Using PerformanceCounter to track memory and CPU usage per process?

Question

How can I use System.Diagnostics.PerformanceCounter to track the memory and CPU usage for a process?

Pegmatite

Answer 1

For per process data:

Process p = /*get the desired process here*/;
PerformanceCounter ramCounter = new PerformanceCounter("Process", "Working Set", p.ProcessName);
PerformanceCounter cpuCounter = new PerformanceCounter("Process", "% Processor Time", p.ProcessName);
while (true)
{
    Thread.Sleep(500);
    double ram = ramCounter.NextValue();
    double cpu = cpuCounter.NextValue();
    Console.WriteLine("RAM: "+(ram/1024/1024)+" MB; CPU: "+(cpu)+" %");
}

Performance counter also has other counters than Working set and Processor time.

Pegmatite

It should be noted that the Sleep is required, calling NextValue, then Sleeping for 500-100, then calling NextValue to get the actual value works, if you call NextValue first then use that value and continue to next process, it will always be 0 value for processor %, the RAM value works regardless. – Grasmere

Where is the list of possible values to pass in to the PerformanceCounter constructor? I can't find it anywhere. – Acetal

to retrieve the list of counters : msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/851sb1dy.aspx ; also a good article infoworld.com/article/3008626/application-development/… – Estheresthesia

Can the loop be done on a separate thread and still yield meaningful results? – Unproductive

This is super-helpful. I've found in addition that in order to get a CPU utilization value similar to what's shown in Task Manager and Resource Monitor, you must divide the cpu counter by Environment.ProcessorCount. (Sorry, I appear to have closed the tab on which I found that hint... but sure do wish there was official documentation on this somewhere.) – Elysha

Answer 2

If you are using .NET Core, the System.Diagnostics.PerformanceCounter is not an option. Try this instead:

System.Diagnostics.Process p = System.Diagnostics.Process.GetCurrentProcess();
long ram = p.WorkingSet64;
Console.WriteLine($"RAM: {ram/1024/1024} MB");

Pamplona

why is it not an option? Seems to be supported in .NET (granted I'm testing in .NET 6) – Antipyrine

Pushkin, you are correct. System.Diagnostics.PerformanceCounter was added in Dec 2023 as part of .net Platform Extensions 8.0. This answer was relevant before Dec 2023, or for anyone who doesn't use Platform Extensions 8.0 (or above). – Pamplona

Answer 3

I think you want Windows Management Instrumentation.

EDIT: See here:

Measure a process CPU and RAM usage

How to get the CPU Usage in C#?

Mispronounce

how do you track process memory and CPU usage with WMI? – Pegmatite

Yeah, your right. MSDN is running me in circles. I wind up at Performance Counters again. – Mispronounce