[SOLVED] Why is my CPU running at 100% randomly?

[Kishan25]

I've had this PC for about a year but its always been like this. Any program will use like 30-50% of my processor, even firefox. I'm starting to wonder if my processor is faulty or it just sucks. This is my Build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RFb6Jb

 

[CountMike]

I've had this PC for about a year but its always been like this. Any program will use like 30-50% of my processor, even firefox. I'm starting to wonder if my processor is faulty or it just sucks. This is my Build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RFb6Jb

Mostly just sux, it's doing what OS and program demand. What is it like at idle ?

 

[dorsai]

I've had this PC for about a year but its always been like this. Any program will use like 30-50% of my processor, even firefox. I'm starting to wonder if my processor is faulty or it just sucks. This is my Build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RFb6Jb

The cpu is on the weak side...upgrading that to something like the Ryzen 3300x or 3600 would make a huge difference.

 

[Kishan25]

Mostly just sux, it's doing what OS and program demand. What is it like at idle ?

Idles at 20%. How can it suck this bad tho? The computers they had at school did better than this, and those were some dingy Pentium processors. I've gamed on this PC and its not the worst experience but it's not what I expected with the graphics card. Is there a better CPU you'd recommend?

 

[Tigerhawk30]

What other kinds of programs are you running/what kind of games are you playing?

It's still a quad-core, and the Ryzens love 3000MHz+ memory. With the speeds running between 3.5 - 3.7 GHz (base/max turbo) a lot of things could be demanded out of it, thus the high spikes up to 100%. Finally, the 2200G is a first-gen Ryzen part. So yeah, it really depends on what you're asking that CPU to do and how many programs/what kind of programs run in the background.

That CPU really isn't designed for much more than light gaming and doesn't really compare much with Pentiums, even. I agree with Dorsai, upgrading would give you a fine boost. Even finding a cheap 2600 would see ~13% uptick in the combo of GHz/IPCs (according to UserBenchmark, that is).

I hope things work out. Good luck!

 

[Karadjgne]

You are misinformed. Usage is NOT how much of the cpu is used, but how much the cpu uses.

Cpu has cores, bandwidth, Lcache and other things. These are resources. The cpu always works at 100% to (for instance) render a frame. The usage is how much resources it needs to render the frame.

So while the cpu might be 100%, it only needs to use 55% (your number) of its bandwidth, cores, Lcache etc to render that frame. If you ever see 100% usage, your pc is maxed out, has no more room for resources, so will actually slow down as it has to wait for more resources to become available.

It's like if you drove a nail into a piece of wood. It's going to take a certain amount of time, even if you swing as fast as you can. But you don't need to use all your strength, every muscle in your body to swing a regular 1 handed hammer. Switch upto a 10lb sledgehammer and thats different. Then you'd use all your strength, every muscle, both hands etc. But the nail still takes the same amount of time to drive home. So why bother killing yourself swinging the sledgehammer, when all it takes is a normal 1 handed hammer. Same job, same time, less muscles, less strength, less work, same Results.

Some games are big stakes, little hammer won't work, you'd be there all day and get nowhere, so the cpu needs the sledgehammer, needs high usage, can only swing 'so' fast and 'so' hard. A stronger cpu with more resources will get better results, swing faster, swing harder.

Your cpu is like the wimpy little dude at the start of Captain America. 10lb sledge is all he can handle, barely. A 3600 would be more like the real Catain America, a 3950x would be The Hulk. To them, a 10lb sledge would be a child's toy, easily used in 1 hand, little effort or usage.

 

[CountMike]

Idles at 20%. How can it suck this bad tho? The computers they had at school did better than this, and those were some dingy Pentium processors. I've gamed on this PC and its not the worst experience but it's not what I expected with the graphics card. Is there a better CPU you'd recommend?

Background running resident programs like antivirus for instance.