It’s possible to see what the CPU usage on your computer is, in the Windows Task Manager. It will typically move up and down within a range. But, in this article I will cover what it means when your CPU usage is 0%.
It means your CPU is very fast, and no programs are running on your computer. The normal range for a CPU is about 10% usage for a mid range computer when idle. Therefore, it indicates your CPU is high end.
Below, I will explain:
Let’s get into it!
What Should CPU Percentage Be?
What your CPU usage percentage should be depends on the speed on your CPU. Roughly speaking, there are 3 tiers of CPUs. Low end, mid range, and high end. Here’s a table that shows what your CPU percentage should be based on each broad CPU type:
| CPU usage when idle | CPU usage when using resource intensive programs (gaming, streaming, and video editing) | |
| Low end PC | Up to 50% | 100% |
| Mid range PC | Up to 30% | 100% |
| High end PC | Up to 20% | 70% |
A mid range PC is one that costs around USD$500 brand new. Whereas, a low end PC is the cheapest PC in the store. And costs around USD$300 brand new. On the other hand, a high end CPU would be found on a gaming PC, or a custom built PC.
If your computer is 5 years or old it’s safe to assume it’s mid range by default. But, more likely to be low. The fact that your CPU usage is at 0% means it’s idle. Also, that your CPU is very fast. Because it’s at the highest end of the range, as shown in the table.
To back this up with some data, I did a survey of over 30 experienced gamers, and long time PC users. I asked them if high CPU usage is better. Here’s a table that shows the results:
| Is high CPU usage better | Responses | Percentage of responses |
| Yes | 32 | 94.12% |
| No | 2 | 5.88% |
As you can see, almost all the respondents said that high CPU usage is better.
Why Your CPU Usage is Low
CPU usage goes up the more demand is put on the CPU. Demand is created by programs. The more programs that are open the more the CPU will be in use. Also, the more resource intensive the program the more CPU usage it will use up.
Some of the most resource intensive programs are:
- Streaming
- Gaming
- Video rendering
Another major component that affects the speed of a computer is the graphics card (GPU).
READ MORE >> Does a Better GPU Lower CPU Usage
A GPU also has a usage percentage which you can view in the Windows Task Manager. In general, the GPU can only run as fast as the CPU can send instructions to it. This is a widely known topic called bottlenecking.
The truth is:
Virtually all computers will not be bottlenecked. The issue occurs when building a custom PC. The idea is that the CPU should match the GPU. And if you have more to spend, then getting a slightly better graphics card provides the best bang for buck in terms of performance.
What GPU For a CPU that has 0% Usage
In general, the best GPU for a CPU that has 0% usage is a high end graphics card. The reason is the CPU is more than capable of handling it.
But, a good check is to:
- Run a graphics intensive game such as Fortnite, Call of Duty, or Dota 2
- When you are in a game, alt tab, and open up the Task Manager
- Take a look at what the CPU usage, and GPU usage are
Dota 2 is free so is a good option if you don’t have one of the others. They should ideally be as close to 100% if possible.
READ MORE >> Is 99% GPU Utilization Good
If it’s much lower you can turn the graphics settings up in-game. Otherwise, it means your CPU and GPU are very high end. They will offer really good performance for the next 5 years or so.
However, it’s always a good idea to find out exactly what kind of CPU you have and match what GPU you get to example PC builds. Such as ones found on LogicalIncrements.com. That way you can be sure you are matching the GPU to the CPU.
Is it Good For Your CPU Usage To Be Low?
It’s not good for CPU usage to be low unless your computer is idle. When idle a normal range for CPU usage is under 50%.
When using your computer for something that puts a big demand on the resources of your computer such as gaming, the CPU usage should be close to 100%. And should stay there the entire time. When this happens it means the CPU is being utilized to the maximum.
What CPU Usage Is Bad?
In general, low CPU usage is bad, except when idle. When your PC is idle your CPU usage should be under 50%. And the faster your CPU is the closer it will be to 0%. For a mid range PC the CPU usage should be around 30% when idle.
When doing something resource intensive such as gaming, the CPU usage will almost always spike to 100% and stay there. If it isn’t, then it means your CPU is very fast, and it can easily handle the demands you are putting on it.
RAM is another key component. There are two things to look at with RAM. The RAM speed, and the amount of RAM. The ideal amount of RAM in 2023, and for the next 5 years or so, is 16GB. With 8GB being decent, and sufficient for the vast majority of people.
READ MORE >> Does Slow RAM Affect the CPU
If your CPU usage is significantly higher when idle, and is over 60% it means you have a lot of background programs running, your computer is currently doing a Windows update, or you should scan for virus and malware.