ASIO driver problems - CPU straight to 100%

[Groovr]

The subject header pretty much covers it. I'm running PTLE 7.3 at home (for now), but my laptop is a little older & slower, so I'm looking to run a more basic DAW to record location stuff. Problem is, the second I switch over to the Digidesign ASIO driver, the CPU meter pegs to 100% and stays there until I close the host.

I'm on a Dell Inspiron 4150, Pentium M 1.8, 256MB RAM, Absolute fresh XP installation. I noticed the problem running Cockos REAPER, but it seems to be universal - I can replicate it in other hosts.

Before anyone talks about Pro Tools minimum system specs - I'm not trying to run PTLE here, just a reminder that I'm running a lightweight host which is well within the capabilities of my laptop. If I uninstall the Digi driver and switch to the laptop's on board audio (using Asio4all), it runs at about 2% CPU (about what I expected)

Any thoughts?

[Groovr]

Never mind - I just found the monster 8 page thread on this very issue.

I'm absolutely disgusted by Digi's "response" on this issue.

Digi won't get another dollar from me, and I'll be pushing very hard to get these ones back.

[bigbubbaj]

The non digi driver support has always been VERY poor.

The fact that you cant even use the wavedriver with QT..??

Sorry to hear of all your trouble.

[Groovr]

Correct - any application that activates the Digi driver causes CPU to hit 100% and stay there.

From the other conversations I found, it seems to be a problem with a wide range of laptops. Also, it seems it isn't limited to the ASIO drivers and happens within Pro Tools as well. What's more, this appears to be a "feature" rather than a bug. Apparently the "solution" to the variable processor speeds on laptops is to apply a constant 100% load. Nevermind that the laptop sounds like a Boeing coming in to land, gets extremely hot (doing nothing), which will certainly shorten its lifespan.

I'm very unhappy with this - it says ASIO compatible on the box, and a big part of the reason I went for a USB 1.1 device was so I could use it with my laptop. I had to dig for some time to find the answer, only to realise that Digi have known about this for literally years.

Sigh...

[bigbubbaj]

Yeah, they have a proprietary DAE that existed prior to CPUs that had variable clock speeds.
It messes the whole thing up.