Windows 11 comes with taskbar placement in the middle of the screen. That leaves us with ample space on the left and the right side, that could possibly be used to offer performance insights into the computer. And that too, on a real time basis. The performance data of the computer includes utilization of the processor, memory, GPU and virtual RAM. Getting the data in real time makes for a compelling feature for the tech friendly people.
How do I add computer performance data on Windows 11 taskbar?
Windows 11 taskbar can be used to display performance data of the computer. This data will include the data that shows performance metrics:
- CPU usage of the computer
- GPU usage on the computer
- RAM usage on the computer
- Virtual RAM usage on the computer
All these performance metrics are a part of the Microsoft Game bar performance widget. By adding the Game bar performance widget on the taskbar, we can pull in the performance metrics of the computer to the task bar. These metrics will automatically update. So, you would have continuously updated metrics of the computer’s performance.
The best part is that the Game bar performance widget can be removed at any point of time. During periods of intense CPU usage or memory usage, the game bar performance widget will come in handy to watch out for performance metrics in the real time.
How do I add Game bar performance on Windows 11 taskbar?
Windows 11’s Game bar performance widget can be added on the Windows 11 taskbar by following the steps below.
- Press the Win key and G key. Win + G Key will bring up the Game bar console on your Windows 11 computer. The screen shot below shows the Windows 11 Game bar console.
2. From the Game bar console, click on the ‘Performance’ icon on the widget bar. The image below shows the screen show with the performance option highlighted for you.
3. Upon clicking the performance widget, you will see a full scale widget that could help you customize the various performance metrics that you can track. You will notice that there are options to select from the five available performance metrics. These metrics include the CPU time, GPU usage, RAM usage, Virtual RAM usage and the frames per second. You could pick one or more of the available performance metrics to display on a real time basis.
4. You can also customize the placement of the game bar contents. You could place the performance metrics in a left or right aligned performance widget. You could also place it at the bottom, to synchronize with the Windows 11 taskbar placement. On my computer, I have placed the game bar performance widget on the bottom of the screen. The performance metrics get auto-updated, on a real time basis.
5. After selecting the placement, you will need to pin the Game bar performance widget on the taskbar. When you pin the game bar performance widget on the taskbar, the performance data of the computer keeps rolling on the performance bar on the Windows 11 taskbar. You can see the performance widget on the Windows 11 taskbar, with an option to pin it or unpin it anytime.
The image below represents the game bar performance widget on my computer. You can see that the game bar performance widget is placed at the bottom of the screen, to the left side of the Windows 11 taskbar.
How can I remove the game bar performance widget from the Windows 11 taskbar?
Removing the Game bar performance widget from the Windows 11 taskbar is a very simple process. You will just need to unpin the performance widget from the Windows 11 taskbar. Once you press the unpin icon on the performance widget of the game bar, it will automatically get removed from the Windows 11 taskbar.
Are there any performance issues with game bar placement on Windows 11 taskbar?
There may be some performance trade offs that may happen when you place the game bar performance widget on the Windows 11 taskbar. We prefer to use it only in cases where we need clarity on CPU or memory usage for specific reasons. The game bar performance widget for the Windows 11 computer is a nice way to consolidate system performance data on the Windows 11 taskbar. However, use it only when you feel there is a need to track any of the available performance metrics on the Windows 11 computer.
Conclusion
Windows 11 allows you to place Microsoft Game bar performance widget on the taskbar. This will bring in performance data of the computer on the taskbar. The performance data is updated on a real time basis. You could unpin the performance widget anytime. This will close the Game bar widget from the Windows 11 taskbar. There is, obviously, some impact on the overall CPU and memory usage of the computer when we make use of the Game bar performance widget on the Windows 11 taskbar.
You may also like to read the following content related to Windows 11:
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- Desktop Window Manager is using a lot of memory on Windows 11
- Ungroup Taskbar icons on Windows 11
- Improve File Explorer speed on Windows 11
- Windows 11 – blank overlay over the search on taskbar
Rajesh Dhawan is a technology professional who loves to write about Cyber-security events and stories, Cloud computing and Microsoft technologies. He loves to break complex problems into manageable chunks of meaningful information.