Steam "idling" at 17-20% CPU

Can anyone from SI explain why my Steam client is "idling" at 17-20% CPU power without me interacting with it at all? I've had it on for 30-40 minutes, and it's taking up more resources than what Football Manager, my web browser, my mail client, and my operating system does in total when idling.

CPU: 17-20%

Threads: 39

Real Memory: 151mb

Virtual Memory: 169mb

Running Steam on OS X Lion 10.7.2.

tried turning off all the community features?

tried turning off all the community features?

Yup, everything unnecessary is turned off, and the client is in offline mode.

SI don't make Steam i would ask in the steam forums.

might have to stop and restart it.

^^^ KERCHING! ^^^

We have a winner

try what SeanNUFC said , its seems your not the only one with that issue , i saw people complain about that on steam forums

Valve is aware of the problem you have to wait for an update

SI don't make Steam i would ask in the steam forums.

No thanks, SI should be able to answer my Steam issues, as they are forcing me to use it if I want to play their game. I have no interest in registering for another forum, or seeking help elsewhere for something I didn't choose to use in the first place.

might have to stop and restart it.

I've tried this plenty of times, of course.

Mine is around 12% with 37 threads on Lion 10.7.2. Considering the CPU on my setup can theoretically go to 800%, I consider it peanuts.

Valve is aware of the problem you have to wait for an update

Great. Just as I suspected.

Mine is around 12% with 37 threads on Lion 10.7.2. Considering the CPU on my setup can theoretically go to 800%, I consider it peanuts.

My CPU fans don't consider it peanuts, unfortunately. They trigger around 15%.

My CPU fans don't consider it peanuts, unfortunately. They trigger around 15%.

Hmmm, which Mac is it? MBP? Air? How many cores?

Hmmm, which Mac is it? MBP? Air? How many cores?

MacBook Pro 2.66 GHz i7

MacBook Pro 2.66 GHz i7

Hard one, always loads of fan and temperature threads about the new MPBs when I browse macrumors.com. Have you tried any of the suggested 're-sets' going around?

15% shouldn't cause the fans to go like that. My 2009 MPB doesn't (until processing in FM 2011 starts, but there's only 2 cores there)

Hard one, always loads of fan and temperature threads about the new MPBs when I browse macrumors.com. Have you tried any of the suggested 're-sets' going around?

15% shouldn't cause the fans to go like that. My 2009 MPB doesn't (until processing in FM 2011 starts, but there's only 2 cores there)

Well, seeing as nothing else is causing an issue, I doubt it's the Mac's fault. Nothing else is idling at more than 1-2% at the very most, and fans triggering at 15% is not a big deal - they don't go full blast.

No thanks, SI should be able to answer my Steam issues, as they are forcing me to use it if I want to play their game. I have no interest in registering for another forum, or seeking help elsewhere for something I didn't choose to use in the first place.

LOL - sorry but LOL!! SI have nothing to do with Steam code but they should still answer why Steam is using so much CPU. That's brilliant. And yes you did choose to use Steam. Always read the small print.

Are you sure Steam isn't updating another game in the background?

stealing all your information obviously, taking down credit card details, deleting anything that could potentially stop It, and then sending phishing scams through all your email accounts

or more simply, you've asked in the wrong place

Well, seeing as nothing else is causing an issue, I doubt it's the Mac's fault. Nothing else is idling at more than 1-2% at the very most, and fans triggering at 15% is not a big deal - they don't go full blast.

OK

Might have to stick with it for now, if it gets worse I'd do a quick search for 'SMC reset', but it doesn't sound like it warrants it at the moment (and I certainly wouldn't mess around with my systems in the hours coming up to a major release, bound to be a jinx somewhere)

fwiw, my 2009 MBP sounds like an airplane running FM2011 (but not Steam alone)

LOL - sorry but LOL!! SI have nothing to do with Steam code but they should still answer why Steam is using so much CPU. That's brilliant. And yes you did choose to use Steam. Always read the small print.

This thread really has nothing to do with this, but: since Sports Interactive is forcing me to use third party software in order to play their game, one would hope they were smart enough to understand that by forcing users to install and run this software, they would have to be able to offer support for it as well.

I'm not interested in Steam, or registering on their forum to waste time troubleshooting third party software that should be working in the first place - I could be spending this time actually playing the game instead.

- "This is the only jacket that will keep you warm," says the salesman, "do you want to buy it?"

- "Well yeah, if I want to be warm, I have little choice," I say.

- "Great, but you have to hold this orange every time you use it, otherwise the jacket won't keep you warm."

- "Ok, my orange has a big fat spider on it?"

- "Call California, they're the ones growing them, bugger off."

guys please keep it civil .

Try turning off the community features and see if nothing is interfering with steam ( anti virus and firewall)

guys please keep it civil .

Try turning off the community features and see if nothing is interfering with steam ( anti virus and firewall)

1. All community features are off, client is in offline mode.

2. I don't use anti-virus, I'm on a Mac.

3. No firewall either.

wen was the last time you run the steam client in online mode?

btw Mac's can catch virus too

wen was the last time you run the steam client in online mode?

Just now, no change.

btw Mac's can catch virus too

No, but we can catch other malware, like trojans, if we're not careful. Viruses has to be able to replicate themselves from machine to machine without user input - there are no viruses for OS X.

This thread really has nothing to do with this, but: since Sports Interactive is forcing me to use third party software in order to play their game, one would hope they were smart enough to understand that by forcing users to install and run this software, they would have to be able to offer support for it as well.

I'm not interested in Steam, or registering on their forum to waste time troubleshooting third party software that should be working in the first place - I could be spending this time actually playing the game instead.

- "This is the only jacket that will keep you warm," says the salesman, "do you want to buy it?"

- "Well yeah, if I want to be warm, I have little choice," I say.

- "Great, but you have to hold this orange every time you use it, otherwise the jacket won't keep you warm."

- "Ok, my orange has a big fat spider on it?"

- "Call California, they're the ones growing them, bugger off."

Oh boy oh boy oh boy. How about instead of ramming your head straight through the wall just head on over to the steam forums and ask them? They can help you a LOT more, and save you a lot more time than us throwing ideas around that probably won't help, hell submit a support ticket. You refusing to do it simply means you're here to moan and not actually interested in fixing the problem all that much, we can help you; But only if you actually want help

And uhh, a trojan is a virus more than it is malware

SI are not forcing you to use anything, if you don't want to use Steam don't buy FM12.

You see that amazing thing about games is that you have a choice whether to buy them or not!

Oh boy oh boy oh boy. How about instead of ramming your head straight through the wall just head on over to the steam forums and ask them? They can help you a LOT more, and save you a lot more time than us throwing ideas around that probably won't help, hell submit a support ticket. You refusing to do it simply means you're here to moan and not actually interested in fixing the problem all that much, we can help you; But only if you actually want help

Well no, I asked here for someone from SI to tell me why their choice of third party layer is costing my machine 10x more resources than it should, not for you to speculate why. If I didn't want any help, I wouldn't have asked. And you can't help me apparently, as your way of "helping" is to send me somewhere else so they can help me instead.

I'm not interested in that kind of merry-go-round.

And uhh, a trojan is a virus more than it is malware

No it isn't, read up on your malware definitions. However, this thread isn't about viruses, it's about a bloated third party client taking up 10x more resources than it should, and what SI's response to this is. I'd like for it not to take up that much of my computer's resources.

SI are not forcing you to use anything, if you don't want to use Steam don't buy FM12.

You see that amazing thing about games is that you have a choice whether to buy them or not!

I didn't say they were forcing me to play FM, I said they are forcing me to use Steam if I want to play FM.

Weird my steam is 2-5 % idle.

My steam is idling at 0.08%, thats lower than i thought actually.

A lot lower.

My steam is idling at 0.08%, thats lower than i thought actually.

A lot lower.

And you're on a Mac?

Steam used 10,1% - 40 fils - 192 Mo RAM.

I have iMac core 2 Duo 3.06 GHz - 4 Gà RAM

mantralux, with all due respect, SI will not be able to resolve your problem, they don't have the expertise on Steam to be able to, like it or not Steam Help or Forums is where you're likely to find out something useful.

To say they forced you to use Steam so should sort out the issue is patently ludicrous, by the same token they forced you to use an OS before you could play FM12 and they'd be as much use helping you resolve problems with that.

You've made your point now go get help where it's most likely to actually be of value please, otherwise this is just another "carp about Steam" thread.

This thread may be useful to mac-folks:

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2136784

Mine is around 12% with 37 threads on Lion 10.7.2. Considering the CPU on my setup can theoretically go to 800%, I consider it peanuts.

I want this mystical processor that can work at 800% of it's capacity.

I want this mystical processor that can work at 800% of it's capacity.

The 12% is 12% of one of the cores being used, I've seen Handbrake use 770% on my machine. Each core, in this case, is 100%. 8 cores = 800%

Not my definition, but Apples, in their Activity Monitor

Just now, no change.

No, but we can catch other malware, like trojans, if we're not careful. Viruses has to be able to replicate themselves from machine to machine without user input - there are no viruses for OS X.

Haha.. keep thinking that.. That is so wrong.. Ignorance is bliss.

mantralux, with all due respect, SI will not be able to resolve your problem, they don't have the expertise on Steam to be able to

It's amazing how they can partner up with something without having any expertise on it. Ridiculous even. One would assume that by forcing anyone that wants to play the game to use third party software, they should at least be able to offer support for it. Otherwise it's just lazy.

I just want to know why Steam is taking up 10x more resources than it should. And since Football Manager won't run without it, I don't think it's too much to ask that the makers of the game at least knows a little about the software they are pushing upon all their customers.

Instead, I'm taken for a ride on the customer service merry-go-round where I'm sent from one company to another, frankly stealing time that I could put into actually using the software I intended to in the first place.

I didn't get Football Manager to bloat or force more problems on to my system. I bought it so I can play Football Manager. Not troubleshoot why some arbitrary third party software is causing issues on my operating system - I shouldn't be having those kind of problems just for wanting to play a football manager sim.

I don't have this problem with any other game.

To say they forced you to use Steam so should sort out the issue is patently ludicrous, by the same token they forced you to use an OS before you could play FM12 and they'd be as much use helping you resolve problems with that.

Well that's not true at all, and this whole 'OS/DirectX' routine is, while excellently rehearsed, not valid.

You've made your point now go get help where it's most likely to actually be of value please, otherwise this is just another "carp about Steam" thread.

Well just keep pretending there are zero issues with Steam then, as it's obviously against the law to complain about it.

Nothing to see here people, Steam is always working perfectly.

And you're on a Mac?

Nah, 0.08% is on my windows PC. On my brothers MacBook its idling at around 3%.

Steam doesn't always work perfectly, especially on a Mac, but Steam is where to get problems with it resolved not SI.

Is this behaviour similar to the Beta or has it happened since? Just on the installation of Steam recently, or related to FM?

My recommendation would be to contact SEGA Customer Services if it continues and see if they can offer any advice - http://www.sega.co.uk/customer-support/ or provide me with details and I will have them contact you. If needs be I am sure they'd be able to contact Steam to determine if this is a significant issue or not. I, frankly, would be the last person to know - apologies.

Cheers

Matt