pjbear, Unless I am mistaken, you have a newer computer that have a hyperthreading processor. That is, it is designed to handle multiple tasks at once, and half the processor is all it is going to give to anything. I have the same issue on my new Alienware PC. I have found no method of convincing my PC to use the whole processor. So I just use the other half to cruise the internet at full speed while I render, or do Photoshop work while rendering without any noticable slowdown of either app. It has its pros and cons. Good luck! Shogakusha