Chrome is a very good browser presented by Google Inc. It is one of the most used browsers across the world for browsing websites, watching YouTube videos, searching, and doing many other internet-based kinds of stuff. However, there is one big complaint against chrome browser, especially on Windows and that is using too much CPU (Central processing unit). It can happen when the browser is running or even the browser is not running. This issue becomes unbearable when CPU usage shows 90% to 100% and whatever you do on the computer becomes slow and sluggish. As many use Google chrome as their default browser, hence it is frequently used and this sort of problem can damage their work or entertainment. But don’t worry; there are solutions to this problem. Before that, we should check out the reasons which are causing the issue.

What Are the Reasons Behind ‘Google Chrome Using Too Much CPU’?

A browser should not eat up too much CPU or memory for a smooth web-surfing experience. Yes, there is no denial of the fact that chrome may need a bit more CPU than usual on special occasions like loading an HD video but that too should be for a short period. The problem gets bigger when chrome is occupying the CPU needlessly for longer and even while running only in the background. A number of reasons can be responsible for chrome to use too much CPU as such-

1. Running extensions that are either resourceful or poorly coded.

2. Opening multiple tabs at the same time as the CPU has to deal with a lot of commands.

3. Outdated chrome browser and device drivers.

4. Lack of disk space remaining on the system drive.

5. Browsing web pages that are full of ads, videos, animations, or watching HD videos.

6. Running hardware acceleration on the browser.

7. Too much browsing data, history, and cookies.

8. Attack of malware or virus on your chrome browser.

How Can You Be Sure of Chrome Using Too Much CPU?

Simply speaking, any software that uses too much CPU results in hotter devices. So, take your laptop on your lap, start browsing with Google chrome and if you feel much hot, then you can be sure of the fact that the browser is occupying too much CPU. When this happens, the cooling arrangement inside your laptop or PC fails to work properly and you hear a continuous noise.

You can also examine the current status of chrome or any other software by using the computer’s task manager. Here you can view the CPU consumption or memory consumption of chrome when the browser is running on the system. Many have complained that their chrome consumes 100% CPU usage on Windows which is really bizarre. There is no way chrome browser can use that much CPU. We need to find the solution to this great havoc.

What Are the Solutions of Chrome Using Too Much CPU?

As we have learned chrome can eat up too much CPU for several reasons, therefore, the solution cannot be a single way. You have to try multiple fixes and then see whichever does the work. We have compiled 7 different solutions to the issue in the next segments. The figures provided here are for Windows 10 users.

Solution 1: Run the Browser in Compatibility Mode

Sometimes the browser runs on the wrong version of Windows. Suppose, your OS is Windows 10 but chrome is running as if for Windows 7; then the system can get heated up. That’s why we need to run chrome in compatibility mode. To do this, go to the installation folder of the chrome browser, typically drive (C). Right-click on the executable extension, and then select the ‘Properties’ option.

Under the ‘Compatibility’ tab, select the correct version of Windows from the drag-down menu. To run the program in compatibility mode for Windows 10 (your version of Windows), click on the check box. Also, right-click the box known as ‘Run the program as an administrator’. This may also help in eradicating the problem.

Solution 2: Remove Unnecessary Extensions

Some users tend to fill up their browsers with loads of extensions and apps many of which remain useless for the most part. What this kind of act does to the system is quite serious. Some of these extensions are full of resources and codes; hence the browser is burdened and the CPU is asked to be busy dealing with these extensions.

Go through your installed extensions on chrome and select the unnecessary ones. Open the browser and type in ‘chrome: //extensions’ on the address bar and then hit the enter button. You will be navigated to the menu where all of your added extensions are piled up. 

Toggle off the extensions that are not needed by you. You can toggle on them later if necessary. However, we would recommend you completely remove the unnecessary extensions. Although turning off should be enough for the extensions to remain inactive, but there can be constant update operation carrying on that can be time-consuming for the CPU. So, remove the unnecessary extensions and you can always get them later on the Google store.

Solution 3: Clear Browsing Data and Cookies

Open the homepage of Chrome browser, click on the vertical three dots on the top-right corner, navigate to the ‘More tools’ option, and tap on the ‘Clear browsing data’.

Under the ‘Advanced’ tab, select the time range to be for ‘All time’ and then hit the ‘Clear data’ button. This will clear all of the history, download history, and other useless files. This will lessen the burden on the browser.

Now, navigate to settings> content> cookies> see all cookies and delete all the cookies that were stored on your chrome browser.

Solution 4: Update the Flash Player

Old flash player hindrance loading animation and video files when you surf through websites. Hence, you need to update the Adobe Flash Player that can be easily found on Google.

Solution 5: Turn off Hardware Acceleration Tool

The hardware acceleration tool of the chrome browser helps to share the workload between CPU and GPU while playing HD games or watching HD movies. However, this helping tool may result in taking all the workload on the CPU alone and causes too much CPU usage. That’s why have a go at turning off hardware acceleration in your chrome and see whether it solves the problem or not.

Open the browser’s home page and click on the vertical three-dots and then click on the ‘Settings’ option.

Scroll down the opened page and look for the ‘Advanced’ option and tap on it.

On the left pane, you will see a few menus; select the ‘System’ menu and then toggle off the ‘Hardware acceleration’ tool. Now, close the browser and restart it for the change to effect.

Solution 6: Update Chrome Browser

Always make sure that you are using the updated version of the Google Chrome browser. To update the browser, navigate to the three-dot menu> Help> About Google Chrome.

Google will look for the available updates and automatically update the browser. Again, restart chrome for the change to take effect.

Solution 7: Re-install Chrome

If any of the above solutions do not come in handy, then you have to re-install chrome as a last resort. First of all, uninstall chrome from the control panel and delete all the chrome folders and files that can be found on the installation folder. Now, restart the device. Next, install a brand new version of chrome and see if this resolves the issue of using up too much CPU.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you have found the solution to the chrome using too much CPU. However, if the issue persists, then you might have to rethink the matter completely. There may be a hardware problem or you are having an old computer that can no longer synchronize well with the programs.