Opera Gx Is Using 100% CPU: 3 Ways to Quickly Fix It

Disabling extensions and hardware acceleration might help

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Key notes

  • Opera GX is a powerful web browser with many features, but it may consume too much memory or CPU.
  • While it provides a smooth experience, if you don’t have a decent processor or enough RAM, it can be a frustrating encounter.
  • If you notice that your computer is running slow and the CPU usage of Opera GX is at 100%, it's time to take action.
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The Opera browser is one of the most popular browsers across the globe. It is a fast and efficient web browser that comes with many features. However, it can be very annoying if Opera GX uses 100% CPU.

This can slow down your computer and make it less stable than usual. If Opera GX uses a lot of CPU, it’s probably because you have a lot of tabs open. 

Browsers use high CPU because of their nature. They are not just a text editor or some simple tools, they are complex applications that have to do many things at the same time.

Some browsers use more CPU than others, especially if it is packed with built-in features. If the problem is high CPU usage during startup, you can refer to our expert guide on how to fix it.

Does Opera GX use a lot of CPU?  

Opera GX is designed to be as fast and efficient as possible and provides a smooth experience. However, in some instances, its CPU usage may be slightly higher than the average for other browsers.

It can be said that it uses more CPU than other browsers because it does more work for you by trying to render web pages as fast as possible. 

When you launch your browser, it loads a lot of things and processes them in order to make sure that you can use the browser conveniently. These processes consume CPU and memory, which results in high CPU usage.

This can cause your PC to heat up and drain your battery very quickly if you’re using it for an extended period of time.

One other reason is that most browsers are highly customizable and have many features you may or may not need. Such features include extensions.

These can also consume resources from your computer and slow it down, especially if you have a lot installed at once. The more features you disable, the less CPU will be used by Opera GX.

Is Opera GX good for low-end PC?

While installing and using Opera GX on a low-end PC is possible, the experience would be anything far from enjoyable. If you have a device with low RAM or low-end hardware, then it’s better not to use Opera GX as it can be resource-intensive and slow down your device. 

Opera GX

Customize your settings for optimized performance even on low-end PCs!

How do I fix Opera GX if the CPU is at 100%? 

1. Close other programs

You may not be aware that you have other programs running in the background that are causing your CPU to spike.

To check for this, open the Task Manager, find the program that’s using a lot of CPU and close its window or End process and see if Opera GX stops consuming so much CPU. If not, close all other programs except Opera GX and see if that helps.

2. Disable extensions

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + E shortcut to open the Extensions page.
  2. Toggle off the Disable button for all your extensions.

3. Disable hardware acceleration

  1. Launch Opera GX, click the Opera icon in the top left corner, and choose Settings from the menu.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Advanced.
  3. Go to the System section and toggle off Use hardware acceleration when available.
  4. Restart your browser and check if the problem is still there.

How do I limit RAM and CPU in Opera GX?

Opera GX is a great browser but can be quite heavy on the system.  To speed it up, you can limit the RAM and CPU usage. This way, your device will not be overloaded, and some app functions will work faster.

Follow the steps below to limit RAM and CPU in Opera GX:

  1. Click on the Opera GX icon at the top left corner.
  2. Select GX Control in the menu that opens up.
  3. Locate the RAM Limiter and toggle it on.
  4. Scroll down and find CPU Limiter and also toggle it on.

Limiting RAM and CPU usage can be useful when you’re running heavy games or apps that require a lot of power. It is also an alternative way to save battery life by limiting the amount of RAM consumed by background processes.

You may also want to consider installing a RAM cleaner and optimizer that automatically does the job for to avoid RAM errors in the future. 

If you are still experiencing problems with the browser, feel free to check out our recommended list of the best gaming browsers for another alternative.

Let us know if any of our solutions have been able to bring down the CPU usage in the comment section below.

More about the topics: browsers, High CPU usage