Why is Second Life spiking my CPU and is there a way to get Second Life to not spike my CPU?

[benjizerodevos]

I need help with this. The CPU spikes when I use either the Second Life viewer or the Firestorm viewer. Both of them spikes the CPU to where it kicks me off either of the viewers few minutes later. 

[Rolig Loon]

The most common explanation has nothing to do with SL.  It's your anti-virus routine.  Some of them -- Norton is notorious -- are way too overprotective.  They insist on scanning every single incoming file, including every new texture that you look at in world.  As a result, they drive your CPU time up.  The way to beat the problem is to tell your AV program not to scan your cache folder.

There are other explanations as well >>> http://wiki.phoenixviewer.com/100_cpu

[Innula Zenovka]

Another reason why your CPU is spiking could be that your GPU (graphics card) is having problems handling all the processing SL is sending it, so it's handing some of this over to the CPU.    That's the way it's supposed to work.

So you could try to reduce the spiking by reducing your graphics preferences.    Ultimately, though, the solution is to install some more memory, or ungrade your GPU.