desktop interface sluggish: compiz CPU pegs at 100%

[Lee Colleton]

Whenever I do anything that involves continuious screen updates (looking at the System Monitor CPU graph, for instance) the compiz process pegs at 100% usage. Switching to the less-frequently updated System Monitor process list brings it down to 10-25%.

I've installed XFCE which works acceptably.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: compiz 1:0.9.11.2+14.04.20140714-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-32.57-generic 3.13.11.4
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-32-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.2
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Thu Mar 12 13:39:38 2015
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: trusty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RS480 [Radeon Xpress 200 Series] [1002:5954] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:3009]
   Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:3008]
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-03-11 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140722.2)
Lsusb:
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 003 Device 002: ID 045e:0040 Microsoft Corp. Wheel Mouse Optical
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP dx5150 MT(PZ591UA)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-32-generic root=UUID=7201af69-347f-4cd6-ac32-df0d4888fe8b ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: compiz
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 03/08/2007
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
dmi.bios.version: 1.19
dmi.board.name: 09AC
dmi.board.vendor: MSI
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 2UA61205VZ
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologies,LTD:bvr1.19:bd03/08/2007:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPdx5150MT(PZ591UA):pvr:rvnMSI:rn09AC:rvr:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: HP dx5150 MT(PZ591UA)
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.11.2+14.04.20140714-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.52-1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 10.1.3-0ubuntu0.1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 10.1.3-0ubuntu0.1
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.15.1-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.8.2-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.3.0-1ubuntu3.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.99.910-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.10-1ubuntu2
xserver.bootTime: Thu Mar 12 13:16:34 2015
xserver.configfile: default
xserver.devices:
 input Power Button KEYBOARD, id 6
 input Power Button KEYBOARD, id 7
 input Microsoft Microsoft 3-Button Mouse with IntelliEye(TM) MOUSE, id 8
 input AT Translated Set 2 keyboard KEYBOARD, id 9
xserver.errors:

xserver.logfile: /var/log/Xorg.0.log
xserver.version: 2:1.15.1-0ubuntu2
xserver.video_driver: radeon