Average CPU Cycles: Check Average CPU Usage For Any Windows Process
The average CPU utilization of an application may be different from the current CPU usage. This is so because an application can increase or reduce CPU utilization depending upon its peak usage time. For example, browsers increase resource consumption as new tabs are opened. While the current CPU usage can be assessed from the Task Manager, monitoring the Average CPU usage of a process can be difficult.
Average CPU Cycles is a portable application which displays the current and average CPU utilization for a selected process. The program measures the CPU usage for specific programs from their start time to the current time or by initiating the calculation from a selected point in time. For example, you can perform the latter by starting the CPU usage calculation during peak time, idle time or general usage to see how much CPU is used during maximum, minimum or normal application usage. Windows Vista and 7 use the kernel32.dll function QueryProcessCycleTime to measure smaller CPU bursts with other more commonly used methods. It also makes the measurements less dependent of the current CPU frequency if your system uses processor frequency scaling/throttling. Average CPU Cycles, uses this mechanism for allowing users to calculate CPU usage of a process.
To begin, click Process button and select a process to monitor. Once a process is selected, click from Process Start (to monitor the process from the start time to the current time) or from Now (to start monitoring CPU usage from the current time onwards only). The slider on the main interface allows selecting the time interval after which the CPU usage is measured. Using the time interval to a lower level can help you calculate CPU usage more accurately. By default, this slider is set to a time interval of 1 second.
Average CPU Cycles provides continuous information for the selected process until it is closed. The main interface displays a progress bar along with numerical data regarding the Average CPU usage, MHz used, Total CPU cycles, Average MHz and current load.
Average CPU Cycles works on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. The package for Windows XP is available separately, since the CPU calculation process in XP differs from both Vista and 7.
