A brand-new computer may give you high performance however as we install multiple programs, download different software, games and fill up the storage, the performance may dip down. Your hardware performance may start dipping down as you multitask or deal with heavy programs at a time. RAM and CPU usage may trouble your computer if not checked properly. A lot of users are not even aware of how to check CPU usage on Windows 10. Even if they know, they may not be aware of how to reduce CPU usage on the computer. This article will help you understand both the factors and keep your computer performance up to the mark!
How to Check CPU Usage?
There are different methods you can try to see CPU usage in Windows 10. You can try the manual method using the Windows inbuilt utilities or make use of the best software to reduce CPU temperature. Let us try the manual methods on how to check your CPU usage before using the automated tools.
Check CUP Usage Using Task Manager
Windows Task Manager offers different utilities to take care of the PC performance. Checking the CPU Usage is one of them!
Step 1. Right-click on the Task Bar and click on the Task Manager option at the bottom of the list. You can also press the (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) key combination to open the Task Manager.
Step 2. Click on the Performance Tab on the top of the Task Manager window.
Step 3. Here you can check CPU usage on Windows 10, Memory Usage, Disk Usage, Wi-Fi Usage, and GPU Usage status.
Check CPU Usage in Resource Monitor
Resource Monitor is another technical platform where you can check the pulse of all the components of the computer. You can check CPU Usage, Memory Usage, Disk Usage or monitor the Network Usage.
Step 1. Click on the Start button and type Resource Monitor in the search bar.
Step 2. Click on Run as Administrator under the Resource Monitor App.
Step 3. Resource Monitor App will open with the CPU Usage in graphical and numerical format.
Step 4. Click on the CPU column in the list to check CPU usage on Windows 10 and sort them by the usage percentage.
Check CPU Usage Using Third-Party Software
There are different third-party apps that can be useful to check CPU usage and control CPU temperature and processes. Such apps automatically notify you whenever there is higher pressure on the CPU. The best CPU temp monitoring tools can monitor and optimize CPU usage.
HWiNFO, Core Temp, Speccy, Real Temp, SpeedFan, Open Hardware Monitor, HWMonitor are a few of the best CPU temperature monitoring software. Those who are unaware of how to check CPU usage on Windows 10 or how to fix CPU overheating or overclocking, can make use of these third-party software to manage the CPU load.
Manual Methods to Reduce CPU Usage
There are multiple methods that you can perform to manage CPU usage. If your CPU is overheating or overclocking, you can try these manual steps.
Kill Unwanted Processes
There are times when we open multiple applications at a time and then forget to close them once we are done with the task. It is advisable to close the unwanted application and Background Processes to regain access to the processing and reduce CPU usage.
Step 1. Right-click on the Task Bar and click on the Task Manager option at the bottom of the list. You can also press the (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) key combination to open the Task Manager.
Step 2. It will open with Processes Tab and will list out all the running processes.
Step 3. Click on the Names column to categorize the running processes.
Step 4. Click on any unwanted process and then click on the End Task button at the bottom.
Step 5. If you find ‘Service Host’ like Superfetch or something that is consuming a lot of CPU usage, you can select it and then click on the ‘End Task’ button at the bottom.
Step 6. Scroll through the Apps and Background Processes that are running in the background without your knowledge. Do not kill any process that you don’t know or associated with the Windows operating system. If you are not certain of the processes, you can restart the computer as well.
Uninstall Unwanted Apps
If you install a lot of applications that are of one-time use only, it is essential to uninstall them back once we are done with our tasks. These apps may keep on running in the background and increase CPU usage.
Step 1. Click on the Start button, type Apps in the search bar, and select Apps & Features. You can also press the (Win + I) key to open the Settings window and then click on the Apps & Features option.
Step 2. You will see a list of installed applications on the computer. Sort Apps by Size to list out the Apps that are consuming much of the system resources.
Step 3. Click on the App that you wish to remove and click on the Uninstall button. This will permanently remove the app and associated files from the computer and reduce the load on the CPU usage.
Restart Windows Management Instrumentation Service
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is one of the main services that is used by software to communicate with the operating system. This service may put a lot of burden on CPU Usage. Restarting this service can refresh the communication and reduce CPU usage.
Step 1. Right-click on the Task Bar and click on the Task Manager option at the bottom of the list. You can also press the (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) key combination to open the Task Manager.
Step 2. Click on the Services Tab on the top ribbon.
Step 3. Sort the services by Name to make it easy to find the required service.
Step 4. Search for Winmgmt in Name or Windows Management Instrumentation service in the Description.
Step 5. Right-click on the service and click on the Restart option. Restart the computer and the CPU usage will be reduced.
Summing Up
If your CPU usage is high, the system may automatically restart or crash the operating system files. It is important to keep an eye on CPU usage. If you are not sure how to check your CPU usage, you can try any of the above methods on how to check CPU usage on Windows 10 and check the CPU usage. You can also use the bonus tip by pressing the (Win + G) keys to open the gaming console and check the CPU Usage at the bottom left. Also, follow the methods to reduce CPU usage and keep it at a moderate level. Happy Computing!