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[KyoZz]

The Epic Games Launcher appears to be continuously running some sort of relatively demanding process in the background, when the spike in CPU temp occurs.

Even though Epic Games store has been giving away free PC games for this Holiday season, some gamers have been experiencing issues with the Epic Games Launcher client. There have been several reports that the Epic Games Launcher has been found to increase the temperature of some AMD Ryzen and Intel processors.
This is making some CPUs to run hotter even without any game running, as reported by multiple users on Reddit, and also tested and verified by Hot Hardware as well.

One Reddit user @Neoncarbon noticed that his AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU idle temps dropped from 50C to 37C when he closed the Epic Games Store’s app/client. The EGL application appears to be using some CPU resources even when it is running in the background. At least that’s what is being reported right now.
Though, it should be noted that not all AMD Ryzen owners have been experiencing this issue, so it may not be widespread as reported on Reddit. But some INTEL CPU owners have also observed a similar behavior with the EGL app.
Some Ryzen CPUs may run up to 20C hotter with the EGL client, and that’s without any game running. As mentioned before, the launcher appears to increase the CPU usage on certain threads which in turn is affecting the temperature of the whole processor package.

As reported by Hot Hardware, “Anyone that has the Epic Games launcher running in the background has higher CPU temps and usage, even while idle on the desktop”.

As you can see from the screenshots posted by Hot Hardware’s testing, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU shows 34.28C temp value when the EGL app is not running (shown on left side), and the temp shoots to 56.78C value when the app is running (on right).
For what it’s worth, Hot Hardware was running a liquid-cooled AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU. Even in the idle desktop mode, Hot hardware noticed that CPU temps were around 53C when the Epic Games launcher was running, and there was 2% CPU utilization from the app itself on this 16-core AMD Zen 3 processor.​

More here:

Epic Games Launcher client may cause a spike in temperature on some AMD Ryzen and Intel CPUs

There have been several reports that the Epic Games Launcher has been found to increase the temperature of some AMD Ryzen and Intel processors.

www.dsogaming.com

 

[Tickle My Tendies]

I will keep an eye out for this. Haven't used EGS in awhile other than to claim free games but next time I hop into Borderlands 3 or keep it open I will monitor temps on my 5900X.

Hopefully they aren't background hacking all my tasty hipster selfies. The world isn't ready for those.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Steam is awesome

 

[Buggy Loop]

Since day 1 of EGS

 

[Md Ray]

Ok, glad I'm not the only one to notice this. Although I didn't monitor the temps, but as long as EGS is open in the background it eats up over 30% of a core/thread in my case.

EDIT:
With EGS closed:

 

[Mokus]

Torrents are better than EGS - more features and very cheap.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Well telemetry isn't free, what did you expect.

 

[GHG]

The rise in idle temps is because your CPU is no longer idle when the EGS launcher is open. It constantly uses a CPU core even when you aren't doing anything.

They need to fix this, it's still by far the most barebones launcher but yet it still runs poorly somehow.

 

[Kenpachii]

Wanna bet its a mining program.

Anyway here its about the same usage.

Temps do go up with 15c but that's because it goes into its boost clock while with steam it stays in its lowest clock to safe energy i guess. So that could explain that.

 

[Alexios]

The least featured client also the most bloated and taxing on the hardware (and dat chugging library page, lol)? Who'd have thought. Maybe that's why it still doesn't have a shopping cart, cos it'd be even heavier then. That, plus most people use it just for the freebies and micro transactions anyway so there's little incentive to add.

 

[Skifi28]

So that's how they get away with giving stuff away all the time. Gotta make a profit somehow, I welcome our new mining overlords.

 

[Korranator]

hmmm.........Just looked at my task manager. WTF Something is indeed going on. 5 to 6% cpu usage with 3800mb RAM usuage at idle.

They seriously need to fix that shit.

 

[DonJuanSchlong]

I noticed it using 5.5% on my 3800x yesterday or so. Figured it was maybe a rare bug, till I saw this.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I noticed unnecessary CPU usage when I first downloaded a long time ago. I always keep it closed and only boot it up now to grab the free game of the day before closing again.

 

[Derktron]

Yep, I have noticed this on my PC, when running Epic Games my CPU tends to go up on performance. More than it needs to be. On Steam it doesn't spike up on anything.

 

[PhoenixTank]

Very much a bugbear of mine when bloatware or launchers misbehave. When you are doing nothing you better damn well be idle.

That being said, I don't remember it doing this a little while ago. Possibly a bug. Possibly a feature.

 

[tichamac]

There's definitely something going on.

This is at idle.

 

[AJUMP23]

Literal hot fix incoming.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Protip: you can skip paying the Pooh tax by claiming the free games from the web, no need for the client.

 

[SpecialAgentZ]

That chinese money already bearing fruit.

 

[junguler]

this might not be a big deal but i don't trust epic to not have done something shady in the background, we already know when their launcher first came out it spied on your steam friends_list without disclosing it so i can never trust them and i wont ever install their pos launcher.

 

[MrFunSocks]

There's definitely something going on.

This is at idle.

What do you see when you expand it out? Do you have games updating in the launcher?

 

[dave_d]

Hmm, I have this running on my old intel based PC(3570) and it's hitting 6-10% cpu utilization.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Epic is probably just mining Ethereum on your PC, pay it no mind.

 

[ShirAhava]

wow glad I don't care about Epic games at all

 

[infinitys_7th]

Wanna bet its a mining program.

Anyway here its about the same usage.

Temps do go up with 15c but that's because it goes into its boost clock while with steam it stays in its lowest clock to safe energy i guess. So that could explain that.

I was going to say it sounds like a miner. Would be hilarious if that's what it is doing.

 

[Kittehkraken]

 

[tichamac]

What do you see when you expand it out? Do you have games updating in the launcher?

You mean this?

I only have 2 games installed and neither has any update(s) queued.

 

[Kuranghi]

Uplay used to completely freeze my computer for about 5 seconds after opening it, EGS is the new king of crap though, the other day it just wouldn't open even after like 20 attempts lol.

 

[Kataploom]

Imagine having games exclusive to the more features barebones and resource heavy launcher and still have people not understanding why some complain about such games being exclusive to it.

Like... Dude, GOG and Steam at least justify their existence, Epic not only offers nothing (apart from free games) but can't feel more shady and suspicious lol

What's next? Kernel-level EGS exclusive anti-cheat that will be mandatory for all online games stored on it?

Worst thing is that I actually can see it coming

 

[Ryzaki009]

? I thought it being a resource hog was already known?

That said I did think they'd fix it by now.

 

[Barakov]

Oof. Even more of a reason not to install this thing.

 

[K.S v2.0]

Dat China spyware at work doing its thing. Nothing to see here, move along... What? Want your social credit score lowered by 1000 points?! MOVE. ALONG.

 

[Stitch]

 

[Fuz]

You don't need the client to claim the free games.

 

[Makoto-Yuki]

to be fair, AMD cpus are erratic. my 3700X can bounce between ~33-60C at any time.

You don't need the client to claim the free games.

but you do if you wanna play them. if you don't want to play them then why even redeem them?

edit: just tested on my 9900K pc and it's happening. idling at 34C and cpu bouncing between 4.2-4.8GHz. i'll get a screenshot

 

[Fuz]

but you do if you wanna play them. if you don't want to play them then why even redeem them?

Dude.
I think I have almost 500 games between GOG (mostly), EGS freebies and steam freebies.
I really don't have the time. But they're there.

Also I'm considering the ethical implications of torrenting games Iegitimately own just for the convenience to not being forced to install crappy launchers.

 

[Makoto-Yuki]

Dude.
I think I have almost 500 games between GOG (mostly), EGS freebies and steam freebies.
I really don't have the time. But they're there.

Also I'm considering the ethical implications of torrenting games Iegitimately own just for the convenience to not being forced to install crappy launchers.

Dude.
if you aren't gonna play them what the hell you getting so upset about?

i'll tell ya...it's still illegal and shitty to torrent stuff just because you don't want to use a launcher. try to justify it and convince yourself but you'll still be a thief if you decide to torrent. stop being so lazy and obsessive and just use the clients jeez.

 

[Fuz]

if you aren't gonna play them what the hell you getting so upset about?

You're the upset one. I just said that you don't need the launcher to claim the free games and you got all worked up about it.

 

[kruis]

The hotfix didn't fix anything for me. The Epic Launcher is still far too CPU heavy. The CPU usage of Steam and GOG in idle mode is mimimal, yet the EpicGamesLauncher causes 20-40 times more CPU usage. (0.2% vs 4%)

 

[Fuz]

try to justify it and convince yourself but you'll still be a thief if you decide to torrent

Mmm no. I paid* for them.


*actually got them free on giveaways, since I don't buy on steam or EGS but only on GOG which is the only one that doesn't require a launcher.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Dude.
I think I have almost 500 games between GOG (mostly), EGS freebies and steam freebies.
I really don't have the time. But they're there.

Also I'm considering the ethical implications of torrenting games Iegitimately own just for the convenience to not being forced to install crappy launchers.

Well that's your problem. A lot of people redeem free games and then actually play them. And you can't run a game without the EGS client.

 

[Makoto-Yuki]

Mmm no. I paid* for them.


*actually got them free on giveaways, since I don't buy on steam or EGS but only on GOG which is the only one that doesn't require a launcher.

and? you think cause you bought them you can also go torrent them?

if you bought them or redeemed them for free then you have them...what you're doing is like buying a pizza and then going into another resteraunt and stealing a pizza ...and your logic is that it's OK cause you already bought a pizza.

 

[Fuz]

and? you think cause you bought them you can also go torrent them?

if you bought them or redeemed them for free then you have them...what you're doing is like buying a pizza and then going into another resteraunt and stealing a pizza ...and your logic is that it's OK cause you already bought a pizza.

Stealing the same pizza that I already paid for in full.

You have zero logic capacity.

 

[Makoto-Yuki]

anyway, here is my quick + dirty findings. make of them what you will (click to enlarge images). the thing i noticed is that my CPU never goes above 4.8GHz so that would indicate whatever process is causing the rise in usage/temps is an AVX instruction. i have a -2 AVX offset. CPU is meant to run at 5.0GHz unless there is an AVX load in which case it will downclock to 4.8GHz. look at CPU temperature/usage and it seems that the Epic Client is also using my GPU which shows increased usage/temps.

without anything running on my PC:

with Epic games client opened and running idle:

with Steam client opened and running idle:

 

[Royal-Slime]

The scientists have also proven that playing Fortnite might lead to temporary or in some cases permanent brain damage.

 

[Jigsaah]

This is definitely the case for me. I unfortunately lost the lottery so my 5800x runs hot at about 50 degrees Celsius just idling. With EGS running in the back ground, it would be in the upper 60's and I couldn't figure out why until this came out. I'm looking into a better cooler but I've seen videos from Classical Technology on youtube saying that even better coolers don't help with this issue.

Wondering if anybody else has the 5800x and it runs like this?

 

[Kaleinc]

anyway, here is my quick + dirty findings. make of them what you will (click to enlarge images). the thing i noticed is that my CPU never goes above 4.8GHz so that would indicate whatever process is causing the rise in usage/temps is an AVX instruction. i have a -2 AVX offset. CPU is meant to run at 5.0GHz unless there is an AVX load in which case it will downclock to 4.8GHz. look at CPU temperature/usage and it seems that the Epic Client is also using my GPU which shows increased usage/temps.

without anything running on my PC:

with Epic games client opened and running idle:

with Steam client opened and running idle:

I haven't seen a single core cpu in a while.

 

[Greirat]

The Epic Game launcher is painfully slow for me. I hate opening it and certainly don't leave it running all the time.

 

[Fbh]

Haven't checked my CPU but I'm not surprised. The Epic launcher has always felt slow and unresponsive compared to Steam and GOG Galaxy.

if you aren't gonna play them what the hell you getting so upset about?

To be fair some (specially the smaller games) are actually DRM free.
You can, for example, install Into the Breach, then uninstall the Epic launcher and it will still work (you just need to move it from the default install location because otherwise it will get automatically removed when you uninstall the launcher)