diff --git a/Include/Aurora/Async/Async.hpp b/Include/Aurora/Async/Async.hpp
index e55a5da2..6fce5074 100644
--- a/Include/Aurora/Async/Async.hpp
+++ b/Include/Aurora/Async/Async.hpp
@@ -41,13 +41,13 @@ namespace Aurora::Async
 
     AUKN_SYM AuSPtr<IAsyncTimer> NewTimer(AuUInt64 uPeriodNS,
                                           const AuSPtr<IAsyncTimerCallback> &pCallback,
-                                          AuOptional<WorkerPId_t> workerPid,
-                                          AuOptional<AuUInt64> uStartTime);
+                                          AuOptional<WorkerPId_t> workerPid = {},
+                                          AuOptional<AuUInt64> uStartTime = {});
 
     AUKN_SYM AuSPtr<IAsyncTimer> NewTimer(AuUInt64 uPeriodNS,
                                           const AuSupplierConsumer<bool, AuUInt64, AuUInt64, AuUInt64> &callback,
-                                          AuOptional<WorkerPId_t> workerPid,
-                                          AuOptional<AuUInt64> uStartTime);
+                                          AuOptional<WorkerPId_t> workerPid = {},
+                                          AuOptional<AuUInt64> uStartTime = {});
 
     static inline AuSPtr<IWorkItem> DispatchOn(const WorkerPId_t &worker, AuVoidFunc func)
     {
diff --git a/Source/HWInfo/AuCpuLoadSampler.cpp b/Source/HWInfo/AuCpuLoadSampler.cpp
index 403db5dc..487d4a8e 100644
--- a/Source/HWInfo/AuCpuLoadSampler.cpp
+++ b/Source/HWInfo/AuCpuLoadSampler.cpp
@@ -58,46 +58,93 @@ namespace Aurora::HWInfo
         double dDeltaProcess = now[1] - this->uPrevTimes[1];
         double dUsage = 0;
         double dMinSamplePeriod = double(AuMSToNS<AuUInt64>(uMinSamplePeriod));
+        double dDeltaSteady2;
+        double dThreads = 1.0;
+
+        if (bThread)
+        {
+            dThreads = GetCPUInfo().uThreads;
+            dDeltaSteady2 = dDeltaSteady * dThreads;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            dDeltaSteady2 = dDeltaSteady;
+        }
 
         if (!bool(this->uPrevTimes[0]))
         {
-            this->uPrevTimes[1] = now[1];
             this->uPrevTimes[0] = now[0];
+            this->uPrevTimes[1] = now[1];
             return 0;
         }
 
         if (!uMinSamplePeriod ||
-            dDeltaSteady >= dMinSamplePeriod)
+            (dDeltaSteady >= dMinSamplePeriod))
         {
-            dUsage = dDeltaProcess / dDeltaSteady;
+            dUsage = dDeltaProcess / dDeltaSteady2;
             this->uPrevTimes[1] = now[1];
             this->uPrevTimes[0] = now[0];
-        #if 1
-            if (uMinSamplePeriod &&
-                this->dPrevLoad) dUsage = AuMin(dUsage, dUsage + this->dPrevLoad / 2.0);
-        #endif
+            if (uMinSamplePeriod)
+            {
+                if (dUsage > AuNumericLimits<double>::epsilon() &&
+                    this->dPrevLoad > AuNumericLimits<double>::epsilon())
+                {
+                    dUsage = AuMin(dUsage, dUsage + this->dPrevLoad / 2.0);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    dUsage = AuMax(this->dPrevLoad / 2.0, 0.0001);
+                }
+            }
+            else if (!dUsage)
+            {
+                dUsage = AuMax(this->dPrevLoad / 2.0, 0.0001);
+            }
             this->dPrevLoad = dUsage;
+            this->bSet = true;
         }
-        else
+        else if (!dDeltaProcess &&
+                 !this->bSet)
         {
-            dUsage = dDeltaProcess / dDeltaSteady;
+            // well, we obviously have some uptime. but how much?
+            auto uDeltaNS = AuMin(dDeltaSteady, dMinSamplePeriod);
+
+            if (uDeltaNS > AuMSToNS<double>(1000 / 250))
+            {
+                uDeltaNS = 100;
+            }
+
+            dUsage = uDeltaNS / dDeltaSteady2;
+        }
+        else if (dDeltaProcess &&
+                 !this->bSet)
+        {
+            dUsage = dDeltaProcess / dDeltaSteady2;
+        }
+        else if (dDeltaProcess)
+        {
+            dUsage = dDeltaProcess / dDeltaSteady2;
         #if 0
-            dUsage *= dDeltaSteady / double(dMinSamplePeriod);
+            dUsage *= dDeltaSteady2 / double(dMinSamplePeriod);
             if (this->dPrevLoad) dUsage = dUsage + this->dPrevLoad / 2.0;
         #else
             if (this->dPrevLoad)
             {
-                double dFrameDelta = dDeltaSteady / double(dMinSamplePeriod);
-                double dFrameDeltaInverse = 1.0 - dFrameDelta;
+                auto dFrameDelta = dDeltaSteady / dMinSamplePeriod;
+                auto dFrameDeltaInverse = 1.0 - dFrameDelta;
                 dUsage *= dFrameDelta;
                 dUsage += this->dPrevLoad * dFrameDeltaInverse;
             }
             else
             {
-                dUsage *= dDeltaSteady / double(dMinSamplePeriod);
+                dUsage *= dDeltaSteady / dMinSamplePeriod;
             }
         #endif
         }
+        else
+        {
+            dUsage = this->dPrevLoad;
+        }
 
         {
             dUsage = dUsage * 100.0;
diff --git a/Source/HWInfo/AuCpuLoadSampler.hpp b/Source/HWInfo/AuCpuLoadSampler.hpp
index cb5b1b02..12722166 100644
--- a/Source/HWInfo/AuCpuLoadSampler.hpp
+++ b/Source/HWInfo/AuCpuLoadSampler.hpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ namespace Aurora::HWInfo
 
         AuUInt64 uPrevTimes[2] {};
         double dPrevLoad {};
+        bool bSet {};
     };
 
     struct CpuLoadSamplerImpl : ICpuLoadSampler
diff --git a/Source/Threading/Primitives/AuConditionVariable.NT.cpp b/Source/Threading/Primitives/AuConditionVariable.NT.cpp
index 67d7b7ae..2361bc62 100644
--- a/Source/Threading/Primitives/AuConditionVariable.NT.cpp
+++ b/Source/Threading/Primitives/AuConditionVariable.NT.cpp
@@ -254,6 +254,9 @@ namespace Aurora::Threading::Primitives
 
     bool ConditionVariableNT::CheckOutNoSpin()
     {
+    #if defined(AURORA_FORCE_SRW_LOCKS)
+        return false;
+    #else
         auto uSignalNow = this->signalCount;
 
         if (uSignalNow == 0)
@@ -285,6 +288,7 @@ namespace Aurora::Threading::Primitives
         }
 
         return true;
+    #endif
     }
 
     bool ConditionVariableNT::CheckOut()