steam in a way that confuses the task manager (or however you're getting the usage stats). I have very similar specs except a Geforce GTX260 and it slows down at 1920x1200 @ 4xAA, but at 2xAA it's OK (perhaps later in a game it will slow, I haven't got far yet). What resolution are you using?

Try the usual things - updating drivers, graphics card especially, don't run other programs at the same time, defragment your install (via Steam) and your hard drive (via Windows) but ultimately there's only so much you can do. I intend to upgrade my CPU at Christmas, from a C2D @ 3.3Ghz to a quad core i5 or i7 @ 4Ghz.

 

[JWideman]

First, your video settings should have no affect whatsoever on your CPU usage.
Second, steam shouldn't be using that much CPU. Ever.
Not sure what's going on here.

 

[goretech]

I am running 1680x1050. @JWideman- I agree it is misleading but some settings use the CPU under the video tab. It even states that.

I have updated all drivers, and defragged. I am also running on a VelicoRaptor 10k RPM drive so my HD is very quick.

It is not that 100% cpu is bothing me, but that it is acting like it needs MORE CPU. I can't run any other program while running civ5. I could not even sync my iphone as itunes did not respond. So when just running civ 5 alone alone with steam i get this problem.

One note: I use steam voice chat with friends so maybe that is the increase in CPU utilization from steam.exe? Either way something is terriblely wrong that a C2D 3ghz can't run this game well with a ati 4870.

 

[Quboid]

Just gave it a quick test with Task Manager open at the same time. Civ never went above 75%, and Steam never went above 2%. I'm not sure why I'm not using 100% CPU time, perhaps my graphics card is the bottleneck, but Goretech, Steam seems really wrong for you. Perhaps try reinstalling it? That should be possible without having to reinstall/redownload its games.

 

[goretech]

Thank you Quboid. I will try to reinstall Steam, and if that does not work I will try reinstalling windows 7.

 

[goretech]

Ok... so I never tried single player but the game works fine when playing single player. Steam.exe takes nothing during single player but if I sit at the HOST window for multiplayer steam takes 40 to 50% CPU. This is why my online games are laggy.

Anyone else getting steam.exe taking a ton of cpu for online play? Just create a host game, and even before anyone joins the game, at the menu screen steam is taking tons of CPU power.

I have not reinstalled yet... doing that tonight.

 

[auspex]

I have the same issue.

3 ghz core2 duo
ATI 5850
4 gigs

100% CPU usage - The game is jittery in both Multi and single player. I'm pretty sure this will require a CPU upgrade to fix.

 

[The Rusty Gamer]

I don't suppose you have Catalyst 10.7 drivers installed. I had a problem with them slowing everything down; I'm not talking Civ5 here, I don't have it yet, but I'm talking a huge slowdown plus crashes on my system in general. Everything came right after I upgraded to 10.9

Is the graphics driver the problem?

 

[Dearmad]

not happening to me: C2D 6750. windows 7, 4 gb.

 

[goretech]

After 2 full games I could not stand it. I even tried lowest settings possible. I still was at 100% cpu. My friend with a i7 2.66ghz says he never goes above 38%. SO I ordered the i7 950 with new motherboard/ram.

Sad that a civ game made me upgrade over something more 3D intense...

 

[Fistalis]

After 2 full games I could not stand it. I even tried lowest settings possible. I still was at 100% cpu. My friend with a i7 2.66ghz says he never goes above 38%. SO I ordered the i7 950 with new motherboard/ram.

Sad that a civ game made me upgrade over something more 3D intense...

Nvm noticed its only a core 2 duo my post doesnt apply.

 

[Panda_Power]

I've just been testing mine on an i7 920 overclocked to 3.8GHz using all 8 threads and I find it runs very efficiently at 10%.

Here's a screenshot in between turns at turn 236:

 

[tokala]

Guys, for heavens sake, 100% CPU load means your processor IS used efficiently
Nothing wrong with that, that's DESIRED for a game
Look at that task manager screenshot, 5 of that 8 logical cores are almost idling, and three are at about 30%, that's not even two fully used cores and THAT is inefficient. An i7 is total overkill for Civ5.

 

[Panda_Power]

Guys, for heavens sake, 100% CPU load means your processor IS used efficiently
Nothing wrong with that, that's DESIRED for a game
Look at that task manager screenshot, 5 of that 8 logical cores are almost idling, and three are at about 30%, that's not even two fully used cores and THAT is inefficient. An i7 is total overkill for Civ5.

Maxing out your CPU is efficient, but causing no strain at all is inefficient? Good logic!

 

[Zelig]

Guys, for heavens sake, 100% CPU load means your processor IS used efficiently
Nothing wrong with that, that's DESIRED for a game
Look at that task manager screenshot, 5 of that 8 logical cores are almost idling, and three are at about 30%, that's not even two fully used cores and THAT is inefficient. An i7 is total overkill for Civ5.

This is, in fact, correct.

It's simple to make any game use arbitrarily small amounts of your CPU, it just won't make for very well-performing games.

If your turn times aren't instantaneous, and your CPU usage is below 100%, that's not efficient.

For example: Turns take 10 seconds, cpu usage is 50%. Wouldn't you rather turns take 5 seconds, with cpu usage 100%?

 

[tokala]

Maxing out your CPU is efficient, but causing no strain at all is inefficient? Good logic!

Maybe we have a different understanding of "efficient"
For me, an efficient game uses the full potential of the CPU, i.e. 100% load.
Only using 25% or so of the maximum processing capacity I would consider inefficient

 

[Panda_Power]

If Civ 5 pushed all 8 threads to 100%, I'd be worried! Video editing software doesn't even do that!

 

[goretech]

Well i swapped out my Core 2 Duo with 4GB ram, to my new i7 950 3ghz with 6 gigs. I didn't even have to reinstall windows. Now I am using around 10% CPU and the game is perfectly smooth with everything on high.

@Tokala - Yes, it is efficient as none is being wasted however it was not ENOUGH.