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How to lower CPU usage: 6 reliable ways to keep performance in check
Even the best CPUs out there in 2024 could fall to their knees when they're overwhelmed by either a resource-intensive task or the operating system itself. You'll typically see a spike in CPU usage as a symptom. When that happens, it lets you know that you're pushing your PC's CPU beyond its limits. Not only will this result in throttled system performance, but you may also experience frequent app or game crashes.
It's important to address the root cause of this issue and lower the CPU usage to avoid permanently damaging your CPU. Thankfully, there are some simple and effective ways to prevent your CPU usage from hitting its absolute limits.
How to lower CPU usage for better performance while gaming
Want to make sure nothing is eating up CPU power while you game? Here's how to get to the bottom of it.
Restart the PC
A simple restart to give your PC a clean slate is all it sometimes takes to lower CPU usage. The classic "Have you tried turning it off and on again?" fix works surprisingly well to lower CPU usage as it clears out the temporary files and notorious tasks that are slowing things down by running in the background. It's not the only problem that could be dragging the system performance or causing high CPU usage, but it's worth a shot.
If your PC restarts normally and your CPU usage goes down, then congratulations, you may have fixed the problem. If your CPU usage is still really high, or you noticed that your CPU usage got worse when restarting your PC, then you will have to take a closer look at your applications to find out what is eating up all your resources.
Close unnecessary apps and background applications
These unusual CPU behaviors are often tied to one or two processes, so finding them is your best action. I recommend consulting the Windows Task Manager to get a list of currently active processes on your PC. Here's how to find the culprit and end the task from the Task Manager.
- Open the Task Manager and click on the CPU tab to sort the programs in the order of CPU usage (high to low).
- Select the one consuming the most CPU resources and hit End task.
Windows task manager using End task to close a programe© Provided by XDA DevelopersA screenshot showing the highlighted end task button in Task Manager.© Provided by XDA Developers
Pause for a moment before you end any important applications. Make sure that you have saved all of your work first before you end any application you are using.
Alternatively, you could also close all the unused programs under the Apps section and see if that helps to reduce CPU usage. If you come across an unknown program that's sipping on most of your CPU resources, then find more information about it online or run a quick malware check.
Run a malware check
There's a very good chance that your PC may have caught a virus or malware that is causing huge spikes in CPU usage. These culprits tend to fly under your radar as they often stay hidden and run as background apps and services. Some of them may even disguise themselves as a Windows process, meaning you won't be able to tell them apart from others while looking at the Task Manager.
There's no way to tell what may have introduced them in the first place, but you can get rid of them with a quick antivirus scan. I recommend getting antivirus software for this, since the basic scanner offered by Windows Security may not find and fight the latest malware.
If you suspect a malware attack but don't see anything on the Task Manager, then try the Process Monitor tool to create logs of not just the CPU usage, but also registry, network activity, and more. Checking for unusual entries in network activity will often give you a good indication of a malware attack. Alternatively, you can also use Windows' built-in Performance Monitor tool to get a detailed view of a particular process's CPU usage over time.
Disable background apps
While you can't entirely prevent apps from running in the background in Windows 11, there is a way to prevent specific unwanted apps from doing so if you think they're dragging down your system's performance. Here's how you can do this:
- Open Settings and select Apps from the left sidebar menu.
- Select the Installed apps option.
A screenshot showing the Settings page in Windows 11 with highlighted apps option.© Provided by XDA DevelopersA screenshot showing Settings in Windows 11 with highlighted apps option.© Provided by XDA Developers
- Hit the three-dot icon next to the app of your choice and select Advanced options.
- Select Never from the Background app permission drop-down.
Screenshot of the installed apps list in the Windows 11 Settings app showing the advanced options button for a given app© Provided by XDA DevelopersA screenshot showing the background apps permissions option in Windows 11.© Provided by XDA Developers
Restore your system to a stable state
If your CPU recently started acting up, and you don't know what's causing it or don't want to go through the hassle of taking a lot of steps to investigate it, then you can simply restore it to a state when it was running smoothly a few days or months ago. You can use the System Restore tool on Windows to do this, provided that you've created a restore point previously. Here is how to revert your system to a restoration point.
- Open the Control Panel on your PC.
- Next, scroll down and select the Recovery tab.
A screenshot hihlighting the control panel within the start menu in windows.© Provided by XDA DevelopersA screenshot showing the highlighted Recovery option in Windows Control Panel.© Provided by XDA Developers
- In the Recovery tab, open System Restore.
- Hit next in the Recover System Files and Settings section, and pick a restore point to go back to.
A screenshot showing advanced recovery tools in Windows.© Provided by XDA DevelopersA screenshot showing the system Restore tool with a highlighted restore point in Windows.© Provided by XDA Developers
This is likely to fix your problems, but you won't be able to restore if you didn't create a restore point earlier. So consider this as your reminder to create one now or once your CPU usage problems are dealt with, to ensure that you always have a safe restore point to go back to. Keep in mind that this type of System Restoration should not impact your personal files or delete recent documents; this is about the system, not your data. I also suggest you read our guide on repairing Windows 11 to find more ways to repair the operating system.
Look for a more specific fix for your particular CPU
If these general tips and bug fixes didn't seem to fix the high CPU usage for you, then you might encounter a CPU-specific problem. It could also be an app or a task-specific problem in which a particular program is constantly tanking your CPU resources, and you cannot fix it. The best way to confirm this is by interacting and asking others who may be familiar with the type of CPU you have. There are plenty of forums and sites out there with experienced community members and experts in the field to help you. The XDA Forums are a great place to start, so I recommend starting a thread there that highlights your issue. You can also consider other online forums which are full of helpful communities.
I recommend downloading programs like CPU-Z or HWiNFO to create an activity log highlighting CPU usage, thermals, and more, in case you need to furnish more information to help others understand and assist with your problem. HWiNFO will also tell you the exact make and model of your CPU and other components, in case you are not sure about the specifics of your PC components.
Be mindful of your computer's resources
Even the best CPUs out there have limited resources, so it's important to deal with programs that are unnecessarily draining your CPU. Be sure to keep an eye on the overall CPU usage of your PC and keep in mind that an occasional spike in CPU usage isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's only alarming if the usage is constantly high, and it starts to throttle the overall system performance. I hope the tips mentioned above will fix the issue, and you won't have to resort to extreme measures like reinstalling Windows.
