Hello, I have a Suse Linux 9.0 64 bit Linux installation running on an AMD Athlon 64 3200 processor. I find when I first start a cpu intensive run of one of our software tools, it starts off with over 90 percent of the cpu. However after a few minutes its fraction of the CPU drains away to under 20%. The cpu meter in the task bar shows the user cpu time in blue drain away as the system cpu time in red takes over (see attached jpg image). The GUI reponsiveness of other programs is severly degraded as the system cpu takes over. I have tried 2 software tools now from two separate companies, and both show the same problem. Both are compiled to run on on Linux using a 32 bit Intel cpus. Both tools do relatively small amounts of disk io, and both fit within the available RAM. I also tried compiling this program for the Athlon 64 and running it. int main () { while (1); } This does not show the same problem, and retains over 90% of the cpu continuously. Has anyone else seen anything like this? KPM doesnt show where the extra cpu time is going. I have no idea what to try next. Jeremy.