Fix Steam Client WebHelper High CPU & Memory Usage

Steam, the popular video game platform developed by Valve Corporation, is a go-to choice for gamers throughout the world.

Gamers can choose from a wide selection of games, social networking functionality, and various other functions that enhance their gaming experience.

Nevertheless, it can sometimes encounter problems like any other software. Many users have complained that the Steam Client WebHelper consumes too much CPU and memory.

If this issue persists, your system’s performance can be significantly affected, resulting in lag or crashes during games. However, to solve this issue, this article will discuss the causes and comprehensive solutions.

What is the Steam Client WebHelper?

Steam Client WebHelper (steamwebhelper.exe) is one of the most important components of Steam.

Within the Steam client, it renders web content, including content from the Store, Library, and Community. Steam clients can seamlessly display web pages and interactive content using this feature.

Why Does Steam Client WebHelper Use High CPU and Memory?

Steam Client WebHelper uses a large amount of CPU and memory due to the following reasons:

1. Heavy Web Content: Images, videos, and interactive elements are common features in Steam’s client, which can take up a lot of resources.
2. Background Processes: Steam runs a number of background processes and services that can consume a considerable amount of system resources when combined.
3. Bugs or Glitches: Steam’s client may suffer from bugs or glitches that cause excessive CPU and memory consumption.
4. Browser-Based Architecture: Steam uses a Chromium-based browser, similar to Google Chrome, to display web content. Hence, it may consume as much resources as typical web browsers.

How do You Troubleshoot Steam Client WebHelper High CPU & Memory Usage Issues?

Here are some fixes that will help you resolve Steam Client WebHelper high CPU & memory usage issues:

Fix 1: Disable the Animated Avatars Feature

WebHelper high CPU issues are often caused by Animated Avatars, according to Steam community members.

Using this feature, profiles can be customized, but it is controlled by the Steam Client WebHelper. For this reason, you might try disabling it.

1. To access the Steam settings, launch the client and click on the Settings (Gear-shaped) icon.
2. Choose Off from the Enable Animated Avatars & Animated Avatar Frames in your Friends List and Chat option.
3. Once the change has been saved, open the Task Manager and see if the Steam Client WebHelper high CPU issue is resolved.

Fix 2: Turn off the Steam Overlay While In-Game

Steam overlays allow access to friends lists, chat, and the WebHelper browser as well, which can cause a high Steam Client WebHelper memory/CPU usage issue. It might be helpful to disable the Overlay feature in this case.

1. Go to the Settings menu in the Steam client.
2. In the left panel, select the In-Game category and uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in the in-game checkbox.

3. From the left panel, locate the Interface tab and disable the following options. Moreover, once you have made the changes, click OK to save them and reopen Task Manager to see if the high CPU issue with Web Helper has been resolved.

• Smooth scrolling in web views
• GPU-accelerated rendering in web views
• Hardware video decoding

Fix 3: Update the Windows Operating System

It’s a good idea to update the Windows operating system if Steam Client Webhelper’s high CPU usage hasn’t been fixed yet. However, this isn’t a sure-fire fix for the problem.

If Steam Client WebHelper is consuming a large amount of CPU, you may have a few bugs in your version of Windows.

It is, therefore, recommended that you update your Windows operating system, especially if you have had difficulty uninstalling recent updates.

If you want to update your Windows operating system, click Settings > Windows Updates. On the right side, click Check for Updates.

Fix 4: Run Steam Without WebHelper

The Steam WebHelper increases CPU usage on Windows computers. Therefore, you can disable it completely.

This may cause many important visual elements of Steam not to load, but it will boost the frame rate in-game. Here’s how you can run Steam without the WebHelper

1. In the Task Manager, close the Steam client and end all processes related to the Task.
2. Then, right-click the Steam desktop shortcut and select Open File Location.
3. In the Steam folder, look for steam.exe. Right-click the steam.exe file and choose Copy as Path.

4. Afterward, on your keyboard, press the Windows key + R. Copy the file path from the previous step and paste it into the Run dialog box with -no-browser +open steam://open/minigameslist.

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe" -no-browser +open steam://open/minigameslist

6. Thereafter, click the OK button on the Run dialog box.

You’re done! By doing this, you will be able to launch Steam Desktop without needing to install the WebHelper.

Fix 5: Uninstall Recent Windows Updates

There are times when Windows Updates can cause the operating system to have more problems. In the past, there have been reports of Steam Client not working after Windows updates were installed.

A recent Windows update you installed may be problematic if you are still experiencing the problem. It might help if you uninstall the last Windows Update.

1. Initially, type Control Panel into the Windows Search box. From the list, select Control Panel.
2. Using the Control Panel, go to Programs and Features.
3. To view installed updates, click on View Installed Updates in the upper left corner.

4. Next to the most recent Windows update, click Uninstall.

Fix 6: Reinstall Steam Client

It is recommended that you reinstall the Steam Client if none of the other methods work. Steam files that are corrupted or incorrectly configured can cause the Steam Client WebHelper to consume more CPU resources.

In such a case, it’s a good idea to reinstall the Steam desktop client if everything else fails. Keeping this in mind may help fix Steam Client WebHelper’s high CPU usage on Windows 11.

So, that’s all we have for you regarding how to fix the Steam Client web helper’s high CPU usage issue on Windows 11. But that’s not the end of the conversation. You must comment below if you have more queries in the comment section.