Georgijevic/Getty Images
- You can check your CPU usage on a PC with the Task Manager or Resource Monitor apps.
- On a Mac, you can check your CPU usage using the Activity Monitor app.
- Your CPU usage tracks how hard your computer is working to run programs, make calculations, and more.
- Visit Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.
Your PC or Mac’s central processing unit (CPU) is like its brain. It’s the piece of your computer that tells every other part how to work, which programs to launch, which pictures to show, and more.
Your CPU usage – in simpler terms, how much of the CPU’s energy is being used – is measured with a percentage. When your computer is idle, your CPU usage should float around the single digits or low teens. When running videos, games, or other intensive applications, the CPU usage should jump, but still never stay at 100% for too long.
If you’ve noticed performance issues, like a slow startup time or lagging apps, you’ll want to check your computer’s current CPU usage. That way, you can make sure the CPU’s usage percentage is staying in a healthy range, both when your computer is idle and running at high gear.
