New MITX Build ... can't explain CPU usage and high idle temps. Your take?

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harddud

Limp Gawd
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Jul 29, 2005
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I recently built an HTPC for use on our TV for watching movies, surfing, light gaming, etc. The System configuration is as follows:

CPU: Haswell i5-4590s (65w) using stock cooler
MB: ASRock B85M-ITX
Memory: 8GB G.Skill Ripjaws (2x4GB) DDR 3 1600
Vid card: EVGA GTX-950
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130


Using CPUID HW Monitor I noticed that this lower-power CPU was running at about 60C at idle ... but at idle the CPU is at 25%. Other than a mis-aligned heat sink I'm having a hard time figuring out 1) Why the CPU is idling so high and 2) why the idle temps are so high (60C or more).

Any advice to investigating this? Thanks ...
 

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Make sure you have plenty of intake to bring in cool air. Exhaust is not as important.
 
25% of use usually means one CPU core is maxed out You need to figure out what SVCHost is doing and address that..
 
Ocellaris said:
25% of use usually means one CPU core is maxed out You need to figure out what SVCHost is doing and address that..
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It's Windows 7 so I can tell you already it's Windows Update.

OP it's going to run for several hours unless you apply the CPU utilization and Windows Update client fixes. While you're at it, install the servicing stack update and Convenience rollup.

After you install all 4, check for updates again and install the remaining updates and reboot. SVCHOST.exe will return to normal.
 
bigdogchris said:
It's Windows 7 so I can tell you already it's Windows Update.

OP it's going to run for several hours unless you apply the CPU utilization and Windows Update client fixes. While you're at it, install the servicing stack update and Convenience rollup.

After you install all 4, check for updates again and install the remaining updates and reboot. SVCHOST.exe will return to normal.
Click to expand...


Sir,

This is what I was thinking. It is a new system and I have auto updates enabled. I could either turn off auto updates ... and accept the risk associated with this action or just let it run it's course. I could also change the update settings to download/install updates at my choosing. My goal here is to find out what the temp of the processor will be at "true idle", i.e. zero CPU utilization.

I've tried running the system with the case cover off and even with the PS out but it has little effect on the high CPU temp. I am going to remove/clean/reapply paste and reseat the stock cooler and then turn off auto-updates.

What do you think? Anything else I should try?

Thanks ...
 
Yep, Windows update, and the CPU utilisation and Windows Update fixes don't always resolve the issue.
 
harddud said:
Sir,

This is what I was thinking. It is a new system and I have auto updates enabled. I could either turn off auto updates ... and accept the risk associated with this action or just let it run it's course. I could also change the update settings to download/install updates at my choosing. My goal here is to find out what the temp of the processor will be at "true idle", i.e. zero CPU utilization.

I've tried running the system with the case cover off and even with the PS out but it has little effect on the high CPU temp. I am going to remove/clean/reapply paste and reseat the stock cooler and then turn off auto-updates.

What do you think? Anything else I should try?

Thanks ...
Click to expand...

Don't reapply the paste until you turn off Windows Update and see what happens.
 
harddud said:
Sir,

This is what I was thinking. It is a new system and I have auto updates enabled. I could either turn off auto updates ... and accept the risk associated with this action or just let it run it's course. I could also change the update settings to download/install updates at my choosing. My goal here is to find out what the temp of the processor will be at "true idle", i.e. zero CPU utilization.

I've tried running the system with the case cover off and even with the PS out but it has little effect on the high CPU temp. I am going to remove/clean/reapply paste and reseat the stock cooler and then turn off auto-updates.

What do you think? Anything else I should try?

Thanks ...
Click to expand...
Not too sure why you'd want to turn off Windows Update. As long as your system has more than 8GB of RAM, then let it continue doing its thing. If it has 8GB or less, then I would run the Simplix updater tool instead: http://update7.simplix.info/UpdatePack7R2-16.8.13.exe

That will install nearly all updates for Windows 7 and then you will just have a few stragglers left that were released after this version of the Simplix pack.
 
OK, I finally got a chance to check use some of the advice that I've gotten here. I booted the system up and the CPU is running at about 25% with a temp of about 55-60C. I opened Task Manager and determined that svchost.eve (netsvcs) is causing 25% CPU utilization. I then did the following:

1) I determined that Windows update IS turned on ... so I disabled it. CPU utilization remained at 25% so WU apparently is not causing this.

2) I returned to TM and disable/turned off svchost.exe and CPU util dropped to 0-2%. After one minute CPU temp dropped to about 44C.

3) Within another 1-2 minutes svchost reactivated somehow, pushing CPU util to 25% and temps back up to about 58C.

4) I then totally disabled it and the CPU returned to 0-2% and temps in the low/mid 40C.


Questions: Is 44C about as good as I may expect from the stock cooler setup in this box? How do I determine what process(es) are causing cpu util to 25%?

Thank you ...
 
harddud said:
OK, I finally got a chance to check use some of the advice that I've gotten here. I booted the system up and the CPU is running at about 25% with a temp of about 55-60C. I opened Task Manager and determined that svchost.eve (netsvcs) is causing 25% CPU utilization. I then did the following:

1) I determined that Windows update IS turned on ... so I disabled it. CPU utilization remained at 25% so WU apparently is not causing this.

2) I returned to TM and disable/turned off svchost.exe and CPU util dropped to 0-2%. After one minute CPU temp dropped to about 44C.

3) Within another 1-2 minutes svchost reactivated somehow, pushing CPU util to 25% and temps back up to about 58C.

4) I then totally disabled it and the CPU returned to 0-2% and temps in the low/mid 40C.


Questions: Is 44C about as good as I may expect from the stock cooler setup in this box? How do I determine what process(es) are causing cpu util to 25%?

Thank you ...
Click to expand...

Did you actually stop the service of did you just disable windows update in CP?

You need to make sure you actually go into services and stop the service.
 
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