Slow Mid-2007 Macbook on Lion for no apparent reason . . . ?

[Submerged06]

Hey guys --

Issue

I'm running a mid-2007 Macbook (2.16 Core 2 Duo, though I've upgraded to 4 GBs of RAM, of which it can use 3-3.3). I started with Leopard, but have put in Lion with a clean install.

My issue is that the MB seems to slow down from time to time for no reason that I can tell -- I'll have a good 1.5 or even 2 GBs of free RAM and no more than 5 or 10 % of my CPU being used, and yet . . . slowness?

I notice it the most when I try to play MAME OS X -- even after a fresh restart, with no applications open (not even mail), and a squeaky clean Activity Monitor, it will still start lagging badly after a minute or two of play.

I see similar things with Chrome, Butler, etc. as I'm using them.

It's also worth noting that my fan is almost constantly running (the CPU at mid-how 70's cels.), even with no (or very few) apps running (and thus little RAM or CPU being used). I don't have an external fan for it, but I usually keep it on my knee anyhow, so it should have plenty of room to vent (if it helps, I did verify it's SMART status a few days ago).

Possibilities?

I read a bunch of forum posts, and I can theoretically see two possibilities:

1) My HDD is slowing down. This is the original HD, so that could be a real possibility. Is there any way to tell? Would that affect something like MAME when the RAM itself is barely being used?

2) I'm ignorant in this one as well, but could my old-school processor (2.16 Ghz Core 2 Duo) but too slow to run Lion well, even if the RAM/HD/"CPU" (if that last one is distinct?) isn't being worked fully?

3) Something else?

Thanks so much!
- Submerged

 

[simsaladimbamba]

When you looked at Activity Monitor, did you select "Show: All Processes"?

 

[NorthDakota91]

have you just installed lion?

 

[jamesjingyi]

install an app called "free memory" its on the app store.
Then click "free memory"

 

[NorthDakota91]

install an app called "free memory" its on the app store.
Then click "free memory"

I don't want to start a flame but I have to disagree. I find this app kinda useless since (roughly) the results are just the same as running the "purge" command in the terminal and it doesen't really speed up the mac

 

[Submerged06]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I hadn't thought of the "All processes" thing.

After doing that, it looks like my Java might be screwy? It's running 30-50% of my CPU normally.

As for the purging, I have been using iFreeMem off and on, the inactive memory is rather sticky and doesn't tend to give itself up when it should (so I'll have 45% inactive memory and a computer that's beachballing).

I'll google around about the Java thing, but any other ideas?

 

[NorthDakota91]

After doing that, it looks like my Java might be screwy? It's running 30-50% of my CPU normally.

Do you use any java based apps? It seems that a java app is chewing you CPU time - I'd try killing java and see if that makes you system snappier

Update: I see that you are using CrashPlan. Some guys on the net are complaining about high CPU use due to crashplan - maybe that is the problem?

 

[Submerged06]

Unfortunately, I have been using Crashplan. But I uninstalled Java and it did seem to fix the issues to a large extant (though MAME still did lock up maybe once a minute or so). There are other backup services that aren't flash-based, so I might just try to find a new one.

On a slightly different note, would getting a flash HD help as well? I was looking at the Corsair CSSD-F120GB3A-BK -- would my mid-2007 MB be able to use that fully?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...tails.asp?EdpNo=1704741&csid=ITD&body=QA#tabs

 

[NorthDakota91]

Unfortunately, I have been using Crashplan. But I uninstalled Java and it did seem to fix the issues to a large extant (though MAME still did lock up maybe once a minute or so).

Whoa, a little bit excessive measure! Removing CrashPlan would have been sufficient IMHO

There are other backup services that aren't flash-based, so I might just try to find a new one.

Flash-based? I guess you've meant Java I don't use any (apart Time Machine) so I can't help you here, sorry :S

EDIT: take a look here: http://alternativeto.net/software/crashplan/?platform=mac

On a slightly different note, would getting a flash HD help as well? I was looking at the Corsair CSSD-F120GB3A-BK -- would my mid-2007 MB be able to use that fully?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...tails.asp?EdpNo=1704741&csid=ITD&body=QA#tabs

Surely an SSD disk would help a lot to the overall system performance but I have no idea if that Corsair is a good choice or if your macbook model will handle it well :S try searching in the forums, I'm sure someone else asked that already

 

[Submerged06]

I read in some apple support stuff that Java itself caused a lot of CPU sometimes, even without Crashplan mentioned -- I figured that CP was the only program I used with Java, so I figured it was worth a shot .

(And, yes, I did mean Java-based ).

I'll google around for the HD; maybe a Christmas/early year present to myself. hehe. Thanks!

 

[NorthDakota91]

I read in some apple support stuff that Java itself caused a lot of CPU sometimes, even without Crashplan mentioned -- I figured that CP was the only program I used with Java, so I figured it was worth a shot .

(And, yes, I did mean Java-based ).

I'll google around for the HD; maybe a Christmas/early year present to myself. hehe. Thanks!

I'm glad I've helped somehow!