Microsoft Edge High CPU Usage: Fix & Stop It From Using Too Much

Edge using too much CPU is definitely annoying, but luckily, easy to fix. Disabling extensions, checking for malware, and optimizing your settings usually do the trick.

Find out how to do all of that and more by following the guidelines below.

How do I fix high CPU usage on Microsoft Edge?

1. Disable Startup boost in Edge

1. Launch Edge, paste the following path in the address bar, and hit Enter:edge://settings/system
2. Disable the toggle for Startup boost.
3. Then, restart the browser for the changes to come into effect.

Often, it’s the Startup boost feature behind high CPU usage in Edge, and disabling it did the trick for most users.

2. Scan for malware

1. Press Windows + S to launch the Search menu, type Windows Security, and open it.
2. Click on Virus & threat protection.
3. Click on Scan options.
4. Select Full scan, and then click on Scan now at the bottom.

Malware could also cause high CPU. So, even if you think you’ve threaded safely and didn’t download any dubious software or files, we highly suggest you run a scan.

Windows Security usually does a good job at detecting and removing all sorts of threats.

But if you want specialized software with a few more features and the ability to detect 0 one threats, go with a third-party antivirus.

Thanks to its firewall, real-time scanner and anti-ransomware features ESET HOME Security Essential is our favorite option in this sense.

⇒ Get ESET HOME Security Essential

3. Clear the browser’s cache

1. Open Edge, and press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to launch the Clear browsing data box.
2. Click on the Time range dropdown menu, and select All time.
3. Tick the checkboxes for Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, Cached images and files, and then click on Clear now at the bottom.

Corrupt browsing data is likely to cause Microsoft Edge 100% CPU usage. So it’s best to clear it all and check if the problem is resolved.

4. Run Edge without extensions

1. Open Edge, click on the Extensions icon in the Toolbar and click on Manage extensions.
2. Click on the Remove button under the individual extensions.
3. Again, click Remove in the confirmation prompt.

Edge started without extensions, but now that it has them, users are pretty satisfied with what Microsoft’s new browser offers. However, some extensions might not be well optimized and cause high CPU.

Read more about this topic

• Edge Incognito Shortcut: What is it & How to Use it?
• 5 Ways to Enable Edge Incognito Mode if it’s Greyed Out

5. Update Microsoft Edge

1. Launch Edge, click on the ellipsis near the top-right, hover the cursor over Help and feedback, and click on About Microsoft Edge.
2. If an update is available, it will automatically be installed.

If nothing else works, you may try updating Microsoft Edge to fix high CPU usage. However, most of the methods listed earlier will solve the problem.

Why is my CPU usage so high when using Edge?

The issue generally arises when you have several extensions installed. Even one problematic extension can cause high CPU usage in Edge, and opening multiple tabs will automatically increase CPU usage.

Also, certain websites, such as Google Earth, require CPU rendering, which increases the usage percentage. In addition, the Startup boost feature is known to cause the problem.

Is Edge resource-hungry?

Edge is certainly not a resource-hungry browser and performs way better than Google Chrome in this regard. So when you witness high CPU usage by Microsoft Edge Chromium, it’s due to a bunch of issues.

Also, Edge has a built-in feature that removes ads that consume high resources. When that happens, you will see the message that Microsoft Edge removed this ad because it was using too many resources on your computer.

Which browser has the lowest CPU usage?

Regarding low CPU usage, Opera stands out from the crowd. No matter the number of extensions installed or the tabs open, it will not affect the system’s speed or create conflicts.

Opera was developed so that the browser consumes much less resources without compromising performance.

Does Chrome or Edge use more CPU?

You will find multiple internet tests involving Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome, where both were tested for CPU usage.

In almost all the tests, Google Chrome used more CPU than Microsoft Edge. Chrome’s CPU usage was 30-40% higher than Edge’s. Several user reports show crashes and system slowdowns are more evident when using Google Chrome.

How do I stop Edge from running in the background?

1. Launch Edge, paste the following path in the address bar, and hit Enter:edge://settings/system
2. Disable the toggle for Continue running background extensions and apps when Microsoft Edge is closed.

That’s how you can easily disable Edge and its installation extensions from running in the background.

Is it safe to uninstall Microsoft Edge?

Yes, even though uninstalling Microsoft Edge is difficult and requires some command-line know-how, doing it is harmless and it is possible to add it back.

Also, find out how to fix the Out of Memory error code in Microsoft Edge.

That’s it. With the steps above, you should now be able to fix high CPU usage in Edge. If you have any other questions or know of a method not listed here, comment below.