Suddenly I get high CPU usage and creeping memory consumption

[TheOddsBodkins]

The web helper process (steamwebhelper.exe) responsible for the new library UI, suddenly has a relatively high CPU usage (5% - 6%) when idling and it is also slowly "leaking" memory.

The memory leak continues until the process is using more than 2 GB of memory and, at this point, the CPU usage also goes way up, then the process crashes and Steam restarts the process and the same thing repeats.

I think this is happening because of one of the product update news in the what's new section. When not viewing the library "Home" screen, where the what's new section located, the CPU usage goes down and the memory leak stops.

I could narrow it down to a specific what's new post, but right now I am too pissed off at this steaming pile of javascript garbage, to bother wasting any more time for this.

Edit: see my post below for a workaround fix

[Reakor]

Ive been dealing with the same thing this morning, the "Steam Web Helper" process was using up to 3GB of RAM and around 4-5% CPU, ridiculous stuff.

[4K_240hz_MLED]

For me I think I'm experiencing lag when browsing through the forums (when battery plan is at best battery). Before I'd only experience lag when browsing through the store, activity, and profile pages after the UI overhaul in 2018 and again in 2020.

[76561198431860578]

Finally someone with the background experience figures it out! Thanks. Ive been getting the same thing and its causing me and my team to lose matches and me look like crap.

[riddLedSKL]

I just wanted to check for background programs involuntarily and realized that the steam client webhelper was using a full 2.5gb of ram. The steam support team should resolve this issue immediately. this is an unbelievably ridiculous thing...

I am not using Beta version by the way..

[TheOddsBodkins]

OK, for me, it's was the "Fat Scout Shootout Tournament" news post in what's new section. After removing that post, CPU usage went down and the memory leak stop.

As a workaround, you can remove that post (or all of them) from the what's new section. This wont fix the underlying issue, but it should stop Steam eating your system resources for now.

Note that, even if you are using the small mode the what's new section is still loaded by Steam causing this issue.

Edit: It would appear that the "Fat Scout Shootout Tournament" event post has now been removed by Valve. However, these post are personalized so this post could be gone just for me.

Edit 2: This may be an issue specific to "In-Game Event" posts in the what's new section. If you still have this issue, try removing all "event posts" from from what's new.

[Manda]

I came across this earlier today when my computer started to feel like a snail. Was about 2GB and climbing, and eating 2~5% of CPU. No idea of it had crashed out and reset over night.
After restarting Steam, it started to bloat back up again, hitting half a gig in 15 minutes and chewing 2~5% CPU again.

I keep steam in the old 'mini' style. I went to "Large Mode" after seeing this and it was on Library. Clicked to Store and it stopped and settled down.

[EDIT]
Scratch that. As soon as I minimized it back to tray, it returned to binging on ram and CPU.

[Robert F.]

Same here without using the client beta, it's all started yesterday and I've notice the steamwebhelper consuming the commit size up to 2gb and higher after an hour of use.

Before it was usually at 5.4/16gb and now it's growing up to 9/16gb gradually without doing anything.

For now on, I have to run no-browser command from memory consumption.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Disable gpu accelerated rendering in your Steam settings under interface.

[Drex]

Definitely looks like a memory leak is at work there probably best to restart Steam once in a while till they fix it if you haven't disabled acceleration

[Manda]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Disable gpu accelerated rendering in your Steam settings under interface.

:qr:

It is off.
It was that "Fat Scout Shootout Tournament" ad thing. Removing it stopped it completely.

[CLUTCH]

Originally posted by Manda:

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Disable gpu accelerated rendering in your Steam settings under interface.

:qr:

It is off.
It was that "Fat Scout Shootout Tournament" ad thing. Removing it stopped it completely.

Yes, getting rid of the whats new posts in the library is what worked.

[greenraven22]

Please post this in the performance thread so they can finally do something about this.

https://steamcommunity.com/groups/SteamClientBeta/discussions/3/2962768084999967276/

[Pzyber]

Thanks alot for this post, Still valid in 2024 sadly. I've been so tired of steamwebhelper processes draining my cpu.

Had 2 of them max one cpu core each today. Clearing the what's new section solved the issue, now all steamwebhelper processes are at 0% and games are running smoothly once again.

[RodroG]

Originally posted by Pzyber:

Thanks alot for this post, Still valid in 2024 sadly. I've been so tired of steamwebhelper processes draining my cpu.

Had 2 of them max one cpu core each today. Clearing the what's new section solved the issue, now all steamwebhelper processes are at 0% and games are running smoothly once again.

I agree. The steamwebhelper CPU usage and memory consumption still need resource optimization and mitigations.