# TOP reports 99% utilized on a quad-core processor

**URL:** <https://community.asterisk.org/t/top-reports-99-utilized-on-a-quad-core-processor/21634>\
**Category:** Asterisk Support\
**Created:** [June 24, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://community.asterisk.org/t/top-reports-99-utilized-on-a-quad-core-processor/21634 "2008-06-24T15:44:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ErichS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbce88/32.png) [@ErichS](https://community.asterisk.org/u/ErichS)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://community.asterisk.org/t/top-reports-99-utilized-on-a-quad-core-processor/21634/1 "2008-06-24T15:44:52Z")

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I am running a 4-span t1 card in a new asterisk install. Computer is a quad-core processor.

Am I reading this right (in “TOP”)

Cpu(s): 0.0%us, 0.1%sy, 0.0%ni, 99.9%id, 0.0%wa, 0.0%hi, 0.0%si, 0.0%st

It looks like 99.9% used on one CPU and rest arent touched. Should linux or asterisk be balancing the load across the cores ?

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**Author:** ![davevg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@davevg](https://community.asterisk.org/u/davevg)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.asterisk.org/t/top-reports-99-utilized-on-a-quad-core-processor/21634/2 "2008-06-24T16:21:34Z")

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99.9% Idle time 😉

When in top, hit the 1 key to see the breakdown of processor usage per cpu.

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**Author:** ![ErichS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbce88/32.png) [@ErichS](https://community.asterisk.org/u/ErichS)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.asterisk.org/t/top-reports-99-utilized-on-a-quad-core-processor/21634/3 "2008-06-24T18:15:15Z")

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Whoops! Thanks, thats a relief to know I was reading it wrong.