Arch Linux

MadCat_X

Member

Registered: 2009-10-08

Posts: 189

X suddenly started using a lot of CPU (KDE 4.5)

I've been observing this weird issue since few days ago. When some more intensive drawing occurs on the screen (like scrolling through a web page, moving larger windows), KSysGuard shows both of my CPU's to be running at about 50% load. I use only few compositing effects in KWin and even if I disable compositing altogether the CPU usage won't drop.
There is another interesting issue regarding X I've noticed, possibly related. When playing a H264 encoded movie in MPlayer using VDPAU, X uses only few CPU ticks when compositing is disabled. When I enable compositing, X spikes up to about 70%.
I've been using KDE 4.5.0 since it hit testing, so it can't be caused by the update of KDE. KWIn itself doesn't seem to be using any extra CPU ticks, it's just the X which is problematic.

I'm kind of concerned because X definitely wasn't that CPU hungry only few days ago. I was running xorg-server 1.8 and nVidia 256.44 drivers and I updated to xorg-server 1.9 and nVidia 256.52-beta to see if it helps, it didn't:) I'm running custom kernel 2.6.35.4 with ck patchpack and the "desktop responsiveness patch". CPU is C2D T9550 2.66GHz, 4GB RAM and nVidia 9800M GTS.

Thanx for advices...

Inxsible

Forum Fellow

From: Chicago

Registered: 2008-06-09

Posts: 9,183

Re: X suddenly started using a lot of CPU (KDE 4.5)

Xorg 1.9 is in testing. You should expect weird behavior if you enable [testing]

Also: Read this

Continue discussion in the linked thread.

Closing this one to avoid duplication...

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