Pro Tools CPU Overload Issues (HELP NEEDED!!)

[badphlegm]

I recently built a Hackintosh with 10.6.8, I have Pro Tools 9 Installed on it. I am currently in the process of recording the drum tracks for my band in Pro Tools, but I keep getting CPU overload messages from Pro Tools. The session is not very big, just a few audio tracks and a few plug-ins. When I look in activity monitor the CPU usage of Pro Tools is around 20%, but then randomly the CPU usage of pro tools spikes up to around 120% and it stops recording. Nothing changes in the Pro Tools session to set it off that I know of. I have tried many different settings in Pro Tools to remedy it, how other people suggest, but It hasn't changed anything. It is really frustrating! I'm not sure if it is Pro Tools, Computer or Firewire card? I have heard that TI Firewire cards are better for Pro Tools, I think mine is a VIA Chip. Could that be a problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hardware:
Asus P8H61-MLE motherboard
Intel Core i3 2100 CPU
6GB Kingston RAM
80GB system HDD
160GB Data HDD

 

[badphlegm]

I got a new firewire card, it has fixed the problem!

 

[vvooss]

Try this, it's actually a Pro Tools requirement.
In the hardware setup area, where you're asked to assign the number of cores to PT,
take the total cores, subtract "one", and give the remainder to PT.

 

[pifos_2]

upgrading to PT10 solves a lot of those problems. playback is way smoother.