
The first, and usually most impactful change you can make is to close tabs in your web browser. If that doesn't solve the CPU issue, you may want to adjust your PC usage habits. Next, select "About Google Chrome" and your device will search for an update. These fixes usually happen automatically if you're connected to the internet, but you can force your Chromebook to check for an update by returning to the aforementioned menu and clicking Help. This software is sometimes prone to memory leaks and unnecessary CPU dependency and those issues are often repaired through Google's free updates. The very first thing you should attempt if Task Manager suggests you have high CPU usage is to update Chrome. The next step is to start troubleshooting to see if that reduces your CPU workload. If the numbers in the CPU column are near a sum of 100 consistently, there's definitely a CPU bottleneck. This screen should give you information about how your hardware components are performing via a list of active processes.

From that menu, go into "More Tools" and then select "Task Manager". That requires opening Google Chrome, and clicking the menu button (three vertical dots) in the upper-right corner. The first step to dealing with this kind of issue on a Chromebook is to monitor CPU usage and ensure that's the problem.

Related: Normal & Safe CPU Temperatures While Gaming Explained

Issues come in when you're consistently pushing 100% of your CPU, because that's a sign that there are too many processes for your hardware to handle. After all, without some very intentional, measured overclocking, most parts of your computer will be performing well below their maximum potential the majority of the time. Admittedly, it can be tricky to gauge when the CPU is the problem because even using 100% of the CPU sporadically isn't necessarily a bad thing. It typically comes down to either too much stress on the CPU or a hard drive reading issue. Luckily, the list of reasons a Chromebook would have higher-than-normal CPU usage is somewhat short and the potential solutions aren't much of a hassle.ĬPU bottlenecks are often responsible for that slow feeling a PC can sometimes have.

Chromebooks are intended to be simpler than most fully-fledged Windows or Mac laptops but, as is common with streamlined technology, that also means their issues can be difficult to diagnose and fix. CPU usage on Chromebooks can at times be problematic.
