How To Fix Desktop Windows Manager & Client Server Runtime High GPU Usage

Recently, many Windows 10 and 11 users are experiencing High GPU Usage of dwm.exe and csrss.exe, which are the Desktop Windows Manager and Client Server Runtime, respectively. This occurred after they installed an update on their computer.

GPU, the graphical processing unit in simple terms, is a piece of hardware responsible for accelerating the creation of images. However, overusing them can lead to overheating of graphic cards, making your computer sound like the engine of an airplane.

Why Is The GPU Being Overused

After some research into the matter, we narrowed down the issue to some core reasons that are most apparent in the community.

Many reported the problem mostly appearing when they tried to drag over a third-party browser across the screen. This resulted in a High GPU usage of the dwm.exe and csrss.exe, because of the high calculations a browser requires for graphical rendering.

People also reported a rise in the GPU usage of Desktop Windows Manager & Client Server Runtime when they install a game or application that requires a lot of calculations for graphical rendering.

Perhaps, it is that you have a pending windows update, which can also be the reason for High GPU Usage because most updated versions don’t have this problem anymore.

Other than that, it may simply be that you have set the priority of Desktop Windows Manager & Client Server Runtime high, which might be the main reason for the rise in GPU processing.

Apart from all that, there could be plenty of other reasons. Such as outdated Intel and GPU drivers, underclocked GPU frequencies or some 3rd party interference.

Fix 1 – Install the Pending Windows Updates

As mentioned earlier, High GPU Usage is a fairly old problem that Microsoft has resolved in its current versions. So, if your Desktop Windows Manager and Client Server Runtime are taking all the GPU juices for themselves, then follow the steps below to terminate this problem once and for all:

• Press Win+ R keys to launch the Run Program.
• Type in “ms-settings:windowsupdate” and hit Enter.
• This will take you to the Windows Update section of Settings.
• A UAC window may appear for your permission for some rights. Select yes if you haven’t before.
• On the right side of the screen, you’ll find a Check for Updates button.
• Press the button.
• After the update is downloaded, go ahead and install it.

Once installation is completed, restart your PC and the high CPU usage issue will be fixed.

Fix 2 – Switch to Efficiency Mode

As we discussed earlier, the Usage of GPU by Desktop Windows Manager and Client Server Runtime can be due to it being set to a high priority in the first place. Follow the steps below to change the status of dwm.exe and csrss.exe to Efficiency Mode:

• Open Task Manager by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Del buttons.
• Once the window pops up, get into the Expert interface.
• Locate the Process Tab and look for Desktop Windows Manager in the list.
• Right-click on it and set it to Efficiency Mode.
• Do the same for the Client Server Runtime.

Once the procedure completes, restart the computer to see if the GPU processing has reduced.

Update GPU driver

Outdated GPU drivers can also cause high GPU usage in Client Server Runtime and Desktop Window Manager. Updating the GPU drivers can fix the issue. Download and install the latest GPU drivers from your respective provider and do a clean installation. This will reduce GPU usage.

Turn Off Hardware Acceleration

Windows 10 and 11 offer a Hardware Accelerated GPU scheduling. This particular feature is still being worked on but, in theory, should allow users to utilize their GPUs to their maximum capabilities. However, enabling Hardware Accelerated GPU scheduling can also cause high GPU usage with Client Server Runtime and Desktop Window Manager. Disable this feature, and the issue will be fixed.

For Windows 11, open Settings > Display > select Grraphincs under Related Settings > Change default graphics > turn off Hardware Accelerated GPU scheduling and restart your PC.

Windows 10 users must navigate to Settings > System > Display > Graphics Settings > turn the toggle off and restart their PC. This will reduce GPU usage.

Conclusion

High GPU Usage of Desktop Windows Manager and Client Server Runtime is concerned with some old problems that used to occur in previous updates. Now that the problem is diminished, the solution lies in installing the pending updates and lowering their priority.

If you are facing errors and issues with other PC games or your PC, then also see our hub for commonly occurring PC errors and their fixes.