Monterey DisplayLinkUserAgent high CPU with one app

xavierr · 04-11-2022, 12:20 PM

I have a similar problem. I have a MacBook Pro 16' 2019 with 32GB RAM. I plug in 2 external motors directly in my MacBook (via USB), and I plug in an additional 3 more via my Dell DisplayLink Dock.

I've had issues with this setup from day one (documented in my many posts on this forum, sadly). I was hoping that upgrading to BigSur / the new DisplayLink driver would help, but I just started having different problems.

My main issue with the new driver manifests itself each time I share my screen via Zoom / Google Meet. My Macbook progressively grinds to a halt within 5 minutes. The CPU usage of the kernel_task process progressively goes up to ~1000% CPU usage, at which point my Mac is unusable. My understanding is that kernel_task high CPU usage is linked to the Macbook overheating...

The high CPU usage of kernal_task is due to the DisplayLink driver: as soon as I kill the DisplayLink driver application, I loose 3 of my external monitors and the CPU usage progressively goes down to normal.

I posted several times on this forum, but I only got one response from Kate / DisplayLink.

04-11-2022, 12:20 PM	#2
xavierr Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Canada Posts: 22	I have a similar problem. I have a MacBook Pro 16' 2019 with 32GB RAM. I plug in 2 external motors directly in my MacBook (via USB), and I plug in an additional 3 more via my Dell DisplayLink Dock. I've had issues with this setup from day one (documented in my many posts on this forum, sadly). I was hoping that upgrading to BigSur / the new DisplayLink driver would help, but I just started having different problems. My main issue with the new driver manifests itself each time I share my screen via Zoom / Google Meet. My Macbook progressively grinds to a halt within 5 minutes. The CPU usage of the kernel_task process progressively goes up to ~1000% CPU usage, at which point my Mac is unusable. My understanding is that kernel_task high CPU usage is linked to the Macbook overheating... The high CPU usage of kernal_task is due to the DisplayLink driver: as soon as I kill the DisplayLink driver application, I loose 3 of my external monitors and the CPU usage progressively goes down to normal. I posted several times on this forum, but I only got one response from Kate / DisplayLink.