CPU Usage

What is CPU usage?

CPU (Central Processing Unit) usage measures how much of your processor's capacity is being used at any moment. It's shown as a percentage—0% means idle, 100% means fully maxed out.

Think of your CPU as your computer's brain. When it's working on too many things at once, everything slows down. Video encoding for calls, running applications, and background tasks all compete for your CPU's attention.

Why it matters

Video calls are surprisingly CPU-intensive. Your processor has to encode your video, decode the incoming video, handle audio processing, and run the video app—all simultaneously. When CPU usage stays high, you'll notice:

• Video freezing or becoming choppy
• Audio cutting out or getting distorted
• The video app becoming unresponsive
• Your fan spinning loudly as the computer tries to cool down

What you can do

Before an important call:

• Close browser tabs you're not using—each tab consumes CPU
• Quit applications running in the background (Slack, Spotify, etc.)
• Turn off video if audio-only is acceptable—video encoding uses significant CPU
• Use the video app's "gallery view" sparingly—showing many participants is CPU-intensive
• Disable virtual backgrounds or blur effects in your video app

Long-term solutions:

• Check for runaway processes in Activity Monitor (Mac) or Task Manager (Windows)
• Ensure your operating system and apps are up to date—updates often include performance fixes
• If your computer is several years old, it may struggle with modern video conferencing demands
• Consider hardware acceleration settings in your video app if available

What Network Weather shows you

Network Weather monitors your CPU usage to identify when your device—not your network—is causing call quality issues.