Central Processing Unit (CPU), also called a processor, is an important component of a computer. It is like a human brain and performs the commands of the user. When you handle some work on a computer, you can find the CPU usage in Task Manager.
Sometimes the CPU usage is high and even reaches 100%. A question comes: is 100 CPU usage bad? Of course, it is bad since your PC can run very slowly, the CPU temperature is high and even the CPU can be damaged. To reduce the CPU usage, you can get solutions from this post – How to Lower CPU Usage? Several Methods Are Here for You!
Then, another question comes: how much CPU usage is normal? To get the answer to this question, let’s move to the next part.
What Is Normal CPU Usage?
The CPU usage is different based on different cases and we will show you CPU usage at various times: when idle, when running other apps, when gaming, etc.
What Is a Normal Amount of CPU Usage in Windows 10
For almost CPU or OS, an average CPU percentage is below 10% at idle. This mainly depends on what apps are running on your PC.
In Windows 10, if you are using a decent GPU, CPU, and SSD, the normal CPU usage is around 2% to 4% at idle. This means no CPU intensive tasks are running, you are not doing anything and after-update checks or Windows 10 updates aren’t running. Then, the CPU usage is that.
If you read regular blogs online, the normal CPU usage is from 5% to 15%; it is 20-40% if you use a large Google Sheet and the CPU usage can reach up to 50% if you open multiple tabs at once. If you open 30 tabs a time, it will reach 100% but quickly go back to below 10%.
If you are running a common PC, the normal CPU usage in Windows 10 is:
- At idle: 2-4%
- Windows 10 boot: high in a short period time, then below 5%
- When browsing: 5-15% (sometimes 30%)
- Watch YouTube and video player: 5-15%
- Use Photoshop: 5-10%
- 3D modeling: up to 100%
- Video encoding: up to 100%
If the CPU usage reaches 50% but nothing is running, perhaps there is a background application or Windows 10 is updating or performing post-updates checks.
How much CPU Usage Is Normal for Gaming?
After learning what normal CPU usage for basic operations is, you may ask: what is a normal amount of CPU usage for gaming.
For less demanding games, if you are running a PC with an SSD, decent GPU like GTX 1660 and Ryzen 5 CPU (or another brand equivalent), the CPU usage from 10% to 30% is normal. For more demanding games, the CPU usage can be from 30% to 70%.
The normal CPU usage for gaming always depends on your game type and hardware components.
Bottom Line
Many factors determine the normal CPU usage, for example, CPU speed, apps that have been installed and are running, some PC settings, CPU (graphics card), and health of your software & hardware.
How much CPU usage is normal? In this post, we show you some information based on different situations and it is just for a reference.
