High usage of CPU and RAM when Idle and when just moving mouse using new macbook M3 chip

Question

High usage of CPU and RAM when Idle and when just moving mouse using new macbook M3 chip

Hi all, just bought new macbook pro 14" M3 pro with 18GB or RAM and it seems to be using a high amount of RAM and CPU when idle. Window Server is running at around 20% CPU power when idle and when I start, for example, zooming the whole screen in and out quickly by tapping the trackpad with 3 fingers it gets as high as 45% and Universalaccessd goes to around 50%. That's just when using the mouse to zoom in and out quickly! I wonder what is going to happen if I'll ever do some serious video editing! RAM wise Windowserver is around 800Mb when idle. Shoots up to 1.7 GB when zooming in and out and then settles around 1.0 or 1.2 GB. Also there is a high amount of "trapped" RAM around 10GB when Idle see screeenshot of activity monitor attachedI have two browsers opened with a couple of tabs opened in each plus Whatsapp web and Line and nothing else opened I wonder if that's normal or I should be worrying and have the machine checked out and maybe changed since it's less than a week old. Thanks

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 14.5

Posted on May 27, 2024 3:40 AM

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Answer 1

Owl-53

Level 10

102,019 points

May 27, 2024 8:19 AM in response to pearshaped2030

Running two Web Browser and multi Tabs open in each.

Having some Videos ruining in two different Tabs for " two paused youtube videos in Chrome "

Sorry but what does one expect will happen ?

Through in the known Memory / Resource Hungry browser Chrome

Based up what is shown in the above Screen Shots - it all looks about normal

At least now one has some idea of what and how WindowsServer is work really hard to keep up with the demands placed upon it ( Computer )

One may consider altering ones Usages specific to Tabs, Browsers etc.

Only other suggestion would www.brave.com which is Chrome without the Google

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Answer 2

Owl-53

Level 10

102,019 points

May 28, 2024 1:14 AM in response to pearshaped2030

Restart the computer will usually clear " around 6Gb of cashed file memory constantly used. "

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Answer 3

Owl-53

Level 10

102,019 points

May 27, 2024 4:53 AM in response to pearshaped2030

Credit for the following belongs to Contributor @ Grant Bennet-Alder

Quote " WindowServer is the task that makes sure the right stuff is in every window, manages multiple windows in multiple positions on the screen, possibly overlapping or not, and generally manages all issues related to drawing the stuff on the screen. " >> end quote

User wrote " I have two browsers opened with a couple of tabs opened in each plus Whatsapp web and Line and nothing else opened "

Use the Activity Monitor application and make sure to use View >> View All Processes

What process or processes are using the Most CPU and Memory.

Often times, the issue maybe a combination of Processes

When the computer is using so much CPU / Memory, it can be an indicator of a Lack Of Empty Space on the Drive.

In which case, the CPU and Memory usage would become much more because it is searching for Empty Space to save all the Changes the user is performing.

How many Web Browser tabs are in usage. Each tab may have content that is consuming great amounts of CPU / Memory .

To review the possible Drive Space and how much space is Used and Not Used

Open Disk Utilities as per image below to get amore accurate account of the Space on the Drive

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Answer 4

Owl-53

Level 10

102,019 points

May 28, 2024 5:29 AM in response to pearshaped2030

How may items are set to Launch when the computer first starts / restarts ?

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Answer 5

May 27, 2024 8:03 AM in response to Owl-53

PRP_53 Thanks for your reply! Plenty of swap memory in the HDD if needed. I have two paused youtube videos in Chrome (paused for a day or so), email tab, google tab and Mac discussion tab open in Firefox. Line and Whatsapp also are running so not much activity going on really. The Disk3 does not appear in my disk ulitity so I've taken a screenshot of the HDD along with activity monitor screenshots below. Thanks for your input!

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Answer 6

May 27, 2024 7:48 PM in response to Owl-53

I will use Brave instead of Chrome for my youtube watching videos thanks for the tip!

I quit Chrome and the CPU usage when idle went down from 40 to 20% but memory usage iin WindowServer hardly budged! My question is if/when I decide to do some video editing, will I have to shut everything else down browsers and social apps? Still trying to evluate whether I bought the right computer or not and if not maybe take it back to the shop if possible because it's only 1 week old.

There is around 6Gb of cashed file memory constantly used. I read in an old thread somewhere that people should not worry about that because the cache file memory can be freed and used for other tasks in no time. Is that still the case in newer machines?

Also there is 5.5GB of App memory taken when I'm running just this one browser - firefox - with two tabs open, one with my mail and one I'm using to write this without any other app open. How's that possible?

I checked the system file folders just in case using the "get info" in every folder and no system file seems to be using any considerable amount of memory so it must be memory trapped only in apps (hence app memory) and I have only firefox running with two tabs open. How can I free the app memory and I really wonder why is it taken in such high amount in the first place since nothing else is running?

Thanks for your tips and thoughts in advance!

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Answer 7

May 28, 2024 2:14 AM in response to Owl-53

Just restarted it and it didn't clear it this time unfortunately! 🙄

Also just restarted and showing over 6GB of App Memory used with two browsers and two socials opened. It seems over the top to me. Prior to this macbook I was using a 12yrs old macbook air with 4GB of RAM in total and I was keeping open the same amount of stuff and it was working slowly but I was managing ok. Struggling a bit when I was opening more app than those 4 but I had 4 GB or RAM in total so I couldn't complain!

Not struggling now but just wondering why such a high memory usage with just a few apps opened!

Does anybody recommend any app to keep the mac cleaned in terms of chache memory files and app memory files?

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