Bug 488440 - System Monitor has unusually high GPU usage
Summary: System Monitor has unusually high GPU usage
Status: CONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: plasma-systemmonitor
Classification: Applications
Component: general (other bugs)
Version First Reported In: 6.1.1
Platform: NixOS Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: KSysGuard Developers
URL:
Keywords:
: 496744 508566 510007 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2024-06-13 10:08 UTC by contact
Modified: 2025-10-01 14:57 UTC (History)
10 users (show)

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Description contact 2024-06-13 10:08:37 UTC 
SUMMARY
System Monitor has (depending who is measuring) between 50 and 12% GPU usage

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Add a GPU usage applet to plasma
2. run nvtop and sort by %GPU
3. run system monitor

OBSERVED RESULT
System Monitor will use 50% GPU according to it's own statistics and 12%GPU according to nvtop

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Operating System: NixOS 24.11
KDE Plasma Version: 6.0.5
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.2.0
Qt Version: 6.7.1
Kernel Version: 6.6.32 (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: Wayland
Processors: 16 × AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS w/ Radeon 780M Graphics
Memory: 27.1 GiB of RAM
Graphics Processor: AMD Radeon Graphics (7700S)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
I have  a 165 hz display. It is a lot less severe when I put it on a 60 HZ screen. It still has very considerable GPU usage.
Comment 1 contact 2024-06-13 10:12:17 UTC 
I should explain: the first step is so you can have a system-monitor provided base reading of the GPU utilization.
Comment 2 contact 2024-07-04 16:12:47 UTC 
Can still reproduce this. Had system monitor in the background and my fans were going nuts. Was still not good, but a lot better when I closed system monitor.
Comment 3 Nate Graham 2024-11-27 17:05:36 UTC 
*** Bug 496744 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 4 gamingengineer377 2025-08-14 16:39:51 UTC 
Having the same issue here
SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Operating System: CachyOS
KDE Plasma Version: 6.4.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.17.0
Qt Version: 6.9.1
Kernel Version: 6.16.0-7-cachyos (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: Wayland
Processor: 20 × 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-13600KF
Memory: 24 GiB of RAM
Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
Comment 5 TraceyC 2025-09-29 19:20:37 UTC 
*** Bug 508566 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 6 TraceyC 2025-09-29 19:23:05 UTC 
I'm marking this as confirmed, since multiple people have experienced this now

The latest duplicate has a screen recording showing differences between System Monitor and btop

Some key data from that video:
With the War Thunder game running through Steam:
btop shows 97% GPU usage.
GPU in System Monitor - Overview shows ~135-140%. Same is shown in widget on the desktop. 

After minimizing the game:
btop shows 91% GPU usage
System monitor shows 54%

Game re-maximized
System monitor - 136%
btop - 99%

Game minimized
btop - GPU usage drops to 16% GPU.
System monitor shows 53%
Comment 7 TraceyC 2025-10-01 14:57:37 UTC 
*** Bug 510007 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***