CPU usage

[mnin]

CPU usage

[waydabber]

What Mac model is it and what features are being used? The CPU consumption should be negligible normally as the app generally just runs in the background waiting for some keyboard shortcut or user activity.

[mnin]

Thanks, I have seen the behavior on Apple Silicon with these CPUs: M1, M2, M2 Max.

It seems that it occurs after the following steps:

• Installation (via Homebrew)
• first start
• activation of the license
• activation of keyboard shortcuts (accessibility)
• then restart via interface in settings

[mnin]

After another restart, it seems to be "fixed".

[mnin]

It is running in the same cycle again.

macOS then created a report.
BetterDisplay_2023-10-28-232724_Martins-MacBook-Pro.wakeups_resource.txt
BetterDisplay_2023-10-29-020445_Martins-MacBook-Pro.wakeups_resource.txt

[waydabber]

Does it happen only with the v2.0.11 version? Are the configs you had this issue similar in terms of software (a clones of each other or set up similarly - same third party apps, utilities, settings etc)? What does it mean "it is running in the same cycle again"?

Based on what you sent it seems it's something SwiftUI related, macOS seems to be preoccupied with some layout things. You get the high CPU usage even without opening the menu or Settings (not that the app should have any consumption when these are open - CPU usage should be around 0.1% normally, or at least that's what I get).

[waydabber]

If what the pwoerstats indicates is a constant thing, it seems like some kind of event is constantly "tickling" the app causing the UI to respond and redraw. By the abundant amount of SwiftUI and NSView things it must be stimulating the app menu or Settings somehow which makes no sense unless any of these are open. Is this a vanilla macOS installation or are there maybe some third party window management, menubar altering apps or any other general macOS UI/experience altering/improvement apps or utilities running concurrently with BetterDisplay which might somehow do such a thing? If not then I have no idea why this is. Did not receive any reports like this so far, but it might be that nobody noticed it. I certainly could not reproduce the issue so far.

You say the issue only arises with the v2.0.11 version and v2.0.10 or earlier is fine? If so, I can quickly go through the changes/differences, but as far as I remember I did not make any change in the way the UI itself behaves.

[mnin]

It is a fresh installed macOS 14.1, without any extensions or some system changing 3rd party software.

Yes, didn't do anything, just keep BetterDisplay in the menu bar. No open windows and no flickering somewhere.

I didn't started with the 2.0.11 version, didn't able to test the 2.0.10 before.

[waydabber]

I see. What does "It is running in the same cycle again" mean exactly? After how long does the app start doing this? Can you share a bit more info on the configuration? Are there external displays and how are they connected?

[mnin]

Thought after couple of restarts, it was fixed by itself, but after couple of minutes (without rendering the menu via menubar or a window from BetterDisplay), it was running in the same cycle again with ~20% cpu usage again visible in the Activity Monitor app.

May it took couple of seconds but less than minutes.

My setup is:

• Thunderbolt docking station
• LG Monitor connected to the docking station

But I tried to disconnect the docking station and saw the same behavior.

[waydabber]

I am sorry, I have no explanation for this issue and can't seem to be able to reproduce it. :( I'll move this to discussions and see if anybody else experiences the same. Generally 20% UI activity related CPU usage is all right when the app is in the process of actively rendering something or doing UI animations (using SwiftUI) but it should be brief and momentary for the time the animation or the activity is happening, otherwise the app should just stay at 0%-0.1% CPU usage when dormant. I don't understand why and what does constantly cause the UI to work on your Mac. If the macOS installation is totally fresh, no settings altered and BetterDisplay is the only app running and freshly installed, it is even more of a conundrum (and the fact that I can't reproduce it is even more baffling). I am very sorry for the issue you are experiencing.

Do you have a similar issue if you install v1.4.x or one of the earlier v2.x betas that still did not have the SwiftUI app menu (try https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay/releases/tag/v2.0.3-pre-release)?