How to Fix Opera Browser High CPU Usage

Experiencing Opera browser high CPU usage can slow down your entire system, especially when multiple tabs are open. Whether you’re using standard Opera or Opera GX, certain settings and processes can lead to performance issues. Below are focused solutions that don’t rely on the typical suggestions like clearing cache or disabling extensions.

How do I make Opera use less CPU?

1. Remove extensions

1. Open Opera browser.
2. Click on the Opera logo and select Extensions. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + Shift + E.
3. Disable all extensions, one by one.
4. Also, you can click on the Opera logo and select Developer > Task Manager. Here you will know which extension is eating up the resources.

Add-ons frequently consume a large number of resources, resulting in high CPU usage in the browser.

2. Clear browsing data and cache

1. Launch Opera.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Hit the Clear button for the Browsing data option.
4. Check all the boxes and hit the Clear data button.

3. Scan PC for virus

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Search and open Windows Security.
3. Click on Virus & threat protection.
4. Hit the Quick scan button.
5. Let the scan finish, and remove unwanted programs or viruses from your PC.

We used Windows’ built-in antivirus, but any reliable third-party option will do as well.

4. Disable hardware acceleration

1. Open Opera.
2. Click on the Opera logo at the top left.
3. Select Settings.
4. Scroll down and toggle off the Use Hardware acceleration when available option.

5. Check for the latest update

1. Click on the Opera logo at the top left.
2. Select Update & Recovery.
3. It will automatically start looking for new updates. And if found one, will prompt you to install it.

There are chances that the version that you are currently running has a bug that has increased CPU usage. Install the latest update and check if this fixes the issue.

6. Reinstall Opera

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Select Programs and Features options.
3. Click on Opera from the list of apps.
4. Hit the Uninstall button at the top.
5. Once is successfully uninstalled, restart your PC to remove all remaining files.
6. Head to the official website and hit the download button.
7. Install it and do not interrupt the process.
8. Check if this fixes the issue or not.

7. Limit RAM and CPU usage (Opera GX)

1. Open Opera GX browser.
2. On the left, you will see the control panel bar.
3. Click on the GX Control to open it.
4. Turn on the RAM limiter toggle. Or you can manually allocate the RAM you want it to use.
5. Scroll down and turn on the CPU limiter toggle. You can also set what amount of CPU resources you want the browser to use.

Opera GX has a built-in feature that could help fix this issue.

8. Check for Script-Heavy Websites

Sites with autoplay videos, ad-heavy layouts, or infinite scrolling can drastically increase CPU load.

• Open Task Manager in Opera (Shift + Esc)
• Identify tabs with high CPU usage
• Close or pause the offending tabs

9. Disable Sidebar Apps and Features

Opera’s sidebar includes apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger that stay active even when not in use.

• Go to Easy Setup > Disable unnecessary sidebar apps
• Or right-click the sidebar and hide all unused services

10. Turn Off Background Music Playback (Opera GX Only)

GX includes features like background music or sound effects that consume resources.

• Open GX Control
• Navigate to GX Sound
• Disable background music and sound effects

11. Use the Built-in Task Manager to Identify Resource Hogs

Opera has a built-in tool to show which processes use the most CPU or RAM.

• Press Shift + Esc
• Sort by CPU or Memory
• End high-resource tasks directly from the panel

12. Disable Live Wallpapers (Opera GX Only)

Animated or interactive backgrounds consume both CPU and GPU.

• Go to Settings > GX Appearance
• Switch the wallpaper to a static one
• Turn off animation effects

13. Adjust Battery Saver Settings

Opera’s Battery Saver can conflict with certain system power plans and cause spikes in CPU activity.

• Visit Settings > Features > Battery Saver
• Try disabling it and monitor CPU usage

14. Switch to the Standard Opera Version (If Using Opera GX)

If Opera GX high CPU usage persists even after adjusting GX-specific settings, consider switching to the regular Opera version, which lacks the gaming-focused overlays and integrations.

Why is Opera power usage so high?

The most common reasons why Opera uses a lot of resources are:

• You installed a bunch of add-ons
• There are some issues with the beta version
• Because of corrupt browsing cookies and data
• Presence of malware or virus on the PC
• Hardware acceleration is causing high CPU usage
• The browser version is outdated

How Much CPU Should a Browser Use?

On average, a browser should use between 5% and 20% CPU during moderate usage (e.g., 3–5 tabs open with media paused). If it consistently spikes above 40–50%, there may be background processes, scripts, or settings draining system resources unnecessarily.

Wrapping up

For mobile phone users, to reduce the strain on resources, switch to extreme mode on Opera Mini.

That is it from us in this guide. We hope that you found this guide helpful and you were able to fix the Opera browser’s high CPU usage issue.