Odd framerate issue

[Jarnold]

Machine spec:

HP HDX - T9300 DualCore
3GB Ram
Vista
512MB 8800GTS Nvidia

Typically I run 2 instances of wow and just alt-tab between them. When I decided to try to multi-box, I ran 5 instances (because I have 5 account) and logged in to all of them at the same time. The normal framerate being in the 70s, and with 5 it was in the 30s. Using keyclone's max frames to 5 on backgrounds I am able to get full framerate on the active window even with 5 instances of wow running.

However, everything goes to crap when I invite another instance to my party. The machine goes to 100% processor and I get less than 1 FPS and get all kinds of artifacting in the windows. It doesn't recover until ALL windows are closed, then I can launch all 5 again and get full framerate. If I have 2 WOWs running, I can invite the other and there is no visible loss of framerate or processor, but when I have 3 running and I do my first invite, it all goes south.

It happens right when the invite prompt pops up, even before I have accepted it. Becuase of this I thought it might be related to the sound card. I did all I could in wow by unchecking the master "enable sound" checkbox on all instances.


Things I've tried: No Addons, all video settings and minimum, 800x600, all different directories for the launched windows. No Keyclone running, no maximizer, sound disabled. I get the same exact results if I launch all 5 from the same directory with all my addons, through keyclone and using maximizer.

[Gaffy]

Try capping your main's maxfps, anything above 30-40 is just a pretty number. WoW is playable at around 20-30 ish.

[Jarnold]

I capped my main at 25 just in case. It all works fine when I first log in. I got all my macros set up, all the other multis follow me just fine, keys are broadcasting, I'm walking around casting 5 fireballs. but when I press "/inv blah" and hit enter, the entire system goes to crap. I can't help but think it's in the sound subsystem, what else could it be?

[Fizzler]

When you invite someone does it just lock up entirely?

[Jarnold]

When you invite someone does it just lock up entirely?

No, it's just something pegs the processor so hard that I get less than 1fps and everything takes several seconds to register. Even the mouse lags behind. I can close any combination of WoW instances and have the same problem as long as I leave one open. As soon as I close that last wow instance the system goes back to normal.