Multiple appz..little CPU usage?

I have a DELl 5150 3.0 CPU with 2 Gb of memory with XP media center. I figured after i installed the extra Gig and a 1/2 of RAM (Dual Channel) and a GeForce Vid cardIt would run a bit faster..ok a lot faster than the 512 memory and on-board graphics. But it's just as s l o w! I recently burned a dvd with all our family pics over X-mas and was burning another DVD with music and some programs i like to keep.I used NERO for one DVD and MS for the other. I had about 15 things being transfered to thepicture dvd and the nero going. Everything was going R E A L S L O W! So I checked the task manager and it only PEAKED at 11%??? I figured it would be maxed out with all the stuff going.Oh I also was downloading some pictures from my sis on yahoo mess and on FF at the same time. But like I said ,the CPU never peaked over 11%?? But the case fan came on like a jet! Any Ideas why it didn't go to 100% CPU time?

 

A "Deli" computer? Did you mean "Dell"?

Did you check to make sure that the additional RAM was actually recognized by the system? Watch the information that the BIOS puts up as the computer starts. After the POST memory test runs, does the final amount of RAM it displays as having tested equal 2 gigs (it may display as approx 2000 megs instead of 2 gigs -- that's fine as it signifies the same amount of RAM as 2 gigs)?

You say you added 1 1/2 gigs of RAM (dual channel). Does that mean you had 512 megs of RAM to start and then added the 1 1/2 gigs (3 x 512 megs added) to that for a total of 2 gigs? If so, I'm doubtful that all your RAM is working in dual channel mode. Be that as it may, I would think adding that much RAM would certainly make your system more responsive. What brand and model # was the original RAM in this computer? What brand and model # of RAM did you add?

Did you check the speed of the additional RAM you purchased to match your old RAM and have you looked in your BIOS to make sure your RAM is now running at the same speed as your older, smaller RAM was?

Exactly what kind of onboard graphics do you have on your motherboard? Did you make sure to turn off the onboard graphics (probably by accessing that setting in your BIOS at bootup) when you installed the graphics card? What brand and model (and slot type) of graphics card did you add to your system? Did you install the drivers that came on the CD/DVD with the card or did you download and install newer graphics drivers via the internet? Which version of the drivers are they? Have you tried more than one set of drivers to see if that might help? (Sometimes older graphics drivers actually work better than the "latest and greatest" drivers.)