Using the Activity Monitor
That’s usually the top and simplest way to monitor the CPU usage. What you want to do is to enter the Applications/Utilities and here you can find the Activity Monitor. The good thing about it is that you can access the CPU tab and choose the CPU percentage, CPU time, threads used and all the other relevant information. While it lacks some key info, Activity Monitor is still a good tool because it helps you access tons of important pieces of information. And it’s embedded within your Mac anyway, so it’s a solid option for anyone who wants to track CPU usage quickly.
Use a Cleanup tool
Aside from cleaning up your device and removing malware, this tool also helps you track CPU usage and stop resource-heavy apps as well. The main idea with a tool like this is to use it often, and ensure that you consistently track your CPU to see if apps use it too much. Doing that will come in handy, and it will also alleviate the experience, while bringing a better result in the end.
See the CPU usage in the Terminal
Even if it’s more of a Pro user thing, you can use the Terminal to check the CPU usage. You can enter the Terminal, write the TOP command and then you can press return. What happens is your Terminal window will show all the current CPU processes, which ones consume the most CPU and so on. The more info you have, the better it will be. Ideally, you want to use this if the Activity Monitor or other similar things are not working the way they should. It’s a nifty idea to keep in mind, especially if you want to consistently monitor your CPU, so keep that in mind.
Third party apps
You can also choose to buy third party apps that track your system and its resources. The problem is that many of them are quite expensive, and they won’t offer a lot of other features. That’s why a cleanup tool is better, since you have a lot of other stuff you can see within the app, along with extra features. It’s a solid option to consider, especially if you are serious about resource consumption on a Mac.
Why is your Mac dealing with high CPU usage?
It can be due to a lot of things, depending on what you use on your device and other relevant factors. With that being said, large downloads always tend to require a lot of CPU, so keep that in mind. A lack of restarting might also be a problem. And even system updates will require a lot of the CPU resources. The reality is that whenever you use your device, a lot of things might eat up resources. Knowing how to manage and handle everything is very effective, and it will alleviate any problems.
What we know is that most of the time, a high CPU usage is going to be detrimental for the Mac performance. So the more you focus on eliminating those issues and addressing them quickly, the better it will be.
Make sure that you avoid any rush as you identify the reasons why you have a very high CPU usage. What really matters in the long run is that you consistently track your CPU and narrow down the exact reason why there are issues. Handling these issues firsthand and not wasting any time is what will help quite a bit. Not only will it offer you a very good and reliable solution, but you will understand what situation causes the CPU levels to rise quite a bit. Use a cleanup tool and the other solutions shown here for the best results!
