Need some general advice

[Bagzli]

Hi, I bought this desktop that I got now in May year before last and its been quite awesome to be honest. Lately I have noticed that the processor runs pretty hard, or at least the fan is working pretty hard cause i hear it a lot. Now this only started about a month ago that i've notice but wasn't too worried. I'm not going to lie, this comp is on a lot but that was never the issue. I shut it down every wednesday for whole night, otherwise its on and its running 2 game clients(Jade Dynasty) in windowed mode.

I'm wondering if i picked up some bad PC data like trojans or viruses or such that is causing the computer to run this hard, When I check the performance in task manager, I see 12% CPU Usage but my Memory is at 4.86 GB out 6. So i'm assuming something is eating it up pretty bad.

What can I do to clean this comp properly to get rid of any bad stuff that has gotten on it. I have cleaned the comp from dust on the inside, there was a lot piled up since I've never done it since I bought it, but it didn't seem to help.

Computer specs:
Windows 7 home premium 64 bit
6 GB RAM
Intel i7 Processor 2.67 GHz
Hard Drive is 1 Tero but 691 GB is unused

If you guys need to know anything else let me know. I'm not looking to spend money on software if possible.

Update:

So once i turn off 2 of my clients, CPU is at 5% and physical memory at 2.18 GB. What is using the 2.18 GB i have no idea and the fan is still running loud.


I uninstalled some games that i no longer play, comp sits at 26% CPU and 3.75 GB physical memory with 2 of my clients up. Before i turned them up it was 2.2 GB Physical memory. How come comp uses that much? With no programs running, physical memory is at 30% after a boot up.

 

[jmacavali]

Sounds like you need to check your startup folder.
START>in the run/search box type MSCONFIG>check the STARTUP tab. See how much stuff is there and see if you can uncheck anything you don't need.

Run Malwarebytes Antimalware (Malwarebytes Anti-Malware - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com)

Run CCleaner (CCleaner - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com)

What anti-virus do you have? I like Microsoft Security Essentials or AVG. (You can only have 1 installed at a time though).

 

[OhSnapWord]

I see this all the time. Blow the dust out of it. That's a big reason why you hear the fan running more now. Dust clogs the fins on the heat sink for the processor which cause it to be less efficient at cooling the processor. In turn the fan has to work harder to cool the processor. What happens is the processor will run hotter than normal and it will throttle itself to help prevent overheating.

Take the side panel off and use a can of compressed air to blow the dust out of the computer. Be careful and keep the can upright as you don't want to shoot any liquid out of the can. If you're blowing into a fan, make sure that the fan doesn't spin too fast as it can damage the bearings. Make sure you get into every little nook and cranny in there and blow the dust out of the power supply as well. It's best to do this in a well ventilated area.

+1 on the Malwarebytes and CCleaner

Also download and install MyDefrag. This utility will automatically defragment your hard drive on a regular basis, helping maintain performance.

 

[Bagzli]

Thanks very much for all the advice.