On Windows, you can use the task manager to see your CPU utilization. All you have to do is open the task manager, go to the “Performance” tab, and select the “CPU” option. By default, the task manager’s CPU graph shows the total utilization. However, if you wish, you can change the CPU graph view in the task manager to show the utilization graph per logical processor (also known as core or thread) or vice versa.
For example, maybe you want to see the utilization per core or thread, check how many cores a specific program is using, monitor the performance of your CPU as a whole, etc.
Whatever the reason, if you ever need to, follow the below steps to change the CPU graph view in Windows 11 and Windows 10. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- The steps below are tested to work on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Change the CPU Graph View in Windows
- Right-click on the empty space on the taskbar.
- Select the “Task Manager” option.
- Go to the “Performance” tab.
- Click the “CPU” option.
- Right-click on the graph on the right panel.
- Select the “Change graph to” option.
- Select the graph view from the sub-menu.
- With that, the CPU graph instantly changes to the selected view.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, open the Task Manager. There are multiple ways to do it but the easiest way is to right-click on the taskbar and select the “Task Manager” option. Once the Task Manager window opens, go to the “Performance” tab and select the “CPU” option.
Note: On Windows 10, if this is your first time opening the Task Manager, it might open in minimal view. Click the “More details” option at the bottom of the Task Manager window to switch to the normal view.
On the right panel, you will see the CPU graph. Right-click on the graph, select the “Change graph to” option, and choose the graph view of your choice.
For example, if you want to see the graph for each logical processor, i.e., core or thread, choose the “Logical processors” option. On the other hand, if you want to see the total CPU utilization, select the “Overall utilization” option.
As soon as you select the option, the graph view changes instantly. In my case, I’ve changed it to the “Logical processors” option. So, I’m seeing the CPU graph for each individual core and thread.
Wrapping Up — Change the Task Manager’s CPU Graph View
As you can see, whether you want to see your overall CPU utilization or per core/thread utilization, changing the CPU graph view is very simple. In most cases, setting the CPU graph to show overall utilization is good enough. However, if you are trying to monitor per-core performance, want to know how many cores a specific program is using, etc., changing the CPU graph view to “Logical processors” is helpful.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
