{"id":77748,"date":"2020-09-29T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-29T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-show-macs-hidden-floating-performance-panels\/"},"modified":"2020-09-29T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-09-29T08:00:00","slug":"how-to-show-macs-hidden-floating-performance-panels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-show-macs-hidden-floating-performance-panels\/","title":{"rendered":"#How to Show Mac\u2019s Hidden Floating Performance Panels"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a30e686ba3d8\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a30e686ba3d8\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-show-macs-hidden-floating-performance-panels\/#The_Floating_CPU_Usage_Panel\" >The Floating CPU Usage Panel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-show-macs-hidden-floating-performance-panels\/#The_Floating_CPU_History_Panel\" >The Floating CPU History Panel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-show-macs-hidden-floating-performance-panels\/#The_Floating_GPU_History_Panel\" >The Floating GPU History Panel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-show-macs-hidden-floating-performance-panels\/#Changing_the_Performance_Window_Update_Interval\" >Changing the Performance Window Update Interval<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-show-macs-hidden-floating-performance-panels\/#Setting_a_Performance_Window_to_Remain_Visible\" >Setting a Performance Window to Remain Visible<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#How to Show Mac\u2019s Hidden Floating Performance Panels&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-690259 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mac_performance_panels_hero.jpg.pagespeed.ce.EtB3elN5Ah.jpg\" alt=\"Activity Monitor CPU and GPU performance panels on a Mac.\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you like to keep an eye on CPU or GPU usage on your Mac, you can enable several little-known performance windows in Activity Monitor. These float above all other <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lication windows, so you can check them at a glance.<\/p>\n<p>To enable these, press Command+Space or click the Magnifying Glass icon in the menu bar to open Spotlight search. Type \u201cActivity Monitor,\u201d and then press Enter.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-686298 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/mac_spotlight_activity_monitor.jpg\" alt=\"Type &quot;Activity Monitor&quot; in the Spotlight search bar.\" width=\"650\" height=\"320\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Click \u201cWindow\u201d at the top. In this menu, you\u2019ll see choices for \u201cCPU Usage,\u201d \u201cCPU History,\u201d and \u201cGPU History.\u201d Each of these opens a floating window that will give you real-time information.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-690334 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mac_activity_monitor_open_windows.jpg\" alt=\"The usage options in the &quot;Window&quot; menu. \" width=\"650\" height=\"306\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at how each of these panels work.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Floating_CPU_Usage_Panel\"><\/span>The Floating CPU Usage Panel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you click \u201cCPU Usage\u201d in the \u201cWindow\u201d menu (or press Command+2), a small window appears that includes a 10-segment gauge for each core in the CPU.<\/p>\n<p>Each gauge lights up depending on how much CPU activity is taking place in that particular core. For example, if five segments are lit, you\u2019re using 50 percent of that core\u2019s CPU capacity.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-690336 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mac_cpu_usage_window.jpg\" alt=\"The floating CPU Usage panel in Activity Monitor.\" width=\"650\" height=\"177\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Floating_CPU_History_Panel\"><\/span>The Floating CPU History Panel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you click \u201cCPU History\u201d in the \u201cWindow\u201d menu (or press Command+3), a window divided into multiple boxes appears. Each box corresponds to a core inside the CPU and displays updates slowly, from right to left.<\/p>\n<p>The height of the dots in each column corresponds to the intensity of CPU activity in that core. The red squares represent CPU activity by system processes, while the green represent CPU activity by user processes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-690335 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mac_cpu_history_window.jpg\" alt=\"The floating &quot;CPU History&quot; panel in Activity Monitor.\" width=\"650\" height=\"283\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Floating_GPU_History_Panel\"><\/span>The Floating GPU History Panel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you select \u201cGPU History\u201d in the \u201cWindow\u201d menu (or press Command+4), you\u2019ll see a graph depicting the history of Graphics Processor Unit (GPU) utilization on your Mac. The more active your GPU, the more blue dots that appear during each update, as the graph flows from right to left.<\/p>\n<p>As to what exactly the blue squares in the graph represent, we aren\u2019t certain (even Apple\u2019s official documentation <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/guide\/activity-monitor\/view-gpu-activity-actm9329b315\/mac\">isn\u2019t clear<\/a> about this). However, the graph does provide a rough visual estimate of how hard the graphics hardware is working.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-690337 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mac_gpu_usage_window.jpg\" alt=\"The floating &quot;GPU History&quot; panel in Activity Monitor.\" width=\"650\" height=\"310\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Changing_the_Performance_Window_Update_Interval\"><\/span>Changing the Performance Window Update Interval<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>By default, each performance panel updates every five seconds. If you\u2019d like to change that, click View &gt; Update Frequency in the menu bar. In the submenu, you can choose either \u201cVery Often (1 sec),\u201d \u201cOften (2 sec),\u201d or \u201cNormally (5 sec).\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-690343 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mac_activity_monitor_update_frequency.jpg\" alt=\"Click &quot;View,&quot; &quot;Update Frequency,&quot; and then select how often you want the panel to update.\" width=\"650\" height=\"318\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Note that on older systems, setting the graphs to update more frequently might slightly decrease overall system performance. On most modern Macs, though, the effect will be negligible.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Setting_a_Performance_Window_to_Remain_Visible\"><\/span>Setting a Performance Window to Remain Visible<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you want to keep one or more of the CPU or GPU performance panels on-screen, you can make them float above all the other windows. To do so, click Window &gt; Keep CPU Windows on Top in the menu bar.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-690333 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mac_activity_monitor_keep_on_top.jpg\" alt=\"Click &quot;Window&quot; in the menu bar, and then click &quot;Keep CPU Windows on Top.&quot;\" width=\"650\" height=\"306\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t want to see the main \u201cActivity Monitor\u201d window, simply click the red \u201cX\u201d to close it. If you want to open it again later, just click Window &gt; Activity Monitor in the menu bar or press Command+1.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-687624 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/xmac_close_activity_monitor_window.jpg.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.olF7X26NsX.jpg\" alt=\"Click &quot;X&quot; to close the &quot;Activity Monitor&quot; window. \" width=\"650\" height=\"198\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a lot more to Activity Monitor than most people realize. If you dig deeper into its features, you can learn a lot more about how your Mac works. For example, you can even use the Activity Monitor Dock icon as a CPU monitor!<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Monitor CPU Usage on Your Mac&#8217;s Dock<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/690252\/how-to-show-macs-hidden-floating-performance-panels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#How to Show Mac\u2019s Hidden Floating Performance Panels&#8221; If you like to keep an eye on CPU or GPU usage on your Mac, you can enable several little-known performance windows in Activity Monitor. These float above all other application windows, so you can check them at a glance. To enable these, press Command+Space or click&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":77749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/thumbcache\/2\/200\/23a4e42cef5bfb44bfebba8d70fd602a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mac_performance_panels_hero.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}