looking for a program that shows cpu usage in the background

http://www.islayer.com/index.php?op=item&id=28

 

iStat Pro

 

can you not simply use activity monitor and show cpu useage in the dock? That's what I do. You could add it to your login items too.

 

I just dont see what the point of those apps are, except for in an instance where you're troubleshooting a rogue process.

If you're so worried about getting maximum performance, then just eliminate as many unnecessary tasks/processes as you can. And a CPU monitor is a huge one. Its constantly having to poll the hardware for status updates. It's like an app with an unquenchable thirst for attention.

Besides, CPU usage isn't really the same as like a tach on a car. There are much bigger bottlenecks in your system (disk I/O, etc) than your CPU.

//developer's $.02

 

iStat Pro is a great tool for monitoring many things on a Mac, including CPU, Memory, Disks, Network, Battery, Load & Uptime, Temperatures, Fans, Processes, etc. It's not just for troubleshooting.

Not true at all. iStat Pro's CPU usage is so negligible as to be almost non-existant.

 

As already mentioned your mac already has this built in, open "Activity Monitor" and then right (control) click it and change "dock icon" to cpu usage

 

A nice thing about iStat is you can put it in your menu bar at the top. It's out of the way, but you have quick access to information: temperatures, fan speeds, network, memory, cpu, hard drive usage...all at a glance, or more detail with a drop down. Its use of resources is minimal.

 

super-minimal cpu monitor a friend of mine wrote: http://boredzo.org/cpuusage/