Monitoring system resources in Windows 11 is an important part of keeping your computer running well, especially when you run into problems or your PC slows down. Windows includes built-in tools that let you quickly check how much RAM, CPU, and GPU capacity specific processes are using.
How to Check Windows 11 System Resource Usage With Task Manager
Task Manager is one of the main system resource monitoring utilities in Windows 11. It is the easiest way to see which programs and processes are running, and how much of your resources each one takes up.
Here's how you can check your PC's system resource usage with Task Manager.
1. Press CTRL + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click the Performance tab. This tab shows your system's RAM, CPU, GPU, and disk usage, along with network information.
3. To see RAM usage, select the Memory section. It tells you how much memory your system is currently using, how much memory you have, its specifications, and more.
4. You can check your computer's processor usage by clicking the CPU section. The processor box shows you the changing CPU utilization percentage, the current clock speed, the base clock speed, the system uptime, and more.
5. Click the GPU section to see how much GPU memory is in use. If your PC has two GPUs (such as a laptop with an integrated GPU and a dedicated GPU), you can choose which one you want to view.
Task Manager also has a compact summary view that shows only the system resource usage boxes. To switch to it, right-click Task Manager and select Summary View. The Task Manager window will then shrink, as shown in the image below.
To find out which programs are consuming the most resources, click the Processes tab. It lists all running apps and background processes, along with their memory, CPU, disk, network, and GPU usage. You can also free up system resources by selecting any unneeded third-party programs running in the background (or processes and services) and clicking the End task button.
How to Check Windows 11 System Resource Usage With Resource Monitor
Resource Monitor is a slightly more detailed monitoring utility than Task Manager in Windows 11. It first appeared in Windows Vista and has been part of every Windows release since. In addition to CPU, network, disk, and memory usage, Resource Monitor displays real-time metrics such as response time, throughput, and uptime, among others.
Here's how you can check system resource consumption with Resource Monitor.
1. Open the Start menu by pressing the Windows key, type Resource Monitor, and press Enter.
2. Select the Memory tab to see its resource usage graphs. That tab includes a physical memory graph showing how much memory is currently in use, how much is available, and how much is on standby, along with detailed usage percentages.
3. Click the CPU tab to see its processor usage percentage graph.
4. Select the Network tab to see which processes have network (Internet) activity.
5. Click Overview to see details about memory, CPU, network, and disk usage in a single tab.
How to Check Windows 11 System Resource Usage With Performance Monitor
Performance Monitor is the most advanced monitoring tool available in Windows 11. It is designed to help you analyze system performance and resource usage, and it provides system summaries, performance reports, and real-time performance graphs.
Here's how you can view detailed system performance and resource information with Performance Monitor on Windows 11:
1. Open the Start menu by pressing the Windows key, type Performance Monitor, and press Enter.
2. Select Performance on the left side of the window to see a summary of your system's resource usage data.
3. Click Performance Monitor to see performance data in real time. By default, the graph shows the processor's performance counter.
4. To add other counters to the graph, click the + Add button.
5. Then select a counter, such as Memory, in the window that appears right below. The committed bytes line for the Memory counter highlights average RAM usage over time.
6. Click the Add button.
7. Click OK to see the performance data for your selected counter on the graph.
You can analyze this data better by creating a data collector set. To do that, select Data Collector sets in Performance Monitor. Right-click User Defined and choose New > Data Collector. You can then set up the new data collector using the wizard that opens.
Information from data collector sets will be available alongside your reports. You can view information from the data collector sets you've run by clicking Reports in Performance Monitor. Then select User Defined to see your data report.
Checking System Resources With Third-Party Tools
If you don't like the tools built into Windows, there are plenty of third-party tools you can use to monitor system resources. You could try something simple and lightweight like OpenHardwareMonitor, a free, open-source tool that quickly shows you CPU, GPU, memory, and disk usage. It also lets you track minimum and maximum temperatures and fan speeds for various PC components.
Using this tool is fairly simple. All you have to do is visit the OpenHardwareMonitor website and download it. Once it's downloaded, just double-click the executable file to run it, and you'll see all the metrics you need.
Alternatives to OpenHardwareMonitor include HWiNFO, Libre Hardware Monitor, and MSI Afterburner, which can also be used for overclocking. That said, although Windows no longer offers desktop gadgets, you can use 8GadgetPack to add system resource monitoring gadgets to your desktop. Keep in mind, however, that the program hasn't been updated in a while, so it may not work as expected.
Windows 11 becomes slower and less responsive to your actions when system resource usage is high (especially RAM and CPU). Whenever you feel the need to speed up Windows, check your PC's resource usage with the tools and utilities above.
Once you're done, you can identify which programs or background processes are using the most resources and close them. As they approach that point, you'll notice the system's overall performance improve.
