Question 100% CPU - CPU Decoding YouTube causing stuttering

[Loadhaul]

Hello.

I'm using this 'cheapish' tower while i'm away from my usual setup away from home.

After the update to 1903 on WIN 10, YouTube has been unable to play without stuttering every 3 seconds, hence the fact that the CPU usage hits 100%, for what ever reason this PC is decoding YT with the CPU. My usual setup is an I7 9700K - 4.8GHz paired with an RTX 2080 which uses about 10-20% CPU while watching YouTube.

While in Chrome and watching YouTube at 1080P my CPU usage hits 100%, stutters every 3 seconds and there is no 3D decode from the integrated GPU. Lowering the quality will usually reduce stutter occurrence, but will marginally reduce CPU usage, I have tried turning off hardware acceleration, reinstalled Chrome and nothing has changed.

Microsoft Edge is similar, however it is slightly better. CPU usage will normally sit around 80% - 100% while watching YouTube 1080P, and there will be an occasional stutter every minute or so as the CPU will sometimes hit 100%. What is interesting here is that Microsoft Edge is using a slight amount of IGPU decode; 20-30% or so and the GPU usage itself is around 90%, unlike Chrome refusing to use 3D decode at all.

chrome://gpu Shows that everything is 'Software only, hardware acceleration unavailable', indicating that even though hardware acceleration is enabled through Chrome settings, it is being somehow overridden or not supported, thus using the CPU. Would someone please care to explain? Normally it will say 'hardware accelerated' which will be allowing it to use the GPU.

Is this particular IGPU somehow not supported by Chrome and is supported by Microsoft edge?
Are these resource figures normal while watching YouTube on a low end system like this one?

Thanks in advance.

Specs:
CPU: Intel Pentium J3710 @ 1.6GHz
RAM: 8GB
Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 1GB VRAM

 

[logainofhades]

It would be a good idea to verify there are no driver updates, for your hardware. New windows versions, often need different drivers, for support.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/detect.html

 

[Loadhaul]

It would be a good idea to verify there are no driver updates, for your hardware. New windows versions, often need different drivers, for support.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/detect.html

Doesn't seem to be any newer Windows updates or updates from Intel's driver utility.
System seems to be fine in terms of CPU resources/usage when browsing in Chrome, it's only when decoding is required for what ever reason it is loaded up on the CPU.

 

[logainofhades]

Is chrome up to date?

 

[Loadhaul]

Is chrome up to date?

Chrome is up to date.
chrome://gpu now indicates that it is hardware accelerated.
An interesting error is coming up in there now that could potentially be the cause;

"Older Intel GPUs cannot support protected video decoding in swap chains
Disabled Features: protected_video_decode"

I know this is a CPU thread but I'm beginning to think it could be a GPU issue after the 1903 update.
It used to work fine before, only popped up.

 

[toniplavna]

If you think GPU is the problem, try disabling hardware acceleration.

Try Firefox. I had a problem with Chrome with videos that are in avc codec instead vp9 on youtube (right click on yt video - stats for nerds - check for codec).

 

[mdd1963]

my 7700K w/ a GTX1060 runs 3-4% CPU usage watching Youtube within Chrome, just as a point of comparison... (this is with Chrome's 'System' settings enabled/ticked to 'allow hardware acceleration when available'..

 

[Loadhaul]

Disabling hardware acceleration will only force it to decode with the CPU, not that it makes any difference anyway as the CPU is already decoding it despite hardware acceleration being turned on. Perhaps Chrome doesn't support this IGPU for decoding, while Edge does.

As mentioned before my other system which is an 4.8GHz I7 9700K and RTX 2080 will run YouTube in Chrome by utilizing the GPU.