High CPU Usage all of a sudden

Hello Nabeel Hossain,

Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

It sounds like your system is experiencing significant performance degradation, which could be attributed to several factors. Based on your description, here are some potential causes and solutions:

1. High CPU Usage from Background Processes (Service Host)

The "Service Host" processes you see in Task Manager are usually related to Windows services. While some of them are critical for the system's proper functioning, they can sometimes consume excessive CPU resources due to bugs, corrupted files, or conflicting software.

Potential solutions:

• Check the specific Service Host processes: Expand each "Service Host" entry in Task Manager to see which individual services are consuming CPU resources. Right-click and go to "Go to Service(s)" to identify the exact service. Common culprits include:
  • Windows Update: If Windows Update is stuck or running in the background, it can cause high CPU usage. Check if there are pending updates or update issues.
  • Windows Defender or Anti-Virus Scans: Background scans can consume resources. Check whether Windows Defender or any third-party antivirus software is performing a scan.
  • Superfetch (SysMain): Sometimes, this service can cause high disk and CPU usage. Disabling it temporarily can help identify if it's the problem.
• Use Event Viewer: Check for any errors or warnings related to system services that might be causing these spikes. You can do this by searching for Event Viewer and checking the Windows Logs > System and Application logs.

2. Memory Usage

You mentioned that 11 GB out of 16 GB is being used while idle, which is quite high. If your system is using a lot of memory without obvious programs open, there may be an issue with background processes consuming resources.

Possible solutions:

• Check for Memory Leaks: Some apps or processes may have memory leaks, causing them to use more memory than expected. Task Manager allows you to track memory usage over time. Pay close attention to any apps or services that are gradually increasing their memory consumption.
• Optimize Startup Programs: Disable unnecessary startup programs. In Task Manager, go to the Startup tab and disable anything that doesn’t need to run when your PC starts up.
• Check for Malware: Sometimes, high memory usage can be caused by malware running in the background. Run a full system scan using Windows Defender or a third-party antivirus tool (like Malwarebytes) to rule this out.

3. CPU Usage

The fact that your CPU usage spikes to 100% and then settles at 50-70% during idle periods is unusual for a modern CPU like the i7-11700. There could be a background task that's using a lot of CPU cycles.

Solutions:

• Task Manager Diagnostics: In Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and sort by CPU to see which processes are using the most CPU. Focus on any processes that seem out of place or are using a disproportionate amount of resources. If you find something suspicious, try terminating it (make sure to check what the process is before ending it).
• System Resource Consumption by Chrome: Chrome can sometimes consume significant CPU and memory, especially with many tabs open or if an extension is malfunctioning. Try disabling extensions or even running Chrome in Incognito Mode to see if the issue persists.
• Check for Background Windows Services: High CPU usage can sometimes be attributed to Windows services like Windows Search or Windows Update. You can try disabling these temporarily to test the impact on performance.

4. GPU Usage and Game Stuttering

You mentioned that your GPU usage is very low (0-1%) during gameplay, while your CPU is under heavy load. This suggests that your games might not be utilizing your GPU properly, and instead, the CPU is doing more of the heavy lifting. This is often caused by:

• CPU Bottleneck: If your CPU is under high load, your system may not be able to send frames to the GPU at a fast enough rate, causing stuttering or FPS drops. Check if there are any specific background tasks that are consuming CPU during gaming.
• V-Sync or Frame Limiting: If V-Sync is enabled or your games are capped at a low frame rate, your GPU may not be fully utilized. Ensure that you have the proper settings in place and disable any frame limiters.
• Graphics Driver Settings: Sometimes, the graphics settings may not be optimized for your GPU. In NVIDIA Control Panel, make sure that your GPU is set to handle 3D settings, and that power management is set to Maximum Performance.
• Power Settings: Ensure that your Power Plan is set to High Performance rather than Balanced or Power Saver, as this can sometimes throttle CPU performance.

5. Try Disabling Unnecessary Background Processes

Some background processes might be running tasks that are consuming CPU and memory unnecessarily, even when you’re not actively using your PC.

How to check and disable:

• Open Task Manager and go to the Processes tab.
• Sort by CPU or Memory to see which processes are consuming the most resources.
• End processes that look unnecessary, but be cautious not to end essential system processes.

You can also run MSConfig or Task Scheduler to identify scheduled tasks that may be affecting your system’s performance.

6. Perform System Scans and Checks

• Check for Disk Errors: High CPU usage can sometimes be a symptom of disk issues. Run CHKDSK to check for disk errors:
  1. Click Win key + X to open "Command Prompt (Admin)"
  2. Enter chkdsk <drive letter>: /f in the command prompt window For example, to check and repair the D partition, enter the following command: chkdsk D: /f Press Y then Enter to run the chkdsk disk check tool to scan the D partition. After that, you can check other partitions similarly. Note: Please check other drive letters other than your system drive (usually C) first. You need to restart to check C drive. Disclaimer: Running chkdsk can check the file system and file system metadata of a volume for logical and physical errors. To avoid any trouble for you, do not cancel or interrupt chkdsk, and back up important data.   For more information, please refer to this chkdsk | Microsoft Learn.
• System File Check: Run SFC to scan for corrupted system files:
  1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
  2. Run the following commands one by one:
     DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth 
     DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth 
     DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  3. Run sfc /scannow and wait for the process to complete. Check if there are any detected errors.
• Windows Memory Diagnostic: To check for RAM issues, you can run Windows Memory Diagnostic by searching for it in the Start menu and following the prompts.

7. Check for Thermal Throttling

If your CPU is overheating, it can throttle its performance to reduce heat, which could be contributing to your performance issues. You can monitor the temperatures of your CPU and GPU using tools like HWMonitor or Core Temp.

8. Consider a Clean Boot or Reinstalling Windows

If none of the above solutions resolve the issue, it might be worth performing a Clean Boot to see if a third-party service is causing the issue. How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

1. Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
2. Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, and then click Disable all.
3. Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
4. Disable all startup items.
5. Restart your computer.
   Disclaimer: A “clean boot” starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background service is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem.   
   These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by step so that it will help you get back on track.

If the issue persists after all those steps, you may want to Perform an In-place Upgrade: An in-place upgrade is a method of reinstalling Windows. The principle of an in-place upgrade is to upgrade the system from the old version to the latest version while retaining the original system and user data, overwriting only the system files, and restoring the normal use of the system. The detailed steps are as follows.

1. Visit the official Microsoft website, Download Windows 11
2. Use the installation tool to create a USB installation disk or ISO file.
3. Insert the USB installation disk or mount the ISO file, and then run setup.exe.
4. Select the "Upgrade this PC" option and click "Next".
5. Make sure to select the "Keep personal files and apps" option and click "Install".
6. The process may take some time, please wait patiently for it to complete.

By following these troubleshooting steps, you should be able to narrow down the cause of your high CPU usage and game stuttering. Let me know if you need further assistance!

Best Regards,

William.Y | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hi,

Thank you for your reply,

1. The "Service Host" process that is using the most CPU usage is constantly switching, but right now, its "Service Host: Device Setup Manager" using up 12% CPU. Another one is "Service Host: Shell Hardware Detection", but right now that's using 2% of my CPU. The ones you mentioned (Windows Update and SysMain), are currently at 0% CPU usage. However, as for the Anti-Virus one, I found that there is a process called "Antimalware Service Executable" running at 23% CPU. Other processes than are using a lot of CPU space are "Nvidia Container", "WMI Provider Host", "Razer Synapse Service Process", "Waves MaxxAudio Service Application", "Windows Explorer" and "Task Manager". Each of these range from 5% CPU usage to 0.5%.

After checking with Event Viewer and going to the System logs, I noticed that there are quite some warnings, with the latest one from half an hour ago reading "Name resolution for the name t-ring-fdv2.msedge.net timed out after none of the configured DNS servers responded. Client PID 190220".

Then there is another one reading "The application specific permission settings do not grant Local Activation permission for the COM Server application with CLSID". That's all the warnings shown for today. There appears to be none in the Application logs either.

2. As for Memory Usage, the three highest processes are Google Chrome using 1350 MB, Discord using 260 MB and Antimalware Service Executable using 170 MB. Yet my Memory in use right now still shows 10.5 GB.

I don't think processes currently running have any memory leaks, as they don't seem to be gradually increasing their usage.

The only startup apps that are enabled are "Mobile Devices", "Realtek HD Audio Universal Service", "Waves MaxxAudio Service Application" (which has High Impact), and "Windows Security"

As of writing this, a full system scan with Windows Defender is currently underway. I did a full system scan with Malwarebytes a week or so ago and found one Malware (which I removed from my device). I am unable to run Malwarebytes again because my free trial had expired.

3. As for System Resource Consumption By Chrome, I've closed all other tabs except this one, and yet Chrome is still taking up 450 MB, which is quite a lot less than the 1350 MB from before. Although I only have 3 extensions, I disabled them all and now Chrome is using 350 MB. I would also like to mention that Chrome doesn't really take up much CPU space. Right now, Chrome is sitting at 2% CPU usage.

I am also currently up to date with Windows Update.

4. As for Game Stuttering, I've opened up Nvidia Control Panel, and found that V-Sync is set to Off, while Max Frame Rate is also set to Off. In 3D Settings, Power Management is already set to Maximum Performance. I've also checked with my Power Settings, And my Power Plan is also already set to High Performance. This is because I've already configured with these settings before, yet my game still stutters. I'm guessing the problem could be a CPU Bottleneck, but I don't understand why it is happening now. I've had this computer with the same specs for over 2 years, and hadn't had this problem until a few days ago.

5. Already done.

I would also like to mention that my full system scan with Windows Defender is done, and no malware were found.

6. I've run the CHKDSK command in Command Prompt as administrator for both my D: drive and C: drive, yet no issues were found.

Then I ran a SFC scan with all the commands listed one by one, and found no detected errors.

Finally, I ran Windows Memory Diagnostic, and again, no problems were found.

7. After downloading HWMonitor, I can already see my CPU (Intel Core i7-11700) at 87-100 °C despite being idle. No clue how this could be happening when i only have Google Chrome, HWMonitor and Task Manager open. My GPU, on the other hand, is at 54%.

8. After performing a Clean Boot, I opened up Task Manager, and found CPU usage to be 33%. When i opened up HWMonitor, my CPU was still at 100 °C. I opened up Steam so i could play a game, but the stutters were still there. In any game i played, i still had performance issues.

Also, I am unable to perform an In-place Upgrade at the moment because I don't have any USB flash drives with me. Nevertheless, I think I've narrowed the problem down to either a CPU Bottleneck or Thermal Throttling. If you know how to fix this, please let me know.

By the way, I would also like to mention another thing. I saw someone with a similar issue to mine post on Reddit that the reason why their games were stuttering had to do with something about Device Manager constantly refreshing. I remember a couple days back when I tried to access Device Manager to update my drivers, it was constantly refreshing. However, when I try to open Device Manager now, It stops responding. I tried to open it via alternative methods yet they don't work. it loads for a bit, then I get a pop-up telling me to exit the application because "Device Manager stopped responding".

I can tell you what did it to me and tried most everything. It was maxing out CPU in Chrome and I could not figure out why. Then I checked Edge it did not max out. Then I did a all time cookie and other and still bad. I then on spur of a moment and turned off Ad Block. Everything back to normal. My lucky day or next was going to reset Chrome. I thought my pc was messed up. This happened a couple of weeks ago. I even bought a small fan to place close to grill so PC would not keep running fans and it was choking just making it until I closed chrome. Try removing or turning off Ad Block.

Hello, I'm Fahed! Let’s Fix Your High CPU Usage Issue

Hey there! I know how frustrating it is when your computer suddenly slows down after a Windows update. You open Task Manager and see your CPU usage skyrocketing, making everything lag like crazy. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back!

Here’s a Quick Fix You Can Try Right Now:

1️⃣ Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2️⃣ Look at the “CPU” column under the Processes tab.
3️⃣ Find the process eating up your CPU—if it’s not a system process, right-click and End Task.
4️⃣ Go to the Startup tab and disable unnecessary apps that start with Windows.

That should help reduce the CPU load, but if the problem keeps coming back, there might be background apps, telemetry services, or even malware causing the issue.

Want a Full Step-by-Step Guide?

I’ve put together a detailed article that walks you through all the fixes—including disabling Windows background services, checking for hidden processes, and more.

👉 Check it out here: Fix Windows High CPU Usage After Update

Let me know if this helped or if you need more tips! 🚀

Hello Nabeel,

Thank you for taking the time to test each of the suggestions and sharing the results with us. At present, most of what you describe seems to be normal. Service Host: Device Setup Manager indicates that Windows is possibly updating some drivers for you in the background. Service Host: Shell Hardware Detection is responsible for handling the connection status of the computer and other hardware devices. These are all normal Windows services that could take a small part of your CPU space, but will not last very long.

I am particularly concerned about that you mentioned the CPU temperature of 100℃ even under low load. This means that your CPU cooler is very likely to be in a poor working condition or not working at all (damaged). Common reasons are dust blockage, etc.

I am not sure if you are familiar with the computer installation process. Is your PC built on your own? The CPU cooler is glued to the CPU through a heat dissipation medium such as Thermal Grease, covering directly above the CPU and fixed to the motherboard. Some CPU coolers cool down by fans blowing air, and some cool down by liquid heat dissipation. Either way usually requires the heat dissipation medium to maintain good performance and normal contact. In some cases, the heat dissipation medium will become dry and hard after years of work, gradually losing its heat dissipation ability, and in some cases, the performance failure is caused by poor heat dissipation process of the heat dissipation medium.

Generally speaking, this is a natural phenomenon that becomes apparent with computer use. You may not have felt anything wrong before, but one day you will suddenly notice that the CPU temperature is getting higher and higher. Modern CPUs have overheating protection to prevent high temperatures from damaging the chip. When the temperature is too high, or in a professional term, when CPU is hitting the "temperature wall", it will automatically lower the frequency for active heat dissipation. At this time, you will clearly feel that the computer/game is stuck.

The current recommendation is to immediately check the condition of the CPU cooler. It should be noted that if you plan to remove the CPU cooler to check the cooling medium, you must prepare some new cooling medium and spray tools in advance, because once the CPU is removed, you must clean the remaining cooling medium on the contact surface and reapply new one. You cannot leave the old and hardened cooling medium on the contact surface and mix it with the new one. If you are not familiar with this process, I strongly recommend that you find a computer repair shop to handle it, or at least watch a video on YouTube first, so as not to damage the delicate equipment on the motherboard. If you plan to handle it yourself, be sure to keep your hands completely dry and eliminate static electricity before operation.

Looking forward to your good news!

Best Regards,

William.Y | Microsoft Community Support Specialist