Why 80 - 100% CPU or RAM is not necessarily a bad thing/can be caused by some apps (Chrome, Edge) without it actually impacting system performance.

Why 80 - 100% CPU or RAM is not necessarily a bad thing/can be caused by some apps (Chrome, Edge) without it actually impacting system performance.

50%+ IS normal, 100% CAN be normal.

Some apps, browsers especially, can "take" a lot of CPU power and/or system memory by default that it does not actually use.

Even within apps that can/do use a lot of system resources (Dragon), usually training or refining the app in question can help lower system resource usage.

When 85%+ Usage is Normal 

Intensive Tasks: High CPU utilization is expected when playing demanding games, rendering video, or running intensive applications.
Recording/TTS/Text To Speech or Speech to Text: Especially when these apps, Dragon, Claro, Genio etc have not been optomised, trained or are trying to record a lecturer from across a room, will max out system resources.
Active Processes: If you have many browser tabs open, a background antivirus scan running, or Windows is installing updates in the background, 85% is a reasonable load.
Optimal Performance: A high percentage often means your CPU is working optimally, rather than waiting on other components, providing higher performance in games and apps.
Temporary Spikes: Task Manager itself can cause a spike when opened, but it should settle down quickly. 

Arm64 or Snapdragon, its a mobile "chip", high Ram and CPU usage is normal.

On Windows on ARM / Snapdragon, seeing high CPU and RAM usage is completely normal — and it isn’t a fault with your device. It’s a side‑effect of how the architecture works today.

x86 → ARM64 emulation is expensive

Most Windows apps are still built for x86‑64, not ARM64. When your Snapdragon laptop runs them, Windows has to translate the instructions in real time, which:

  • spikes CPU usage

  • increases RAM consumption

  • makes background tasks look heavier than they would on Intel/AMD

This is expected behaviour, especially with browsers, AV tools, Teams, and anything Electron‑based.

ARM64 apps behave normally — but the ecosystem is still small

Native ARM64 apps (Edge, Office, Zoom, VLC, 7‑Zip, etc.) run fast and cool. Everything else runs through the emulation layer, which is why usage looks “high” even when the machine feels fine.

Snapdragon chips prioritise efficiency, not raw wattage

They’re designed like phone/tablet CPUs:

  • low power draw

  • high efficiency

  • performance that ramps up only when needed

So when the emulator kicks in, the CPU graph looks busy — but temps and battery stay stable.

What ways can you improve performance/good maintenance habits to improve performance?

The first is a Tech Support staple, restart at least twice a week. Create a custom power profile, as that seems to work better than the default manufacturer/Windows ones.

Ensure you have a decent Anti Virus, suitable for your Operating System, and run regular scans.


Some good habits, helped by some additional software can also help.

Start with Tab Session Manager or something similar.

Tab Session Manager (TSM) is a browser extension that automatically saves and restores groups of open tabs, letting students:

  • Reopen everything after a crash

  • Switch between “study sessions” (e.g., Research, Moodle, Referencing, YouTube tutorials)

  • Avoid losing work when Windows updates or the laptop reboots

  • Keep heavy workloads organised without manually bookmarking everything

  • fight against memory leaks by ensuring tabs are not constantly open

It’s essentially a save/load system for your browser, like restoring a workspace.

Why it helps students (especially DSA users)

1. Protects against crashes and freezes

Students often run:

  • Moodle / Blackboard

  • Referencing tools

  • PDFs

  • YouTube

  • Teams

  • Multiple research articles

  • AI tools

  • Cloud drives

This can easily hit 10–80 open tabs, which is where browsers start to choke. TSM, Session Buddy or similar ensures that if the system locks up, they don’t lose their place.

2. Reduces cognitive load

Instead of juggling dozens of tabs, students can save sessions like:

  • “Assignment 2 – Research”

  • “Dissertation – Data Analysis”

  • “Revision – Week 5”

This is especially helpful for:

  • ADHD

  • Autism

  • Dyslexia

  • Executive function difficulties

It turns chaos into structured, named workspaces.

3. Helps with device switching

If a student uses:

  • A uni PC

  • Their DSA laptop

  • A home machine

  • Tablets or mobile devices

…TSM can sync sessions via cloud backup (depending on browser), so they can pick up where they left off.

4. Prevents “tab overwhelm”

Students often keep tabs open because they’re afraid of losing them. TSM gives them permission to close things without fear.

How do I get Tab Session manager?

You can download it for Chrome here.

You can download it for Edge here.

You can download it for Firefox here.

While actively NOT a browser recommendation, Opera already has this built‑in

Opera and Opera GX include native tab session management, meaning:

  • Save tab groups

  • Restore previous sessions

  • Auto‑reopen workspaces

  • Built‑in memory‑saving features

So Opera users don’t need the extension — it’s part of the browser’s core design.

This is one reason Opera is popular with students who run heavy tab loads.

Why browsers choke with too many tabs

Every tab consumes:

  • RAM (memory)

  • CPU cycles (scripts, videos, animations)

  • GPU (video decoding, rendering)

  • Disk I/O (caching, session storage)

  • Bandwidth (Network speeds/issues on calls, especially on Uni networks)

When students open 10–100 tabs, the system can:

  • Slow to a crawl

  • Freeze temporarily

  • Trigger “Page Unresponsive” errors

  • Cause Teams/Zoom to stutter

  • Force Windows to start swapping to disk

  • Crash the browser entirely

This is especially common on:

  • Lower RAM machines

  • Laptops with integrated graphics

  • Systems running multiple browsers at once (Chrome + Edge + Opera)

  • Machines with "heavy Load" background AT tools (Read&Write, Dragon, ZoomText, Caption.Ed)

TSM doesn’t fix performance, it streamlines it, while it protects your work when the system inevitably buckles.

How Tab Session Manager prevents disaster

TSM automatically:

  • Saves sessions every X minutes

  • Saves on browser close

  • Saves on crash

  • Lets students restore exactly what they had open

  • Lets them export/import sessions for backup

  • Lets them name sessions for organisation

It’s the safety net that browsers should have built in.

Why and when we recommend it to a student

W use it when they say things like:

  • “My browser keeps freezing.”

  • “I lost all my tabs.”

  • “I keep everything open because I don’t want to lose it.”

  • “My laptop restarts and I lose everything.”

  • “I’m overwhelmed by all these tabs.”

It’s a low‑effort, high‑impact support tool.

With all that, when to Be Concerned (The "Bad" Scenario)

If your laptop is at 85-100% usage while idle (i.e., you are doing LITERALLY nothing on the computer), it is generally a sign of a problem. 

The second you run apps, or many tabs they may "reserve" resources, this can then look like 50% Plus usage.

Overheating: If low usage/no usage is accompanied by extremely loud fans or a hot chassis, it could lead to thermal throttling (the CPU slowing itself down to prevent damage).
Malware: Malicious software (like a cryptominer) can disguise itself as a legitimate process while using up your CPU.
Stuck Processes: A Windows update or a driver might be stuck in a loop, consuming unnecessary power. 

Some apps/Antti virus that claim to be Arm64 nartive, still use emulation, and get stuck/cannot be removed.
In that scenario, a machine that is unstable is normal.

Norton, for instance, which claims to run in native Arm64/does not make it clear it runs an emulation layer, has been known to cause issues.

What to Check, if you still are not sure.

Restart: A simple restart can often resolve stuck background processes, most machines should be restarted at least twice a week.
Create a new power plan/profile: A new power profile, not editing an old one, can help.
Look at the Process Tab: In Task Manager, click the "CPU" column header to sort by usage. See what is actually taking up those cycles. If its a browser or a high draw app/one type listed in 85% above, its likely normal.
Monitor Temps: If the CPU temperature is consistently above 85-90°C, it is running too hot, and something else is likely going on. If it drops below these temps, its probably okay.
Check for Malware: Run a full scan using Comodo Antivirus or another reputable antivirus that is suitable for your system and archetecture..
Check for ALL updates: Including optional, install and restart a few times to see if the system stabilizes, it may still show high usage, but of that does not transfer to a real world slow down/effect, all is likely well.

It also makes sense to remember that a standard or even upgraded DSA-provided laptop is still not going to be able to perform like a £1000+ device. unless it cost at least £800+ to you personally.