The Windows task manager has become one of the easiest tools to control our PC hardware. We can see the use of the CPU, RAM, disks, network cards and graphics card to know if everything is in order or if something is using our resources without our permission. If our computer is idle, resources should be released. However, what happens if any of them, such as the GPU, have stayed 100%?
All Windows 10 users who have installed version 1909 (November 2019 Updater) or later can see the use of the GPU in full detail from the task manager. For this we only have to press the keyboard shortcut Control + Shift + Esc and, in the “Performance” tab, we will find this information.
The use of the CPU, RAM, disks, network card and GPU is updated in real time according to how our PC uses it. Normally, when the computer is idle, the CPU has a very low graphics, the GPU is barely used and the RAM remains stable. Otherwise, something is wrong and you are using resources from our PC. With the risks and disadvantages that this implies.
Problems that a component is constantly 100%
The first of the problems that a component is operating at 100% is consumption. Normally the hardware uses adequate energy according to its workload. At rest, the energy expenditure of the components is minimal. However, when it increases, the consumption in watts increases. And the cost of light is higher. In the case of a laptop, the higher the consumption, the less battery lasts.
The higher the energy consumption of our graphics or our processor, the higher the temperature it generates. This, in the long run, is not good for the components, especially if we have a normal heatsink. In addition, the higher the PC temperature the faster the fans spin, and the more noise our PC generates.
Finally, if a component is working at 100%, it is generating a bottleneck with the others. This easily translates into a slow computer. If the GPU is 100%, it will not be able to process the requests it sends, for example, the browser. If the CPU is 100%, then you will not be able to process the instructions of the programs. And if the RAM is 100%, then Windows will not work properly in conditions.
Causes why the components are at full capacity
There are many reasons why a component can remain 100% functioning. Some of them may be due to errors of the operating system itself, while others may be the fault of other software.
The first thing to do in this case is to restart the computer and check if the problem has been fixed or, from the Task Manager, it is still working 100%.
Cause 1: a badly closed program or game
Perhaps the cause for which a component has remained at full capacity is because it has been previously used, but, when closing the program, it has been run by mistake. It can occur, for example, when leaving a game, or when closing any program that requires many resources (such as an editing program, or stress). It can even happen because Chrome, or another browser, runs in the background.
In case this is the problem, the fastest and most effective solution is to restart the computer. When you reboot, as all programs will be closed, the hardware should be at rest. If not, we must start looking for other causes.
Cause 2: a virus is using our PC to mine cryptocurrencies
There is malware that uses the hardware of our computer to generate revenue to hackers. For example, cryptocurrency mining software. And hackers do not do it in a sneaky way, but instead put the components at 100% (especially the GPU) to generate as many cryptocurrencies as possible.
This is a danger for all the reasons we have mentioned above. And so, what we must do is analyze our computer with a good antivirus, and with an anti-malware such as Malwarebytes , to detect the possible threat and eliminate it from our computer.
Cause 3: a problem with the drivers
Although it is not very common, it can also happen that the problem with the hardware is due to a failure in the drivers of our computer. And to solve it there is no other than manually updating all the drivers of our PC. Especially the drivers of the graphics card and the chipset drivers of our PC.
It is also advisable to ensure that we have Windows updated with the latest security and maintenance patches. Thus we eliminate the possibility that it is Windows itself that is causing the problems with our components.
Cause 4: the hardware does not give more
It may also happen that we are trying to find fault in an error with a program or malware, but in reality the cause is that the hardware no longer gives any more of itself. This is very common, for example, in low-end laptops with Atom or Celeron processors . Even on some old i3 or i5 and the U series.
Although the Windows requirements are not exorbitant, the more programs we use, the more resources we will need. Especially if we use programs like Chrome or Photoshop. Therefore, if we have a low-end graphics card, or our CPU does not shine for its performance, it can easily be 100% and slow down the rest of the PC’s operation.
In this case nothing can be done. It is a limitation of the hardware itself and the only thing we can do so that the CPU and GPU do not get 100% is to try to use lighter programs.