protonscr

Slow client and massive resource consumption

steamopen Steam clientDistro Family: Ubuntu
ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#7413 · opened 2020-10-17 by Kottur95 · updated 2024-01-17 · 9 comments · github
KKottur95 2020-10-17 github

Your system information

  • Steam client version oct 15 2020, API v020
  • Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Ubuntu 20.04.1
  • Opted into Steam client beta?: no
  • Have you checked for system updates?: yes

On first installing steam on this french installation of Ubuntu, and ever since, despite attempts at reinstallation using multiple different sources, the result is always the same. steam takes up massive amounts of resources when it is interacted with, and runs incredibly slowly. I have already enabled every possible low performance setting, with little improvement. This issue has been ongoing for half a year.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

  1. install steam
  2. open and use steam in any capacity, including in shift tab
  3. particularly noticable on mousing across multiple items

here's an image of the massive spike in resource usage that happens when i move my mouse across the application

image

Kkisak-valve maintainer 2020-10-17 github

Hello @Kottur95, please copy your system information from Steam (Steam -> Help -> System Information) and put it in a gist, then include a link to the gist in this issue report. In particular, I'd like to confirm that your system is configured to use a real video card and not llvmpipe (mesa cpu rendering).

KKottur95 2020-10-17 github

Hello @Kottur95, please copy your system information from Steam (Steam -> Help -> System Information) and put it in a gist, then include a link to the gist in this issue report. In particular, I'd like to confirm that your system is configured to use a real video card and not llvmpipe (mesa cpu rendering).

https://gist.github.com/Kottur95/89b270ad8a413b9b7b5b8721d7c655a5

Here is the gist. Let me know if you spot anything that might be causing the problem.

Ssomnambulist77 2020-11-06 github

I'm having the same issue. I'm attaching sysinfo gist as well. Maybe it will help give some more insight.

https://gist.github.com/somnambulist77/e7761e787afc878beb8a8971d7bad58d

Hhansborr 2020-12-05 github

I am experiencing similar issues.

Interacting with the steam UI on Linux is painfully slow, to the point of it being nearly unusable.

The interface frequently "hangs", such as if I am trying to scroll through my list of games and click on one to install, or navigating through the store and trying to make a purchase, or mousing over something and waiting for a contextual menu to show up.

My computer has a lot of resources, and other applications (such as firefox) can run smoothly while steam is stuttering along in the background. My system does not have high load when this is occurring.

Here is my gist: https://gist.github.com/hansborr/df3978a440e3df00677f0c38f9c977f6

This uses the flatpak version from flathub -- but I've also tested a non-flatpak installation, and had similar performance problems that way as well.

I first noticed this issue a few months ago. It wasn't always a problem, but I haven't been using steam on linux that frequently so I don't know exactly when it started.

Hhansborr 2020-12-30 github

As a follow-up, I've noticed that for me, the issue is associated with the "friends" window being open. Closing it immediately removes the lag.

Here's a video demonstrating it: https://youtu.be/Pp-TYBuqm7w

I searched a little more, and found another issue report which more closely matches: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/7245

For anyone else who has encountered the problem -- does closing the friends window fix it for you?

Aantonkurkin 2021-02-20 github

@hansborr closing friends windows works for me. thanks for the workaround!
here is my system information https://gist.github.com/antonkurkin/a5aef4584d490063db36210578ddcf2e

Aantonkurkin 2021-04-05 github

I found that turning off animated avatars in the friends list settings effectively fixes the problem for me
(gear on top-right of Friends List -> Friends List -> Enable Animated Avatars... -> set to OFF)

Kkaimast 2021-06-10 github

I still have a similar issue, webhelper is constantly at 20-50% CPU usage running if Steam store tab is opened.

Right now it seems like the steam window is constantly being rendered even if not focused or visible at all.

AAtFreezingPoint 2024-01-17 github

4th birthday in 9 months!