By Lydia | Last Updated
Recently, many Windows 11/10 users may encounter the problem of Desktop Window Manager (DWM.exe) taking 100 GPU even when there are no multiple resource-intensive applications running. Typically, DWM only uses 1%-3% of the GPU when the PC is in an idle state. Thus, when its consumption exceeds 70%, some measures must be taken.
Ensure that you have the latest graphics drivers installed for you GPU firstly. Outdated driver can sometimes cause compatibility issues and result in increased GPU usage. After ruling out the cause above, you can use the following methods to help desktop window manager high GPU fix.
Long period without updating your computer system is the possible cause of this issue. Simply performing a system update may resolve it.
Step 1: Press the "Windows + I" on the keyboard to open Windows Settings.
Step 2: Select "Update & Security" from the panel then access to "Windows Update."
Step 3: Click on the "Download and install now" option to download any major or minor updates.
Disabling visual effect can reduce the significant consumption of DWM exe high GPU usage.
Step 1: Go to Windows Settings, then navigate to System.
Step 2: Choose "About" from the left sidebar, mouse down and select "Advanced system settings", click on Advanced > Performance > Settings.
Step 3: Under the "Visual Effects" tab, select the "Adjust for best performance" option and finally Apply it.
When the DWM task is set to "High Priority", it may consume a significant amount of GPU memory. You can resolve this by simply switching the task level to Efficiency Mode (only applied to 10 Windows system):
Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys together to open the Task Manager.
Step 2: Under the "Processes" tab, locate "Desktop Window Manager", right-click on it, and choose Efficiency Mode from the context menu.
Step 3: In the pop-up dialog, click "Turn on Efficiency Mode" to activate it.
Step 4: Upon successful activation, a green leaf icon will appear in the "Status" column next to the process.
The GPU hardware acceleration for GPU scheduling feature can optimize the speed of dedicated GPUs and enhance overall gaming experiences, but when it's running, DWM can heavily utilize the GPU. Follow these steps to disable it:
Step 1: Go to Windows Settings, click on "System", and open the "Display" option.
Step 2: In the "Multiple displays" section, select Graphics settings > Change default graphics settings.
Step 3: Turn off the "Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling" option.
Step 4: Restart your computer to apply the changes.
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