How to check RAM, GPU and CPU usage in Windows 11

If you're using Windows, there are tools built into the operating system that allow you to quickly look up how much RAM, CPU, and GPU are being used by a particular process.

How to check Windows 11 system resource usage using Task Manager

Task Manager is one of Windows 11's main system resource monitoring utilities. This tool is the easiest way to see which programs and processes are running and how much resources each program and process is taking up. .

Here's how you can check your PC's system resource usage using Task Manager.

1. Press CTRL + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.

2. Click the Performance tab . This tab displays your system's RAM, CPU, GPU, and disk usage along with network information.

3. To see RAM usage, select the Memory section . This section will tell you how much memory the system is currently using, how much memory you have, and its specifications, among other things.

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4. You can check your computer's processor usage by clicking the CPU section . The processor box shows you variable CPU percentage usage, current clock speed, base clock speed, system uptime, etc.

5. Click on the GPU section to see the amount of GPU memory being used. You can choose which one you want to see if your PC has two GPUs (as with laptops with one integrated GPU and one dedicated GPU).

Task Manager also has a neat summary view, showing only system resource usage boxes. To switch to that view, right-click Task Manager and select Summary View . Then the Task Manager window will minimize as shown below.

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To check which programs consume the most resources, click the Processes tab . This tab shows all running applications and background processes, their memory, CPU, disk, network, and GPU usage. You can also free up system resources by selecting unnecessary third-party background programs (or processes and services) that you don't need and clicking the End task button .

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How to check Windows 11 system resource usage with Resource Monitor

Resource Monitor is a slightly more detailed monitoring utility than Task Manager in Windows 11. It first appeared in Windows Vista and has since been part of every subsequent Windows release. In addition to CPU, network, disk, and memory usage, Resource Monitor also displays real-time metrics like response time, throughput, and uptime, among others.

This is how you can check system resource consumption using Resource Monitor.

1. Open the Start menu by pressing the Windows key , typing Resource Monitor and pressing Enter.

2. Select the Memory tab to view its resource usage graph. That tab includes a physical memory graph that shows how much memory is currently in use, available capacity, and standby capacity, along with percentage usage details.

3. Click the CPU tab to see its processor usage percentage graph.

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4. Select the Network tab to view processes with network (Internet) activity.

5. Click Overview to see details about memory, CPU, network, and disk usage in one tab.

How to check Windows 11 system resource usage with Performance Monitor

Performance Monitor is the most advanced monitoring tool available in Windows 11. It is designed to help analyze system performance and resource usage, and provide system summaries, performance reports and real-time performance graphs.

Here's how you can see detailed performance and system resources using Performance Monitor on Windows 11:

1. Open the Start menu by pressing the Windows key , typing Performance Monitor and pressing Enter.

2. Select Performance on the left side of the window to view summary system resource usage data.

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3. Click Performance Monitor to view real-time performance data. By default, the chart displays processor performance counters.

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4. To add more counters to the chart, click the + Add button .

5. Then select a counter, such as Memory, on the window shown immediately below. The byte stream committed to the Memory counter highlights the average RAM usage over time.

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6. Click the Add button .

7. Click OK to see performance data for your selected counter on the graph.

You can analyze this data better by creating a data collector. To do that, select Data Collector sets in Performance Monitor. Right-click User Defined and select New > Data Collector . You can then set up your new data collector using the wizard that opens.

Information from data collectors will be available with the reports. You can view information from data collection groups that you have run by clicking Reports in Performance Manager. Then select User Defined to view your data report.

Check system resources using third-party tools

If you don't like the built-in tools in Windows, there are plenty of third-party tools you can use to monitor system resources. You can try something simple and light like OpenHardwareMonitor, a free and open source tool that shows you CPU, GPU, memory, and disk usage at a glance. It also allows you to monitor the minimum and maximum temperatures as well as fan speeds for various PC components.

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Using this tool is also quite simple, all you have to do is visit the OpenHardwareMonitor website and download the tool. Once downloaded, just double-click the executable file to run it and you'll see all the metrics you need.

Alternatives to OpenHardwareMonitor include HWiNFO, Libre Hardware Monitor, and MSI Afterburner, which can also be used for overclocking. That means, even though Windows has stopped providing desktop utilities, you can use 8GadgetPack to add system resource monitoring utilities to your desktop. However, keep in mind that the program has not been updated for a while, so there is a possibility that it may not work as expected.

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Windows 11 will become slower and less responsive to your actions when system resource usage is high (especially RAM and CPU). Whenever you feel the need to speed up Windows, check your PC's resource usage with the tools and utilities above.

Once done, you can determine which programs or background processes are consuming the most resources and close them. And when they get close to that level, you'll notice an improvement in overall system performance.

Jessica Tanner

Update 26 March 2024