Per-process NPU metrics arrive as one more venerable Windows utility risks feature bloat
Once upon a time, Windows Task Manager was a stone-cold killer. Optimized to within an inch of its life, it struck fear into errant processes. These days, Microsoft also wants it monitoring AI workloads.Task Manager has come a long way from the application Dave Plummer developed in the 1990s, inspired by what he called a "very Unixy impulse." This week, Microsoft highlighted its latest addition: deeper visibility into AI workloads."Previously, the Processes tab didn't show per-process activity for the neural processing unit (NPU) or graphics processing unit (GPU) neural engine," Microsoft explained.
Now it does, at least on supported newer devices. The Processes tab can show NPU use alongside CPU and GPU activity, while the Performance tab displays overall utilization.
It is handy, although Task Manager appears to be spending ever more time monitoring tasks rather than managing them.That said, knowing which processes are using which hardware can help diagnose performance and power consumption problems, particularly on a battery-powered laptop. Microsoft was keen to point out the metrics that can be monitored. "As AI workloads become more common on Windows devices, visibility into NPU and GPU neural engine utilization can help you make better-informed decisions," the company said. "With the latest Task Manager improvements, you can monitor AI processing activity alongside CPU, memory, storage, and networking data from a familiar interface."
