High CPU usage

[OrionsHope]

I'm getting an average of 20% CPU usage with my Neon Space theme and it's only that low because I've used a 3rd party application to restrict it to using only two of my available cores so that the system can utilize the rest. Currently, the first core is pegged above 80% and Core2 is constantly above 65%. Also, I've restricted its I/O priority to idle, its CPU priority to below normal and I've created rules to even further restrict the process should it exceed certain very low thresholds. If these measures are not in place, it will lock up my pc and spike it's load to unusable levels. I loaded/unloaded each skin to check for effect and then went into each of them and either turned off updates altogether, or turned them as far up as I dared and still keep the display correct. Obviously, something is funky on my end. Are there known software conflicts or some other problems I should be aware of? Troubleshooting ideas? Whatever it is, it isn't just me. Look at this guy's video in the upper right corner of his screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlDktSKtdBc Now, I've been given to understand that these things aren't supposed to do that so any ideas on what gives?

[SilverAzide]

Check the [Rainmeter] section of all skins and make sure none of them has an Update value less than 1000, except for visualizer skins, which need something lower. Unload any visualizers to see if the CPU usage goes down. I have like 10 skins loaded and my CPU usage by Rainmeter is about 1.5%, so you definitely have a problem at 20%. You are going to need to post your skins or at least a link to them if you want more detailed assistance.

[OrionsHope]

I tried creating a .rmskin but the resulting file size is too big for an attachment. Out of the Neon Space theme, are there any particular items you want me to concentrate on when attaching individual files? The only other skin I'm using from another theme is the Mass Effect launcher. In total, including perspective lights, bars, etc, I have 36 skins in use... I hadn't counted them before, I'll reduce that number and see if that doesn't help. In the meantime, what else can I do to help you help me?

EDIT: I just unloaded all my perspective lights and other visualizers and otherwise cut the overall number down to 16. There is only one animated skin, although several show various system information, weather, etc that require a lot of updating and there has been no drop in CPU usage. The rest are launchers of various sorts but I can't get rid of those so I turned the Update off on those as well since any updating I do through the provided interface updates the skin automatically and anything I do directly to the skin will be reflected when I refresh it. Sorry, but I'm a budding content creator as well as being disabled so ease of access is paramount for me which places easy access to everything at a high priority in my world so the launchers are off limits anyway.

[OrionsHope]

Now I'm down to only the bottom bar, a skin containing network information (it also has launchers so it's off limits), and a weather skin and of all of those, only three are animated and I'm still not below 18%. If it helps, the network skin is telling me that Rainmeter's traffic accounts for more than 2100% of all traffic. Who the !@#$#!$ is it talking to?

[death.crafter]

Now I'm down to only the bottom bar, a skin containing network information (it also has launchers so it's off limits), and a weather skin and of all of those, only three are animated and I'm still not below 18%. If it helps, the network skin is telling me that Rainmeter's traffic accounts for more than 2100% of all traffic. Who the !@#$#!$ is it talking to?

In the guy's video you posted. It's pure bloat. Unless I got a Threadripper, I would stay away from such setups with animations in every nook and corner.

Also as you claim, the said skin is a paid one. So the only thing you can do is to ask the author for assistance, since sharing his skin here isn't possible.

Also have you turned on Hardware Acceleration? It can help take some load off of your CPU

[balala]

Now I'm down to only the bottom bar, a skin containing network information (it also has launchers so it's off limits), and a weather skin and of all of those, only three are animated and I'm still not below 18%.

For first I'd try unloading all skins. But I mean ALL OF THEM. Make sure there is no loaded skin. To do this, open the Manage Rainmeter dialog and click the Active skins button. If there is no skin loaded nothing will be shown. How the CPU usage stay now?
Then start loading the skins you've been using before, one by one. After loading one, check the usage. This way you can hope to can identify the culprit. Which one is?

[SilverAzide]

If it helps, the network skin is telling me that Rainmeter's traffic accounts for more than 2100% of all traffic. Who the !@#$#!$ is it talking to?

I think you found your culprit... or at least a big contributor to the problem. It's probably hitting some website at 1 second intervals or something.

[OrionsHope]

Well the situation has resolved itself accidentally, I believe by accomplishing balala's advice without meaning to. I did go back to 99villages and asked their opinion but haven't heard back. While on their site, I decided to download another skin from that author and for some unknown reason, when I loaded that theme, all the settings in Rainmeter seem to have reset and every single layout, including the defaults, had disappeared. I've since loaded another massive layout which includes several of Neon Space 's skins and system utilization is now 7-15 percent and no more. I've still got it seriously throttled just in case but I'm thinking that something got corrupted somewhere and the loss of the layouts and settings cleared it up somehow. Chances are in my stumbling and fumbling, I either set something incorrectly or corrupted a file unwittingly. Whatever, I'm glad it's resolved and thank you guys for your help.

[balala]

Well the situation has resolved itself accidentally, I believe by accomplishing balala's advice without meaning to. I did go back to 99villages and asked their opinion but haven't heard back. While on their site, I decided to download another skin from that author and for some unknown reason, when I loaded that theme, all the settings in Rainmeter seem to have reset and every single layout, including the defaults, had disappeared. I've since loaded another massive layout which includes several of Neon Space 's skins and system utilization is now 7-15 percent and no more. I've still got it seriously throttled just in case but I'm thinking that something got corrupted somewhere and the loss of the layouts and settings cleared it up somehow. Chances are in my stumbling and fumbling, I either set something incorrectly or corrupted a file unwittingly. Whatever, I'm glad it's resolved and thank you guys for your help.

Even if 7 - 15% is still quite high, I'm glad you got a solution.

[OrionsHope]

Even if 7 - 15% is still quite high, I'm glad you got a solution.

I know but considering the number of skins I AM running, I'm quite comfortable with it. Thank you guys for your help.