CPU utilization Archives

Winsage

December 19, 2025

Windows Server 2025 gains native NVMe support, 14 years after its introduction — groundbreaking I/O stack drops SCSI emulation limitations for massive throughput and CPU efficiency gains

Windows Server 2025 now supports native NVMe I/O, moving away from SCSI bus commands. This feature requires a registry key modification or group policy MSI to activate. Users can see performance improvements of up to 80% in IOPS and a 45% reduction in CPU utilization during high I/O loads. Testing on a two-socket Intel system with 208 logical cores and a Solidigm D7-PS1010 SSD showed a 45% increase in IOPS with one thread, 78% with eight threads, and 71% with 16 threads, alongside a 41% and 47% decrease in CPU load during 4K random reads with eight and 16 threads, respectively. The I/O processing workflow has been redesigned for better performance, enhancing overall latency and responsiveness. Community feedback is mixed, with some users experiencing negligible differences and others suggesting that only PCIe 5.0 NVMe devices can fully utilize the new I/O stack. There is no timeline for this feature's rollout to Windows 11, and its effectiveness may vary based on drive firmware quality. Home computing tasks may not see significant improvements, but multitasking and gaming experiences could benefit from reduced CPU load and improved system responsiveness.

Tech Optimizer

December 18, 2025

Improve Aurora PostgreSQL throughput by up to 165% and price-performance ratio by up to 120% using Optimized Reads on AWS Graviton4-based R8gd instances

AWS has introduced Graviton4-based R8gd instances for Amazon Aurora, which offer significant performance enhancements over Graviton2-based db.r6g instances. Users can expect up to 165% higher throughput, a 120% improvement in price-performance ratio, and an 80% enhancement in application response time. The integration of an Optimized Reads-enabled tiered cache allows for expanded database caching capacity, minimizing network storage access and improving query response times. Organizations like Mindbody and Claroty have reported substantial performance improvements and cost savings after implementing these features. Aurora PostgreSQL 17 has introduced smarter storage batching algorithms and optimized writes, further enhancing performance for I/O-intensive applications. The db.r8gd instances allow for scaling up to 48xl, providing 192 vCPUs, 50 Gigabits of network bandwidth, and 10.4 TiB of local NVMe capacity. The benchmark testing using HammerDB demonstrated significant improvements in throughput, price-performance ratio, and response times when upgrading from db.r6g to db.r8gd instances. The Aurora Optimized Reads-enabled tiered cache is available for Aurora PostgreSQL versions 17.4 and higher, among others.

Winsage

December 17, 2025

Windows Server 2025 Gets Native NVMe SSD Support After 12 Years

Microsoft has introduced native NVMe SSD support in Windows Server 2025 as an opt-in feature, marking a significant advancement 12 years after NVMe's inception. This new support allows direct multi-queue access to hardware, delivering up to 3.3 million IOPS on PCIe Gen 5 SSDs and over 10 million IOPS on Host Bus Adapters, while significantly reducing latency. The previous reliance on converting NVMe commands to SCSI commands caused processing latency and overhead. Native NVMe support eliminates outdated translation layers, enhances CPU utilization, and unlocks next-generation storage capabilities. Microsoft has set up an email address, nativenvme@microsoft.com, for user feedback and inquiries. There is no current information on the timeline for native NVMe support in Windows 11.

Tech Optimizer

November 1, 2025

Amazon Aurora makes PostgreSQL Serverless generally available

The PostgreSQL-compatible edition of Aurora Serverless is now generally available, allowing users to create database instances that operate only when necessary and automatically adjust capacity based on demand. Customers are billed on a per-second basis for active database capacity and standard Aurora storage costs. Users can specify minimum and maximum capacity when creating a database, and the architecture separates storage from computational resources, allowing automatic scaling from a minimum of 10GB to a maximum of 64 TB. Aurora Serverless PostgreSQL is accessible in regions including US East (N. Virginia and Ohio), US West (Oregon), EU (Ireland), and Asia Pacific (Tokyo).

Tech Optimizer

October 31, 2025

AI-powered tuning tools for Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL and Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL databases: PI Reporter

AWS offers services like Amazon CloudWatch and CloudWatch Database Insights for monitoring Amazon RDS performance metrics. Users can create custom dashboards for Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL and Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition. Essential metrics to monitor include Database Connections, CPU Utilization, Freeable Memory, and various I/O metrics. PI Reporter is an open-source tool designed to capture performance metrics and workload snapshots for Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition. It integrates with Amazon Bedrock to analyze data and provide actionable recommendations. Users can generate detailed HTML reports comparing performance metrics over time, assess workload changes, and identify performance issues. To use PI Reporter, prerequisites include enabling Amazon CloudWatch Database Insights and the pg_stat_statements extension. Installation involves cloning the repository, configuring IAM policies, and executing commands to create snapshots and reports. The tool is designed for ease of use and can be run on Amazon EC2 or on-premises. The report generated by PI Reporter includes a summary of findings, root causes, and recommendations for performance improvement. It also identifies resource utilization issues during specific operations, such as bulk data inserts or idle transactions. Users are advised to validate AI-generated recommendations with database experts and to monitor for idle transactions to optimize performance. Costs may be incurred from resources created by Amazon Bedrock, and users should clean up these resources when no longer needed.

Winsage

August 29, 2025

Windows 11 KB5064081 update clears up CPU usage metrics in Task Manager

Microsoft has released the KB5064081 preview cumulative update for Windows 11 24H2, which includes thirty-six new features and enhancements. Key updates include new Recall features, an improved CPU usage display in Task Manager, and a redesigned system dialog box for app permissions. This optional update elevates Windows 11 24H2 systems to build 26100.5074 and allows users to manage third-party app access to generative AI models. Users can install the update via Windows Update or manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Notable changes also include a new grid view for search results, enhanced lock screen personalization, and improvements to Windows Hello and Task Manager. Microsoft has identified known issues related to CertificateServicesClient errors and audio/video performance lag with NDI, with a fix for the CertEnroll errors being rolled out gradually.

AppWizard

August 12, 2025

Monster Hunter Wilds’ PC performance patches will keep coming, if almost as slowly as the game still runs

Capcom is facing ongoing challenges with the PC performance of Monster Hunter Wilds, despite multiple patches aimed at improving framerate stability. The company has committed to providing performance and stability updates until at least Winter 2025, with significant improvements expected by then. Game director Yuya Tokuda announced that the upcoming version 1.021 update will not include major performance enhancements, while the Title Update 4, scheduled between November and January, will focus on reducing CPU load. This is part of a two-phase optimization plan that will also address GPU load in future patches. Despite minor improvements, the game still struggles to perform well on high-end graphics cards, and previous solutions have been seen as ineffective. Tokuda suggested that players may need to adjust their graphics settings to better manage frame rates based on their hardware capabilities.

Winsage

July 29, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5722 (Beta Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.5722 (KB5062669) is being released to the Beta Channel for Windows Insiders on Windows 11, version 24H2. A new agent for AMD and Intel®-powered Copilot+ PCs is introduced, allowing users to articulate their needs for settings adjustments, with AI providing tailored recommendations. A refreshed SCOOBE screen is being rolled out for reviewing recommended settings. A new tutorial for Click to Do is introduced, guiding users on efficient task completion. Enhancements are made to the speed of applying enterprise pins to the taskbar, and a new grid view is added to the search results in the Windows Search box. Updates to the lock screen widget configuration UI and Notification Center functionality for secondary monitors are also included. Task Manager now uses standard metrics for CPU utilization across all pages, with a new optional CPU Utility column. Various fixes address issues with the taskbar, login and lock screens, File Explorer, Start menu, input methods, and Settings. Known issues include potential rollbacks during installation and crashes with live captions and Xbox controllers.

Winsage

July 29, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5722 (Dev Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5722 (KB5062669) has been released to the Dev Channel, introducing new features, improvements, and fixes. Key updates include a new agent in Settings for AMD and Intel®-powered Copilot+ PCs that helps users modify settings through AI-driven recommendations. A refreshed SCOOBE screen for reviewing recommended settings is being rolled out, along with a new tutorial for Click to Do that guides users on completing tasks efficiently. The update optimizes the speed of applying enterprise pins to the taskbar, introduces a grid view in search results, and enhances the lock screen widget configuration. Notification Center functionality has been extended to secondary monitors, and Task Manager now includes an optional CPU utility column. Various fixes have been implemented across the taskbar, login and lock screens, File Explorer, Start Menu, input methods, and Settings. Known issues include potential rollback errors during installation and problems with live captions and Xbox controllers.

AppWizard

July 1, 2025

Steam’s new performance overlay feature will help you monitor how your games are running

Valve has released an update to the Steam Client that includes a performance monitoring overlay for enhanced gaming experience. This overlay provides comprehensive analysis of game performance, displaying FPS values and differentiating between frames generated by technologies like Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) and FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR). Players can select from four monitoring levels: Single FPS Value, FPS Details, CPU & GPU Utilization, and FPS, CPU, GPU, and RAM. The overlay shows minimum and maximum frame values, graphical representation of frame rates, and insights into CPU, GPU, and memory usage. It appears at the bottom of the screen and can be customized in real-time for color saturation, text size, and background opacity. Users can visualize CPU utilization per core and track FPS trends. To activate the overlay, users navigate to Settings > In Game and adjust the Performance Overlay section, where they can reposition it and assign a hotkey. Valve plans to enhance the overlay with additional data to identify hardware performance issues and provide a broader summary of game performance.