Does your GPU usage spike to 100% even when you run processes that use less resources on your device? Do the games you play lag, stutter, and sometimes crash even though the hardware you're using is top-notch? When Task Manager or third-party graphics software shows that your GPU is overloaded, it could be due to a software or hardware issue.
In this article, we'll explore the reasons why the GPU may spike to its maximum limit and what you can do about it.
Why did GPU usage spike to 100%?
Several factors can cause your GPU usage to spike up to 100%, such as:
- GPU is not connected properly.
- Hardware failure has reduced the performance of the graphics card.
- You're overloading the GPU by running more tasks that use more resources than it can handle.
- The game's resolution and frame rate are set too high.
- The GPU manufacturer recently released a driver update that you have not installed.
- Malware is silently draining your GPU resources.
Given these reasons, let's take a closer look at how you can keep your GPU usage to a minimum.
6 ways to reduce GPU usage when it spikes
You can apply the following fixes to prevent GPU usage from reaching the maximum limit:
1. Check for problems with the hardware
First, make sure that the problem is not caused by an issue with your GPU hardware. To do that, boot into Safe Mode on Windows 11 (or Windows 10), which only loads necessary files and drivers. If your GPU usage also spikes in Safe Mode, the problem may be hardware-related. Therefore:
- Make sure that the GPU is properly positioned in the PCI slot.
- The power connections are plugged in correctly.
- The other connections are not loose.
- GPU does not overheat.
Once you've checked everything above and nothing is the culprit, have a qualified technician check your GPU. But before doing that, you can try other solutions listed in the article; they can help you fix the problem.
On the contrary, starting your device in Safe Mode will completely solve the problem; then it means there is a problem with the software and there is no problem with the hardware. Therefore, let's start implementing the remaining fixes.
2. Stop overloading the GPU
You may be stressing your GPU to the maximum possible, resulting in GPU usage reaching 100% in Task Manager. How to determine if this is true in your case? Easy; Just check the GPU requirements of the process consuming the most GPU resources in Task Manager.
For example, if GPU usage spikes to 100% while playing a particular game, check that game's recommended or required system requirements. If the GPU power a game needs is more than what your graphics card can provide, the game will likely use up all available processing power. Therefore, GPU usage may reach its limit.
To reduce GPU usage, simply closing such a task is enough. Here are the steps you need to take to do this:
1. Right click on the button Start of Windows and select Task Manager.
2. Sort processes by GPU usage by clicking on the column GPU.
3. Right-click the process at the top of the list and select End Task.
If the above issue only occurs for a specific process, such as when playing a video game, then you should optimize the game settings to get the best performance without overloading your GPU. Reduce game resolution and adjust frame rate to achieve balanced results. Also, turn off unnecessary settings like overlay and instant playback.
3. Make sure the device is not infected with malware
The presence of malware can also put a strain on the GPU, which is one of the most overlooked causes of resource overuse. Malware like crypto hijacker invades devices with only one goal: Use system resources for mining and other purposes. But how can you know if your device has been hacked? It's easy!
In the Task Manager of the hacked device, you will find one or more shady processes that use a lot of system resources. Therefore, you should follow the steps mentioned above and filter out such shady processes. Once located, search about them on the web to see if they are problematic processes.
If so, perform an offline scan of Microsoft Defender or use a third-party antivirus program to locate and remove them.
4. Update the graphics card driver
Hardware graphics processing can also be affected by outdated graphics drivers. Therefore, if you haven't updated your graphics driver in a while, now is the time to do it. Not sure how to do that? See Quantrimang.com's instructions on how to update graphics card drivers. If updating your graphics drivers doesn't help, you should uninstall and reinstall them.
5. Disable hardware acceleration
Another lesser-known cause of GPU resource consumption is hardware acceleration. This process involves offloading graphics-intensive tasks to specialized hardware, such as the GPU, to reduce the workload on the CPU. Although it improves CPU performance, it causes strain on the GPU.
Many programs, including web browsers, games, graphic design software, and countless others, come with this feature. Therefore, if you find an app consuming too much resources and have this feature enabled, you should turn it off.
6. Overclock the GPU
Is your GPU operating at overclocked settings? If so, that could be the cause of the problem.
When done incorrectly, overclocking can severely degrade GPU performance. GPUs that are overloaded, don't have enough airflow through them, or are running at the wrong voltage are susceptible to instability. Worse still, using the GPU in such situations can cause physical damage to the hardware.
Therefore, if you are using your GPU at overclocked settings, now is the time to change its settings back to default. You should overclock your GPU, if possible. While you won't be able to get the same performance as before, increasing overall efficiency will prevent spikes in GPU usage.
