The CPU usage on a computer can be consistently low or high depending on what is running on your computer, in other cases your CPU usage may be consistently high. It’s even possible for a computer to still work when it spikes up to 100% or stays there for a period of time. In this article, I will explain if high CPU usage is bad for any reason.
Overall, high CPU usage is not bad. CPUs can run for 6 months or more 24 hours a day 7 days a week at 100% CPU usage. The main consideration is that it is cooled adequately enough to not overheat. Running at CPU at 100% permanently for extended periods is a common practice in various industries.
Running a CPU at 100% capacity will be OK but it does have the potential to overheat the CPU and VRM (power supply to the CPU) if there is an issue with your computer cooling, or if the cooling is inadequate.
Below, I will explain the things to watch out for when your CPU usage is consistently high, or if you want to run it at 100% for extended periods of time. As well as, how to check that your CPU and VRM are not getting too hot, how hot is it too hot, and what causes CPU usage to be consistently high.
What To Monitor If Your CPU Is at a High Usage Percentage
Running a CPU at 100% for very long periods of time is surprisingly a common practice for certain use cases, such as cryptocurrency mining, and at data centers that provide cloud storage, and servers.
For an everyday computer user running your CPU at 100% is also fine, however, there are a few things to watch out for, here is what they are.
In general, monitor the CPU temperature, and the VRM temperature. The VRM is the power supply that provides power to the CPU. All CPUs and VRMs have a safe operating temperature, which varies by model. But, anything over 100°C (225°F) is cause for concern.
The well known software company Avast
, states that the CPU and VRM of a laptop or desktop computer should typically be around 70–80°C (158–176°F), when your CPU is doing resource intensive tasks.
However, the safe operating temperature listed in the specs of most CPUs and VRMs is about 100°C (225°F). The temperature of your CPU and VRM can be monitored using a few free programs.
According to TechGuided the following free programs for Windows are the best for monitoring your CPU and VRM temperature:
- Core Temp
- HWMonitor
- Speed Fan
- Open Hardware Monitor
- Real Temp
- AIDA64 Extreme
- CPU Thermometer
If they are getting too hot you should invest in some aftermarket fans. These are typically incredibly cheap. For a laptop it is a bit more difficult due to the space requirements.
While still possible it can be a bit pricey and requires more thorough research to get the right one. A better option is to get a small desk fan and aim it at your laptop. And/or prop it up onto something so that it’s not being insulated as much from the underside.
The question about high CPU usage was asked on Reddit. Many people responded, below is a table I put together by totalling all of the responses.
| Is it OK to run a CPU at 100% for long periods of time | Responses | Percentage of responses |
| Yes | 32 | 94.12% |
| No | 2 | 5.88% |
From the responses you can see that the vast majority of people state that running a CPU at 100% for prolonged periods is fine. And therefore, if your CPU usage is high it’s not bad provided your CPU and VRM are not overheating.
Most people report that the CPU is the computer component that lasts the longest, and is the most durable. Whereas, the other components like the VRM, and motherboard tend to fail first.
Here are some quotes from people that responded:
“I’ve done statistical modeling that ran at 100% for an entire weekend on an office computer with barely any cooling system to speak of. I don’t think you’ll have any issues.”
“I mine crypto, before I used a GPU I was using my CPU. I’ve mined on it for 2 years 24/7.”
“I used to mine Monero (cryptocurrency) using my CPU. I have some Ryzen chips that have been run at 100% for over a year and still function perfectly. You’ll be fine as long as temps are happy.”
Causes of High CPU Usage that are normal and not normal
A high CPU usage such as 100% can be both normal and not normal. It’s normal for a CPU to be maxed out at 100% when:
- Playing graphics intensive games
- Doing resource intensive tasks on a program like rendering a video
- Having many programs open at once
- Running modern programs on older hardware or hardware with low specs
In addition, there are two issues that are not normal and should be fixed, that can cause a CPU to run at 100% consistently, or cause it to run at a high percentage when it shouldn’t be.
These are viruses or malware. These need to be cleaned using an anti-virus, anti-spyware, or anti-malware tool.
It’s common for viruses, malware, and spyware to get on a computer with the purpose of using a computer to do tasks such as mining information, or doing computer computations without the computer owner knowing. These use up a percentage of the CPU.
If you suspect this is happening, install many of the well known free and very effective anti-virus and anti-malware tools like Malwarebytes.
Modern CPUs will ‘throttle’ the CPU to prevent overheating
There is a well known feature of modern CPUs where they will ‘throttle’ the CPU to prevent it from overheating. Essentially a CPU will slow down the CPU when it gets above a certain temperature.
If you look in the Task Manager in Windows or use some other software to see what percentage of your CPU is being used you may notice it’s at 100%.
But, in reality it’s lower, and your CPU has throttled. Provided, you monitor your CPU temperature and it’s not getting too close to 100°C (225°F), your CPU won’t throttle, and it will be as fast as possible.
Can Low RAM Cause High CPU Usage
The CPU speed, and the amount of RAM you have control how fast a computer is. The RAM and CPU communicate with each other to perform tasks and improving either will increase the speed of a computer overall. But, here is whether having a low amount of RAM will cause the CPU to have a higher usage percentage.
Overall, low RAM can not cause high CPU usage. If you increase the amount of RAM a computer has it will not lower the percentage of the CPU a computer uses. The amount of RAM and the amount of the CPU in use are independent of each other.
Exactly how much of the RAM and the CPU are in use at any given time is controlled by the specific task a computer is performing.
Some tasks that programs do require a lot of RAM, but a low amount of the CPU. Whereas, others require a lot of the CPU, and only a small amount of RAM.
Should Your CPU be at 100% While Gaming
Some games are more CPU intensive than others. It’s common to see some games use 100% of the CPU, while other games use more of the graphics card (GPU).
But, if your CPU is at 100% usage while gaming here’s whether it’s cause for concern, or if there are any downsides when this is the case.
In general, it’s not an issue if your CPU is at 100% usage while gaming. Your computer will run fine, and most games will provide the same in game experience compared to if your CPU usage is lower. The main concern is overheating the CPU or VRM, so the temperature of these needs to be monitored.
The temperature of the CPU and VRM should remain under 100°C (225°F), which normally happens provided the vents for the fans on your computer are running fine, and they are clogged with dust.
The temperature of your CPU and VRM can be monitored using various free programs. If the temperature goes above 100°C (225°F) then you should take steps to keep your computer cooler. If it operates above the temperature it can damage your PC.
These can include blowing a desktop fan on to it, propping it up on something less insulating – for example, putting a book under it, if it’s located on the carpet. It’s also possible to install an additional aftermarket fan from Amazon or somewhere similar.
But, this is only generally possible for desktop computers. It is possible to do so for a laptop. However, it’s generally easier to get a small desk fan and aim it at your laptop.