The CPU remains consistently at full capacity, but I'm unsure of the cause.
The CPU remains consistently at full capacity, but I'm unsure of the cause.
I recently upgraded to an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and a 3070. At first, everything worked smoothly with no problems. However, after a week, I began to notice the processor consistently ran at 100% usage, and small applications consumed more than expected. Even though games like Word documents claimed high CPU usage (around 60%), I could still launch games such as GMod or Ghost Recon without issues—except for occasional stutters or delays. Despite being able to play, I’m concerned the performance is degrading and don’t know how to fix it. Any suggestions? (Photos were taken immediately after a restart.)
Window manager combined with the snip and sketch would make sense if you aim to play a game. By default, Windows handles many background processes, which can be overwhelming. It appears Microsoft assumes users only run Windows and nothing else. I wouldn’t rely on online tools that automatically tweak settings; instead, take time to understand what works and what doesn’t.
I’m using an AMD system, specifically the 5900x, and occasionally my CPU spikes to 100%—usually just when opening a new webpage or app. I’ve disabled around 90% of startup items, and with Windows services, I’ve removed roughly 25-30% that weren’t essential. My CPU typically stays at about 1% to 2% usage until an app demands it. I keep an eye on CPU, GPU temperatures, memory usage, and other metrics via the sensor package and a secondary screen using Aida64. At the moment, my CPU is stable at near-zero consumption while simply viewing a webpage or typing text.
You mentioned AVG antivirus? Windows Defender seems to be the main improvement they’ve made recently. I only use Windows Defender for about five years without any issues. It’s possible you have AVG installed or a preloaded suite on your PC that could interfere. Try disabling AVG temporarily and see how your CPU usage changes. Review your startup items and running services—many default ones can be turned off safely, but double-check with online resources if unsure.
Aligned with the previous comments... quite a lot of unnecessary files. Seems like a ready-made system packed with extra features. The original poster didn’t specify if this was true. I’m using an AMD 5900x that’s well-tuned, not overclocked but underclocked. Cinebench 23 scores are around 22,705 with full CPU usage and a speed of 4550—normal for an underclock. XMP is turned off since it conflicts with the game Warframe I play often. After removing the deleted files, does it now run smoothly? I recommend using Windows Defender and scanning for any unwanted programs. Over the years I’ve never had problems with it, and it has a minimal footprint compared to many other malware tools, especially free ones that can slow things down or cause errors. Defender works well if configured properly; it shows an on-screen warning when games need firewall access, granting permission with just one click. Also, no pop-ups for scams or misleading ads.
the only thing visible is AVG, which seems to be scanning everything—even system processes. That explains why it uses so much resources. It’s possible some files were removed, or malwarebytes detected something. AVG might still be running, but I’d suggest using the built-in defender instead—it’s lighter and performs well overall.