


How to fix Desktop Window Manager (DWM) high GPU usage in Windows?
Jul 20, 2025 am 12:01 AMThe problem may be that Desktop Window Manager causes high GPU usage. The solution is as follows: 1. Confirm whether DWM is really high; 2. Turn off transparent effects and animations to reduce GPU load; 3. Update or roll back the graphics card driver; 4. Disable browser hardware acceleration; 5. Check and adjust multi-monitor settings. Troubleshooting these issues one by one can usually effectively reduce GPU usage.
If you find that the GPU usage rate of the computer is extremely high when it is idle, and the task manager shows that Desktop Window Manager (DWM) is "making trouble", don't worry, although this problem is common, there are ways to solve it. Here are some actions and suggestions you may need.

Check if DWM is in use
Many people think it is a problem when they see the high DWM occupation. In fact, sometimes other programs may be "disguised" as DWM. You can confirm this:
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl Shift Esc)
- Look at the "GPU" column to find processes with high occupancy
- If it is indeed a Desktop Window Manager, continue to the next step of troubleshooting
Sometimes browsers, video players, or some full-screen applications can indirectly lead to increased GPU usage of DWM, so first rule out whether it is a chain reaction caused by other software.

Turn off transparent effects and animations (VFX)
Windows' visual effects such as transparency, blur, animation, etc. are rendered by DWM. Turning off them can effectively reduce GPU usage.
The operation steps are as follows:

- Right-click "This Computer" → Properties → Advanced System Settings
- Click "Settings" in "Performance" under the "Advanced" tab
- Check "Adjust to Best Performance" → OK
Or manually uncheck the following items:
- Show thumbnails instead of icons
- Show shadows under window
- Enable desktop combinations
- Smooth scrolling list box
- Draw controls using visual styles
This step is especially useful for low-end computers. After shutting down, you will find that the system is faster and the GPU is more stable.
Update the graphics card driver or roll back the old version
Sometimes the problem lies in the incompatibility of the graphics card driver, especially after Windows automatically updates. You can try:
- Go to Device Manager → Display Adapter → Right-click your graphics card → Update drivers
- Or select "Rollease Driver" to the previous version to try
Some users have reported that using the stable version of the driver provided by NVIDIA or AMD's official website is more reliable than the latest ones that come with Windows. If you have just upgraded the driver recently, you might as well try to lower it back and see if there is any improvement.
Disable hardware acceleration (for some scenarios)
If you often use your browser to watch videos and browse web pages, you can try to disable hardware acceleration, as this will also affect the load of DWM.
Take Chrome as an example:
- Settings → System → Turn off “Use Hardware Acceleration Mode (if available)”
Then restart the browser to see if the GPU usage has changed.
In addition, in some remote desktop connections or virtual machine environments, the GPU usage of DWM may also be high. At this time, you can consider changing the display settings or turning off the relevant graphics acceleration options.
Other possible reasons: Unreasonable resolution/multi-monitor settings
If you connect multiple monitors, especially when using different resolutions or refresh rates, the burden on DWM will be significantly increased. You can try:
- Unified resolution or refresh rate
- Adjust main monitor settings to avoid frequent focus switching
- Turn off unnecessary expansion mode (such as testing with a single monitor)
Sometimes poor contact or wrong settings of the external monitor interface can also cause the rendering pressure to increase, so don't ignore these details.
Basically these common ways of dealing with it. DWM itself is part of Windows' normal operation, but if the GPU is used too high for a long time, it means there is a problem with some settings or hardware status. From visual effects, driver version to peripheral configuration, you can usually find the reason by checking one by one.
The above is the detailed content of How to fix Desktop Window Manager (DWM) high GPU usage in Windows?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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