Initially developed for games, Discord has also become one of the most popular chatting platforms.
But many users have complained about Discord using a high CPU.
Here is a complete guide on how you can fix the high CPU usage of Discord.
Why Is My CPU Using So Much Power?
If you have already checked and found out that CPU usage is too high, you need to identify the causes too.
Here, I have listed a few potential causes for the same:
Programs With Higher CPU Requirements: Video or graphics editing programs, DVD-burning programs, or games with high-resolution graphics require high processing power and are known to have higher CPU usage. At this point, the computer becomes incapable of operating, and you should only run these programs one at a time and close the others.
Autostart Programs: There are certain programs that get automatically launched by booting the operating system. These programs continue running in the background and in turn, affect the high CPU usage. To prevent this situation from occurring, all you can do is deactivate them in the Task Manager.
Viruses: A virus or malware may be the reason for causing high CPU usage. In case you suspect a virus, you need to check your computer immediately with an antivirus.
Browser : In a few situations, the browser is known to use a lot of CPU processing power. Therefore, checking the browser settings and deactivating the used or rarely used plug-ins and extensions is essential.
How To Fix The High CPU Usage Of Discord?
Follow these easy trouble steps to fix the high CPU usage of Discord:
1) Restart Your System
The first and most preliminary thing that you can do is restart the system.
It has been observed that restarting or rebooting the system has solved quite a few problems.
Once you are done with the restarting process, then use Discord and observe the CPU usage. If the issue persists, increase the number of cores on the CPU.
2) Increase The Number Of Cores
Increasing the number of cores on your CPU will reduce the load of the working ones.
Follow the steps below to do so:
- First, you need to open the Run dialog box and type msconfig, and then click on OK.
- Now, go to the System Configuration option and navigate to the Boot section.
- Then, go to Advanced Options and change the core number for your CPU.
- Finally, click on OK to set the new settings.
3) End Or Restart Processes
If many background processes keep your CPU busy, it will result in a higher CPU usage rate.
Discord is known to consume high CPU usage, and quickly ending or restarting the program will help you in fixing this issue.
This is what you need to do:
- First, open the Task Manager and then click on the Details option.
- Then, click on the CPU column to sort processes by higher usage rate.
- Finally, click on the process you want to clear and then hit End Process to stop it.
Check if Discord is again consuming high CPU. If yes, then disable hardware acceleration.
4) Disable Hardware Acceleration
Usually, turning on the Hardware Acceleration for Discord helps in fixing the high CPU usage.
This is how you can do it:
- First, go to Discord Settings and then click on the Appearance tab.
- Next, scroll down to find the Hardware Acceleration option.
- Finally, disable the toggle and click Ok to confirm the changes.
- After you have done this, the app will automatically get restarted. If the issue persists, turn off the processing features.
5) Turn Off Voice Processing Features
Disabling Echo cancellation and noise reduction in Discord can help in reducing the high CPU usage.
Users can easily disable these two options when they don’t need them.
To do this, follow the steps:
- First, you need to open the Discord app and then open Settings.
- Then, select Voice and Video and scroll down to the Voice Processing section.
- Now, click on the slider next to Echo Cancellation and Noise Reduction to disable these two options.
- After you have applied the changes, close the window and relaunch Discord and check whether the issue is fixed. If the issue still persists, edit the Power plan.
6) Edit Power Plans
Users can easily set and change the PC’s power options and can set a bar for CPU usage and stop the extra usage rate.
Here is how you can do it:
- First, click on the Start Menu and type Edit power plan.
- After selecting the Power Option, click the Show additional plan option and enable a non-power saver plan.
- Next, open the Task Manager to see the result. If Discord still consumes high CPU usage.
7) Check For Malware
It has been reported that malware can also provoke the CPU to use a higher amount of power.
Therefore, scanning the PC for malicious software is advisable when you encounter this kind of problem.
So, run your antivirus program to get rid of the malware, if any.
8) Reinstall The Discord App
If nothing helps you to fix the problem and there is high CPU usage on Discord, reinstall Discord.
This may happen because the installed file has got corrupted and causing such issues.
A fresh installation can fix the problem.
Here is how you can do so:
- First, you must go to the Control Panel and search for the Discord app.
- Right-click on Discord and select Uninstall option. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process.
- Finally, download the new version of the software from the official website.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What Happens If CPU Usage Is Too High?
If the CPU usage is too high, then the programs will start freezing since the process gets overloaded with too many processing commands.
- Is There A Way To Limit Discord CPU Usage?
The CPU usage by Discord can be reduced by taking a few steps:
- Disabling Hardware Acceleration In Discord
- Allowing Windows To Use More CPU Cores
- Updating Discord To The Latest Version
- Does High CPU Usage Affect Performance?
Yes, high CPU usage affects performance as it results in sluggish performance and unexpected crashes.
Final Words
CPU usage isn’t a big concern if the cause gets identified, but there’s always the danger of your PC freezing or losing the data.
Reach out to us in the comment section below in case of any doubts or queries.