CPU Spikes

Ok First off
Im running a P4 2.8ghz 533
with 2 256 sticks of pc3200 corsair ram
and 1 256 stick of pc 2700 corsair
Ive a old asus board im not sure of the number
a ati radeon 9800pro
a maxtor 40 gig hd
and a Audigy 2 zs
...the mother board ram speed is supposed to be a max of 2700 so that is one problem..but the computer runs.

So heres my problem.. I fire up my computer with windows xp and it runs fairly smooth with 0-7% cpu usage for about 3 minutes, then it jumps up to about 11-15% cpu usage , then up to 20-40 % cpu usage. All this time it says its idle is 99%
I have done virus scans, spyware scans, ic ran msconfig, ive checked for progams sucking up cpu usage, and ive updated all my drivers. Im running service pack 1, and I cant figure out what my problem is. Is it that im running pc3200 ram...or is there some other reason? Will someone please help, i'd love to get this computer fixed so it dosent crap out, I kinda need it for college.

 

Are you sure it is cpu usage, and not memory usage? Since you said that SYSTEM IDLE is at 99%, I can't see that the cpu is using much. That idle basically states that you have cpu power for other apps/services....

 

It says system idle is 99%..
but if you look at cpu usage on the bottom of the task manager next to the number of processes it says at any given time between 11-45 % with the system idle at 99% and no programs running

 

If you are on the processes tab, then click on CPU (between Username and Mem Usage). Until System Idle appears at the top, now, monitor what is below that. Take note what may be using your cpu during this timefram. Anything odd? I may go quite quick.....

You may want to change the update speed a bit, by clicking on VIEW, then UPDATE SPEED, then select Normal, or Low. Be patient...

 

The only things that are popping up are the wireless card thats using 02 cpu usage ever now and then...every once in a while my internet explorer...a crss.exe or crvss I didnt quite catch it....but all of them are using like a 2% cpu usage all small. Nothing that equals up to the 20-30% constant cpu usage...btw where are you from in indiana...im from lafayette

 

Columbus.....

 

ATTACH a HJT log, so I can (or others) can see what is running in the background:

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=38752

 

lol...I guess thats the end of the ideas on my problem?...I should be able to figure it out this is only like the 4th computer ive built...but ive never had a problem like this before so yeah....but this computers also just thrown together with a bunch of old parts to get me by because of my greedyness. I had a much better motherboard and over a gig of ram till the bios freaked out on the motherboard so yeah ....now im left tinkering with this trying to get the bugs worked outa it.

 

I'll play around with that some when I get home from ball state tomorrow if I have time...thanks for the help, I'll get the log asap

 

Or a log from:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4686

Which is also helpful.....

 

I think I may have found the problem...maybe...im not sure...I was messing with the speed on my thermaltake cpu fan tonight and realised that in somewhere in the mess of wires from the powersupply down to the fan...theres a short...or several shorts...and im asuming thats causing all of my problems...and also the reason for my 120 gig hard drive frying 2 weeks ago

 

Ok I attached the log..>I dunno what its going to do when I submit the reply though

 

Ok I also found that if the computer is spiking real bad...and I move the antena on my wireless net card a little bit...the spiking goes from being like 20-40% cpu usage to 2-13% cpu usage....why the heck would my wireless net card cause this?....could it be a bad pci slot?....I would think if it was the router it would affect my stepdads computer to....unless..well...I read a article that when you install sp1 on xp systems it often over writes drivers with drivers that arent as efficient and this can often cause cpu spikes?...I wonder if thats it...I really dont wanna uninstall my lan card though its always a pain.
Ok...I moved the antena on the wireless card a bit and now ive got a standard 0-2 % spike just like a perfect computer can someone please explain this?