Why is my CPU usage performance counter inaccurate as hell?

Question

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I have a performance counter like this:

http://i.imgur.com/lm43Kgk.png

And I have this code in Timer1:

VB

Label1.Text = "CPU Usage: " & CInt(PerformanceCounter1.NextValue).ToString

This is my problem (on the left is Label1 with 41% CPU usage and on the right is the Task Manager with 6% CPU usage respectively):

http://i.imgur.com/UOP4KJo.png

What am I doing wrong?

Posted 18-May-14 0:47am

Member 10597507

Updated 18-May-14 0:48am

v3

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Duncan Edwards Jones 18-May-14 12:13pm

Is your display on the performance monitor application set to "Current" or "Average" and does the CounterType of your code performance counter match that?

Member 10597507 18-May-14 17:04pm

It's set to average, I believe. Though my problem is that when I use CounterName Processor And InstanceName _Total the results are accurate (both the Performance Monitor & Performance Counter) but when I try to use CounterName Process and InstanceName a specific process, it's always wrong and goes high especially when I move the mouse over the application.

Duncan Edwards Jones 19-May-14 10:43am

Is the CPU being read from _within_ that process?
If so, maybe it can only be read when that process has (some of the) the CPU and so it will therefore not reflect the true reading...?

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