I think my CPU count causes my 'display driver' to crash and 'stop responding'?

Question

Lately I've been having a problem where randomly my display driver crashes and it says that it has recovered, this is extremely annoying, but running Windows 7, I have placed the CPU gadget on the side of my computer, and I make sure it stays around 10-30, because when it reaches 50 or above, things start to glitch on my laptop and at the worst the screen goes blank and then crashes.

So my question is, how do I stop this issue, I've updated a driver called 'Mobile Family Chipset' (which seems like the display driver as everything else is sound, internet, audio etc.) through a free driver update software which worked great, but the problem hasn't fixed. On the Samsung website (my laptop is Samsung) I can't find a new driver that I haven't already used, there's one however that says that it cannot be installed on my computer, which might be the solution, but I can't install it so that's a problem.
So far, my only thought is just to make sure I don't overuse my internet by loading multiple tabs and videos, and make sure I don't run too many programs, because when I do my CPU meter thing goes high and that's the root of the whole display driver issue. So how can I improve my CPU, or prevent it from going high without having to under-use my laptop, because it feels annoying having to use this laptop as if it's really old fashioned or something, whereas it's like £400 with a decent system (Intel processor and what not). I've had it for 3 years or so now, so I guess it's quite old. PC's suck xD.


Thank you very much for taking out the time to read this, help would be appreciate, thanks!

Answer 1

CPU load in itself shouldn't be a problem. But when a CPU or graphics processor chip is working hard it draws current more frequently. This current causes the chip to heat up. Hence, all computers need a cooling system - usually a fan to pump in cool air or extract hot air. Laptop cooling systems are often far from adequate because of their low profile.

Hoover the PC's cooling vents to remove any dust and make sure there is plenty of air space around the vents when it is in use. You might need a cooling fan to help stop it overheating.

Answer 2

for a computer to be stable it needs to be able to run the processor at 100%!



Basically when your CPU needs to do more work than just idle, it draws more power which produces heat in proportion to the current squared. My initial suggestion would therefore be to check all the vents in your laptop to ensure they're not blocking the air flow which can cause problems.



However, I would think its most likely 3x years worth of software (un)installs, driver updates, registry changes and so forth. Windows, relying on a central registry for system and software configurations is very prone to getting itself in a mess if programs don't uninstall themselves cleanly.



Programs like CCleaner may help here but if it were me, I'd try reinstalling windows as it can be done in about an hour.



Try running prime95 as this will make your CPU go flat out but won't require any graphics power so you can try and isolate if its a CPU or graphics issue.



There are various tools you can use to help diagnose problems, a good one is the "ultimate boot cd" which has various memory, CPU, HDD etc checking tools.

Answer 3

thats an older style laptop

with intel GMA graphics

you shouldnt really be getting problems with that.

usually most problems occur when users try and run programs that use

intensive 3d graphics that are not supported by intel gma.

The application thinks they are ok, because it only looks at the general capabilities

eg does it have shader model 3.0? yes it does, but......

intel do not support all detail of 3d functions, therefore applications needing

high shader models 3.0/4/5 rarely have all the features needed

also opengl support is weak as a consequence of this.



the chances are you are choosing to run unsupported 3d applications like games

or more specialised movie features. Although your post suggests you think

this is purely an overheating issue.



make sure you do not load OFF site drivers for intel stuff

all OEM's like samsung are responsible for the system drivers

only install SAMSUNG versions.

it is reasonable to assume OEM's will take longer to fix

issues with drivers like INTEL ones, as they have to wait for intel

to tell them how to fix the issue.



since this is old equipment it should be stable by now therefore

the issues are more likely to be microsoft ones or issues with applications

not checking the detail of 3d support.



keep your BIOS up to date

be careful of new applications like CHROME that use FLASH

and may not be totally compatible with older graphics systems.



if it is an overheating issue then its not documented as far as i can see.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Hi

these answers you have so far tell you a lot of useless facts, they don't cure the problem.

as this is a technical issue the best remedy would be a visit to a tech he, she will be able to advise you how and possible produce a cure for your problems.