Still over 100% CPU Usage . . . HELP

[JohnH36]

There is ONE business application that I need to use Windows for - that is the reason I bought and installed Parallels and Windows 10 on my Mac. I had a 2016 12" MacBook Pro, and Parallels and Windows was devouring resources and running fans on high, so I upgraded hoping to stop this . . .
Current configuration:
New 16" MacBook Pro Mac OSX Catalina 10.15.3
2.3 Ghz 8 core i9
32GB Memory
2TB HD

Parallels Configuration options - upgraded to parallels 15.1.2
Processor allowance - 2 as per recommendation (although I had it set to 4 with no difference)
16 GB of Memory allocated within recommendation
Graphics memory is set to auto

The posting on the website says this could be caused by an "underpowered machine" and I thought perhaps that was the case, so therefore the new Mac, that by any stretch of the imagination is far from underpowered. So what else can I do?

Processor usage is still over 100% (between 105 and 150 percent) every time I boot up parallels and windows according to activity monitor, and fans rev up immediately to start cooling the processor.

 

[SaehoonD]

Hello, did you test it with the latest Parallels Desktop build 16.1.0? Did you get the same behavior?

I didn't check the exact version of 16 when I used it as trial version, and now the trial is over and I've returned to Version 13. Can I get one more trial with the version 16.1.0?

 

[RickC3]

This is super frustrating. Does not happen every time but far too often. Still happens after a full restart of Windows 10 and Parallels. Sometimes it calms down after letting it consume my machine for 5 minutes. It kinds of defeats the purpose of quick resume from suspension.

 

[patonjo]

Hi, I have same problem with my MacBook Pro 13 2019. CPU usage over 100%, fans at max. Big Sur installed and Parallels 16.1.1, running Windows 10 from Boot Camp. After doing nothing for 10 minutes CPU goes to 50% but then if I open Start menu on Windows CPU goes up to 200%, fans start spinning crazy and temp is going up. Not possible to work, I cannot concentrate with those fans at max

Is there any indication where the problem might be and that you are working on it?

 

[Maria@Parallels]

Hi, I have same problem with my MacBook Pro 13 2019. CPU usage over 100%, fans at max. Big Sur installed and Parallels 16.1.1, running Windows 10 from Boot Camp. After doing nothing for 10 minutes CPU goes to 50% but then if I open Start menu on Windows CPU goes up to 200%, fans start spinning crazy and temp is going up. Not possible to work, I cannot concentrate with those fans at max

Is there any indication where the problem might be and that you are working on it?

Hello, did you try any steps from this KB article?

 

[patonjo]

Hello, did you try any steps from this KB article?

Yes I am, but no help

 

[TerrenceS1]

I am having a similar problem. System goes to 100% at times and my app hangs. What I see is if I go and start Task Manager From the Parallels bar is that System interrupts is running at 100%. After starting task manager the system free up and runs better until it happens again. I get this error whether or not I have my application in Windows running. Help from support has been marginal. The next thing they want me to do is rebuild my Windows virtual machine. I will do that but doubt that will fix the problem. My understanding is from a Windows standpoint is System interrupts is used to interface to the hardware. Since Parallels is providing Windows access to the hardware I would think that is where the problem is.

 

[AaronB15]

same issues as everyone else. Still no support?

 

[DAWood]

Same issue started for me Friday Dec 4th 2020. I did have the issue on first update to 16 but 16.1 seemed to fix it

 

[OmerZ]

I am having same performance issues. I have parallels version 16 (the latest). Generated a technical report and sent to Parallels - 356573594

 

[Maria@Parallels]

same issues as everyone else. Still no support?

Hi, did you perform any steps from this KB article?

 

[Maria@Parallels]

I am having same performance issues. I have parallels version 16 (the latest). Generated a technical report and sent to Parallels - 356573594

Hi, could you please add 2 CPU and 3-4GB memory and check the issue?

 

[SusanR3]

Just did a search on this behavior and ended up here. I had all my fans running while doing nothing. Windows Task Manager showed 3% CPU usage. OSX Activity Monitor showed 150% CPU from my virtual machine.

I hope this is not normal.

 

[MilosC]

I found out its related to graphics settings for my set up - if I use scaled option (and thats what I would like to use as any other option for my vm win7 is useless) my CPU load is very very high (around 100% until machine is paused). If I go for any retina settings its around 20%.

Macbook pro 16" 64GB RAM 8core i9 4TB SSD.
Virtual machine win7, 2 processors, 8GB RAM, 256GB hdd with more than 50% empty, high perf.graphics off, Hypervisor - parllels, graphics memory 512MB

 

[AaronB15]

Hi, did you perform any steps from this KB article?

Yeah, did nothing.

 

[DanB12]

I have the same problem. I bought Parallels because i need one windows app to run. Seems there is no solution ? In this case i will ask for a refund and find another solution

 

[AnteB]

I have a similar issue. VM process on macOS using 200%, Windows way less...

Tech report ID: 359861531

Very frustrating. After a long wait for Apple hypervisor issues to be fixed, now this... the app is barely usable.

 

[BogdanD1]

ME TOO
ID: 360308685

 

[BogdanD1]

for all of you having problem with parallel desktop CPU.
Do you use a second monitor?

 

[BogdanD1]

ok, according tins article:
"The maximum utilization of every CPU unit assigned to a virtual machine in Activity Monitor counts as 100%. For example, if your virtual machine has 4 CPU units assigned, then a total amount of CPU utilization by a VM will be 400%."

so, a value of cpu usage by parallel desktop process is normal to be over 100%.
Our problem, I supose, is hight temperaure of CPU and noise of fan.
I make several tests an I conclude that fan becoming crasy over 70 Celsius în CPU and this is happen only when I use the second monitor, bay be becouse of graphics processor temp.

For me, this topic is solved.

First image: with normal activity and second monitor:

Second image, no activity and second monitor:


thirth image: with activity and without second monitor:

 

[DanielG25]

I started hitting this same thing after I enabled Nested Virtualization on the Windows10 vm. I use a bootcamp vm and wanted to use the linux subsystem. The difference between nested virtualization on and off is extreme. with it on, i'm running 200-800 %cpu according to Activity Monitor even when Task Manager is showing 5%. With it off, everything drops down to < 100%. right now cruising at 50% on the activity monitor.