GPU 3D 100 usage Intel

Looking to Fix GPU Usage 100% even when it is idling? Check out our easy to follow steps to see if it resolved your issues.

Windows 10 is a potent operating system in its own right. However, sadly enough, being a robust ecosystem it does throw in a few errors when you least expect it to. One such issue is the GPU usage pegged at 100% even when idle. Are you facing the one particular problem where you find your GPU is always at 100% usage even when your system is idle? Here are a few fixes that can address the problem for some of you.

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What exactly is the issue?

Well, the description and the title itself should provide you an indication. Just the way you are forced to experience extreme CPU usage without much of the apparent usage, even the GPU can throttle the usage and create issues with the applications that you usually tend to use.

How does the issue manifest itself? Well, it should be obvious. When you run the PC or laptop for some time, say around ten hours or so the GPU usage and the clock begin to go upwards. And this happens without any apparent reason.

If you are on the latest version of Windows 10, you should be able to find the usage on Task manager in a separate tab.

How to fix GPU Usage 100% while idle?

Since no apparent reason causes this issue, it may not be that easy to find out the exact solution. The effect has been widely observed on the desktops and laptops powered by AMD processors.

The temporary solution would be to reboot your computer. This solves the issue, but temporarily. You will find the problem coming back after a while once again. You can even reset the Crimson AMD settings. However, even this solution can bring about only temporary results.

Some of the solutions that can address your concern can include the following.

Check for malware

In case you have a good antivirus installed and find it working effectively, that can be one of the primary options to resolve the issue you may be facing with respect to the high GPU usage even when your system is idle.

Scan your system thoroughly. Make sure you have configured your Antivirus solution to perform regular scanning of your PC at regular intervals. If the issue is a result of any malware, you should find it getting resolved without apparent problems.

Boot into Safe Mode

This is one of the most common options to resolve most of the issues you come across the Windows desktops and laptops. The Safe Mode runs with a minimum set of drivers. This will help you out in finding if you face the same issue even in the safe mode.

If you manage to solve the 100% GPU usage when idle in the safe mode, it would indicate that some of the 3rd party programs you are running are the culprits. You can diagnose the apps and drivers for a more detailed analysis. Even the obsolete or wrongly configured drivers too can bring about the issue in many cases.

If you continue to face the 100% GPU usage issue even in the Safe Mode, it should be an indication to prove that the problem is with your graphics driver. In some cases, it can also indicate an issue with your Windows installation.

A Rogue Program

There are cases of rogue programs that can continue hogging your GPU resources even when your PC is not involved in any apparent work. Pinpointing these rogue programs may not be an easy task as it may appear to be.

Analyze the issue by finding the problems with each of your apps and programs. However, a good idea would be to uninstall the apps that you do not use. Checking the performance after each of these steps should help you check if the issue has been resolved or not.

There can be a rogue crypto mining program that may be using your resources. Some of the sophisticated crypto mining issues can hide by pausing the functionality when you access the task manager to check the GPU usage.

Use Process Explorer from Microsoft

Process Explorer is an excellent option to find the rogue apps and getting rid of them. You can download it from the sysinternals.com from Microsoft and download the application. This application can help you find the rogue applications rather quickly and get rid of them.

However, you may need to have the technical expertise to identify the legitimate programs and the rogue ones at that. Once you identify those rogue programs, uninstall them and also check if there are any EXE files saved inside your computer.

Ideally, you should be able to find them hidden inside the AppData folder. It would also be advisable to check out the startup processes and remove any of the instances that indicate to the presence of such applications and programs that may be risky enough.

Update the Graphic Driver

An obsolete or damaged graphics driver can also create issues related to 100% GPU usage even without any use. It may be a good idea to update the drivers. You can even consider uninstalling the driver and reinstalling it once again to rule out any damaged or corrupted drivers.

We would advise checking for the updated drivers from the official website of your GPU manufacturer. This can help you opt for the latest drivers for optimized performance.

The Concluding Thoughts

Well, that was how you would be able to fix the issues of 100% GPU usage while your system is idle. The fixes indicated above should ideally help you sort out the problem of the incessant GPU hogging. If you have used any of them and found them working in your case, feel free to share your experiences with us through the comments here.

Have you ever used any of the fixes indicated above? Are you aware of any other alternative solutions for addressing the heavy GPU usage without any apparent usage by any of the programs and applications? You can share them with us as well.

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