How to Check CPU Usage in Windows 11

How to Check CPU Usage in Windows 11

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How to Check CPU Usage in Windows 11

It's vital to know how your computer and its apps perform

By Cesar Aroldo-Cadenas Cesar Aroldo-Cadenas Writer California State University - Long Beach Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry since 2016 on a variety of topics like cryptocurrency, video games, the latest gadgets, and much more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on April 17, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Microsoft Microsoft Apple Google Tablets Accessories & Hardware

What to Know

View usage in Task Manager: CTRL + Shift + ESC > Task Manager > Performance tab or stay in Processes.View in Resource Monitor: In search bar, search for Resource Monitor > CPU tab.View in Performance Monitor: Search for Performance Monitor > Performance Monitor. This guide will show you how to check your computer’s CPU usage if you notice slow performance. All the major components in a computer rely on the CPU to function.

Using Task Manager to Check CPU Usage

The Task Manager provides an overview of which apps and processes are currently running and how much of the hardware each uses, namely the CPU. The Task Manager's functionality is pretty straightforward but handy nonetheless if you want a basic idea of what's going on. Start by pressing CTRL + Shift + Esc on your keyboard.
In the following window, click Task Manager.
While in Task Manager, click the Performance tab.
Here in the Performance tab, you can see how much of the CPU the computer is currently using.
If you want to see which apps are using the CPU the most, head back to the Processes tab.
You can free up resources by right-clicking the entry taking up the most and select End task.

Using the Resource Monitor to Check CPU Usage

The Resource Monitor is similar to the Task Manager but gives much more information by explaining how your apps are using the CPU. Use it to help decide how to improve an app's performance. In the Search bar, type Resource Monitor and select the top entry that appears.
The Resources Manager opens up to the Overview tab which displays system information.
Click the CPU tab to view the processor’s usage. It also shows how much of the CPU is available and what is running.
If you right-click an entry, you’ll be able to search for information on it online with Search Online or turn it off with End Process.

Using the Performance Monitor to Check CPU Usage

The Performance Monitor is a tool to allow you to study how apps perform in real-time or by collecting data to use for later analysis. With this tool, you may discover which apps are behaving abnormally and hopefully the reason, too. Open up the Search bar and type Performance Monitor.
Click the first entry and the app will open to System Summary. If you click the Performance Monitor tab, you will see the CPU performing in real-time.
If you want to add a counter to keep track of an app's performance, click the green Add button.
In this window, you can add another counter by locating the app in the left-hand list under Select counter from computer.
Once found, select it and click the Add button on the bottom.
The entry will appear on the right. Select the OK button and it will appear in the Performance Monitor.
Every counter added will have its own corresponding color to differentiate it.

Does Windows 11 Use More CPU

Windows 11 is well optimized, so, by itself, it doesn't take up a lot of the CPU's resources. However, that doesn't mean the apps you are using are optimized.

High CPU consumption in a Windows 11 computer can be from pending updates, antivirus software preventing certain operations, faulty installations, or poorly optimized apps. For example, Google Chrome is well known to be a very high-resource app and, with enough tabs open, can cause performance issues. Performance issues are a sign of high CPU usage. High CPU usage can cause apps to perform sluggishly or even crash. And, of course, high CPU usage can heat the computer and cause the cooling fans to spin quite loudly. FAQ How do I fix high CPU usage in Windows 11? To fix high CPU usage in Windows 11, try closing unnecessary apps, restarting your computer, updating Windows 11, and scanning for malware. If these fixes don't work, try uninstalling your antivirus program and switching to another. Or you might need to turn off background apps and Superfetch. Can my CPU run Windows 11? To run Windows 11, your CPU must support the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 requirement. TPM 2.0 requires that your motherboard have a chip that's tamper-resistant and designed to protect encryption keys. Older boards don't support this specification. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Task Manager (What It Is & How to Use It) How to Use the Google Chrome Task Manager How to Fix High CPU Usage in Windows 11 How to Check Computer Specs How to Check CPU Usage on a Mac Windows 11 Search Not Working? Try These Fixes What Is CPU Usage? How to Fix It When Windows 11 Is Slow Why Your Computer is So Slow and 16 Ways to Fix It How to Monitor Your Data Usage in Windows 10 What lsass.exe Is & How It Affects Your Computer What's Conhost.exe in Windows? What Does it Do? How to Open Disk Management From Command Prompt How to Speed up a Chromebook How to Open an Elevated Command Prompt in Windows How to Fix Incorrect Windows 11 Audio Icons Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies
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