High CPU usage on server

[Neil E]

Here is my situation.  The server side of my setup is a Windows 10 machine, with Intel Core 2 6300 CPU @ 1.86GHz with Intel graphics, that will be controlled by a variety of Linux clients.  NoMachine doesn’t seem to have much impact on CPU utilization on the client computers.  The setup works well enough, but the cpu utilization runs about 60% minimum, and up to 100% while connected via NoMachine, causing some lag and pauses on the server side.

For reference, the same Win10 machine idles at 3% CPU with no remote desktop connection, and at an average of 17% during a TeamViewer session.  Idle with no other apps open it’s at 60% during a NoMachine session.

I sure would like to get the CPU number for NoMachine more in line with TeamViewer.  That would make NoMachine almost perfect for my application.  Any ideas on what I can do to make that happen?

[fra81]

NoMachine will generally try to make use of the available CPU power in order to deliver the best experience with even graphical intense applications. But that 60% when idle looks indeed strange and unusual. Please let us know:

1) the exact NoMachine version that you are using;

2) if by saying ‘idle’, you mean that you are connected with NoMachine to that server but no application is updating the screen (that looks as a still image);

3) if toggling the ‘Use acceleration for display processing’ option (Server settings -> Performance tab) has any effect.

Also the logs could be useful for further investigation. If you are willing to send them to us, please find here the instructions: https://www.nomachine.com/DT07M00098#3. You can send them to forum[at]nomachine[dot]com.

In other respects, consider enabling the H.264 codec, if you didn’t do already. That will help you saving CPU power (and bandwidth). Here you can find all the relevant info: https://www.nomachine.com/AR10K00706.

[Neil E]

Thanks for the reply and confirmation that such high CPU usage is not normal.  In response to your questions:

1) 5.1.44_1

2) Correct…connected with NoMachine, and the only application updating in “Task Manager” with which I’m monitoring the performance.

3)  Toggling “Use acceleration..” on/off doesn’t seem to have any effect.  Also tried all compression options.  H.264 was not significantly different from VP8, while MPEG dropped CPU usage about 10%.

While waiting for a reply to my questions I’ve experimented with RealVNC server on this Windows machine, and Remmina on the client.  With the VNC connection the Windows machine CPU idles with Task Manager running @ 5-6%… hardly different from no remote desktop performance.

When I get a little more time to work on it, I’ll email the log files to see if that tells us anything more.

[Britgirl]

Did you get a chance to pull the logs because we didn’t receive them.

If not, I suggest you update to the latest release (5.1.62) and let us know if the problem is still being encountered. In that case, we will still need the logs 😉

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