Source
r/DellXPS•
DocRockManc

High 'System' cpu usage following BIOS update

Following a BIOS update to v. 1.7.0 (release date 13/01/2022) and an update to Intel Management Engine Components Installer (release date 12/01/2022) via Dell's Support page, I now have a 'System' process pinning a single cpu core to almost 100% usage when the laptop is idle.

If I interact with the laptop in anyway, e.g. moving the mouse, the 'System' process drops to normal background utilisation (<1%) but if I then leave the laptop to idle again for around 5 minutes, the same behaviour recurs. It's not always the same cpu core pinned to maximum use (it jumps around periodically) but multiple restarts have not fixed this and I can't determine what exact Windows process is causing it.

Has anyone else experienced the same behaviour following the BIOS update?

Laptop specs for information: XPS 9510, i9-11900H, 32GB Crucial RAM, 3050Ti, 3.5K OLED display, Win. 11 v. 21H2 (Build 22000.376).

https://preview.redd.it/kuuvnurp29c81.png?width=2397&format=png&auto=webp&s=7a3ce97ab5e7157e50b7a4b5760703db9c6ba455

Posted Jan 17, 2022, 1:31 PM UTC

65
Pleasant_Mine4500•

Hello, yes, same issue here.

https://www.dell.com/community/XPS/XPS17-9700-quot-System-quot-process-load-the-CPU-after-BIOS-1-9/td-p/8038553/page/2

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DocRockMancOP•

I wasn't using a monitor at the time, but I did have a USB-C dongle plugged in. That's very strange, I wonder if there is a conflict with a USB driver somewhere then? When I did some more digging, I found the 'System' process was listed as "NT Kernel & System" which suggests it is driver related.

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Ottowerse•

Same here on my 9510, AFAIK there is no fix yet besides rolling back to an older BIOS maybe, but mine wouldn't let me do that. I have just stopped using mine and went back to my old 500€ plastic mess from Asus, at least that one doesn't broil my legs while I am using it...

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Ottowerse•

TL;DR: I think Nvidia borked it up again (as always). Try disabling your Nvidia GPU through device manager, if that helps, you have the same problem as me. (I have an i7/3050Ti version XPS 15 9510)

Long Version:

On my XPS, I looked into the stack of the System process using Windows Performance Recorder and found that most of the calls made by it where made by a low lever Nvidia driver.

When I went to open GeForce Experience to see if the driver is outdated etc., usage of System goes down to around the normal 0.3%

I didn't find a real solution yet, as reinstalling the driver did nothing for me, but disabling the card through device manager instantly dropped the usage down back to 2% or less!

For now I just have mine disabled, as I do not use it often (just for rendering and some games) if this isn't even a short term solution, you might be able to downgrade the drivers of the card or switch around between Game Ready and Professional drivers (I was on Game Ready didn't try Pro) to see if it affects more versions. I forgot to note the versions, but the problematic driver I had was from the 1st of February, but I didn't update those drivers for about a month before, so it might be all Versions since then.

EDIT: Everything is working fine for me on Version 497.29, all 511 (both Game & Studio) Versions out now appear to be completely broken for now.
EDIT 2: Okay, apparently not: The old versions also start to act up once I close GeForce Experience (although not as bad, just 8% CPU at all times instead of 15-20%)

So the latest BIOS seems to have fucked the cards entirely, guess right now there is nothing to do besides disabling the Nvidia cards entirely.

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Fastraph•

Having the same problem here with a GTX 1650ti

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