High CPU Usage on Elden Ring: 6 Ways to Quickly Reduce it

There are multiple user reports that claim that they are coming across Elden Ring’s high CPU usage issue. This problems usually occurs due to lack of resources, or due to fullscreen optimization issues. We also remind you to run the game using a dedicated graphics card and to select a power plan that maximizes performance.

How can I fix the Elden Ring’s high CPU usage?

1. Check if your PC meets the minimum requirements

Before playing any game or running a resource-intensive program on your PC, you should ensure that you have all the necessary equipment in your arsenal; in our case, it is the PC.

In case you are wondering where I can find the minimum PC requirements or the required configuration to run Elden Ring without any issues, you can check out the official Elden Ring’s Steam page.

If your PC isn’t meeting the requirements, especially the graphics category, then you should upgrade it immediately if you wish to play the game without issues such as Elden Ring’s high CPU usage.

2. Disable full-screen optimizations

1. Right-click on the Elden Ring desktop icon.
2. Click on Properties.
3. Click on the Compatibility tab.
4. Check the box for Disable fullscreen optimization option.
5. Click Apply and OK.
6. Restart your PC.

You should enable the fullscreen optimization feature to improve the gameplay. However, some features do not work as intended and worsen it for you.

The Elden Ring’s high CPU usage issue might result from fullscreen optimizations not working correctly. Therefore, you should disable the fullscreen optimizations and check whether this resolves the problem.

3. Change the display settings

1. Press the Win + I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.
2. Select Display.
3. Click on Graphics.
4. Click on Desktop app from the Choose an app to set preference drop-down.
5. Select the Elden Ring EXE file.
6. Click on Options for the game.
7. Select the dedicated GPU.
8. Click Save.
9. Restart your PC.

You should ensure that the Elden Ring game isn’t running on integrated graphics but on dedicated graphics. This ensures that sufficient resources are available. Hence, there won’t be Elden Ring high CPU usage issue.

4. Edit the power plan

1. Press the Win key to open the Start menu.
2. Open Control Panel.
3. Select Power Options.
4. Click on the High-performance power plan.
5. Restart your PC.

Often the power plan that you have selected might be pushing your PC to save more battery, reducing the usage of its resources to their full potential.

In such a case, we suggest you check the power plan settings on your PC and set it to high performance and check if this resolves the Elden Ring high CPU usage issue.

5. Close unnecessary background apps

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc buttons to open the Task Manager.
2. Click on the Processes tab.
3. Select the unwanted processes, one by one, and hit the End task button at the top.

When running multiple apps in the background, your PC ensures to divide the resources among each one.

In such a case, Elden Ring might not be getting sufficient resources to run smoothly and is putting pressure on your CPU, resulting in high CPU usage. First, try closing all the unwanted programs and check whether this resolves the issue.

Our guide explains how you can disable background apps in Windows 11 and prevent overheating or high CPU usage issues.

6. Tweak the game graphics settings

After researching the internet, we found the best gameplay graphics settings you should opt for when playing Elden Ring.

• Texture Quality: Medium
• Antialiasing Quality: Low
• SSAO: Medium
• Depth of Field: Off
• Motion Blur: Off
• Shadow Quality: Medium
• Lighting Quality: Medium
• Effects Quality: Medium
• Volumetric Quality: Medium
• Reflection Quality: Medium
• Water surface Quality: Low
• Shadow Quality: Medium
• Global illumination Quality: Medium
• Grass Quality: Medium

That is it from us in this guide. Is the controller not working when playing Elden Ring? Do not worry; we have a guide to sort that out for you.

Several users couldn’t switch to the widescreen mode when playing Elden Ring. Our guide explains how you can quickly fix that without affecting performance.

If the game doesn’t use your dedicated GPU, refer to our guide, which lists some solutions to resolve the error.

Also, users who cannot launch the Elden Ring game on their PC should apply the fixes in our guide and fix the problem.

For some users, the multiplayer isn’t working on Elden Ring. This could be because of multiple reasons, and you can fix this problem by applying the solutions in our guide. You can also check out our guide on fixing the white screen issue while playing the game.

Do let us know in the comments below which one of the above solutions resolved the problem of Elden Ring’s high CPU usage problem.