Epic Games launcher's ridiculous CPU usage

[Veseleil]

I can't remember when was the last time I've used Epic Games launcher, therefore I can't remember how it used to be.
I want to try the new UE 5.4.1, so I've installed it on an SSD and started the DL/installation. This is how it looks like, launcher minimized to tray, no other apps running:



This is insane, core 1 at 100% utilization. When I terminate the DL/install, the CPU load is almost nonexistent.

I'm aware that this is not just about DL but also includes the actual ongoing installation, but I never noticed similar behaviour with Steam. I've downloaded and installed many games through Steam, while playing other games at the same time with no performance loss whatsoever.

What makes the Epic launcher different from Steam client in this regard? Some kind of heavy files compression/decompression algorithm ongoing?
Anyone with decent knowledge willing to explain this to me? It would be highly appreciated.

 

[FoulOnWhite]

Could be as it is downloading it is uncompressing the files.

 

[Vayra86]

I can't remember when was the last time I've used Epic Games launcher, therefore I can't remember how it used to be.
I want to try the new UE 5.4.1, so I've installed it on an SSD and started the DL/installation. This is how it looks like, launcher minimized to tray, no other apps running:

View attachment 346579View attachment 346578View attachment 346577

This is insane, core 1 at 100% utilization. When I terminate the DL/install, the CPU load is almost nonexistent.

I'm aware that this is not just about DL but also includes the actual ongoing installation, but I never noticed similar behaviour with Steam. I've downloaded and installed many games through Steam, while playing other games at the same time with no performance loss whatsoever.

What makes the Epic launcher different from Steam client in this regard? Some kind of heavy files compression/decompression algorithm ongoing?
Anyone with decent knowledge willing to explain this to me? It would be highly appreciated.

EGS is a bloated, badly coded piece of trash that's what. The launcher itself runs at 30 or lower FPS, that's a first warning sign. Components can take ages to load, longer than any web page. There's barely any information on screen. The functionality for end users is way below par. It probably does things in the background, is there a download going on or an installation? Also decompression as mentioned above. It will take all resources on a single core - that's not uncommon.

There's probably some telemetry in there too.

 

[Veseleil]

EGS is a bloated, badly coded piece of trash that's what. The launcher itself runs at 30 or lower FPS, that's a first warning sign. Components can take ages to load, longer than any web page. There's barely any information on screen. The functionality for end users is way below par. It probably does things in the background, is there a download going on or an installation? Also decompression as mentioned above. It will take all resources on a single core - that's not uncommon.

There's probably some telemetry in there too.

I expect for it to be heavy, as it's an old story of a terrible optimization and telemetry involved, but I didn't expect it to be at this level TBH.
As I've said, it's downloading and installing simultaneously. Utilizing only one core in 2024 speaks for itself. I'll probably just purge the damn thing altogether, because leaving it like that for hours (my internet is very bad) makes me uncomfortable to say the least.

 

[Vayra86]

I expect for it to be heavy, as it's an old story of a terrible optimization and telemetry involved, but I didn't expect it to be at this level TBH.
As I've said, it's downloading and installing simultaneously. Utilizing only one core in 2024 speaks for itself. I'll probably just purge the damn thing altogether, because leaving it like that for hours (my internet is very bad) makes me uncomfortable to say the least.

Well every dubious release I pick up from places not mentioned also decompresses on a single core. WinRAR & 7Zip decompresses on a single core, too, afaik.

 

[TumbleGeorge]

Hmm, that's weird. Manager shows 100% load on SMT thread and not main thread for core 1?

 

[chrcoluk]

I expect for it to be heavy, as it's an old story of a terrible optimization and telemetry involved, but I didn't expect it to be at this level TBH.
As I've said, it's downloading and installing simultaneously. Utilizing only one core in 2024 speaks for itself. I'll probably just purge the damn thing altogether, because leaving it like that for hours (my internet is very bad) makes me uncomfortable to say the least.

To be fair I would probably prefer a launcher to only use one core, its then less likely to affect a game I have running.

But yeah too many developers sadly dont give a crap now days how bloated/heavy their stuff is, even steam has gone downhill, way too reliant on bloated chromium framework on its new client.

 

[Veseleil]

Well every dubious release I pick up from places not mentioned also decompresses on a single core. WinRAR & 7Zip decompresses on a single core, too, afaik.

True, but there is a difference between installing a repack for a limited/expected period of time (couple of hours for the biggest games out there at most), and leaving Epic to download something for hours or days, as it pretends it's also installing that thing for that same period. It's just unacceptable in my book. I already gave up on my UE trial, so this discussion may and should continue just for the sake of others.

 

[Sithaer]

Dunno, it was never an issue for me and I've used EPIC with a 12100F for 2+ years.
This is how it looks like with my 12600KF now while DLing at my max speed to an NVMe drive:


Still hardly affects anything really, I can still do whatever else on my PC while its dling/installing in the background. 'that big drop is cause I've went to the settings to uncap my dl speed since I usually cap it so that I don't take everything from the rest of the family in case they are also using the connection..'

 

[Frick]

Steam is between 15-20% when downloading/installing. Its CPU useage is far down the list of other annoyances with Epic.

Anyway in my experience GOG Galaxy is the worst of the bunch, at least from a stability point of view. Epic at least allows you to download stuff and it rarely just crashes.

 

[Super Firm Tofu]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

Heroic Games Launcher

An Open Source Epic, GOG and Amazon Prime Games Launcher

heroicgameslauncher.com

Get rid of EGS and Galaxy (and Amazon Games App too).

 

[Shrek]

So it would be better if it used only 50% of a core and took twice as long?

 

[londiste]

Most, if not all, launchers do this. Steam certainly has its moments of heavy CPU usage. It depends on what is being downloaded or done - some games seem to be less compressed, others more. Updating is usually heavier than simple download etc.

 

[Veseleil]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

Heroic Games Launcher

An Open Source Epic, GOG and Amazon Prime Games Launcher

heroicgameslauncher.com

Get rid of EGS and Galaxy (and Amazon Games App too).

Thanks, I'm giving it a try.

Although It doesn't support UE editor, this launcher could finally make me wanna play some of those Epic freebies I've been collecting for years.

Open source is pure

 

[nomdeplume]

In all honesty nobody in their right mind would run anything they didn't code and compile personally.

My expectation is the UE Editor would have more characteristics of professional software than a game or game platform. To that end I suspect one core in use is intentional. My limited experience tells me there is typically and consistently a primary core work is directed towards that is hard coded.

Unless you are experiencing packet loss or connection timeouts. I'd also not be concerned about 24 hour download period as long as it is uninterrupted and you have stable internet service. Experience would be your guide there if you routinely have corrupted files from this.

 

[GerKNG]

Installs CCP Malware and complains about CPU Usage.

 

[Onasi]

Anyway in my experience GOG Galaxy is the worst of the bunch, at least from a stability point of view. Epic at least allows you to download stuff and it rarely just crashes.

Yeah, Galaxy is absolutely awful, both from program stability and functionality point of view. It really feels thrown together haphazardly just to have an app for no reason. And then CDPR promised that they will update it quite a bit down the line, but it’s been years and they still haven’t. Some omissions are just stupid. Why can’t I designate it for the app to shut down when I launch a game? Steam doesn’t have it because DRM, sure, but you have no excuse. But really, goddamn Battle.Net has such a feature when it shuts down and only leaves one Agent process for the game verification and log in, so… why? Or why does the “Create a desktop shortcut” function of this DRM free, ostensibly, client cannot create a direct shortcut to the game itself and instead creates one that launches the app first if it isn’t open and THEN the game? Like… why?

 

[Veseleil]

Installs CCP Malware and complains about CPU Usage.

Good point, I should've known better.

 

[Lew Zealand]

I've complained loudly about Epic CPU usage in the past and watch it carefully and oddly it's been well-behaved recently with no more CPU use than Steam (ie: negligible). On a few different machines even. Maybe it's found all the CCP actionable data already and is just bored now.

 

[FoulOnWhite]

Best thing for me is when games i have on epic become available on steam, bye bye epic launcher.

 

[cvaldes]

EGS is a longtime resource pig, nothing new there.

However you can reduce most of its CPU activity by switching from the store tab to your library tab. This works even during downloads. This is not new either.

I grab their weekly freebies by visiting their store with a web browser not the desktop client. For me the desktop software is only for updating and launching games (caveat below).

Again, when you want to play a game, switch to the library tab, find the title and launch from there. Do NOT launch EGS games from the quick launch sidebar on the left.

Note: some EGS titles can be launched directly from the game executable without DRM, bypassing the EGS skankware completely. PCGamingWiki usually mentions this on a given game’s page.

 

[64K]

The Chinese don't own Epic. That is a popular internet myth. Tencent has a 40% stake in Epic but Tim Sweeney retains controlling interest. Nothing goes on in Epic and EGS without his approval.

 

[Veseleil]

I've complained loudly about Epic CPU usage in the past and watch it carefully and oddly it's been well-behaved recently with no more CPU use than Steam (ie: negligible). On a few different machines even. Maybe it's found all the CCP actionable data already and is just bored now.

Well, it was probably excited seeing new stuff, ramping up my CPU cooler fans so much.

 

[Frick]

Good point, I should've known better.

It's not a good point.

 

[Veseleil]

It's not a good point.

It might've sound raw, but it's not far from the truth. Game launchers do mine our data, even standalone games do that. EULA is a bitch to read. It's funny, because we - the consumers appear to be the only ones that doesn't know its true value (data), everyone else does and they're doing their best to get their hands on it.

I grab their weekly freebies by visiting their store with a web browser not the desktop client. For me the desktop software is only for updating and launching games (caveat below).

Same, most of the freebies I got using a smartphone.

Again, when you want to play a game, switch to the library tab, find the title and launch from there. Do NOT launch EGS games from the quick launch sidebar on the left.

Note: some EGS titles can be launched directly from the game executable without DRM, bypassing the EGS skankware completely. PCGamingWiki usually mentions this on a given game’s page.

Now that I've tried the Heroic Game Launcher (lol the name), there's no going back.

I'm an open source junkie.