Originally Posted By: kevs
I don't know when big issue 90%, not sure number bottom left, user/ idle / system matter and there is the big issue anyway.

Let's just keep this simple. Look at this Activity Monitor screenshot on interpreting the Activity Monitor CPU cycle information.
  1. The graph will give you a quick visual of how many of the available CPU cycles are in use
  2. This will The percentage allocation between System and User will tell you if the problem belongs to the system or a task you have launched as a user.
  3. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM and only then look at the % in use by individual tasks to identify the culprit.
CONFESSION: I have misinterpreted the Activity Monitor CPU usage percentage for years and only this week learned how it is correctly interpreted and that was because I was watching both the task percentage and the total percentage data at the same time. I suspect I am not the only one to make that same error.

Last edited by joemikeb; 06/26/20 03:51 PM. Reason: clarification

If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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