CPU usage of processes

[Yincognito]

What's my CPU usage when the cores are running at 5GHz and 100% busy? Also 100%?

I think he's saying that in this case 5GHz and 100% busy should be 100% CPU usage and everything less be under 100%, but not over 100% (which isn't the case with utility counters, of course). For example, I start my CinebenchR23 multicore stress test and both our skins go to 111% since that's what the utility counters provide, but the Performance tab of my Task Manager in Win 10 shows 100% - I'm guessing he aims for the latter behavior...

[SilverAzide]

For example, I start my CinebenchR23 multicore stress test and both our skins go to 111% since that's what the utility counters provide, but the Performance tab of my Task Manager in Win 10 shows 100% - I'm guessing he aims for the latter behavior...

I think Task Manager is clamping values to 100%. My CPU's P-cores can run up to near 200+% (briefly, before thermal throttling kicks in), but task manager just clips the graphs at 100%. So if that's the behavior desired, just clamp the utility value counter values and everything will match Task Manager.

[Jose Hidalgo]

All this is very interesting, and it's good to know how some big actors of the industry actually think. Thank you guys!

Oh? Hm. So perhaps you can answer this... My CPU cores can run anywhere from 800MHz to 5 GHz. Say my cores are running at 800Mhz and are 100% busy. Are you saying my CPU usage is at 100%? What's my CPU usage when the cores are running at 5GHz and 100% busy? Also 100%?

The answer was actually given in one of the links on this very topic.

My answer is that "100% CPU usage" can only correspond to the CPU's max ability, which is 5 Ghz and 100%.
So if you're running at 800 MHz and 100%, then you are at 16% of CPU's max ability.
And in the corresponding Rainmeter skin, the corresponding bar should be filled up to 16%.
According to my definition of course.

[Yincognito]

I think Task Manager is clamping values to 100%. My CPU's P-cores can run up to near 200+% (briefly, before thermal throttling kicks in), but task manager just clips the graphs at 100%. So if that's the behavior desired, just clamp the utility value counter values and everything will match Task Manager.

Indeed. The clamping possibility has been mentioned, but it looks like scaling to the usage + frequency maximums is desired, according to Jose Hidalgo's last reply. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a (reliable?) way to determine the maximum frequency of a CPU other than either looking on the CPU box or doing a stress test, and even then it might not be the actual maximum (if it exists, that is). Example: for my Ryzen 5600H, the "max boost clock" is given as 4.2 GHz, corresponding to 127% of its base frequency of 3.3 GHz, but the multicore stress test brings it "only" to 3.66GHz total or 111% of its base frequency, although at times individual "cores" (aka threads or logical processors) go a bit past 4.05GHz, at least in the single core stress test (just like the info in the link says). It's not overclocked though, so that might explain the missing range.

[SilverAzide]

Indeed. The clamping possibility has been mentioned, but it looks like scaling to the usage + frequency maximums is desired, according to Jose Hidalgo's last reply. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a (reliable?) way to determine the maximum frequency of a CPU other than either looking on the CPU box or doing a stress test, and even then it might not be the actual maximum (if it exists, that is). Example: for my Ryzen 5600H, the "max boost clock" is given as 4.2 GHz, corresponding to 127% of its base frequency of 3.3 GHz, but the multicore stress test brings it "only" to 3.66GHz total or 111% of its base frequency, although at times individual "cores" (aka threads or logical processors) go a bit past 4.05GHz, at least in the single core stress test (just like the info in the link says). It's not overclocked though, so that might explain the missing range.

Yeah, there's no way to know the actual upper and lower bounds except testing, AFAIK. My cores get thermally throttled before they hit the advertised max boost, and I've never seen docs/marketing materials on what the lower bound is. Also, the max turbo advertised by the manufacturer is normally for ONE core, so unless you've got a really great cooling system, you won't hit the max boost on every core simultaneously. Not the mention the complication that hybrid CPUs have different maximums on the E-cores.

[Jose Hidalgo]

For the record, a couple of days ago I performed an involuntary test.

There's this app called "Hekasoft Backup & Restore" which is great for making complete backups of apps like Thunderbird, Firefox, Brave, Chrome, etc. Every backup takes a couple of minutes (everything is saved: emails, tabs, extensions, settings, etc). During that time, I remember on my old Win 7 rig, the CPU (Core i3 530) was pushed to 100% most of the time.

So when I launched Hekasoft B&R for the first time on my new Win 11 rig (Ryzen 7700), all I had to do was to monitor the max CPU% that was displayed by the Rainmeter skin during the backup process. In my case it was 139%. So now I've changed MaxValue to 139, and I think I'm getting closer to something "reliable". It's good enough for me anyway.

[Yincognito]

For the record, a couple of days ago I performed an involuntary test.

There's this app called "Hekasoft Backup & Restore" which is great for making complete backups of apps like Thunderbird, Firefox, Brave, Chrome, etc. Every backup takes a couple of minutes (everything is saved: emails, tabs, extensions, settings, etc). During that time, I remember on my old Win 7 rig, the CPU (Core i3 530) was pushed to 100% most of the time.

So when I launched Hekasoft B&R for the first time on my new Win 11 rig (Ryzen 7700), all I had to do was to monitor the max CPU% that was displayed by the Rainmeter skin during the backup process. In my case it was 139%. So now I've changed MaxValue to 139, and I think I'm getting closer to something "reliable". It's good enough for me anyway.

Nice! Thanks for the Hekasoft B&R addition - does it work if your browser settings aren't synchronized with the cloud (i.e. doing a local backup)?

[Jose Hidalgo]

Well, yes. With Hekasoft B&R you can backup a whole config (you get a single .backup file in return), and restore that config when/wherever you choose. It can be the same PC or another PC. It just needs to be the same exact browser/email app version, to avoid issues.

[Yincognito]

Well, yes. With Hekasoft B&R you can backup a whole config (you get a single .backup file in return), and restore that config when/wherever you choose. It can be the same PC or another PC. It just needs to be the same exact browser/email app version, to avoid issues.

Thanks!