High CPU usage with Dream Scene en Deskscapes

This is perfectly normal. The dreamscene uses that much CPU, and when a window is maximized, dreamscene automatically pauses because it knows you can't see it and wants to give the performance back. So basically, if you're running a resource heavy program, just maximize it and dreamscene is not uses CPU cycles.

How much CPU does your system use playing a 1080P video in Windows Media Player in a window the resized to the size of your desktop? I bet it's 30% to 40%.

Its cpu-heavy for those who like to run windows WHILE watching their moving wallpaper...if you're playing a windowed game and having moving wallapaper...don't expect good performance.

I'm running VISTA 64 Ultimate, Intel Core Duo 6600, ASUS P5N32-E SLI Plus, 4G RAM, 2 GEFORCE 7900GS adapters. Dreamscene uses well under 20% of my cpu as it should. Performance is very good on two monitors.

NOW, when I fire up the third monitor, DWM utilization goes to over 40% and performance on all three monitors if poor....even at lower resolutions (1024X768) and without any other apps running.

Same Thing running a pair of ATI adapters and no noticeable improvement when going from X1 to X16 on the second adapter.

Oh yeah...even tried a $500 ATI 1950XTX adapter with same results.

Just got off the phone with Microsoft....they've pushed this problem into research and are looking into it.

It definitely should not be running that hard.....I'd call MS.

Good luck.

It's not normal CPU usage for E6700, I have just a Intel® Core™ Duo T2050, only 1GB RAM, built-in Intel® GMA 950 grpahics, but dreamscene uses no more than 50%, usually it is 15 – 40% of CPU in idle for 1920x1200 wmv dreams on 1440x900 screen.
Now I’m rendering my next dream and encoding HD film with 100% CPU usage, WDM and Expolorer.exe both are using no more than 15 percent of that 100% with TheMasterBaron’s Scribble Rays dreamscene shining perfectly in the background.
I think you should get almost no CPU usage if compared to my system.
Unfortunately I don’t know how, but here are a lot of people who actually can help you.

I fixed my problem by installing the latest Nvidia drivers. Nvidia finally fixed some severe problems and all my dreams are less than 10% now. Even the HD wmv are less than 20%! The dynamic dream 3D earth below 4%

I'm using a dual monitor BTW.

I am running 4 gigs of ram, dual eVGA 7900GTX cards, an asus crossfire mobo, and an AMD64 6000+ processor. When running dual monitors I am using at least 50% processing power and sometimes it gets as high as 80%. I have installed the latest nvidia drivers, and still have this problem. What am I missing here? It's really driving me crazy.....

if you have to core 50 is 25% per core so the same as bij the 80%

What? That made no sence whatsoever.... omg.

most of the people on here have absolutely no clue what they are talking about. Dreamscene does not 'normally' use anywhere near 40% CPU usage. CPU usage is relative to what your system specs, and the applications / services running on the machine.
Dreamscene does NOT add +40% to that.. give me a break.. can't believe some of the stuff I read on here.

I've downloaded and used quite a few of the dreams here, alot of them, and the CPU usage on both my desktop & laptop barely budge above 5% to 10% at most when dreamscene is active and displaying it's content.

Desktop:
i6700 CPU ( core 2 duo 2.7Ghz)
4GB memory ( brand /type make no difference)
Nvidia 8800GTX x2 SLI

Notebook:
Dell M170
intel coreduo 2ghz
2GB memory
Nvidia 7800 GTX

I also downloaded the Linage 2 movies and used them as dreamscene wallpaper, your talking about full motion video ~150MB worth, CPU usage right now.. +7% average, with a 2% low, 8% high.. misinformation just irks me thats being spewed out here

conclusion: If you have more than +10% usage, you have a system problem, old drivers, too many services, ect.. or you're living in the stone age and need a new PC. I keep seeing too many ppl recycling old junk and wonder why the PC runs like garbage anytime something is installed