SOLVED

Browser and GPU process are much higher compared to Brave

Brass Contributor

Hi!

I was comparing Edge vs Brave and I noticed that Edge uses about 30-50% of my CPU in Browser task manager (both browser and gpu) while Brave uses less than 10% combined.

I think there is some problem with resource management that must be fixed.

I hope there will be futher analysis about this behavior.

 

Surface pro 3, W10 1809

57 Replies

@Marco Mollace 

 

This is also true for MS Edge Preview internal pages, new tabs, and even empty pages and web pages with no or suppressed scripts.

 

EdgeCPU.jpg

@Marco Mollace   This is a known issue with Chromium and Chromium derivatives (e.g. Chrome, now Edge Chromium, and so on).  Chromium creates new processes for each open tab, and that eats resources.  If you open identical browser instances (6-8 identical tabs) in Edge Chromium, Edge (Classic) and Firefox, for example, and check Task Manager or other resource monitors, you'll typically see that Edge Chromium is using about 1.5 times the resources used by Edge (Classic) and Firefox, sometimes more than that.  We've had a dozen threads requesting that Microsoft do what it can to reduce resource use in Edge Chromium by bundling processes or otherwise, and we hope that Microsoft is working on it.

@tomscharbach 

 

I disagree with your comment. We have 2 separate issues here. One issue as you mentioned is browsers using a separate process per tab may consume more system resources than browsers using one common process for all open tabs. In that regard both Edge Preview and Brave are similar, as both are based on Chromium and use a separate process per tab. So your comment does NOT match the topic of this thread.

 

This brings us to second issue, namely very high CPU and GPU load in current Edge Preview builds due to bug or lack of optimization. It may also be a "known issue" to Edge developers, but your comment masks it for users thus making appear less urgent to fix, when in fact the opposite is true.

 

I have to stop testing Edge Preview, and go back to using stable Chrome (despite both are based on multiprocess Chromium), because Edge now uses MUCH more system resources due to namely this bug or lack of optimization. Compare 2 screenshots below: one is Edge with one tab open and no extensions installed using 20% of CPU and GPU resources, and another is Chrome with one tab open and multiple extensions running using 1% of PC CPU and GPU resources. Its on average 10 to 20 times higher for Edge, clearly pointing on a bug, which is not surprising for alpha builds we are offered to test.

 

Important is, such bugs should be urgently fixed to encourage users continue testing the browser, rather the masked as unrelated generic "known issue" that can not be fixed at all.

 

EdgeCPU1.jpgCromeCPU1.jpg

@sambul95   I stand corrected.  Thank you for taking the time to do so.  I am not able to replicate your results because I do not have Chrome on any of my computers, by choice.

You can try Brave for testing purposes

@Marco Mollace "You can try Brave for testing purposes"

 

I could, I suppose, but why?  The important thing is not whether I can replicate the problem, but whether Microsoft can replicate/resolve it.  Consider documenting the issue and getting your logs to Edge Support so that they can open a bug.

@Marco Mollace 

Possible corroboration?  I hopped on here because I noticed background CPU usage for Edge seems unreasonably high.  I only have two tabs open and they are both for static pages.  I closed and restarted the browser and there was no change.  I checked in the browser "task manager" (accessible by right-clicking on the title bar) and "GPU process" seems to be gobbling a lot of CPU cycles.  Why is this happening when there is basically nothing going on in the browser?

[Edit] Figured I would mention the system specs, my system has an Optimus configuration of Intel HD Graphics 4000 and Quadro M5000M, but when I took this screenshot I was accessing it remotely over Remote Desktop.

[Edit 2] For comparison, I just opened Chrome for a comparison check.  I opened the exact same two tabs.  The extensions installed are the same.  In Chrome, the "GPU process" sits mostly at 0% CPU use and occasionally spikes to 3%.  Why is it so busy in Edge?

This bug has just hit dev build as well, draining battery like crazy. 

@gareth25 

 

Its seems getting worse with daily Canary updates.

 

EdgeCPU2.jpg

@tomscharbach
"I do not have Chrome on any of my computers, by choice."
I don't get it - why you're so interested in Edge Chromium then?

I test Edge Preview now because regular Edge has better performance in video playback than any other browser, of course if the bug is fixed. While extensions like The Great Suspender allow to sharply cut on RAM use compare to default Edge.

 

But the devs failed to include Chrome NACL component at compiling the browser, so the video performance advantages can't be fully used, since many Chrome media apps like torrent stream players use NACL and open a player in a separate window, while the browser is hidden.

@sambul95 

 

tomscharbach: "I do not have Chrome on any of my computers, by choice."
sambul95: "I don't get it - why you're so interested in Edge Chromium then?"


I am "so interested" in Edge Chromium because (1) I have used Edge (Classic) as my primary Windows browser for the last two years, and (2) within a few months, Edge Chromium is going to replace Edge (Classic) as the in-baked Windows 10 browser.  I want to help ensure that Edge Chromium has the features/functions that I value in Edge (Classic), uses resources as sparingly as Edge (Classic), and is as secure as Edge (Classic).

@gareth25 @sambul95 @Aaron44126 

 

I did some comparison testing on CPU use this morning, opening instances of Edge (Classic), Edge Chromium and Firefox Quantum, each with 6 Bing tabs open, all in static state, on each of three Windows (a Dell XPS 8920, Intel i7, 16gb RAM, AMD Radeon 580 graphics; a Dell Latitude 7280, Intel i5, 8gb RAM, Intel 620 graphics; and a Dell Inspiron 3185, AMD a9420e, 4gb RAM, Radeon R5 graphics). I run Windows without visual effects (transparencies, shadows and so on) and I run all three browsers in native state, so no extensions or add-ons are running that could complicate results. I am using the most recent Dev build (76.0.159.0).


After the browsers were opened an had a minute or two to settle down to static state, I opened Task Manager on each of the three computers and observed CPU use of the three browsers on each computer.


In each case, over a period of 15 +/- minutes of watching Task Manager, an identical pattern appeared that was both persistent on each computer and consistent between the computers: Edge Chromium used 1-1.5% of CPU resources when in the static state described, but neither Edge (Classic) nor Firefox Quantum used CPU resources in the static state described. This snapshot from the Dell XPS 8920 illustrates what I observed:

 

Classic-Chromium-Firefox CPU Use.jpg

 

A caveat: I checked several similar Task Manager screenshots (comparing Edge (Classic) and Edge Chromium, but not Firefox) that I used in a discussion related to Chromium-based process handling. At the time I was using an earlier Dev build (I don't recall which, but I think that it was the first Dev release). I saw similar results in snapshot form (that is, Edge Chromium using 1-1.2% of CPU at rest, Edge (Classic) at 0%). The screenshots from that time suggest that the CPU use pattern is not new with the most recent builds.


I don't know whether this pattern is related to the issue reported by Marco Mollace with respect to Brave or not, and I am not in a position to compare CPU use between Edge Chromium and Chrome, which would seem to me to be a more definitive and useful test.


All I can suggest is that you run similar comparison tests between Edge Chromium and Chrome, and see if the results are similar or dissimilar. If Edge Chromium is using CPU resources in static state, but Chrome is not, then Edge Chromium has an issue that is not present in Chrome, and that should be reported as a bug.

 

@sambul95 @gareth25 @Aaron44126 

 

I installed Chrome on the XPS 8920 and ran the CPU comparison again, this time comparing CPU use on Edge (Classic) Windows 10 Version 17763.503, Edge Chromium Version 76.0.159.0, Google Chrome Version 74.0.3729.157, and Firefox 66.0.5, with identical conditions to the previous test (6 Bing instances open on each browser, all Bing instances idle, stock builds of each browser without extensions or add-ons, running on Windows 10 without visual effects.  

 

The results confirmed to me that the CPU use at idle issue is confined to Edge Chromium.  Google Chrome, like Edge (Classic) and Firefox, does not use CPU resources at idle.  Edge Chromium, and Edge Chromium alone uses CPU resources (typically in the range of 1-1.5%, sometimes higher) at idle.

 

Edge-Chrome-Firefox-Classic.jpg

I've reported the bug, pointing to this discussion thread,

@tomscharbach 

 

"I want to help ensure that new Edge uses resources as sparingly as Edge (Classic)."

 

Are you for real? What in your view prompted the devs to move to Chromium engine then? Did you look at browser usage statistics lately? :)

 

Opening Edge Classic with a few heavy tabs takes out almost all available memory on an older PC with 4GB RAM, and then it crashes. Chromium in sharp contrast has auto Tabs Discarding feature, which can be further enhanced with a choice of extensions, and makes possible to run Chrome on an older and slower PC and devices with numerous tabs open without any user effort. Let me remind you, Windows 10 official spec requires just 1Ghz CPU with 1-2 GB RAM.

 

Lets hope, the devs will bring better Edge Classic video playback performance to Edge Preview as promised, while not senselessly discarding numerous features, flags, components, and options offered by Chromium thus limiting use of its wast extensions choice.

 

"In each case, over a period of 15 +/- minutes of watching Task Manager, an identical CPU usage pattern appeared"

 

I don't want to call such testing "fake news", but a typical user wouldn't wait 15 min for "identical pattern" to appear to click on the next page link, which would immediately raise Edge Preview CPU usage back to 15-30% for the next 15 min. Again, you're doing great disservice to the team by posting such "optimistic reports", since you can't convince end users whose battery keeps draining twice faster and PC/laptop fans wind-up twice louder after starting Edge Preview compare to other browsers. Lets hope they'll fix it fast.

@Marco Mollace 

 

I can confirm the same behaviour. Much, much higher CPU & RAM usage than on previous builds.

 

I wrote a longer response here.

 

This is on both an i5-8600K / 16GB / 250GB SSD desktop and an i5-6200U / 8GB / 500GB SSD laptop. This resource-hogging is new to Edge C; the previous Edge C build was fantastic.

 

My CPU fans have not quieted once with Edge C 76.0.159.0. There is absolutely a week-by-week regression for the Dev channel (and others are reporting the same on Canary builds, too, having started earlier and the bug survived into Dev).

 

Let us know what troubleshooting information you need, Microsoft. I recommend everyone willing to post here also send a Smiley report from within Edge, so Microsoft can collect diagnostic data.

@sambul95   "Are you for real? What in your view prompted the devs to move to Chromium engine then? Did you look at browser usage statistics lately? :)"

 

I've discussed this issue with others in other threads.  I don't think that Microsoft's motivations (reducing browser development/maintenance costs for an unpaid front end to paid, profitable business services) are particularly relevant to this thread.

 

"I don't want to call such testing "fake news", but a typical user wouldn't wait 15 min for "identical pattern" to appear to click on the next page link, which would immediately raise Edge Preview CPU usage back to 15-30% for the next 15 min."

 

You sound angry, but I don't think that your anger is justified. 

 

In the post you replied to and in a subsequent post, I confirmed the CPU issue on three computers (relatively high end, mid-range and low end, using different processors and graphics), confirmed that the issue is confined to Edge Chromium by installing Google Chrome and testing against that browser, and reported the issue to the Edge team with enough documentation for them to replicate the issue and get started.   In other words, I did the basic work needed to report the issues and give Microsoft enough information to understand that the problem is a base-level issue.  At this point, it is up to Microsoft to identify the underlying cause(s) and resolve the issue.

 

I designed the testing I did to eliminate variables, such as Windows 10 visual effects, browser extensions and add-ons, graphically intensive websites, and constantly updating/changing websites.  In other words, I stripped the test environment down to the basics, as best I could, and tested four browsers (Edge (Classic), Edge Chromium, Firefox and Chrome), selecting Bing instances to allow the browsers to come to rest, eliminating the effect of ads and other changing environmental variables.  If there is a CPU drain at rest, a drain that does not exist in other browsers, then the issue is a base-level issue inherent to the browser.  That was what I was trying to check out, and that is what the results showed.

 

"Again, you're doing great disservice to the team by posting such "optimistic reports", since you can't convince end users whose battery keeps draining twice faster and PC/laptop fans wind-up twice louder after starting Edge Preview compare to other browsers."

 

It seems to me that I reported objective facts, and that my reports were neither "optimistic" nor "pessimistic".  It was not my intent to convince you are anyone else about anything.  My intent was to gather the basic facts needed to report the issue to the Edge team as a base issue isolated to Edge Chromium, and that is what I did.

 

I've done what I planned to do, and all I plan to do.   If you think that the testing I did is "fake news", then test as you see fit and report the results of your testing to Microsoft, as I did.

 

@tomscharbach 

"Fake" part in your "news" seems to limit CPU load difference to negligible 1.5% at idle, where your definition of "idle" after a webpage load is shifted to 15 min wait, while real difference is 15-30% on an average PC after 2 min wait. Meanwhile, what makes you think your report is the only one submitted to devs by now? :)

 

I'm optimistic about devs fixing this bug or "feature" sooner or later, in fact more optimistic than for the prospects of adding smiles and picture/video links to this heavy JS fitted board with almost no text area format controls. :)

 

The only thing I'd suggest Edge team to do to raise the browser popularity is ensure streaming video playback like torrents, including in a separate window via NACL, since it would allow to capitalize on Edge better integration with OS in video playback, and may attract plenty of weaker hardware users dreaming of HD torrents smooth direct playback without prior full download. This is REAL known Edge advantage, I doubt anything else would change current browser usage statistics. Meanwhile, using separate process per tab is required for stability, and some tabs open several processes for faster parallel calcs.

 

@sambul95 

 

""Fake" part in your "news" seems the limit CPU load difference to negligible 1.5% at idle, where your definition of "idle" is shifted to 15 min wait, while real difference is 15-30% on an average PC after 2 min wait."

 

The CPU usage difference appeared almost immediately.  I ran the test for 15 minutes to make certain that the issue was persistent.  I ran the test on three computers to make certain that the issue was consistent.  I ran the test when the four browsers were at rest to make certain that the issue was in the browser itself.

 

"Meanwhile, what makes you think your report is the only one submitted to devs by now? :)"

 

I don't, and I've not said or suggested that mine was the only report submitted. 

 

If the issue is as crippling under load as you and others report, I would hope that there would have been many reports submitted, a healthy fraction of which would have been systematic, objective comparison testing under load.

@tomscharbach 

 

You don't have to go that far. Just open any INTERNAL Edge webpage  - just one page, not plenty irrelevant Bing tabs, and you'll see the same high CPU load, as shown on my screenshots above. What can be more objective than showing a browser crippling under no load at all and without any tabs open? :) 

1 best response

Accepted Solutions
best response confirmed by Marco Mollace (Brass Contributor)
Solution

Edge Insiders,

 

My name is Tim Scudder and I’m a member of the Edge performance team.  I wanted to provide an update on this issue: we were able to repro the problem locally, we have a fix coded, validated and are now working to get this change into our next dev drop (estimated to be 76.0.166.0).

 

We apologize for the inconvenience, but truly appreciate everyone’s help in isolating the problem.

 

NOTE: We are also aware of a VSync timer tick issue that also has CPU/battery impact that originated upstream in Chromium's codebase.  This issue has been fixed upstream and we are also working to make sure the fix is in our next dev drop (again, estimated to be 76.0.166.0)

 

Regards,

Tim Scudder

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