What to do to reduce the load. How to reduce CPU load: simple but effective methods to solve the problem. The most common reasons for increased CPU load

Hello.

One of the most common reasons why a computer slows down is CPU load, sometimes by incomprehensible applications and processes.

Not long ago, on a friend’s computer, I had to deal with an “incomprehensible” CPU load, which sometimes reached 100%, although there were no open programs that could load it like that (by the way, the processor was a fairly modern Intel inside Core i3). The problem was solved by reinstalling the system and installing new drivers (but more on that later...).

Actually, I decided that this problem was quite popular and would be of interest to a wide range of users. In the article I will give recommendations that will help you figure out why the processor is loaded and how to reduce the load on it. So…

1. Question No. 1 - what program is the processor loaded with?

To find out what percentage of the processor is loaded, open the Windows task manager.

Buttons: Ctrl+Shift+Esc (or Ctrl+Alt+Del) .

By the way, very often the problem arises in the following way: you were working, for example, in Adobe Photoshop, then you closed the program, but it remained in the processes (or this happens all the time with some games). As a result, they “eat” resources, and not small ones at that. Because of this, the computer starts to slow down. Therefore, very often the first recommendation in such cases is to restart the PC (since in this case such applications will be closed), or go to the task manager and remove such a process.

2. Question No. 2 - there is CPU load, but there are no applications and processes that load them! What to do?

When setting up one of the computers, I encountered an incomprehensible CPU load - there is a load, but there are no processes! The screenshot below shows how it looks in the task manager.

On the one hand, it’s surprising: the “Display processes of all users” checkbox is turned on, there is nothing among the processes, and the PC load jumps by 16-30%!

To see all processes that load your PC - run the free utility Process Explorer. Next, sort all processes by load (CPU column) and see if there are any suspicious “elements” there (the task manager does not show some processes, unlike Process Explorer).

Link to office Process Explorer website: https://technet.microsoft.com/ru-ru/bb896653.aspx

Process Explorer - system interrupts and DPCs load the processor by ~20%. When everything is in order, usually the CPU load associated with Hardware interrupts and DPCs does not exceed 0.5-1%.

In my case, the culprit turned out to be system interrupts and DPCs. By the way, I will say that sometimes fixing the PC load associated with them is quite a troublesome and complicated task (besides, sometimes they can load the processor not only by 30%, but by 100%!).

The fact is that the CPU is loaded due to them in several cases: problems with drivers; viruses; the hard drive does not operate in DMA mode, but in PIO mode; problems with peripheral equipment (for example, printer, scanner, network cards, flash and HDD drives, etc.).

1. Problems with drivers

The most common reason for CPU usage is system interrupts. I recommend doing the following: boot the PC in safe mode and see if there is a load on the processor: if there is none, the reason is very high in the drivers! In general, the easiest and fastest way in this case is to reinstall the Windows system and then install one driver at a time and see if the CPU load appears (as soon as it appears, you have found the culprit).

Most often, the culprit here is network cards + universal drivers from Microsoft, which are installed immediately when installing Windows (sorry for the tautology). I recommend downloading and updating all drivers from the official website of your laptop/computer manufacturer.

Plus, sometimes check your computer with third-party programs (which look for advertising modules adware, mailware, etc.): more about them.

3. Hard disk operating mode

The operating mode of the HDD can also affect the loading and performance of the PC. In general, if the hard drive is not operating in DMA mode, but in PIO mode, you will immediately notice it with terrible “brakes”!

4. Problems with peripheral equipment

Disconnect everything from your laptop or PC, leave the bare minimum (mouse, keyboard, monitor). I also recommend paying attention to device Manager, whether there will be any installed devices with yellow or red icons (this means either there are no drivers or they are not working correctly).

How to open device manager? The easiest way is to open the Windows Control Panel and type the word “dispatcher” into the search bar. See screenshot below.

Device Manager: there are no drivers for devices (disk drives), they may not work correctly (and most likely not work at all).

3. Question No. 3 - could the processor load be caused by overheating and dust?!

The reason why the processor may be overloaded and the computer will start to slow down may be due to overheating. Typically, characteristic signs of overheating are:

• increased hum of the cooler: the number of revolutions per minute increases because of this the noise from it becomes stronger. If you have a laptop: then by passing your hand next to the left side (usually there is a hot air outlet on laptops) you will be able to notice how much air is being blown out and how hot it is. Sometimes the hand doesn’t tolerate it (this is not good)!
• braking and slowdown of the computer (laptop);
• refusal to boot with errors indicating failures in the cooling system, etc.

For example, in the AIDA 64 program, to view the processor temperature, you need to open the “ Computer/sensor«.

AIDA64 - processor temperature 49 degrees. C.

How do you know which temperature is critical for your processor and which is normal?

The easiest way is to look at the manufacturer's website; this information is always indicated there. It is quite difficult to give general figures for different processor models.

In general, on average, if the processor operating temperature is not higher than 40 degrees. Ts. - everything is fine. Above 50g. C. - may indicate problems in the cooling system (for example, an abundance of dust). However, for some processor models this temperature is the normal operating temperature. This especially applies to laptops, where limited space makes it difficult to organize a good cooling system. By the way, on laptops and 70 gr. C. - may be normal temperature under load.

Cleaning from dust: when, how and how many times?

In general, it is advisable to clean your computer or laptop from dust 1-2 times a year (although a lot depends on your room, some have more dust, some have less...). Once every 3-4 years it is advisable to replace the thermal paste. Both operations are not complicated and can be performed independently.

To avoid repetition, I will provide a couple of links below...

How to clean your computer from dust and replace thermal paste:

Cleaning a laptop from dust, how to wipe the screen:

PS

That's all for today. By the way, if the measures suggested above did not help, you can try reinstalling Windows (or even replacing it with a newer one, for example, changing Windows 7 to Windows 8). Sometimes, it’s easier to reinstall the OS than to look for the cause: you’ll save time and money... In general, you sometimes need to make backup copies (when everything works well).

If your computer begins to periodically “slow down”, operations that were previously performed instantly, but now work very slowly, then most likely your computer’s central processor is heavily loaded. Every second “average” user probably knows about this, but not everyone knows why this happens and how the load on the CPU can be reduced.

Heavy CPU load significantly reduces the performance of the computer and, as a result, slows down its operation, and sometimes even spontaneously shuts down. However, this is a very common problem and there are several reasons for this:

1. There are too many programs running at the same time.
2. A virus has been “introduced” into the computer.
3. Some program has frozen.
4. Driver problems.
5. Computer overheating or dust.

If these problems are not addressed soon, the CPU load may reach 100%, and this may lead to a complete shutdown of the computer or. To “help” your technology, you will have to seek help from specialists or try to deal with this problem yourself.

How to reduce CPU load in Windows 7?

So, there are several ways that will help speed up your computer; by the way, those who are interested in how to reduce the load on the CPU in Windows 10 or 8 should also pay attention to these methods:

1. Close programs that you are not currently using (programs such as Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, 3D games, and watching YouTube videos especially load the processor).
2. Reboot your system or turn off your computer for at least 15 minutes. If the computer has not been turned off for several days, then its operation will be significantly slowed down, give it a little “rest”.
3. Check your computer for viruses. Run an antivirus program, preferably doing a full scan to remove all viruses that may have “infected” your computer.
4. You should check your hard drive for any errors. Any Windows has special built-in utilities that can help you identify errors on your hard drive.
5. Terminate processes that are using up the CPU. To do this, you need to open the task manager and in the list of processes identify those that carry the maximum load, then simply close them.
6. Install additional RAM. It happens that the computer simply does not have enough memory to run certain programs.
7. Clean your computer from dust. , like any other equipment, it needs care; it is recommended to clean it from dust at least 2 times a year.

How to reduce CPU load in games?

Many people who prefer to spend their free time playing on the computer are annoyed by the constant freezing and “braking” of this technology, so many are interested in how to reduce the load on the CPU in games, and even when streaming. Let's look at the most popular and effective methods:

For many users of personal computers, it is probably no longer a secret that, despite the stated minimum system requirements, the Windows 10 operating system, compared to previous versions, looks quite “gluttonous” in terms of the use of system resources. Now we will look at how you can reduce the load on the central processor and reduce RAM consumption. This operation can be performed in several ways, which often do not even depend on each other.

How to reduce CPU load in Windows 10: general rules

Before we start using ready-made solutions, let's look at the main ways to deactivate unnecessary components and services. It is necessary to pay attention to the following point: you can solve the problem associated with reducing processor load or RAM usage by using the following sections:

— standard “Task Manager”;

— system configurations;

— its components;

- services.

Of course, you can delve into the system registry. However, for uninitiated users this can be quite problematic. In addition, most of the add-ons can be completed without using this method. What processes in the Task Manager can be disabled? First of all, when observing increased consumption of system resources, users usually begin to actively call the “Task Manager” by using the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination or by entering the taskmgr command in the “Run” console. All processes or applications that are currently active and running in the background will be displayed here. You can immediately make the following remark. In the standard Task Manager mode in the Windows 10 operating system, you can view and disable processes and services. This is typical for all operating systems of the Windows family. In other words, if some process starts with the system, it will be activated again when it is restarted. Of all that is displayed in the “Task Manager” in the Windows 10 operating system, first of all, only user processes can be deactivated. You may notice that in the running process type column you can find three types of descriptions:

— background processes;

- Windows processes;

- applications.

Of course, when deciding whether to reduce CPU load, one should assume that system services cannot be disabled. This can lead to unpredictable consequences. All items that are marked with the “Application” type can be safely completed. But in the process and services section you need to be especially careful. What can you turn off here? So, for example, if there is no printer installed on the system, then you can safely deactivate the printing service that runs in the background - spoolsv.exe. To begin with, it is better to check which process is putting the maximum load on the processor, and only then decide to disable it. Again, it must be taken into account that the shutdown will be one-time. To prevent the process from starting again when the computer is restarted, you must at least deactivate startup items.

Startup management

To disable services that start with the Windows operating system, two main options can be used. First of all, you can go to the startup tab, which is available in the “Task Manager” itself. You can also try using the configuration setting. In the "Task Manager" this is done quite simply - you need to call the submenu by right-clicking the mouse and select the shutdown command in it. There is a column on the right that describes the degree of influence of the process on the system. In this section, by and large, you can turn off absolutely everything and leave only the Windows Defender service. If you have a high-quality antivirus program installed on your computer, you can disable this service. To enter configuration settings, you must use the msconfig command. This command is written in the corresponding line of the “Run” menu. After this, the startup section is selected, which again takes the user to the “Task Manager”. Here it would be better to go to the services tab. To avoid accidentally disabling something important, you can check the box next to hiding Microsoft services, and then check what remains. You can leave the Adobe Flash Player plugin stopped, as it is often used in browsers. In both cases, you must restart your computer. This is a prerequisite for the changes to take effect.

Disabling unnecessary operating system components

In order not to rummage through the operating system configuration components, the issue of reducing the CPU load as a result of the presence of unnecessary active services can be resolved by disabling some operating system features. To do this, you need to find the Programs and Features section in the Control Panel and disable unused ones in it. Here, for example, you can also deactivate the print service and the Hyper-V module, which is responsible for creating and using the virtual machine.

Deactivating a service

Many operating system services can be deactivated in the appropriate management section. You can call it in the same “Task Manager” by clicking on the show services button. You can also open the editor manually by using the services.msc command in the Run console. You can disable at least three processes here: diagnostic tracking, geolocation, and the dmwappushservice process. All of them relate to the system's spy functions. If you are using a netbook without an optical drive, you will need to deactivate the CD burning service. You can also disable the firewall, wireless setup, secondary login, Windows Search indexing service, portable device enumeration, server, debugger, Application Compatibility Assistant, and error logging. Deactivation is performed by setting the appropriate startup option in the menu. It is called by double clicking on the service.

Using special utilities

If the user does not know exactly what can be disabled in the system or simply does not want to deal with such issues, then he can turn to optimizer programs for help. They will automatically do all the work. Such applications contain not only deep cleaning systems, but also modules that manage startup items. Deactivating unnecessary components in this case will be as safe as possible. However, the components of the Windows operating system described just above will still have to be disabled manually. In this case, deactivation of visual effects was not considered, which can be done from the security and maintenance section or using all the same optimization programs.

Increased load on the central processor causes slowdowns in the system - applications take longer to open, data processing time increases, and freezes may occur. To get rid of this, you need to check the load on the main components of the computer (primarily the CPU) and reduce it until the system works normally again.

The central processor is loaded with open heavy programs: modern games, professional graphics and video editors, server programs. After finishing working with heavy programs, be sure to close them rather than minimize them, thereby saving your computer resources. Some programs may run in the background even after being closed. In this case, they will have to be closed through "Task Manager".

If you do not have any third-party programs enabled, and there is a high load on the processor, then there may be several options:

• Viruses. There are many viruses that do not cause significant harm to the system, but at the same time heavily load it, making normal work difficult;
• “Clogged” registry. Over time, the operating system accumulates various bugs and junk files, which in large quantities can create a significant load on PC components;
• Programs in "Startup". Some software can be added to this section and loaded without the user’s knowledge along with Windows (the greatest load on the CPU occurs precisely during system startup);
• Accumulated dust in the system unit. By itself, it does not load the CPU, but can cause overheating, which reduces the quality and stability of the central processor.

Also try not to install programs that do not meet your computer’s system requirements. Such software can work and launch relatively normally, but at the same time it places a maximum load on the CPU, which over time greatly reduces the stability and quality of work.

Method 1: Cleaning Task Manager

First of all, look at which processes take up the most resources from your computer, and if possible, disable them. The same should be done with programs that are loaded along with the operating system.

Do not disable system processes and services (they have a special designation that distinguishes them from others) if you do not know what function they perform. It is recommended to disable only user processes. You can disable a system process/service only if you are sure that this will not lead to a system reboot or black/blue screens of death.

Instructions for disabling unnecessary components look like this:

Also via "Task Manager" needs to be cleaned "Startup". You can do it like this:

Method 2: Cleaning the Registry

To clean the registry from broken files, you just need to download special software, for example, CCleaner. The program has both paid and free versions, is fully Russified and easy to use.

Method 3: Removing Viruses

Small viruses that load the processor, masquerading as various system services, are very easy to remove using almost any high-quality antivirus program.

Let's look at cleaning your computer from viruses using the Kaspersky antivirus as an example:

Method 4: Clean your PC from dust and replace thermal paste

Dust itself does not load the processor in any way, but it can become clogged with the cooling system, which will quickly cause overheating of the CPU cores and affect the quality and stability of the computer. To clean, you will need a dry cloth, preferably special wipes for cleaning PC components, cotton swabs and a low-power vacuum cleaner.

Instructions for cleaning the system unit from dust look like this:

The computer is the main reason for its slowdowns and freezes. Moreover, in order to identify what exactly is the source of trouble, sometimes you have to approach the issue outside the box. This article will describe both simple ways to solve the problem and those that require some technical training.

Windows 7: identifying heavy processes

To find out the specific processor load level, use the tool built into the operating system - the task manager. To open it, just press the key combination Ctl+Shift+Esc. Click on the "Display processes of all users" button. Select "YES" in the pop-up window. The task manager is now running with administrator rights.

Go to the "Processes" tab, there you can see all the applications currently running. By clicking on one of the table column names, you can sort them.

High Windows 7: what to do?

Having found a suspicious process that takes up the lion's share of the system's capacity, right-click on its name. In the context menu that opens, select “complete”, then answer the question in the task manager in the affirmative.

It must be said that applications sometimes freeze when closed using standard means. The program window disappears, but the process does not end, and on top of that, it goes into an endless loop. You can successfully deal with such a nuisance if you restart your computer, but the task manager will allow you to solve the problem faster.

Process Explorer

If you have followed all the above recommendations, but the CPU load has not decreased, and there are no processes that use a lot of resources, try using a free utility called Process Explorer. You can download it from the manufacturer's official website.

How to reduce CPU load on Windows 7 using Process Explorer? In the program window, sort the list of processes by CPU load. Examine the table for suspicious applications. If there are any, right-click on the program name and select Kill Process.

System interrupts

Open it and pay attention to the inscription “interrupts”. If the value opposite it in the CPU column exceeds 1-2%, it means that the processor is busy processing system interrupts. In this case, identifying the source of the problem is very difficult. You should try checking your computer for viruses, updating drivers, checking for errors, or installing a new hard drive. It would be a good idea to turn off peripheral equipment.

Drivers

System drivers are one of the most common reasons why the processor is loaded by system interrupts. To figure out whether it's worth updating your drivers, do the following:

1. Restart your computer.
2. Before turning on the OS, press the F8 button on your keyboard several times.
3. In the menu that opens, select “Safe Mode”.
4. After loading the operating system, launch the Process Explorer application and watch the interrupts line for a while.

If the computer does not boot, there is a high probability that the problem lies with the drivers. In this case, you should go to the official websites of your PC hardware manufacturers. If updates appear, install them. If any device uses universal Microsoft drivers in its operation, it is necessary to replace them with proprietary ones.

It must be said that the measures taken will not necessarily solve the problem, and only a complete reinstallation of the operating system can help the computer.

Overheat

High CPU temperatures can also contribute to high CPU utilization. The computer constantly crashes, freezes, slows down and reboots on its own. If the cooler noise increases, it is worth checking whether the processor is overheating. When working on a laptop, you can simply move your hand on the side where the air is blown. If it is hot, it is best to monitor the temperature with special means.

Periphery equipment

How to reduce CPU load in Windows 7 if previous recommendations did not help? Disconnect all devices without which the computer can operate. Leave the minimum - keyboard, mouse, monitor. Look at the task manager graphs. A decrease in processor load means that one of the peripheral devices is failing.

To figure out which one, connect them one at a time. After adding a new one, restart your computer and watch the graphs. If after connecting the next device the CPU load increases, you need to update the drivers for this device. When a software update does not help, there is only one way out - replacing the equipment or repairing it. It is not recommended to delay these procedures. As the load increases, the temperature of the CPU also increases, and this can reduce its service life.

Computer games

Modern games are a real challenge for PCs. Only engineering programs used to perform complex mathematical calculations can compare with them. If the CPU is running at 100% in games, it clearly needs an upgrade.

How to reduce the load on the Windows 7 CPU if an upgrade is not possible? Try closing all unnecessary applications before starting the game. Disconnect your computer from the network to prevent it from unexpectedly downloading updates for its software. Close antivirus programs, because this type of software consumes a lot of computer resources. The antivirus monitors absolutely all PC activity, which negatively affects its performance.

Be careful: if you do not understand well the consequences of disabling software security features, it is not recommended to follow the last tip.