Reaper: Massive rise in CPU usage, why?

[ghostwhistler]

Like the DPC report told you, the obvious culprit is your network drivers, which is very often the case. Nvidia 3D cards are often skallywags too, where RT audio is concerned — especially if you haven’t taken steps to eliminate, or at least minimize, nVidia’s telemetry routines. If you’re using a laptop, turn on ‘Airplane’ mode while running LatencyMon. See if the test results are improved. Personally, I recommend trying Airplane mode first, rather than completely disabling your network drivers. It really does sound to me like you’ll need to optimize your system for DAW/audio usage. There are some excellent online guides to aid you. Do a search for “optimize PC for audio”.

If it is indeed DPC issues directly related to your network drivers, an easy way to disable your network adapters on-the-fly, is with a handy little freeware app by Sordum called, “Net Disabler”

https://www.sordum.org/9660/net-disabler-v1-1/

I have no idea what a DPC routine is, but goinf offline changed nothing I'm afraid. All my drivers are also up to date.

I'm not entirely sure how else to optimise, nor why I even need to when it seems that the obvious culprit is within Reaper. Unfortunately cockos aren't going to undo those changes. If it's not Reaper, I've no idea what it is.

[BertKoor]

> assure me that my laptop can run like that with no problem

Yes it can run like that with no problem. No manufacturer wants to make computers which self-destruct under heavy load.
There are thermal sensors on the chip. Fans will go spinning faster to counteract. And if that does not work, it will preemptively halt the process.

[lfm]

I'll try to explain again: for some reason, unknown to me, Reaper is now demanding 100% of my cpu. Not just a little bit, not just 'use more cpu'. It's using ALL the CPU and the core temperatures are at 100% whiel it's doing this.

Now maybe you're Mr Hewlett Packard and you can personally assure me that my laptop can run like that with no problem. I'm afraid I doubt that.

I don't find this misrepresenation of what I'm trying to say to be helpful nor productive. Not trying to be rude, nor ungrateful. But please address the substance of the issue and not traduce it this way. I have never had Reaper run like this before. Ever.

Just trying to feed ideas where to look.

You mention setting power plan to Performance meaning it's allowed 100% cpu. This might be needed for trouble free audio, not sure.
- but if worried, set that down to something else like 80% and let things take longer if audio still ok.

You mentioned having spikes of 100% cpu.
- for how long?
- more than 30s constant 100%?

Are you using Task Manager readings?
- you can also see specific cores
- are all using 100%?

This is computer cpu use, not only Reaper then.
- daws own reports on cpu I do not trust that much

What cpu are you having on that laptop?
-Intel and which generation?
- AMD? (No clue if HP do AMD also.)

From 12th generation Intel there are E-cores as well, running half speed just about compared to P-cores.
- not much software still is taking this into account but let windows place threads on all cores as they were alike

What could happend is that Cockos made Reaper target P-cores which are stronger and not E-cores anymore and Task Manager show spikes.
- Cockos team is in the forefront of most things and quite possible
- so they optimized for render to take less time

Are you running Reaper v7.34 March 2nd?
- update if not

Read the manual which most often is updated as new features are around. See what those new options for render mean, that you did not see before.

I think Cockos forum or Cockos team is better. You got plenty good suggestions from everybody here and it did not help.
- everybody seem to fail reading what you mean
- everybody "misread" you

I assume you are a paying Reaper user.

If running normal at 5% at playback as I read in your post, no need to worry what offline fast rendering is at!!!!!
- just let it do it's thing
- or lower allowed cpu at Power Scheme settings in windows if worried

[ghostwhistler]

You mention setting power plan to Performance meaning it's allowed 100% cpu. This might be needed for trouble free audio, not sure.
- but if worried, set that down to something else like 80% and let things take longer if audio still ok.

You mentioned having spikes of 100% cpu.
- for how long?
- more than 30s constant 100%?

Are you using Task Manager readings?
- you can also see specific cores
- are all using 100%?

This is computer cpu use, not only Reaper then.
- daws own reports on cpu I do not trust that much

What cpu are you having on that laptop?
-Intel and which generation?
- AMD? (No clue if HP do AMD also.)

From 12th generation Intel there are E-cores as well, running half speed just about compared to P-cores.
- not much software still is taking this into account but let windows place threads on all cores as they were alike

What could happend is that Cockos made Reaper target P-cores which are stronger and not E-cores anymore and Task Manager show spikes.
- Cockos team is in the forefront of most things and quite possible
- so they optimized for render to take less time

Are you running Reaper v7.34 March 2nd?
- update if not

Read the manual which most often is updated as new features are around. See what those new options for render mean, that you did not see before.

I think Cockos forum or Cockos team is better. You got plenty good suggestions from everybody here and it did not help.
- everybody seem to fail reading what you mean
- everybody "misread" you

I assume you are a paying Reaper user.

If running normal at 5% at playback as I read in your post, no need to worry what offline fast rendering is at!!!!!
- just let it do it's thing
- or lower allowed cpu at Power Scheme settings in windows if worried

I never needed power settings to be changed before.

I am using Task Manager. It doesn't provide a listing for each core, it just tells me the number of cores I have. Yes that will include all processes, these are all windows processes which can' tbe stopped (like that godawful antimalware thing)

11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1135G7.

I am running Reaper v. 7.34 and have a paid license.

The Cockos forum has no answers and please don't misrepresent me because I did not say everybody.

[lfm]

I am using Task Manager. It doesn't provide a listing for each core, it just tells me the number of cores I have.

Yes there is!!!!

Rightclick in space there and pick from menu and choose 'logical processors' under 'Change graph to'.
- if having something called hypterthreading, each physical core gets a two logical ones.
- but you will show all cores you have and a separate graph for each
- in your case 8 logical cores, 4 physical

So are one or many cores constantly on 100%, or evenly distributed and similar.

I apologize if I made general statements in a too high degree.

I repeat, since all is good playback and mixing, don't worry about it.
- if something changed as played back I would worry

Just for reference, try realtime rendering and see what cpu is.
- offline fast rendering is expected to run as much juice there is

[mjolnir]

To the OP, when you compose, try setting the synth's POLYPHONY to the lowest setting that you can cope with.
This will reduce CPU and potentional dropouts. Some synths make it easy to adjust the POLYPHONY, other's don't.
It can make a huge CPU difference, but it's not something the average person would think about adjusting to lower CPU.

[EnGee]

Try to update your drivers from the manufacturer’s website (especially network and LAN drivers, also audio and video ones).

If that doesn’t work, then I suggest you search the net for problems with your laptop’s model regarding network drivers. I had a mean problem years ago with my laptop regarding audio and only disappeared when I found alternative network drivers by absolute luck!

This is just one possibility! You might find completely different cause.

[Kypresso]

I tried a portable install from an earler version but it wasn't any different. I've no idea what's going on. I did a render of a file and the CPU went to over 90%. You cannot be telling me that's healthy.

Well if you tried an earlier version which, if i'm understanding you correctly, used to work fine and that version is no longer working fine then it would seem that the problem is not Reaper.
So that leaves us with the computer hardware or the os.
Is the hardware changed at all recently or have you updated anything, apart from Reaper on the software side?
I assume you have been on the reaper forums, anyone else posting about similar problems, if not thats another pointer to the problem not being Reaper.
Try running a hard disk check for problems or a memory check program, either could cause problems similar to yours.

[rj0]

...

#2. update of OS of some sort?
- anything happend there?

On windows there has been reports that 24H2 update suddenly cause issues with usb audio, as I read in forum "computers....".

...

Ok, this is not just a rendering issue, as I have said.

It wasn't happening before either. Not in respect of windows updates and i haven't updated to 24h2 as it is huge and I have neither the interest nor the time nor the bandwidth to download it.

Do make sure that your system hasn't "auto-updated" to 24H2. Yes, that update initially did cause some issues (esp. networking).