CPU @ 100%
CPU @ 100%
It's kind of weird. Antivirus can give high CPU usage, but then you should see that CPU usage exclusive to the antivirus program and not mixed with other programs. Maybe try disabling your antivirus if any and the default Windows defender as well. As a fun fact, there are many hidden power options in Windows, which you can navigate through - https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/window...ty.416058/ . There is one option called "Disable Idle", which if checked, disables CPU idling, and you will also see pure 100% CPU usage in task manager. I don't think all this has to do anything with it. Idk man.
However, without scanning, only a tiny fraction—less than 1%—of activity comes from all antivirus tasks together, which means the issue likely isn't related to them.
You're unaware of just how much these security programs work even when they're not actively scanning. When real-time protection is enabled—which it should be—it keeps a constant watch over all processes and file activities. This can significantly slow down your system. Whether you have a fast or slower machine, turning them off will improve performance not only by reducing workload but also by eliminating unnecessary checks from the antivirus engine.
It often worked before, even with antivirus active. I’m unsure why it’s acting differently now. I could disable it, but I’m sure nothing will alter that. I checked several games with real-time protection off, and results stayed the same.
Can you verify with something other than Task Manager what is going on? HWiNFO, for example. TM isn't exactly the most trustworthy option. Total usage and CPU package power. The latter of which will confirm if its actually fully utilized or there is some sort of reporting bug, of which I've seen before. If this was my system I'd be in full lockdown/cleanup mode. EVERY piece of software I don't absolutely need would be uninstalled. Startup tab in Task manager would be gone through and everything I don't need starting at boot disabled. If I didn't find a resolution within an hour or two I'd be whipping out the Win 11 install USB as I'd consider the current install hosed and I don't have to time beyond that to troubleshoot.
I confirmed with HWI as well; every core is at full capacity. Likely tomorrow I’ll begin removing unused programs, then :!
Regarding CPU package power and temperatures, compressing these details will help us view them more clearly.
I also observed that the process consuming the most CPU is "System." After researching further, it seems to be a potential malware infection. I installed Malwarebytes and performed a quick scan, but no threats were detected. Tomorrow I plan to run a full scan as well. :l
This indicates a legitimate system operation rather than malicious activity. The Windows Kernel runs the process, and attempting to terminate it isn't feasible. Typically, background tasks consume CPU resources but usually don’t stop completely. You may need to allow them to finish naturally. If there’s significant disk activity, Resource Monitor (Win+R > resmon) can provide details on what’s happening. In the Disk section, you’ll see which processes are interacting with storage devices and their locations. The System process often runs several subprocesses, such as accessing the page file, managing the drive MFT, or loading essential DLLs. Avoid relying on unverified online sources; it’s unlikely this is malware. If you’re still unsure, check your Task Manager for a snapshot of the processes involved in the issue.