CPU random usage/temp/watts jumps

[callumggibson]

So when my CPU is idling, as you can see, it has a little I'd estimate 15 second power up, and the thing is it seems very consistent. I was wondering what process(es) would be responsible and if I can stop it from happening. Most of the time, "idle" for me is desktop with the lock screen on. I'm running a 6700k stock.

 

[Mira Yurizaki]

Windows does things background if it thinks you're idling. One of the notable ones I remember is if you have a hard drive, it starts running defragging on it.

 

If you want to figure out what's being active, you can use Task Manager and sort it by CPU %.

[mxk]

I mean, I don't know what programs you might have running in the background. Different people have different programs running at idle 

[callumggibson]

Just now, mxk. said:

I mean, I don't know what programs you might have running in the background. Different people have different programs running at idle 

Avast perhaps?

[mxk]

@M.Yurizaki is right, windows does do stuff in the background, and for that reason I don't think you should worry about it.

[mxk]

1 minute ago, callumggibson said:

Avast perhaps?

I have avast running in the background and I have it on "game mode" or whatever its called. I doubt it lowers how much CPU power it uses for me, but I like to think it gives me a tiny bit more headroom when I play csgo.

[Mira Yurizaki]

If anything, you don't need to worry about it. If these tasks are starting up only when the computer's been idling, then they're likely given low priority. If you do something else, then they won't run as often or at all. Given that the power usage is also low, that tells me that they're low-power background tasks that aren't too important to run, but it may as well run since you don't appear to be doing anything with the computer.