Hydrogenaudio Forums > EAC is eating all of my CPU when ripping to wav

audioffile

Nov 20 2007, 18:01

I don't understand this at all. When I begin extraction of a CD, one of my cores spikes all the way up. However, when I look in the task manager I don't find any tasks that are using any significant CPUs. I should be seeing something using around 50% since one of my cores is pegged.

In addition my mouse movement becomes really choppy and all of the other audio on my PC gets choppy and slows down. Doesn't matter the source - mp3 player or just typical windows dings - they all slow down and chop really badly.

Is this normal? Any ideas?

EAC v0.99pb3
XP Pro
SONY DVD+/-RW DW-Q58A

I'm using the native win32 interface in EAC. I can't find an ASPI layer installed. Will that change anything?

Tahnru

Nov 20 2007, 19:24

Check to see if your drive's IDE channel is operating in PIO mode or not. Go into Windows Device Manager, open IDE/ATAPI Controllers, and search the properties of the Primary/Secondary channels listed for devices that are in PIO mode vs. UDMA or DMA or Multi-Word DMA.

greynol

Nov 20 2007, 19:31

You might find that moving it to a separate controller may help. I don't think the ASPI layer is going to make a difference.

audioffile

Nov 20 2007, 19:55

QUOTE (Tahnru @ Nov 20 2007, 13:24)

Check to see if your drive's IDE channel is operating in PIO mode or not. Go into Windows Device Manager, open IDE/ATAPI Controllers, and search the properties of the Primary/Secondary channels listed for devices that are in PIO mode vs. UDMA or DMA or Multi-Word DMA.

I'm actually not sure which channel this is on. Normally I would open the case and look at the board, but I'm using a laptop pc and I don't know how to check.

But, I think it's going to be the secondary IDE channel, since usually the hard drive would be on the first one and I guess it's gonna be device 0. If so it is in PIO mode.

The primary IDE is using Ultra DMA Mode 5.

Tahnru

Nov 20 2007, 19:58

You're on XP, so this should be safe. Delete the Secondary IDE channel (and only this!) and reboot. After the reboot, your computer should reinstall the channel. Once it is reinstalled you should either be automatically in DMA mode, or able to switch to DMA mode.

greynol

Nov 20 2007, 20:03

You may want to try this in order to lessen the chances of this happening again:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/817472/ (bottom of the article)

audioffile

Nov 20 2007, 20:05

QUOTE (Tahnru @ Nov 20 2007, 13:58)

You're on XP, so this should be safe. Delete the Secondary IDE channel (and only this!) and reboot. After the reboot, your computer should reinstall the channel. Once it is reinstalled you should either be automatically in DMA mode, or able to switch to DMA mode.

Why do I want to be in DMA mode? What's the difference?

Leto Atreides II

Nov 20 2007, 20:14

Basically PIO mode requires the CPU to do all the data transferring. DMA mode allows the drive controller to do all the work without bothering the CPU.

audioffile

Nov 20 2007, 20:35

rock on!

thanks guys!

Tahnru

Nov 20 2007, 20:57

Glad to be of service!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmed_input/output

robojock

Nov 21 2007, 06:45

damn

i had the same problem... after trying everything... i decided to format and install linux...
now i am mostly using linux

spoon

Nov 21 2007, 09:40

For peoples info, Vista will self clear PIO mode and jumpback to DMA aftera couple of CDs, much better than XP.