How to check cpu usage

How to check CPU usage

In the digital age, CPU usage is one of the important indicators to measure computer performance. Whether you're a casual user or a professional, it's crucial to know how to view and analyze CPU usage. This article will introduce in detail the concept of CPU usage, how to view it, and related hot topics to help you better master this skill.

1. The concept of CPU usage

CPU usage refers to the percentage of the central processing unit (CPU) being used during a certain period of time. It reflects the load on the CPU. High usage may mean that the system is processing a large number of tasks, or it may indicate a performance bottleneck or abnormal process.

2. How to check CPU usage

The methods of checking CPU usage are slightly different under different operating systems. The following is the operation method of common systems:

3. Normal range of CPU usage

CPU usage is not better when it is lower, nor is it better when it is higher. Here's an explanation of the different usage ranges:

4. Recent hot topics: The impact of AI applications on CPU usage

In the past 10 days, the impact of AI applications on CPU usage has become a hot topic. With the popularity of AI tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney, many users have found that CPU usage increases significantly when running these applications. Here are a few key findings:

1.Local AI model: When running a locally deployed AI model (such as Stable Diffusion), the CPU usage may reach more than 80%, especially on devices without independent graphics cards.

2.Browser AI tools: Although browser-based AI tools (such as ChatGPT web version) mainly rely on cloud computing, they may still occupy 15%-30% of CPU resources.

3.AI assistant background process: Some AI assistants will continue to run background processes and may maintain 10%-20% CPU usage even if the user is not actively using them.

5. How to optimize high CPU usage

If you find that your CPU usage continues to be too high, you can try the following optimization methods:

6. Recommended professional tools

In addition to the monitoring tools that come with the system, the following professional tools can provide more detailed CPU usage analysis:

1.Windows platform: Process Explorer, HWMonitor

2.macOS platform：iStat Menus, Activity Monitor

3.Linux platform: Glances,nmon

4.Cross-platform tools：htop, Prometheus+Grafana (suitable for server monitoring)

7. The relationship between CPU usage and temperature

Recent studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between CPU usage and temperature. High usage often causes temperatures to rise, and high temperatures may trigger CPU throttling, creating a vicious cycle of performance degradation. Users are advised to:

1. Clean computer dust regularly to ensure the cooling system is working properly.

2. Use a cooling pad or external radiator, especially for laptops

3. Avoid using the computer under high load for a long time in a high temperature environment

8. Future Trend: Intelligent CPU Usage Monitoring

With the development of AI technology, intelligent CPU monitoring tools are on the rise. These tools can:

1. Automatically identify abnormal usage patterns

2. Predict potential performance bottlenecks

3. Provide personalized optimization suggestions

4. Link with cloud services to achieve cross-device monitoring

In short, understanding CPU usage can not only help us detect system problems in time, but also optimize computer performance and extend hardware life. I hope this article can provide you with valuable reference information.