pcworkman.dev / guides / windows processes · po polsku

What is this process, and is that number normal?

522 Windows processes, each with the CPU and memory it normally uses.

Every other list tells you what a process is. That is rarely the question. You opened Task Manager because something is at eighty per cent, and what you want to know is whether that is a process doing its job or a process in trouble.

So every entry here carries the range it normally sits in. chrome.exe at twenty per cent CPU is a browser with tabs open. csrss.exe at twenty per cent is not, because it normally sits between nought and two.

Of the 522 processes below, 504 are simply safe, 14 are worth a second look depending on where they are running from, and 4 are the kind you investigate. That ratio is the point: almost everything that alarms you in Task Manager is a program doing what it was installed to do.

522 processes

7zfm.exe

#

7-Zip File ManagerIgor Pavlov (Open Source)

Open-source file archiver. Compression can peg CPU; ultra preset runs mostly single-threaded.

CPU
10-100% (during compress)
RAM
20-300MB
Power
varies

utilitysafe

acrobat.exe

#

Adobe AcrobatAdobe Inc.

Full Adobe Acrobat PDF editor. Heavy initial load; background ARM updater runs periodically.

CPU
5-40%
RAM
200-800MB
Power
medium

productivitysafe

acrord32.exe

#

Adobe Acrobat ReaderAdobe Inc.

Free PDF reader. Lighter than full Acrobat. Background Adobe Update Manager runs silently.

CPU
2-20%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
low

productivitysafe

acvalhalla.exe

#

Assassin's Creed ValhallaUbisoft

Open-world action RPG. Heavy GPU and CPU demand. Requires Ubisoft Connect launcher.

CPU
40-80%
RAM
6000-12000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

adobe desktop service.exe

#

Adobe Desktop ServiceAdobe

Install/update backend of Creative Cloud.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
low

cloudsafe

adobeipcbroker.exe

#

Adobe IPC BrokerAdobe

Inter-process broker for Adobe apps.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
very_low

cloudsafe

afterfx.exe

#

Adobe After EffectsAdobe Inc.

Motion graphics and compositing. RAM cache fills very fast; rendering saturates CPU and GPU.

CPU
30-100%
RAM
2000-16000MB
Power
very_high

mediasafe

agent.exe

#

Blizzard Update AgentBlizzard Entertainment

Downloads and patches Battle.net games; busy only during updates.

CPU
0-40%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
varies

gamingsafe

aggregatorhost.exe

#

Aggregator HostMicrosoft

Windows insider/diagnostics aggregation host.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
10-40MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

aida64.exe

#

AIDA64FinalWire Ltd.

System diagnostics, sensor monitoring, and stability stress-testing tool. Burn-in tests max all hardware.

CPU
1-100% (mode dependent)
RAM
50-300MB
Power
varies

utilitysafe

alanwake2.exe

#

Alan Wake 2Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games

Psychological horror sequel. Most GPU-demanding game available, with full path tracing.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
12-16GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

amdow.exe

#

AMD Radeon Overlay WorkerAdvanced Micro Devices

AMD in-game overlay worker process. Displays FPS counter and performance metrics during gameplay.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

amdrsserv.exe

#

AMD Radeon Settings ServiceAdvanced Micro Devices

Background service for AMD Radeon Software suite. Manages driver features, overlay, and notifications.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
30-120MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

anki.exe

#

AnkiAnkitects

Spaced-repetition flashcard app.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
150-350MB
Power
low

productivitysafe

anno1800.exe

#

Anno 1800Ubisoft Blue Byte

City-building strategy set in the 19th century industrial era.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

antimalwareservice.exe

#

Windows DefenderMicrosoft Corporation

Windows Defender antivirus. Scans can be CPU-intensive.

CPU
2-30%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
medium

systemsafe

anydesk.exe

#

AnyDeskAnyDesk Software

Remote desktop software. Lightweight and fast.

CPU
5-30%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
medium

remotesafe

applicationframehost.exe

#

Application Frame HostMicrosoft Corporation

Hosts Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
20-100MB
Power
low

systemsafe

armourychrate.exe

#

ASUS Armoury CrateASUSTeK Computer Inc.

ASUS system control software for ROG and TUF devices. Manages RGB, fan curves, and performance profiles.

CPU
1-15%
RAM
200-700MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

armourycrate.service.exe

#

ASUS Armoury Crate ServiceASUS

Backend for ASUS RGB/fan control - a known heavy suite.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
150-400MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

ascservice.exe

#

Advanced SystemCare ServiceIObit CO.

Background service of Advanced SystemCare. A tune-up suite that runs constantly.

CPU
0-15%
RAM
50-250MB
Power
varies

utilitycaution

asuscertservice.exe

#

ASUS Certificate ServiceASUSTeK Computer Inc.

Certificate handling for ASUS software such as Armoury Crate.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

atieclxx.exe

#

AMD External EventsAMD

Listens for display events (hotkeys, HDMI plug) on Radeon systems.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
10-30MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

audacity.exe

#

AudacityMuse Group

Open-source audio editor. Processing effects on long tracks can be CPU-heavy.

CPU
3-60%
RAM
100-800MB
Power
medium

mediasafe

audiodg.exe

#

Windows Audio Device GraphMicrosoft Corporation

Handles audio processing and software effects pipeline. High CPU can indicate a bad audio driver or heavy effect chain.

CPU
0-15%
RAM
10-80MB
Power
low

systemsafe

autohotkey.exe

#

AutoHotkeyAutoHotkey Foundation

Automation scripting language for Windows. Remaps keys, creates hotkeys, automates tasks.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
5-30MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

autohotkey32.exe

#

AutoHotkey (32-bit)AutoHotkey Foundation

32-bit version of the AutoHotkey automation scripting engine.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
5-25MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

autoruns64.exe

#

AutorunsMicrosoft (Sysinternals)

Shows every autostart location in Windows. Essential for malware detection.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

avastui.exe

#

Avast Antivirus UIAvast Software

Avast user interface process. Background guard service (AvastSvc.exe) runs independently.

CPU
2-25%
RAM
100-350MB
Power
medium

securitysafe

avguard.exe

#

Avira Protection GuardAvira Operations GmbH

Avira antivirus real-time file protection service. Scans file access events continuously.

CPU
2-30%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
medium

securitysafe

avgui.exe

#

AVG Antivirus UIAVG Technologies (Avast)

AVG Antivirus user interface. Background guard is lightweight.

CPU
2-30%
RAM
80-300MB
Power
medium

securitysafe

avp.exe

#

Kaspersky AntivirusKaspersky Lab

Kaspersky endpoint protection process. Scans can be CPU-heavy.

CPU
3-40%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
medium

securitysafe

backgroundtaskhost.exe

#

Background Task HostMicrosoft Corporation

Hosts background tasks from UWP apps and Windows services. Multiple instances are normal.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
10-80MB
Power
low

systemsafe

baldursgate3.exe

#

Baldur's Gate 3Larian Studios

Turn-based RPG on Divinity 4.0 engine. Very GPU and RAM heavy; Act 3 is especially demanding.

CPU
40-80%
RAM
8000-16000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

balenaetcher.exe

#

balenaEtcherbalena

USB/SD image flasher (Electron).

CPU
1-30%
RAM
200-500MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

bash.exe

#

Bash (Git for Windows)Johannes Schindelin

Unix-style shell shipped with Git for Windows.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
10-60MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

battle.net helper.exe

#

Battle.net HelperBlizzard Entertainment

Renderer process of the Battle.net launcher.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

battleye.exe

#

BattlEye Anti-CheatBattlEye Innovations

Kernel-level anti-cheat used by PUBG, Rainbow Six, DayZ, and others. Requires administrator rights.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
10-60MB
Power
low

securitysafe

bdagent.exe

#

Bitdefender AgentBitdefender

Desktop agent of Bitdefender security suite.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
low

securitysafe

bdservicehost.exe

#

Bitdefender Service HostBitdefender

Core Bitdefender endpoint protection service. Real-time scanning causes brief CPU spikes on file access.

CPU
2-30%
RAM
100-500MB
Power
medium

securitysafe

beservice.exe

#

BattlEye ServiceBattlEye Innovations

Anti-cheat engine used by many shooters. Never terminate during play.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
15-50MB
Power
very_low

securitysafe

bf1.exe

#

Battlefield 1EA DICE

WWI-set Battlefield with stunning visuals. Still popular online.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

bf2042.exe

#

Battlefield 2042EA DICE

Large-scale multiplayer FPS with 128-player battles. CPU and GPU intensive.

CPU
30-70%
RAM
8-16GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

bf5.exe

#

Battlefield VEA DICE

WWII-era Battlefield game with ray-traced lighting support.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
4-12GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

bg3.exe

#

Baldur's Gate 3Larian Studios

Baldur's Gate 3 game process.

CPU
30-90%
RAM
6-12GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

bitwarden.exe

#

BitwardenBitwarden Inc.

Open-source password manager. Securely stores and autofills passwords.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
80-160MB
Power
low

securitysafe

blender.exe

#

BlenderBlender Foundation

3D modeling, animation, and rendering suite. CPU and GPU rendering can max out all system resources.

CPU
10-100%
RAM
500-16000MB
Power
very_high

mediasafe

bluestacks.exe

#

BlueStacksBlueStack Systems

Android emulator for PC. Very resource-intensive.

CPU
20-80%
RAM
1000-4000MB
Power
very_high

emulatorsafe

brave.exe

#

Brave BrowserBrave Software

Privacy-focused Chromium browser with ad blocking.

CPU
4-18%
RAM
180-600MB
Power
medium

browsersafe

bun.exe

#

BunOven

Fast JavaScript runtime and package manager.

CPU
1-50%
RAM
100-500MB
Power
varies

developmentsafe

calculator.exe

#

CalculatorMicrosoft Corporation

Windows calculator app. Minimal resource usage.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
10-30MB
Power
very_low

productivitysafe

calibre.exe

#

CalibreKovid Goyal (open-source)

E-book library management with format conversion and device sync.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

capcut.exe

#

CapCutByteDance

Consumer video editor.

CPU
5-50%
RAM
0.5-2GB
Power
high

mediasafe

cargo.exe

#

Cargo (Rust)Rust Foundation

Rust package manager and build system. Compiles Rust code and manages dependencies.

CPU
30-100%
RAM
100-800MB
Power
high

developmentsafe

ccleaner.exe

#

CCleanerPiriform (Avast)

System cleaner and optimizer. Use with caution on registry.

CPU
2-20%
RAM
30-150MB
Power
low

utilitycaution

ccxprocess.exe

#

Adobe CCX ProcessAdobe

Creative Cloud content/sync helper - safe to disable from startup.

CPU
0-4%
RAM
100-250MB
Power
low

cloudsafe

chatgpt.exe

#

ChatGPT DesktopOpenAI

ChatGPT desktop client.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
300-700MB
Power
medium

productivitysafe

choco.exe

#

ChocolateyChocolatey Software

Windows package manager for automated software installation from CLI.

CPU
5-30%
RAM
30-100MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

chrome.exe

#

Google ChromeGoogle LLC

Web browser. RAM usage increases with open tabs.

CPU
5-25%
RAM
200-800MB per window
Power
high

browsersafe

cinebench.exe

#

CinebenchMaxon

CPU rendering benchmark - pins all cores while running.

CPU
0-100%
RAM
300-800MB
Power
very_high

utilitysafe

cities.exe

#

Cities: SkylinesColossal Order

City-building simulation. CPU-heavy with large cities.

CPU
20-70%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

cities2.exe

#

Cities: Skylines 2Colossal Order

Sequel to Cities: Skylines. Even more demanding, especially on CPU.

CPU
40-100%
RAM
8-16GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

ck3.exe

#

Crusader Kings IIIParadox Interactive

Medieval dynasty grand strategy RPG. CPU-heavy in late game.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
2-6GB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

claude.exe

#

Claude DesktopAnthropic

Anthropic's Claude AI assistant desktop app. Electron-based, GPU-accelerated inference.

CPU
3-20%
RAM
200-600MB
Power
medium

productivitysafe

cleanmgr.exe

#

Disk CleanupMicrosoft Corporation

Windows built-in tool to delete temporary files and free up disk space.

CPU
5-30%
RAM
20-50MB
Power
medium

systemsafe

clion64.exe

#

CLionJetBrains s.r.o.

C/C++ IDE with clangd backend. Indexing large codebases causes heavy CPU and I/O usage.

CPU
5-70%
RAM
400-2000MB
Power
high

developmentsafe

cloudflare warp.exe

#

Cloudflare WARPCloudflare

1.1.1.1 VPN/DNS client.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
50-150MB
Power
very_low

networksafe

cmake.exe

#

CMakeKitware Inc.

Cross-platform build system generator creating makefiles/project files for compilation.

CPU
10-50%
RAM
20-100MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

cmd.exe

#

Command PromptMicrosoft Corporation

Windows command-line interpreter. Used for scripts and admin tasks.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
5-30MB
Power
low

systemsafe

code.exe

#

Visual Studio CodeMicrosoft Corporation

Popular code editor. Extensions increase resource usage.

CPU
3-20%
RAM
150-800MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

codex.exe

#

OpenAI CodexOpenAI OpCo

OpenAI Codex desktop app.

CPU
0-15%
RAM
100-500MB
Power
varies

developmentsafe

com.docker.backend.exe

#

Docker Desktop BackendDocker Inc.

Engine backend for Docker Desktop on Windows.

CPU
1-15%
RAM
200-800MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

compattelrunner.exe

#

Microsoft Compatibility TelemetryMicrosoft Corporation

Periodically collects and sends compatibility telemetry to Microsoft. Known to cause unexpected CPU/disk spikes.

CPU
5-30% (periodic)
RAM
30-150MB
Power
medium

systemsafe

comppkgsrv.exe

#

Component Package Support ServerMicrosoft Corporation

Helps Windows install and service component packages. Starts on demand.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

systemsafe

conhost.exe

#

Console Window HostMicrosoft Corporation

Renders console windows for CMD, PowerShell, and CLI tools. One instance per open console.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-30MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

coretemp.exe

#

Core TempAlcpu

Lightweight CPU temperature monitoring tool with per-core temperature readings.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
5-20MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

cowork-svc.exe

#

Claude Cowork ServiceAnthropic

Background service for Anthropic's Claude desktop tooling.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

cpu-z.exe

#

CPU-ZCPUID

CPU/board information tool.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

cpuminer.exe

#

CPU MinerUnknown

Generic cryptocurrency miner. Unauthorized presence = malware.

CPU
80-100%
RAM
20-100MB
Power
very_high

minersuspicious

cpuz.exe

#

CPU-ZCPUID

CPU, RAM, and motherboard diagnostic tool. Lightweight; reads hardware configuration without stress testing.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
10-50MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

creative cloud.exe

#

Adobe Creative CloudAdobe

Adobe app hub - brings several background helpers with it.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
300-700MB
Power
medium

cloudsafe

crystaldiskinfo.exe

#

CrystalDiskInfohiyohiyo

Reads S.M.A.R.T. health data from HDDs and SSDs. Can run in system tray for temperature monitoring.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
10-50MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

crystaldiskmark.exe

#

CrystalDiskMarkhiyohiyo

Drive speed benchmark tool. Maxes out drive I/O during testing; near-zero resource use otherwise.

CPU
5-50% (during benchmark)
RAM
20-100MB
Power
varies

utilitysafe

cs2.exe

#

Counter-Strike 2Valve Corporation

Tactical FPS on Source 2 engine. GPU-heavy; benefits from high-frequency RAM and fast single-core CPU.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
4000-8000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

csgo.exe

#

Counter-Strike: GOValve Corporation

Competitive FPS. CPU-bound for high frame rates.

CPU
40-85%
RAM
1500-3000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

csrss.exe

#

Client Server RuntimeMicrosoft Corporation

Critical Windows subsystem. Handles console windows and threads.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
5-20MB
Power
low

systemsafe

ctfmon.exe

#

CTF LoaderMicrosoft Corporation

Manages text input methods and handwriting/speech recognition. Required for IME (input method editors).

CPU
0-3%
RAM
5-30MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

curseforge.exe

#

CurseForgeOverwolf

Mod manager for Minecraft and other games.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
200-500MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

cursor.exe

#

Cursor IDEAnysphere Inc.

AI-powered code editor built on VS Code. Integrates LLM features inline. Similar resources to VS Code.

CPU
3-30%
RAM
300-1500MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

cyberpunk2077.exe

#

Cyberpunk 2077CD Projekt RED

Open-world RPG. Heavy GPU and CPU demand. Ray tracing and Path Tracing can saturate high-end GPUs fully.

CPU
40-90%
RAM
8000-16000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

darksoulsiii.exe

#

Dark Souls IIIFromSoftware / Bandai Namco

Demanding action RPG known for high difficulty. PvP still active.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

dashost.exe

#

Device Association Framework HostMicrosoft Corporation

Pairs and connects devices such as Bluetooth and wireless displays.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

systemsafe

datatransfer.exe

#

Data Transfer HostMicrosoft Corporation

Part of Windows Connected Devices Platform. Handles data sync between devices.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
10-40MB
Power
low

systemsafe

dayz_x64.exe

#

DayZBohemia Interactive

Post-apocalyptic survival game. CPU-intensive for server-side simulation.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

dbeaver.exe

#

DBeaverDBeaver Corporation

Universal database GUI. Java-based; RAM grows with open connections and large result sets.

CPU
3-40%
RAM
200-1500MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

deadbydaylight-win64-shipping.exe

#

Dead by DaylightBehaviour Interactive

Asymmetric survival horror. 1 killer vs 4 survivors. Frequent performance issues.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

deathstranding.exe

#

Death StrandingKojima Productions

Post-apocalyptic delivery action game by Hideo Kojima. Well-optimized on PC.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

deezer.exe

#

DeezerDeezer

Music streaming desktop app.

CPU
1-6%
RAM
200-450MB
Power
low

mediasafe

deno.exe

#

DenoDeno Land

Secure TypeScript/JavaScript runtime.

CPU
1-50%
RAM
100-500MB
Power
varies

developmentsafe

destiny2.exe

#

Destiny 2Bungie

Online action-RPG FPS. GPU and CPU intensive. Requires persistent internet connection.

CPU
30-70%
RAM
4000-8000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

devenv.exe

#

Visual Studio IDEMicrosoft Corporation

Full Visual Studio IDE. Very resource-heavy; solution loading and IntelliSense spike CPU and I/O.

CPU
5-80%
RAM
500-4000MB
Power
high

developmentsafe

diablo4.exe

#

Diablo IVBlizzard Entertainment

Online action RPG. GPU and RAM intensive. Requires Battle.net and active internet.

CPU
30-70%
RAM
6000-12000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

discord.exe

#

DiscordDiscord Inc.

Voice, video, and text chat platform for communities.

CPU
2-15%
RAM
150-400MB
Power
medium

communicationsafe

discsoftbusservicelite.exe

#

DAEMON Tools Lite Bus ServiceDisc Soft Ltd

Provides the virtual drive used by DAEMON Tools Lite.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

dism.exe

#

DISMMicrosoft Corporation

Deployment Image Servicing. Used by Windows Update and repair operations.

CPU
20-80%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
high

systemsafe

ditto.exe

#

DittoDitto community

Clipboard history manager.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
10-50MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

dllhost.exe

#

COM SurrogateMicrosoft Corporation

Hosts COM objects for Explorer (thumbnail generation, codec previews). Multiple instances are normal. Can be spoofed by malware.

CPU
0-20%
RAM
5-100MB
Power
low

systemcaution

dmc5.exe

#

Devil May Cry 5Capcom

High-energy character action game. Very well-optimized on PC.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

docker.exe

#

Docker DesktopDocker Inc.

Container platform. Heavy when running multiple containers.

CPU
5-50%
RAM
500-2000MB
Power
high

developmentsafe

doometernal.exe

#

DOOM Eternalid Software / Bethesda

Fast-paced FPS sequel. Uses Vulkan for excellent GPU performance.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

dota2.exe

#

Dota 2Valve Corporation

MOBA on Source 2 engine. Scalable performance; playable on low-end hardware at low settings.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
2000-6000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

dotnet.exe

#

.NET Runtime HostMicrosoft Corporation

Hosts .NET Core / .NET 5+ applications. Resource usage depends entirely on the application it runs.

CPU
1-80%
RAM
50-2000MB
Power
varies

developmentsafe

dropbox.exe

#

DropboxDropbox Inc.

Cloud storage sync. Background indexing can slow down older drives.

CPU
1-15%
RAM
100-350MB
Power
medium

cloudsafe

dtshellhlp.exe

#

DAEMON Tools Shell HelperDisc Soft Ltd

Adds DAEMON Tools entries to Explorer context menus.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

duplicati.exe

#

DuplicatiDuplicati Team (open-source)

Encrypted online backup tool supporting multiple cloud storage backends.

CPU
5-40%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

dwm.exe

#

Desktop Window ManagerMicrosoft Corporation

Manages visual effects, transparency, and window composition.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
medium

systemsafe

dyinglight2.exe

#

Dying Light 2 Stay HumanTechland

Open-world parkour zombie RPG. Ray tracing support, demanding on GPU.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
8-12GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

eabackgroundservice.exe

#

EA Background ServiceElectronic Arts

EA App background service running at startup. Handles game entitlements and update checks.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

eadesktop.exe

#

EA AppElectronic Arts

EA's game launcher replacing Origin. Required for EA titles. Electron-based with moderate overhead.

CPU
2-20%
RAM
200-600MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

easyanticheat.exe

#

Easy Anti-CheatEpic Games

Anti-cheat service used in Apex Legends, Fortnite, EFT, and many others. Kernel-level driver.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
10-60MB
Power
low

securitysafe

easyanticheat_eos.exe

#

Easy Anti-Cheat (EOS)Epic Games

EOS variant of Easy Anti-Cheat bundled with newer games.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
very_low

securitysafe

egui.exe

#

ESET GUIESET

User interface of ESET security products.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
30-100MB
Power
very_low

securitysafe

ekrn.exe

#

ESET Kernel ServiceESET spol. s r.o.

ESET NOD32/Internet Security core engine. Generally lighter on resources than comparable AV products.

CPU
1-20%
RAM
80-300MB
Power
low

securitysafe

eldenring.exe

#

Elden RingBandai Namco / FromSoftware

Action RPG. GPU-intensive with poor multi-core CPU scaling. Known for shader compilation stutters.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
4000-8000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

element.exe

#

Element (Matrix)New Vector Ltd

Decentralized end-to-end encrypted messaging on the Matrix protocol.

CPU
1-5%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
low

communicationsafe

elevation_service.exe

#

Chromium Elevation ServiceGoogle LLC / Opera

Applies browser updates that need administrator rights. Idle otherwise.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

epicgameslauncher.exe

#

Epic Games LauncherEpic Games

Game launcher and store. Heavy when updating games.

CPU
2-15%
RAM
200-600MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

epicwebhelper.exe

#

Epic Web HelperEpic Games

Embedded browser process for the Epic Games Launcher UI.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
100-250MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

escapefromtarkov.exe

#

Escape from TarkovBattlestate Games

Hardcore tactical shooter. Known for extremely high RAM and CPU usage. Generally poor optimization.

CPU
50-100%
RAM
8000-16000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

ethminer.exe

#

Ethereum MinerUnknown

Ethereum/ETC GPU miner. Unauthorized presence = malware.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
very_high

minersuspicious

eu4.exe

#

Europa Universalis IVParadox Interactive

Historical grand strategy spanning 1444-1821.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
1-4GB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

everything.exe

#

Everything Searchvoidtools

Instant file search using NTFS MFT indexing. Finds any file in milliseconds; extremely lightweight.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
10-100MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

excel.exe

#

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Corporation

Spreadsheet application. Large files can be CPU-intensive.

CPU
5-40%
RAM
100-800MB
Power
medium

productivitysafe

explorer.exe

#

Windows ExplorerMicrosoft Corporation

Windows shell and file manager. Critical system process.

CPU
1-5%
RAM
50-150MB
Power
low

systemsafe

expressvpn.exe

#

ExpressVPNExpressVPN International Ltd

Premium VPN service with fast servers in 94+ countries.

CPU
1-3%
RAM
50-120MB
Power
low

securitysafe

faceit.exe

#

FACEIT Anti-CheatFACEIT Ltd.

Kernel-level anti-cheat for FACEIT competitive platform. Must run to join FACEIT-ranked matches.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

securitycaution

factorio.exe

#

FactorioWube Software

Factory building game. CPU-heavy in late game with large automated factories.

CPU
20-90%
RAM
1-4GB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

factorygame-win64-shipping.exe

#

SatisfactoryCoffee Stain Studios

First-person factory building game. CPU-heavy in late-game.

CPU
30-80%
RAM
4-12GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

factorygame.exe

#

SatisfactoryCoffee Stain

Satisfactory game process - RAM grows with factory size.

CPU
30-90%
RAM
4-12GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

ffxiv_dx11.exe

#

Final Fantasy XIVSquare Enix

Popular MMORPG with acclaimed story. CPU-bound on populated servers.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

figma.exe

#

Figma DesktopFigma Inc.

UI/UX design tool desktop app. Electron-based; large files with many frames consume significant RAM.

CPU
5-40%
RAM
300-2000MB
Power
medium

productivitysafe

filezilla.exe

#

FileZillaTim Kosse (Open Source)

Open-source FTP/SFTP/FTPS client. Active file transfers saturate upload/download bandwidth.

CPU
1-20%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
low

networksafe

firefox.exe

#

Mozilla FirefoxMozilla Foundation

Open-source web browser. Generally lighter than Chrome.

CPU
3-15%
RAM
150-500MB
Power
medium

browsersafe

fivem.exe

#

FiveMCfx.re

GTA V multiplayer modification client.

CPU
30-90%
RAM
6-14GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

fl64.exe

#

FL StudioImage-Line

FL Studio music production DAW with step sequencer and mixer.

CPU
10-80%
RAM
200-2000MB
Power
high

mediasafe

flow.launcher.exe

#

Flow LauncherFlow Launcher team

Open-source quick launcher.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
80-200MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

flutter.exe

#

Flutter CLIGoogle LLC

Flutter cross-platform UI SDK CLI tool for project management and building.

CPU
5-30%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

fontdrvhost.exe

#

Font Driver HostMicrosoft Corporation

Sandboxed process for font rendering. Two instances (System + User) are always normal.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
5-30MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

foobar2000.exe

#

foobar2000Peter Pawlowski

Advanced freeware audio player for Windows with extensive plugin support.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

mediasafe

fork.exe

#

Fork Git ClientDan & Tanya

Fast, native Git GUI for Windows. Very low resource footprint compared to Electron alternatives.

CPU
1-15%
RAM
80-400MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

fortnite.exe

#

FortniteEpic Games

Battle royale game. DX12 mode recommended for newer GPUs.

CPU
40-80%
RAM
3000-6000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

fortniteclient-win64-shipping.exe

#

FortniteEpic Games

Fortnite game client.

CPU
30-90%
RAM
4-10GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

fsd-win64-shipping.exe

#

Deep Rock GalacticGhost Ship Games

Co-op FPS with procedurally generated caves. Play as dwarven miners.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

furmark.exe

#

FurMark GPU Stress TestGeeks3D

Maximizes GPU to 100% load for stability and thermal testing. Not for regular use - extreme heat generator.

CPU
5-30%
RAM
200-500MB
Power
very_high

utilitycaution

galaxyclient.exe

#

GOG Galaxy ClientCD Projekt

GOG DRM-free game store and launcher. Lightweight; can integrate other launcher libraries.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

galaxyclientservice.exe

#

GOG Galaxy ServiceGOG (CD Projekt)

Background install/update service for GOG Galaxy.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
very_low

gamingsafe

galaxycommunication.exe

#

GOG Galaxy CommunicationGOG (CD Projekt)

Inter-process bridge used by GOG Galaxy features.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
very_low

gamingsafe

gamebar.exe

#

Xbox Game BarMicrosoft Corporation

Windows in-game overlay (Win+G). Provides FPS counter, screenshots, and clip recording via GameDVR.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

gamebarftserver.exe

#

Game Bar Presence WriterMicrosoft Corporation

Background component for Xbox Game Bar game detection. Runs even when overlay is closed.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
10-50MB
Power
very_low

gamingsafe

gameinputredistservice.exe

#

GameInput Redistributable ServiceMicrosoft Corporation

Controller and input support for games using Microsoft GameInput.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

gameinputsvc.exe

#

Game Input ServiceMicrosoft Corporation

Xbox Game Input API service. Handles controller and gamepad input for PC games.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
10-40MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

gamingservices.exe

#

Xbox Gaming ServicesMicrosoft Corporation

Xbox / PC Game Pass delivery service. Required for installing and running Game Pass titles.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
30-150MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

gamingservicesnet.exe

#

Xbox Gaming Services (Network)Microsoft Corporation

Networking for Microsoft Store games and Game Pass.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

geforcenow.exe

#

GeForce NOWNVIDIA

Cloud gaming client - video decode, light local load.

CPU
5-20%
RAM
300-700MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

gh.exe

#

GitHub CLIGitHub Inc.

GitHub command-line tool for managing repos, PRs, and issues from terminal.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

gimp-2.10.exe

#

GIMPGNOME / GIMP Team

Open-source image editor. Moderate resource use; large images or heavy filters spike CPU.

CPU
5-60%
RAM
200-2000MB
Power
medium

productivitysafe

git.exe

#

Git Version ControlGit SCM

Distributed version control system for code repositories.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
10-50MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

gitkraken.exe

#

GitKrakenAxosoft LLC

Feature-rich Git GUI client. Electron-based; heavier than native alternatives.

CPU
3-25%
RAM
300-800MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

glasswire.exe

#

GlassWireSecureMix LLC

Network monitor and firewall UI. Tracks per-app bandwidth usage and alerts on new outbound connections.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
100-350MB
Power
low

networksafe

godot.exe

#

Godot Engine 3Godot Engine Community

Open-source 2D/3D game engine editor. Godot 3.x branch.

CPU
5-40%
RAM
200-800MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

godot4.exe

#

Godot Engine 4Godot Engine Community

Godot 4.x game engine with Vulkan rendering and improved 3D capabilities.

CPU
5-50%
RAM
300-1200MB
Power
high

developmentsafe

googledrivefs.exe

#

Google Drive File StreamGoogle LLC

Google Drive desktop sync client. Streams files on-demand; syncing causes temporary I/O and CPU spikes.

CPU
1-20%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
medium

cloudsafe

gpu-z.exe

#

GPU-ZTechPowerUp

GPU information and sensor viewer.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

gpuz.exe

#

GPU-ZTechPowerUp

GPU diagnostic and real-time monitoring tool. Reads VRAM, clocks, temperature, and power from GPU.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

greenshot.exe

#

GreenshotGreenshot (open-source)

Lightweight screenshot tool with annotation capabilities.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
15-40MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

gta5.exe

#

Grand Theft Auto VRockstar Games

Open-world game. GPU-heavy with high settings.

CPU
40-75%
RAM
4000-8000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

haloinfinite.exe

#

Halo Infinite343 Industries

Latest Halo with open-world campaign and free-to-play multiplayer.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-12GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

handbrake.exe

#

HandBrakeHandBrake Team

Video transcoder. Encoding maxes out CPU (all cores). GPU acceleration via NVENC or QuickSync reduces load.

CPU
80-100% (during encode)
RAM
200-2000MB
Power
very_high

mediasafe

heidisql.exe

#

HeidiSQLAnsgar Becker

Lightweight SQL client for MySQL, MariaDB, MSSQL, PostgreSQL databases.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
30-100MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

helldivers2.exe

#

Helldivers 2Arrowhead Game Studios

Co-op third-person shooter in satirical sci-fi setting. High GPU demand.

CPU
30-70%
RAM
8-16GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

helppane.exe

#

Windows Help and SupportMicrosoft Corporation

Opens the Windows help viewer. Appears when help is requested.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

systemsafe

hitman.exe

#

HITMAN (2016)IO Interactive

Reboot of the Hitman franchise. CPU-intensive AI and crowd simulation.

CPU
30-65%
RAM
3000-6000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

hitman2.exe

#

HITMAN 2IO Interactive

Stealth action game. GPU-heavy with high detail; benefits from fast SSD streaming.

CPU
30-70%
RAM
4000-8000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

hitman3.exe

#

HITMAN World of AssassinationIO Interactive

Stealth sandbox game (HITMAN 3 / WoA). Ray-tracing support; VRAM-hungry at 4K.

CPU
30-70%
RAM
4000-10000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

hl2.exe

#

Source Engine Game (HL2/TF2/GMod/Portal)Valve Corporation

Source engine executable shared by Half-Life 2, TF2, Garry's Mod, Portal and other Valve games.

CPU
10-40%
RAM
1-4GB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

hogwartslegacy.exe

#

Hogwarts LegacyAvalanche Software / WB Games

Open-world RPG on Unreal Engine 4. Heavy GPU load; DX12 stutters on first shader compilation run.

CPU
40-80%
RAM
8000-14000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

hoi4.exe

#

Hearts of Iron IVParadox Interactive

WWII grand strategy. CPU intensive with many AI nations.

CPU
20-70%
RAM
2-4GB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

horizonforbiddenwest.exe

#

Horizon Forbidden WestGuerrilla Games

Sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn. One of the most visually demanding PC games.

CPU
30-70%
RAM
8-16GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

horizonzerodawn.exe

#

Horizon Zero DawnGuerrilla Games / Sony

Open-world action RPG. PC port with demanding graphics settings.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
4-12GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

hunt.exe

#

Hunt: ShowdownCrytek

Extraction shooter set in the Louisiana bayou. Uses CryEngine.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
6-12GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

hwinfo64.exe

#

HWiNFO64REALiX

Comprehensive hardware monitoring tool. Reads all sensor data; commonly used as an overlay data source.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

hwmonitor.exe

#

HWMonitorCPUID

Hardware voltages/temps monitor.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

icloudservices.exe

#

iCloud ServicesApple

Windows sync for iCloud Drive and Photos.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
low

cloudsafe

icue.exe

#

Corsair iCUECorsair Gaming Inc.

RGB lighting and peripheral management for Corsair devices. Known CPU overhead with many connected devices.

CPU
2-15%
RAM
150-500MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

idea64.exe

#

IntelliJ IDEAJetBrains s.r.o.

Java/Kotlin/Groovy IDE. JVM-based; high RAM. Project indexing and Gradle imports are CPU-intensive.

CPU
5-60%
RAM
500-3000MB
Power
high

developmentsafe

igfxem.exe

#

Intel Graphics ModuleIntel Corporation

Intel integrated GPU event monitor. Handles hotkeys and display switching for Intel graphics.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
5-30MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

illustrator.exe

#

Adobe IllustratorAdobe Inc.

Vector graphics editor. GPU acceleration for complex artwork.

CPU
10-70%
RAM
400-2000MB
Power
high

mediasafe

imsctadn.exe

#

IMSC TADN HelperIObit CO.

Background helper installed with IObit software.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

inkscape.exe

#

InkscapeInkscape Project

Open-source vector graphics editor. Lightweight on idle; complex SVG rendering can spike CPU.

CPU
2-40%
RAM
100-600MB
Power
low

productivitysafe

insomnia.exe

#

InsomniaKong

REST/GraphQL API client.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
200-500MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

irfanview64.exe

#

IrfanViewIrfan Skiljan

Fast compact image viewer supporting 100+ file formats. Very lightweight.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-30MB
Power
low

mediasafe

itunes.exe

#

iTunesApple

Apple media player and device sync.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
200-600MB
Power
medium

mediasafe

java.exe

#

Java Runtime (Console)Oracle Corporation

Runs Java apps with console output. Usage depends on application.

CPU
5-80%
RAM
100-4000MB
Power
varies

developmentsafe

javaw.exe

#

Java RuntimeOracle Corporation

Runs Java applications. Used by Minecraft and development tools.

CPU
5-80%
RAM
100-4000MB
Power
varies

developmentsafe

jetbrains.etw.collector.host.exe

#

JetBrains ETW CollectorJetBrains s.r.o.

Collects Windows trace events for JetBrains profilers.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

jhi_service.exe

#

Intel Dynamic Application LoaderIntel Corporation

Part of Intel Management Engine. Ships with chipset drivers.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

systemsafe

kdenlive.exe

#

KdenliveKDE Community (open-source)

Open-source non-linear video editor with multi-track timeline.

CPU
5-50%
RAM
200-800MB
Power
high

mediasafe

keepassxc.exe

#

KeePassXCKeePassXC Team

Open-source offline password manager. No cloud sync - fully local.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
30-80MB
Power
low

securitysafe

kodi.exe

#

Kodi Media CenterKodi Foundation

Open-source home theater software for managing and playing media collections.

CPU
3-20%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
medium

mediasafe

krisp.exe

#

KrispKrisp

AI noise cancellation for calls.

CPU
2-12%
RAM
150-400MB
Power
medium

mediasafe

krita.exe

#

KritaKrita Foundation (open-source)

Professional free and open-source digital painting and illustration application.

CPU
3-30%
RAM
100-600MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

ksp_x64.exe

#

Kerbal Space ProgramSquad / Private Division

Space flight simulation. Physics engine is single-threaded - CPU pegs one core with large vessels.

CPU
30-90%
RAM
1000-8000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

kubectl.exe

#

kubectlCloud Native Computing Foundation

Kubernetes command-line tool for managing containerized workloads and clusters.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

latencymon.exe

#

LatencyMonResplendence Software

Analyzes DPC and ISR latency. Used to diagnose audio glitches and real-time issues.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
15-40MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

launcher.exe

#

Rockstar Games LauncherRockstar Games

Store and launcher for GTA and Red Dead titles.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
150-400MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

league of legends.exe

#

League of LegendsRiot Games

MOBA game. Moderate requirements, optimized for older hardware.

CPU
30-70%
RAM
1500-3000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

leagueclientux.exe

#

League Client UIRiot Games

League of Legends lobby and shop interface.

CPU
2-15%
RAM
300-700MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

ledkeeper2.exe

#

MSI LedKeeperMicro-Star INT'L CO., LTD.

Keeps RGB lighting profiles applied.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

left4dead2.exe

#

Left 4 Dead 2Valve Corporation

Co-op zombie shooter on the Source engine. Still very popular.

CPU
10-30%
RAM
1-3GB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

lghub.exe

#

Logitech G HUBLogitech International

Logitech peripheral and RGB management app. Electron-based; heavier than older Logitech Gaming Software.

CPU
2-10%
RAM
200-600MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

lghub_agent.exe

#

Logitech G HUB AgentLogitech

Background agent applying G HUB device profiles.

CPU
0-4%
RAM
100-250MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

lghub_updater.exe

#

Logitech G HUB UpdaterLogitech

Update checker for G HUB.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
30-80MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

librewolf.exe

#

LibreWolfLibreWolf Community

Firefox fork focused on privacy. Blocks trackers and telemetry.

CPU
3-15%
RAM
150-600MB
Power
medium

browsersafe

lies-p.exe

#

Lies of PROUND8 Studio / Neowiz

Soulslike action game based on the Pinocchio story.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
6-12GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

lightingservice.exe

#

ASUS Aura LightingASUS

Aura Sync RGB lighting service.

CPU
0-4%
RAM
50-150MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

lightkeeperservice.exe

#

MSI LightKeeper ServiceMicro-Star INT'L CO., LTD.

Companion service for MSI RGB lighting.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

lm studio.exe

#

LM StudioLM Studio

Local LLM playground - resource use scales with the loaded model.

CPU
5-90%
RAM
2-16GB
Power
very_high

developmentsafe

lockapp.exe

#

Lock Screen AppMicrosoft Corporation

Renders the Windows lock screen. Automatically suspended when PC is unlocked.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

logioptionsplus.exe

#

Logi Options+Logitech International

Modern Logitech device configuration app (replaces Options). Electron-based; manages MX series devices.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
150-500MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

lsass.exe

#

Local Security AuthorityMicrosoft Corporation

Handles Windows security policy and authentication.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
10-30MB
Power
low

systemsafe

lsm.exe

#

Local Session ManagerMicrosoft Corporation

Manages user sessions and Remote Desktop connections. Critical system process; always tiny footprint.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
5-20MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

lunarclient.exe

#

Lunar ClientMoonsworth

Modded Minecraft client with built-in performance tweaks.

CPU
10-40%
RAM
1-3GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

macrium.reflect64.exe

#

Macrium ReflectParamount Software UK

Disk imaging and backup software. Creates full, incremental, and differential backups.

CPU
10-60%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
high

utilitysafe

malwarebytes.exe

#

MalwarebytesMalwarebytes Corporation

Anti-malware protection. Scans can be CPU-intensive.

CPU
2-40%
RAM
50-300MB
Power
medium

securitysafe

mattermost-desktop.exe

#

MattermostMattermost Inc.

Open-source self-hosted team messaging platform. Slack alternative.

CPU
2-8%
RAM
150-400MB
Power
medium

communicationsafe

mbam.exe

#

Malwarebytes ServiceMalwarebytes Corporation

Malwarebytes background protection service. Complements antivirus.

CPU
1-15%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
low

securitysafe

mbamservice.exe

#

Malwarebytes ServiceMalwarebytes Corporation

Core Malwarebytes background protection engine running alongside primary AV software.

CPU
1-20%
RAM
80-300MB
Power
low

securitysafe

mbamtray.exe

#

Malwarebytes TrayMalwarebytes Corporation

Malwarebytes system tray notification icon. Lightweight UI component for the MBAMService.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
very_low

securitysafe

medal.exe

#

MedalMedal.tv

Clip recorder capturing gameplay in the background.

CPU
5-20%
RAM
300-800MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

mediainfo.exe

#

MediaInfoMediaArea.net

Technical metadata analyzer for audio and video files.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
10-30MB
Power
low

mediasafe

megasync.exe

#

MEGAsyncMega Limited

MEGA cloud storage sync client with end-to-end encryption. Large syncs drive significant I/O.

CPU
1-20%
RAM
80-300MB
Power
medium

cloudsafe

memcompression

#

Memory CompressionMicrosoft Corporation

Compresses rarely-used RAM pages to free physical memory. High usage indicates memory pressure.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
varies (compressed pages)
Power
low

systemsafe

memu.exe

#

MEmu PlayMicrovirt

Android emulator optimized for gaming. Heavy RAM usage.

CPU
20-70%
RAM
1000-3000MB
Power
very_high

emulatorsafe

messenger.exe

#

MessengerMeta

Facebook Messenger desktop app.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
150-400MB
Power
low

communicationsafe

minecraft.exe

#

MinecraftMojang Studios / Microsoft

Sandbox block game. Java Edition is CPU-heavy; Bedrock is more optimized. Chunk loading spikes CPU.

CPU
30-80%
RAM
2000-8000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

minecraftlauncher.exe

#

Minecraft LauncherMojang (Microsoft)

Official Minecraft launcher.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
150-400MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

mkvtoolnix-gui.exe

#

MKVToolNixMoritz Bunkus (open-source)

GUI for creating, editing and inspecting MKV video files.

CPU
5-50%
RAM
30-100MB
Power
medium

mediasafe

mobaxterm.exe

#

MobaXtermMobatek

Enhanced terminal for Windows with X11 server, SSH client and many network tools.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
30-100MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

mobsync.exe

#

Microsoft Sync CenterMicrosoft Corporation

Synchronizes files with offline network shares. Rarely needed in home/gaming environments.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
10-60MB
Power
low

systemsafe

modernwarfare3.exe

#

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare IIIActivision / Sledgehammer Games

Latest CoD title. High VRAM requirements for modern settings.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
8-16GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

mongod.exe

#

MongoDB ServerMongoDB Inc.

MongoDB NoSQL database server process.

CPU
1-15%
RAM
100-500MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

mongodbcompass.exe

#

MongoDB CompassMongoDB Inc.

GUI for MongoDB databases (Electron).

CPU
1-8%
RAM
300-700MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

monsterhunterrise.exe

#

Monster Hunter RiseCapcom

PC port of the Switch title. Less demanding than World. Includes Sunbreak DLC.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

monsterhunterworld.exe

#

Monster Hunter: WorldCapcom

Action RPG hunting gigantic monsters. Iceborne expansion adds major content.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

moonlight.exe

#

MoonlightMoonlight project

Open-source game streaming client for NVIDIA hosts.

CPU
5-20%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

mousocoreworker.exe

#

MoUSO Core WorkerMicrosoft

Update session orchestrator - wakes around Windows Update activity.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

systemsafe

mpc-hc64.exe

#

Media Player Classic - HCmpc-hc.org (open-source)

Lightweight classic-style media player with strong codec support.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
30-120MB
Power
low

mediasafe

mpcmdrun.exe

#

Windows Defender CLIMicrosoft Corporation

Command-line scanner for Windows Defender. Used by scheduled scans and automation scripts.

CPU
5-50% (during scan)
RAM
50-300MB
Power
medium

securitysafe

mpdefendercoreservice.exe

#

Microsoft Defender Core ServiceMicrosoft Corporation

Part of Microsoft Defender. Do not disable it.

CPU
0-20%
RAM
50-300MB
Power
varies

securitysafe

mpv.exe

#

MPV Playermpv.io (open-source)

Lightweight open-source media player with hardware-accelerated decoding.

CPU
2-15%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
medium

mediasafe

mrt.exe

#

Malicious Software Removal ToolMicrosoft Corporation

Microsoft tool checking for specific malware. Runs monthly via Windows Update.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
50-150MB
Power
high

securitysafe

msbuild.exe

#

MSBuildMicrosoft Corporation

Microsoft build engine for .NET and C++ projects. CPU-heavy during compilation; exits when done.

CPU
20-100% (during build)
RAM
100-2000MB
Power
high

developmentsafe

msedge.exe

#

Microsoft EdgeMicrosoft Corporation

Chromium-based browser. Similar RAM behavior to Chrome.

CPU
5-20%
RAM
150-600MB
Power
high

browsersafe

msedgewebview2.exe

#

Edge WebView2Microsoft

Embedded web renderer used by many apps (Widgets, Office, Teams). Multiple instances are normal.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
50-300MB
Power
medium

systemsafe

msi.centralserver.exe

#

MSI Center ServerMicro-Star INT'L CO., LTD.

Background service for MSI Center.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
20-120MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

msi.terminalserver.exe

#

MSI Center Terminal ServerMicro-Star INT'L CO., LTD.

Command channel used by MSI Center features.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

msi_case_service.exe

#

MSI Case ServiceMicro-Star INT'L CO., LTD.

Controls MSI case fans and case lighting.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

msi_central_service.exe

#

MSI Central ServiceMicro-Star INT'L CO., LTD.

Core MSI Center service. Feeds fan and hardware panels.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

msiafterburner.exe

#

MSI AfterburnerMicro-Star International / RivaTuner

GPU overclocking and monitoring tool for all GPU brands. Pairs with RTSS for in-game overlay.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
30-100MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

msicenterclient.exe

#

MSI CenterMicro-Star International

MSI hardware management software for fan control, RGB, and performance profiles on MSI systems.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

msiexec.exe

#

Windows InstallerMicrosoft Corporation

Runs .msi installer packages. Should only appear during software installations. Impersonation by malware is possible.

CPU
5-50% (during install)
RAM
20-200MB
Power
medium

systemcaution

msmpeng.exe

#

Windows Defender EngineMicrosoft Corporation

Core antivirus engine for Windows Defender. CPU spikes during background scans.

CPU
5-40%
RAM
80-300MB
Power
medium

systemsafe

mullvadvpn.exe

#

Mullvad VPNMullvad AB

Privacy-focused VPN. Supports anonymous account numbers, strict no-logs policy.

CPU
1-2%
RAM
40-100MB
Power
low

securitysafe

mysql.exe

#

MySQL ServerOracle Corporation

MySQL database server process handling queries and connections.

CPU
1-20%
RAM
50-500MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

mystic_light_service.exe

#

MSI Mystic Light ServiceMicro-Star INT'L CO., LTD.

RGB lighting control for MSI hardware.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

nicehash.exe

#

NiceHash MinerNiceHash

Crypto mining marketplace client. Legitimate if user-installed; suspicious otherwise.

CPU
30-90%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
very_high

minersuspicious

nissrv.exe

#

Defender Network InspectionMicrosoft

Network traffic inspection arm of Microsoft Defender.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
very_low

securitysafe

nmap.exe

#

NmapInsecure.com LLC

Network exploration and security auditing tool. Scans ports and detects services.

CPU
10-60%
RAM
20-100MB
Power
medium

networksafe

node.exe

#

Node.js RuntimeOpenJS Foundation

JavaScript runtime for server-side apps and dev tools.

CPU
5-40%
RAM
50-300MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

nomachine.exe

#

NoMachineNoMachine

High-performance remote desktop solution using the NX protocol.

CPU
2-10%
RAM
60-180MB
Power
medium

remotesafe

nomanssky.exe

#

No Man's SkyHello Games

Space exploration survival game. Vastly improved since launch.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

nordvpn.exe

#

NordVPNNord Security

Commercial VPN client. Active tunneling increases latency; kill switch runs as persistent background service.

CPU
1-15%
RAM
100-350MB
Power
medium

networksafe

nortonsecurity.exe

#

Norton SecurityGen Digital

Norton 360 core protection process.

CPU
0-8%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
low

securitysafe

notepad++.exe

#

Notepad++Don Ho

Lightweight code/text editor with syntax highlighting and plugins.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
15-80MB
Power
very_low

productivitysafe

notepad.exe

#

NotepadMicrosoft Corporation

Simple text editor. Extremely lightweight.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
5-15MB
Power
very_low

productivitysafe

notion.exe

#

NotionNotion Labs

Note-taking and collaboration workspace. Electron-based.

CPU
3-15%
RAM
150-500MB
Power
medium

productivitysafe

ntoskrnl.exe

#

NT OS KernelMicrosoft Corporation

Windows kernel and process scheduler. Always present. High CPU here means kernel-level activity (drivers, DPCs, interrupts).

CPU
0-20%
RAM
50-500MB (kernel pool)
Power
varies

systemsafe

nvcontainer.exe

#

NVIDIA ContainerNVIDIA Corporation

Hosts NVIDIA services like GeForce Experience and telemetry.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
20-100MB
Power
low

systemsafe

nvdisplay.container.exe

#

NVIDIA Display ContainerNVIDIA Corporation

Manages NVIDIA Control Panel and display settings.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
10-50MB
Power
low

systemsafe

nvidia app.exe

#

NVIDIA AppNVIDIA

Unified driver, overlay and optimization hub (GeForce Experience successor).

CPU
0-5%
RAM
150-400MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

nvidia overlay.exe

#

NVIDIA OverlayNVIDIA

In-game overlay renderer for the NVIDIA App.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
100-250MB
Power
low

mediasafe

nvsphelper64.exe

#

NVIDIA ShadowPlay HelperNVIDIA

Hotkey listener for ShadowPlay capture.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
20-50MB
Power
very_low

mediasafe

nvtelemetrycontainer.exe

#

NVIDIA Telemetry ContainerNVIDIA Corporation

Collects NVIDIA driver usage telemetry. Not essential; can be disabled via Services without side effects.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
10-50MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

nvwmi64.exe

#

NVIDIA WMI ProviderNVIDIA Corporation

Exposes NVIDIA GPU data via Windows WMI interface. Used by monitoring and reporting tools.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
10-40MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

nzxt cam.exe

#

NZXT CAMNZXT

Monitoring and RGB suite for NZXT hardware.

CPU
2-10%
RAM
300-700MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

obs64.exe

#

OBS StudioOBS Project

Screen recording and streaming software. GPU encoding recommended.

CPU
10-50%
RAM
200-800MB
Power
very_high

mediasafe

obsidian.exe

#

ObsidianObsidian.md

Knowledge base and note-taking app using linked Markdown files. Personal wiki.

CPU
1-5%
RAM
80-300MB
Power
low

productivitysafe

occt.exe

#

OCCT Stability TestOCBASE

CPU, GPU, RAM and PSU stability testing tool. Used for overclocking validation.

CPU
90-100%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
high

utilitysafe

ollama.exe

#

OllamaOllama

Local LLM runtime - heavy CPU/GPU and RAM while a model is answering.

CPU
5-95%
RAM
2-16GB
Power
very_high

developmentsafe

onedrive.exe

#

Microsoft OneDriveMicrosoft Corporation

Cloud storage sync client. CPU spikes during file uploads and indexing.

CPU
1-20%
RAM
80-300MB
Power
medium

cloudsafe

openrgb.exe

#

OpenRGBOpenRGB Project (Open Source)

Open-source RGB lighting control supporting 300+ devices across all brands. Lightweight alternative to vendor apps.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
30-150MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

openvpn-gui.exe

#

OpenVPN GUIOpenVPN project

Classic OpenVPN tunnel manager.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
very_low

networksafe

openvpn.exe

#

OpenVPNOpenVPN Inc. / Open Source

Open-source VPN daemon. Backend for many corporate VPNs and self-hosted setups.

CPU
1-20%
RAM
20-100MB
Power
low

networksafe

opera.exe

#

Opera BrowserOpera Software

Chromium-based with built-in VPN and ad blocker.

CPU
5-20%
RAM
200-700MB
Power
medium

browsersafe

opera_crashreporter.exe

#

Opera Crash ReporterOpera Software

Collects a report after Opera crashes.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

outlook.exe

#

Microsoft OutlookMicrosoft Corporation

Email and calendar client. Syncing large mailboxes is heavy.

CPU
3-20%
RAM
150-500MB
Power
medium

productivitysafe

overwatch.exe

#

Overwatch 2Blizzard Entertainment

Team hero shooter. Well-optimized for its visuals. Runs through Battle.net launcher.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
3000-6000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

overwolf.exe

#

OverwolfOverwolf Ltd.

In-game overlay platform hosting apps like CurseForge and Outplayed. Adds noticeable in-game overhead.

CPU
2-15%
RAM
200-600MB
Power
medium

gamingcaution

palworld-win64-shipping.exe

#

PalworldPocketpair

Palworld game client.

CPU
30-90%
RAM
6-12GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

palworld.exe

#

PalworldPocketpair

Survival crafting game with creature collection. Massive 2024 hit.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-12GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

parsec.exe

#

ParsecParsec Cloud Inc.

Low-latency remote desktop streaming optimized for gaming and creative work.

CPU
2-15%
RAM
80-200MB
Power
medium

remotesafe

parsecd.exe

#

Parsec DaemonParsec (Unity)

Low-latency remote desktop / game streaming host.

CPU
2-15%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
medium

remotesafe

pathofexile.exe

#

Path of ExileGrinding Gear Games

Action RPG. Heavy RAM usage with large on-screen effects; known for memory leaks during long sessions.

CPU
30-80%
RAM
4000-10000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

pcloud.exe

#

pCloud DrivepCloud AG

pCloud cloud storage desktop client mounting cloud as a virtual drive.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
30-100MB
Power
low

cloudsafe

pgadmin4.exe

#

pgAdmin 4pgAdmin Development Team

Web-based administration tool for PostgreSQL databases.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
200-600MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

phasmophobia.exe

#

PhasmophobiaKinetic Games

Co-op paranormal investigation horror game. VR-supported.

CPU
10-40%
RAM
2-6GB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

phoneexperiencehost.exe

#

Phone LinkMicrosoft

Syncs an Android/iPhone with Windows (messages, photos, calls).

CPU
0-6%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
low

communicationsafe

photoshop.exe

#

Adobe PhotoshopAdobe Inc.

Professional image editing. RAM usage depends on file size.

CPU
10-80%
RAM
500-3000MB
Power
high

mediasafe

playnite.exe

#

PlayniteJosef Richter (Open Source)

Open-source unified game library manager. Integrates Steam, GOG, Epic, Itch, and more.

CPU
1-15%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

plex.exe

#

PlexPlex Inc.

Media streaming client for a Plex server.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
200-500MB
Power
medium

mediasafe

plexmediaserver.exe

#

Plex Media ServerPlex Inc.

Serves and transcodes your media library - heavy while transcoding.

CPU
1-70%
RAM
200MB-1GB
Power
varies

mediasafe

postman.exe

#

PostmanPostman Inc.

API testing and development platform. Electron-based; memory grows with large collections open.

CPU
3-30%
RAM
300-1200MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

potplayer64.exe

#

PotPlayerKakao Corp.

Versatile media player with broad codec support and hardware acceleration.

CPU
2-20%
RAM
60-250MB
Power
medium

mediasafe

potplayermini64.exe

#

PotPlayerKakao

Feature-rich video player.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
80-300MB
Power
low

mediasafe

powerlauncher.exe

#

PowerToys RunMicrosoft

Alt+Space quick launcher from PowerToys.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
50-150MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

powerpnt.exe

#

Microsoft PowerPointMicrosoft Corporation

Presentation software. Videos and animations increase usage.

CPU
5-30%
RAM
150-600MB
Power
medium

productivitysafe

powershell.exe

#

Windows PowerShellMicrosoft Corporation

Advanced scripting shell for automation and admin tasks.

CPU
1-20%
RAM
30-150MB
Power
low

systemsafe

powertoys.exe

#

Microsoft PowerToysMicrosoft Corporation

Windows productivity utilities: FancyZones, PowerRename, Run launcher, and more.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
50-150MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

premiere.exe

#

Adobe Premiere ProAdobe Inc.

Professional video editor. GPU-accelerated effects and encoding. Export jobs sustain 100% CPU for extended periods.

CPU
20-100%
RAM
2000-12000MB
Power
very_high

mediasafe

prime95.exe

#

Prime95GIMPS

CPU stress tester for stability and overclock validation. Torture test maxes all CPU cores indefinitely.

CPU
100%
RAM
100-500MB
Power
very_high

utilitycaution

prismlauncher.exe

#

Prism LauncherPrism Launcher community

Open-source Minecraft instance launcher.

CPU
0-4%
RAM
80-200MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

procexp64.exe

#

Process ExplorerMicrosoft (Sysinternals)

Advanced Task Manager replacement with detailed process and handle information.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

procmon64.exe

#

Process MonitorMicrosoft (Sysinternals)

Advanced monitoring tool showing real-time file, registry, and process activity.

CPU
5-30%
RAM
100-500MB
Power
high

developmentsafe

protonvpn.exe

#

ProtonVPNProton AG

VPN by creators of ProtonMail. Strong privacy policy, strict no-logs.

CPU
1-3%
RAM
60-130MB
Power
low

securitysafe

protools.exe

#

Pro ToolsAvid Technology

Industry-standard professional DAW used in studios worldwide.

CPU
10-70%
RAM
400-2000MB
Power
very_high

mediasafe

proxifier.exe

#

ProxifierInitex Software

Routes TCP connections through proxy servers system-wide. Used for SOCKS5/HTTP tunneling.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
20-100MB
Power
low

networkcaution

pubg.exe

#

PUBG: BattlegroundsKrafton

Battle royale on Unreal Engine. Historically CPU-heavy. BattlEye anti-cheat runs alongside.

CPU
40-80%
RAM
6000-12000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

putty.exe

#

PuTTYSimon Tatham (Open Source)

SSH and Telnet client. Extremely lightweight. Industry standard for remote server terminal access.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-30MB
Power
very_low

networksafe

pycharm64.exe

#

PyCharmJetBrains s.r.o.

Python IDE on IntelliJ platform. JVM-based; high memory use. Indexing spikes CPU on project open.

CPU
5-50%
RAM
400-2000MB
Power
high

developmentsafe

python.exe

#

Python InterpreterPython Software Foundation

Runs Python scripts. Usage depends on script complexity.

CPU
1-100%
RAM
20-500MB
Power
varies

developmentsafe

pythonw.exe

#

Python (No Console)Python Software Foundation

Python without console window. Used by GUI apps like PC_Workman.

CPU
1-50%
RAM
30-400MB
Power
varies

developmentsafe

qbittorrent.exe

#

qBittorrentqBittorrent Project (open-source)

Free open-source BitTorrent client. Alternative to uTorrent without ads.

CPU
1-20%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
medium

networksafe

r5apex.exe

#

Apex LegendsRespawn Entertainment / EA

Battle royale FPS on Source engine. CPU-heavy; sensitive to core count and clock frequency.

CPU
30-80%
RAM
4000-8000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

radeoninstaller.exe

#

AMD Radeon InstallerAdvanced Micro Devices

AMD driver and software installer. Should only appear during driver updates.

CPU
5-40% (during install)
RAM
50-300MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

radeonsoftware.exe

#

AMD Radeon SoftwareAMD

Adrenalin control panel for Radeon GPUs.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
150-400MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

rainbowsix.exe

#

Rainbow Six SiegeUbisoft

Tactical 5v5 FPS. Well-optimized, runs on a wide range of hardware with solid scaling.

CPU
30-70%
RAM
3000-6000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

ravbg64.exe

#

Realtek Audio BackgroundRealtek

Realtek HD Audio background processing.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
15-50MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

rclone.exe

#

rclonerclone.org (open-source)

CLI tool for syncing files with cloud storage providers (S3, GDrive, Dropbox, etc.).

CPU
5-40%
RAM
30-100MB
Power
medium

cloudsafe

rdr2.exe

#

Red Dead Redemption 2Rockstar Games

Open-world Western action-adventure. Extremely GPU and VRAM demanding.

CPU
30-70%
RAM
8-16GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

re4.exe

#

Resident Evil 4 RemakeCapcom

2023 remake of the classic survival horror. Uses RE Engine with ray tracing.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
8-16GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

re8.exe

#

Resident Evil VillageCapcom

First-person survival horror with multiple gameplay styles.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
6-12GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

reaper.exe

#

REAPER DAWCockos Incorporated

Digital audio workstation for recording, mixing, editing. Very lightweight for a DAW.

CPU
5-60%
RAM
100-800MB
Power
high

mediasafe

redis-server.exe

#

Redis ServerRedis Ltd (open-source)

In-memory data structure store used as database, cache, and message broker.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
10-200MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

regedit.exe

#

Registry EditorMicrosoft Corporation

Windows tool for viewing and editing the system registry. Use with caution.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
10-30MB
Power
low

systemsafe

registry

#

Windows Registry ProcessMicrosoft Corporation

NT kernel process managing the Windows registry hive in memory. Always present.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

systemsafe

remnant2.exe

#

Remnant IIGunfire Games

Co-op third-person shooter RPG with procedurally generated worlds.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
6-16GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

resolve.exe

#

DaVinci ResolveBlackmagic Design

Professional video editor and color grader. GPU-accelerated; VRAM usage hits 8GB+ on 4K projects.

CPU
20-80%
RAM
2000-16000MB
Power
very_high

mediasafe

revouninstaller.exe

#

Revo UninstallerVS Revo Group

Advanced uninstaller removing programs and leftover registry/file traces.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

rider64.exe

#

JetBrains RiderJetBrains s.r.o.

.NET/C# IDE combining IntelliJ and ReSharper. Strong alternative to Visual Studio.

CPU
5-60%
RAM
400-2000MB
Power
high

developmentsafe

riotclientservices.exe

#

Riot ClientRiot Games

Launcher for League of Legends, Valorant, TFT.

CPU
1-5%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

riotclientux.exe

#

Riot Client UIRiot Games

User interface renderer of the Riot Client.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
150-350MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

rivatunerstatisticsserver.exe

#

RivaTuner Statistics ServerUnwinder / Guru3D

Frame rate limiter and in-game OSD rendering backend. Required by MSI Afterburner overlay.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

robloxplayerbeta.exe

#

RobloxRoblox Corp.

Roblox game client.

CPU
10-60%
RAM
1-4GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

rocketleague.exe

#

Rocket LeaguePsyonix / Epic Games

Vehicular soccer game. Good optimization; runs on mid-range hardware. Requires Epic Games.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
2000-5000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

rockstarerrorhandler.exe

#

Rockstar Error HandlerRockstar Games

Crash reporter that runs alongside Rockstar games.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
10-30MB
Power
very_low

gamingsafe

rockstarservice.exe

#

Rockstar Games ServiceRockstar Games

Background service for Rockstar Games Launcher. Required to run GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

rtkaudioservice64.exe

#

Realtek Audio ServiceRealtek Semiconductor

Realtek HD Audio background service. Manages audio hardware detection and driver events.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
10-50MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

rtkauduservice64.exe

#

Realtek Audio ServiceRealtek

Audio driver background service.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
10-40MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

rtkngui64.exe

#

Realtek Audio ManagerRealtek Semiconductor

Realtek HD Audio Manager UI for speaker, headphone, and microphone configuration.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

rtss.exe

#

RivaTuner Statistics ServerGuru3D

FPS counter and frame limiter used with MSI Afterburner - PC Workman reads FPS from it.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
very_low

utilitysafe

rufus.exe

#

RufusPete Batard (open-source)

Utility for creating bootable USB drives from ISO files. Fast and reliable.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
5-20MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

rundll32.exe

#

Windows Host Process (Rundll32)Microsoft Corporation

Runs code from DLL files. Legitimate from System32, a common malware disguise elsewhere.

CPU
0-15%
RAM
5-40MB
Power
varies

systemsafe

runtimebroker.exe

#

Runtime BrokerMicrosoft Corporation

Checks what Store apps are allowed to reach, such as the camera, microphone and files. Spikes briefly when an app asks for a permission; sustained high memory usually means one app is asking in a loop.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
10-150MB
Power
low

systemsafe

rust.exe

#

RustFacepunch Studios

Survival multiplayer game. Notorious for high CPU usage on populated servers.

CPU
30-70%
RAM
4-12GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

rustclient.exe

#

RustFacepunch

Rust game client - famously RAM hungry.

CPU
30-90%
RAM
6-14GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

rustdesk.exe

#

RustDeskRustDesk (open-source)

Open-source remote desktop tool. Self-hostable alternative to TeamViewer.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
50-150MB
Power
medium

remotesafe

rvcontrolsvc.exe

#

Radmin VPN Control ServiceFamatech

Runs the Radmin VPN virtual network adapter.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

networksafe

samsung magician.exe

#

Samsung MagicianSamsung

SSD health, firmware and performance suite.

CPU
0-4%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

sandboxie-plus.exe

#

Sandboxie PlusSandboxie Team (open-source)

Sandbox isolation program running apps in a safe isolated space.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

securitysafe

scrivener3.exe

#

ScrivenerLiterature and Latte

Writing software for long-form projects like novels, scripts, and research papers.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
low

productivitysafe

seaofthieves.exe

#

Sea of ThievesRare / Xbox Game Studios

Pirate adventure MMO. Good GPU optimization. Requires Xbox account.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

searchapp.exe

#

Windows Search AppMicrosoft Corporation

UWP process rendering the taskbar search interface. Suspends when search is not in use.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
low

systemsafe

searchfilterhost.exe

#

Search Filter HostMicrosoft Corporation

Reads file contents so Windows Search can index them. Bursts during indexing.

CPU
0-25%
RAM
10-80MB
Power
varies

systemsafe

searchhost.exe

#

Windows Search HostMicrosoft Corporation

Core Windows Search indexing host (Win11). Replaces SearchIndexer.exe. CPU spikes during indexing.

CPU
1-25% (spikes during indexing)
RAM
50-300MB
Power
medium

systemsafe

searchindexer.exe

#

Windows Search IndexerMicrosoft Corporation

Indexes files for faster search. Heavy during initial indexing.

CPU
5-40%
RAM
50-300MB
Power
medium

systemsafe

searchprotocolhost.exe

#

Search Protocol HostMicrosoft Corporation

Feeds files to the search indexer. Bursts after large file changes.

CPU
0-20%
RAM
10-70MB
Power
varies

systemsafe

securityhealthservice.exe

#

Windows Security Health ServiceMicrosoft Corporation

Reports Windows Security status: antivirus, firewall, account protection.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

securitysafe

securityhealthsystray.exe

#

Windows Security TrayMicrosoft Corporation

System tray icon for Windows Security Center. Monitors AV, firewall, and update status.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
10-50MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

sekiro.exe

#

Sekiro: Shadows Die TwiceFromSoftware / Activision

Samurai action game by FromSoftware. Focused single-player experience.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

sentinelagent.exe

#

SentinelOne AgentSentinelOne

Enterprise EDR security agent. Common in corporate environments. Uses behavioral AI threat detection.

CPU
2-25%
RAM
150-600MB
Power
medium

securitysafe

services.exe

#

Services Control ManagerMicrosoft Corporation

Manages Windows services. Critical system process.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
10-30MB
Power
low

systemsafe

settingssynchost.exe

#

Settings Sync HostMicrosoft Corporation

Syncs Windows settings and preferences across devices via Microsoft account. Runs periodically.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
10-40MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

sfc.exe

#

System File CheckerMicrosoft Corporation

Scans and repairs corrupted Windows system files. Run via 'sfc /scannow'.

CPU
10-40%
RAM
30-80MB
Power
medium

systemsafe

sharex.exe

#

ShareXShareX Team (open-source)

Feature-rich screenshot and screen recording tool with annotations and upload support.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
30-100MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

shellexperiencehost.exe

#

Windows Shell Experience HostMicrosoft Corporation

Hosts UWP shell elements: Action Center, system clock, taskbar transparency effects.

CPU
0-8%
RAM
30-120MB
Power
low

systemsafe

signal.exe

#

SignalSignal Foundation

Encrypted instant messenger. End-to-end encrypted messages and calls.

CPU
1-3%
RAM
80-200MB
Power
low

communicationsafe

sihclient.exe

#

Service Initiated Healing ClientMicrosoft Corporation

Detects and repairs broken Windows Update components. Runs occasionally in background.

CPU
1-15%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

systemsafe

sihost.exe

#

Shell Infrastructure HostMicrosoft Corporation

Manages background shell elements including wallpaper and taskbar features. Required by Explorer.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
10-40MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

skype.exe

#

SkypeMicrosoft Corporation

Video calls and messaging. Legacy version, being replaced by Teams.

CPU
3-20%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
medium

communicationsafe

slack.exe

#

SlackSlack Technologies

Team messaging platform. Electron-based, RAM-heavy.

CPU
2-15%
RAM
150-600MB
Power
medium

communicationsafe

smartscreen.exe

#

Windows SmartScreenMicrosoft Corporation

Checks downloaded files and URLs against Microsoft reputation database. Brief spike when opening new files.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
10-60MB
Power
low

securitysafe

smss.exe

#

Session Manager SubsystemMicrosoft Corporation

First user-mode process started by NT kernel. Manages Windows sessions.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
5-15MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

socialclubhelper.exe

#

Rockstar Social Club HelperRockstar Games

Background helper for the Rockstar Social Club overlay and sign-in.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
50-150MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

soffice.bin

#

LibreOfficeThe Document Foundation

Core LibreOffice process shared by Writer, Calc, and Impress. Free, open-source MS Office alternative.

CPU
5-40%
RAM
200-800MB
Power
medium

productivitysafe

sonsoftheforest.exe

#

Sons of the ForestEndnight Games

Survival horror sequel to The Forest. More demanding graphically.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
4-12GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

speccy.exe

#

SpeccyPiriform

System information tool showing detailed hardware specs and live temperatures.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
20-50MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

spoolsv.exe

#

Print SpoolerMicrosoft Corporation

Manages print job queue and printer communication. Persistent high CPU without printing may indicate malware.

CPU
0-15%
RAM
10-80MB
Power
low

systemcaution

spotify.exe

#

SpotifySpotify AB

Music streaming service. Background playback is lightweight.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
low

mediasafe

sqlitebrowser.exe

#

DB Browser for SQLiteSQLiteBrowser Team (open-source)

Visual tool for creating and editing SQLite databases.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

stardewvalley.exe

#

Stardew ValleyConcernedApe

Pixel-art farming RPG. Extremely lightweight. Rarely causes any performance concerns.

CPU
2-15%
RAM
200-600MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

starfield.exe

#

StarfieldBethesda Game Studios

Space RPG on Creation Engine 2. Very CPU-heavy; strongly prefers high single-core clock speeds.

CPU
50-100%
RAM
8000-14000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

startmenuexperiencehost.exe

#

Start Menu Experience HostMicrosoft Corporation

Renders the Windows 10/11 Start menu as a separate UWP process. Restarts automatically if it crashes.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
30-120MB
Power
low

systemsafe

steam.exe

#

Steam ClientValve Corporation

Game distribution platform. Background overlay can impact games.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

steamservice.exe

#

Steam Client ServiceValve

Elevated service handling installs and anti-cheat setup for Steam.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
10-40MB
Power
very_low

gamingsafe

steamwebhelper.exe

#

Steam Web HelperValve

Chromium renderer for the Steam client UI - several instances are normal.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

steelseriesgg.exe

#

SteelSeries GGSteelSeries

SteelSeries device and RGB management software. Electron-based replacement for SteelSeries Engine.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
150-500MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

stellaris.exe

#

StellarisParadox Interactive

Space grand strategy with 4X elements. Late-game lag with many AI empires.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
2-6GB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

streamlabs obs.exe

#

Streamlabs DesktopLogitech

Streaming studio built on OBS - noticeably heavier than plain OBS.

CPU
10-40%
RAM
0.5-2GB
Power
very_high

mediasafe

stremio.exe

#

StremioStremio

Streaming aggregation player.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
200-500MB
Power
medium

mediasafe

sublime_text.exe

#

Sublime TextSublime HQ Pty Ltd

Lightweight code editor. Instant startup and smooth editing even on very large files.

CPU
1-20%
RAM
50-300MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

subnautica.exe

#

SubnauticaUnknown Worlds Entertainment

Underwater open-world survival game. RAM usage grows in long sessions.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

sumatrapdf.exe

#

Sumatra PDFKrzysztof Kowalczyk

Fast lightweight PDF and ebook reader with minimal memory footprint.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
10-50MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

sunshine.exe

#

SunshineLizardByte

Open-source game stream host for Moonlight clients.

CPU
5-30%
RAM
150-400MB
Power
high

remotesafe

surfshark.exe

#

Surfshark VPNSurfshark B.V.

VPN client encrypting internet traffic and hiding IP address.

CPU
1-3%
RAM
50-120MB
Power
low

securitysafe

svchost.exe

#

Service HostMicrosoft Corporation

Hosts Windows services. Multiple instances are normal.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
10-200MB per instance
Power
varies

systemsafe

synapse3.exe

#

Razer Synapse 3Razer Inc.

Razer device manager, macro configurator, and RGB control. Background service persists when UI closes.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
150-500MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

synologydrive.exe

#

Synology DriveSynology

NAS folder sync client.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
low

cloudsafe

system

#

System ProcessMicrosoft Corporation

Core Windows NT kernel and system threads. Always running.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
5-50MB
Power
low

systemsafe

system idle process

#

System Idle ProcessMicrosoft Corporation

Pseudo-process representing unused CPU time. High % = CPU is free and healthy. Never a problem.

CPU
0-99% (inverse of real load)
RAM
0MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

systemsettings.exe

#

Windows SettingsMicrosoft Corporation

The Settings app. Runs while the window is open.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
40-150MB
Power
low

systemsafe

tail.exe

#

tail (Git for Windows)Johannes Schindelin

Command-line tool that follows the end of a file.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

tailscale-ipn.exe

#

Tailscale TrayTailscale

Tray UI for Tailscale.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
very_low

networksafe

tailscale.exe

#

TailscaleTailscale Inc.

WireGuard-based zero-config mesh VPN. Extremely low overhead; creates private network between devices.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
30-150MB
Power
low

networksafe

tailscaled.exe

#

Tailscale DaemonTailscale

WireGuard-based mesh VPN backend.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
30-100MB
Power
very_low

networksafe

taskhostex.exe

#

Windows Task HostMicrosoft Corporation

Runs scheduled tasks that live in a DLL rather than in their own program. Windows 8 and 8.1 only; on Windows 10 and 11 the same job is done by taskhostw.exe.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
5-30MB
Power
low

systemsafe

taskhostw.exe

#

Task Host WindowMicrosoft Corporation

Hosts scheduled tasks and COM objects at logon and logoff. Multiple instances are normal.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
5-50MB
Power
low

systemsafe

taskmgr.exe

#

Task ManagerMicrosoft Corporation

Windows Task Manager for monitoring and managing processes.

CPU
1-5%
RAM
30-80MB
Power
low

systemsafe

teams.exe

#

Microsoft TeamsMicrosoft Corporation

Business communication platform. Heavy during video calls.

CPU
5-30%
RAM
200-800MB
Power
high

communicationsafe

teamviewer.exe

#

TeamViewerTeamViewer GmbH

Remote support and access. Heavier than AnyDesk.

CPU
5-35%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
medium

remotesafe

telegram.exe

#

Telegram DesktopTelegram FZ-LLC

Messaging app with cloud sync. Lightweight compared to Electron apps.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
80-250MB
Power
low

communicationsafe

terraria.exe

#

TerrariaRe-Logic

2D action sandbox game. Very lightweight. Excellent choice for low-end hardware.

CPU
2-20%
RAM
200-600MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

textinputhost.exe

#

Text Input HostMicrosoft Corporation

Hosts the touch keyboard and handwriting panel in Windows 10/11. Lightweight when not in use.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

theforest.exe

#

The ForestEndnight Games

Survival horror in a cannibal-infested forest. Predecessor to Sons of the Forest.

CPU
20-50%
RAM
2-6GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

thunderbird.exe

#

Mozilla ThunderbirdMozilla Foundation

Open-source email client with advanced filtering and extension support.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
medium

productivitysafe

tidal.exe

#

TIDALTIDAL

Hi-fi music streaming client.

CPU
1-6%
RAM
200-500MB
Power
low

mediasafe

tiworker.exe

#

Windows Modules Installer WorkerMicrosoft Corporation

Installs and removes Windows features and updates. High CPU/disk during updates is normal and temporary.

CPU
5-60% (during updates)
RAM
50-400MB
Power
high

systemsafe

tlauncher.exe

#

TLauncherTLauncher

Third-party Minecraft launcher.

CPU
1-5%
RAM
150-350MB
Power
low

gamingcaution

todoist.exe

#

TodoistDoist

Task manager desktop app.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
100-250MB
Power
very_low

productivitysafe

torrent.exe

#

BitTorrent ClientVarious

P2P file sharing. Can saturate bandwidth and slow network.

CPU
3-25%
RAM
50-400MB
Power
medium

networkcaution

trustedinstaller.exe

#

Windows Modules InstallerMicrosoft Corporation

Installs Windows updates. High CPU during update installation.

CPU
10-80%
RAM
50-500MB
Power
high

systemsafe

typora.exe

#

TyporaAbner Lee

Minimal Markdown editor with live preview. Hides syntax to show formatted output.

CPU
1-5%
RAM
60-200MB
Power
low

productivitysafe

uhssvc.exe

#

Update Health ServiceMicrosoft

Microsoft Update Health tools service.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
10-40MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

unreal.exe

#

Unreal EditorEpic Games

Unreal Engine editor. Professional game and simulation development environment.

CPU
30-100%
RAM
4-16GB
Power
very_high

developmentsafe

upc.exe

#

Ubisoft ConnectUbisoft

Ubisoft game launcher and store. Required for all Ubisoft titles. Background overlay adds minor overhead.

CPU
2-15%
RAM
150-500MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

uplaywebcore.exe

#

Ubisoft Connect Web CoreUbisoft

Embedded web renderer for Ubisoft Connect.

CPU
1-6%
RAM
100-250MB
Power
medium

gamingsafe

useroobebroker.exe

#

User OOBE BrokerMicrosoft Corporation

Handles first-run and account setup screens after a sign-in or update.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

systemsafe

usocoreworker.exe

#

Update Session Orchestrator WorkerMicrosoft Corporation

Coordinates Windows Update download and install sessions. CPU/disk spike while updates download.

CPU
5-40% (during updates)
RAM
30-200MB
Power
medium

systemsafe

utorrent.exe

#

uTorrentBitTorrent Inc.

Lightweight torrent client. Limit upload/download for performance.

CPU
2-20%
RAM
30-200MB
Power
medium

networkcaution

valheim.exe

#

ValheimIron Gate AB

Viking survival sandbox. Hard single-threaded CPU bottleneck. World generation causes significant spikes.

CPU
40-90%
RAM
2000-5000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

valorant-win64-shipping.exe

#

VALORANTRiot Games

Valorant game client (requires Vanguard).

CPU
20-70%
RAM
2-5GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

valorant.exe

#

ValorantRiot Games

Competitive tactical shooter. CPU-heavy for high FPS.

CPU
40-90%
RAM
2000-4000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

veracrypt.exe

#

VeraCryptIDRIX

Disk encryption tool. Creates encrypted volumes or encrypts entire partitions.

CPU
1-5%
RAM
20-50MB
Power
medium

securitysafe

vgc.exe

#

Riot Vanguard ServiceRiot Games

Kernel-assisted anti-cheat required by Valorant.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
very_low

securitysafe

vgtray.exe

#

Riot Vanguard TrayRiot Games

Tray icon controlling the Vanguard anti-cheat.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
10-30MB
Power
very_low

securitysafe

viber.exe

#

ViberRakuten Viber

Free messaging and calling app with group chats and end-to-end encryption.

CPU
1-3%
RAM
80-200MB
Power
low

communicationsafe

victoria3.exe

#

Victoria 3Paradox Interactive

Economic and political grand strategy set in the 1800s.

CPU
30-80%
RAM
4-8GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

virtualbox.exe

#

Oracle VM VirtualBoxOracle Corporation

Free virtualization software. Similar resource needs to VMware.

CPU
10-90%
RAM
500-8000MB
Power
very_high

virtualizationsafe

vivaldi.exe

#

Vivaldi BrowserVivaldi Technologies

Feature-rich Chromium-based browser with high customizability.

CPU
5-20%
RAM
200-700MB
Power
high

browsersafe

vlc.exe

#

VLC Media PlayerVideoLAN

Versatile media player. Lightweight and open-source.

CPU
5-25%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
medium

mediasafe

vmcompute.exe

#

Hyper-V Host ComputeMicrosoft

Host service for Hyper-V/WSL2 containers and VMs.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
very_low

virtualizationsafe

vmmem

#

WSL 2 Virtual MachineMicrosoft Corporation

Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 memory process.

CPU
1-50%
RAM
100-4000MB
Power
varies

systemsafe

vmmemwsl

#

WSL2 VM MemoryMicrosoft

Pseudo-process for the WSL2 virtual machine's memory.

CPU
0-80%
RAM
0.5-8GB
Power
varies

virtualizationsafe

vmware.exe

#

VMware WorkstationVMware Inc.

Virtual machine software. Resource usage depends on VM settings.

CPU
10-90%
RAM
500-8000MB
Power
very_high

virtualizationsafe

voicemod.exe

#

VoicemodVoicemod

Real-time voice changer - adds constant audio-thread load.

CPU
3-15%
RAM
200-500MB
Power
medium

mediasafe

vrchat.exe

#

VRChatVRChat Inc.

Social VR platform. RAM usage depends heavily on avatar complexity.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
4-12GB
Power
high

gamingsafe

vrserver.exe

#

SteamVR ServerValve

SteamVR compositor backbone - runs while VR is active.

CPU
5-30%
RAM
300-800MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

w32tm.exe

#

Windows Time ServiceMicrosoft Corporation

Synchronizes system clock with NTP time servers. Runs periodically; near-zero normal footprint.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
5-20MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

waasmedicagent.exe

#

Update Medic AgentMicrosoft

Repairs Windows Update components in the background.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
low

systemsafe

wallpaper32.exe

#

Wallpaper Engine (32-bit)Kristjan Skutta

Animated wallpaper renderer - pauses during fullscreen games.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
low

mediasafe

wallpaper64.exe

#

Wallpaper EngineKristjan Skutta

Animated wallpaper renderer - pauses during fullscreen games.

CPU
1-8%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
low

mediasafe

warframe.exe

#

WarframeDigital Extremes

Free-to-play action RPG shooter. Decent optimization; shader compilation causes initial stutters.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
3000-7000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

warhammer3.exe

#

Total War: Warhammer IIICreative Assembly / SEGA

Turn-based strategy with real-time battles in Warhammer Fantasy setting.

CPU
20-60%
RAM
6-12GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

warzone.exe

#

Call of Duty: WarzoneActivision

Free-to-play battle royale. Notorious for large install size (70-120GB).

CPU
20-60%
RAM
8-16GB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

webex.exe

#

Cisco WebexCisco Systems

Video conferencing and team collaboration platform by Cisco.

CPU
5-25%
RAM
200-600MB
Power
medium

communicationsafe

webstorm64.exe

#

WebStormJetBrains s.r.o.

JavaScript/TypeScript IDE. node_modules indexing causes heavy I/O on project startup.

CPU
5-50%
RAM
400-2000MB
Power
high

developmentsafe

wemod.exe

#

WeModWeMod

Single-player game trainer platform - never use online.

CPU
1-6%
RAM
150-400MB
Power
low

gamingcaution

werfault.exe

#

Windows Error ReportingMicrosoft Corporation

Collects crash reports and sends diagnostics to Microsoft. CPU spike occurs briefly after app crashes.

CPU
0-30% (briefly after crash)
RAM
20-100MB
Power
low

systemsafe

wermgr.exe

#

Windows Error ReportingMicrosoft Corporation

Collects and sends crash reports to Microsoft. Spikes after app crashes.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
10-40MB
Power
low

systemsafe

whatsapp.exe

#

WhatsApp DesktopMeta Platforms

Desktop client for WhatsApp messaging. Electron-based.

CPU
2-12%
RAM
150-400MB
Power
medium

communicationsafe

widgets.exe

#

Windows WidgetsMicrosoft

Windows 11 widgets board host.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
100-300MB
Power
low

systemsafe

widgetservice.exe

#

Widget ServiceMicrosoft

Backend feeding the Windows 11 widgets board.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
50-150MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

windbg.exe

#

WinDbgMicrosoft Corporation

Windows kernel and user-mode debugger. CPU spikes when loading symbols or analyzing crash dumps.

CPU
5-60%
RAM
100-1000MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

windirstat.exe

#

WinDirStatWinDirStat (open-source)

Disk usage visualizer displaying folder sizes as a treemap for easy analysis.

CPU
5-30%
RAM
30-100MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

windowsterminal.exe

#

Windows TerminalMicrosoft Corporation

Modern terminal for cmd, PowerShell, and WSL. GPU-accelerated.

CPU
1-5%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
low

developmentsafe

windscribe.exe

#

Windscribe VPNWindscribe Limited

VPN and firewall with a free tier. Blocks ads and trackers.

CPU
1-3%
RAM
50-120MB
Power
low

securitysafe

windsurf.exe

#

WindsurfCodeium

AI-assisted code editor (VS Code fork).

CPU
2-25%
RAM
0.5-2GB
Power
high

developmentsafe

winget.exe

#

Windows Package ManagerMicrosoft Corporation

Windows built-in package manager for installing and updating apps from CLI.

CPU
5-20%
RAM
30-80MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

wininit.exe

#

Windows InitializationMicrosoft Corporation

Starts critical Windows services during boot.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
5-15MB
Power
low

systemsafe

winlogon.exe

#

Windows LogonMicrosoft Corporation

Manages user login/logout and Ctrl+Alt+Del screen.

CPU
0-1%
RAM
5-15MB
Power
low

systemsafe

winrar.exe

#

WinRARRARLAB

Archive extraction and compression tool. CPU-heavy during compression.

CPU
5-100%
RAM
30-300MB
Power
medium

utilitysafe

winscp.exe

#

WinSCPMartin Prikryl (Open Source)

SFTP, SCP, and FTP client for Windows. Standard tool for secure file transfers to Linux servers.

CPU
1-15%
RAM
30-150MB
Power
low

networksafe

winword.exe

#

Microsoft WordMicrosoft Corporation

Document editor. Generally lightweight unless heavy formatting.

CPU
2-15%
RAM
100-400MB
Power
low

productivitysafe

wireguard.exe

#

WireGuardWireGuard LLC / Open Source

Modern kernel-level VPN implementation. Significantly lower overhead than OpenVPN or IPSec.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
10-60MB
Power
low

networksafe

wireshark.exe

#

WiresharkWireshark Foundation

Network packet analyzer and protocol decoder. Capturing on a busy interface can spike CPU and disk.

CPU
5-50% (during capture)
RAM
200-2000MB
Power
medium

networksafe

witcher3.exe

#

The Witcher 3CD Projekt RED

Open-world RPG. Next-Gen update adds ray tracing. Moderately CPU-heavy; scales well with GPU.

CPU
30-70%
RAM
4000-10000MB
Power
very_high

gamingsafe

wiztree64.exe

#

WizTreeAntibody Software

Extremely fast disk space analyzer. Reads the NTFS MFT directly for instant results.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
low

utilitysafe

wlanext.exe

#

WLAN Extensibility ModuleMicrosoft Corporation

Hosts third-party Wi-Fi adapter driver extensions under WLAN AutoConfig service.

CPU
0-3%
RAM
5-30MB
Power
very_low

systemsafe

wmiprvse.exe

#

WMI Provider HostMicrosoft Corporation

Windows Management Instrumentation host. Feeds hardware data to monitoring tools.

CPU
0-10%
RAM
20-80MB
Power
low

systemsafe

wmiregistrationservice.exe

#

Intel ME WMI RegistrationIntel Corporation

Registers Intel Management Engine WMI providers.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

systemsafe

wmpnetwk.exe

#

Windows Media Player Network SharingMicrosoft Corporation

Shares media libraries over the local network. Safe to disable if unused.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

mediasafe

wow.exe

#

World of WarcraftBlizzard Entertainment

MMORPG. Scales well across hardware. Crowded raid environments spike CPU significantly.

CPU
20-70%
RAM
3000-8000MB
Power
high

gamingsafe

wsappx.exe

#

Windows Store App HostMicrosoft Corporation

Background host for Microsoft Store (ClipSVC + AppXSvc). Disk/CPU spikes during app installations.

CPU
0-30% (during installs)
RAM
20-150MB
Power
medium

systemsafe

wsl.exe

#

Windows Subsystem for LinuxMicrosoft Corporation

Entry point for WSL Linux environment. Launches Linux distro processes inside a lightweight VM.

CPU
5-50%
RAM
100-2000MB
Power
medium

virtualizationsafe

wslhost.exe

#

WSL HostMicrosoft

Hosts interop between Windows and a WSL distro.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
10-40MB
Power
very_low

virtualizationsafe

wslservice.exe

#

WSL ServiceMicrosoft

Manages Windows Subsystem for Linux lifecycles.

CPU
0-2%
RAM
20-60MB
Power
very_low

virtualizationsafe

wuauclt.exe

#

Windows Update ClientMicrosoft Corporation

Legacy Windows Update client. Mostly replaced by USOCoreWorker in Win10/11 but can still appear.

CPU
1-20%
RAM
20-100MB
Power
low

systemsafe

xblgamesave.exe

#

Xbox Game SaveMicrosoft Corporation

Syncs Xbox Live cloud game saves for Windows games linked to an Xbox account.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
10-50MB
Power
very_low

gamingsafe

xboxpcappft.exe

#

Xbox App HelperMicrosoft Corporation

Background helper for the Xbox app on Windows.

CPU
0-5%
RAM
5-60MB
Power
low

gamingsafe

xmrig.exe

#

XMRig MinerUnknown

Monero cryptocurrency miner. Should NOT be running unless deliberately installed. Flag as suspicious.

CPU
80-100%
RAM
50-200MB
Power
very_high

minersuspicious

zed.exe

#

ZedZed Industries

Fast native collaborative code editor.

CPU
1-10%
RAM
200-600MB
Power
medium

developmentsafe

zen.exe

#

Zen BrowserZen team

Firefox-based browser with vertical tabs.

CPU
2-20%
RAM
300MB-2GB
Power
medium

browsersafe

zoom.exe

#

Zoom MeetingsZoom Video Communications

Video conferencing app. GPU acceleration recommended.

CPU
10-40%
RAM
150-500MB
Power
high

communicationsafe

Where these numbers come from

Because a list of figures with no provenance is worth nothing.

This is the reference library that ships inside PC Workman, a Windows monitor I have been building since 2025. The app uses it to turn a row in a process list into a sentence a person can read, and this page is the same file, rendered.

The CPU and memory ranges are what these programs do on working machines, rounded, not laboratory measurements. They are there to answer "is this number strange", not to be a benchmark. A range is wide where the program is genuinely variable: a browser depends on your tabs and a compressor depends on your file.

The safety reading is about what the program is, not about the file on your disk. A process named svchost.exe is safe. A file named svchost.exe sitting in your Temp folder is not the same thing, and no list can tell those apart for you. The five checks that can take about a minute.

Updated 5 October 2026. If something here is wrong, or a process you keep seeing is missing, tell me and I will fix it: firmuga.marcin.s@gmail.com.

Using this elsewhere

Short version: yes, with a link.

Quote it, screenshot it, put a row of it in a forum answer, use it in a video. The data is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0, which asks for one thing: a link back to this page so the next person can check the source and tell me when I am wrong.

Every process has its own anchor, so you can link straight to one: pcworkman.dev/guides/windows-processes/#svchost-exe. Click the # on any card to copy that link.