Performance: Code Helper (Renderer) exceeds 100% when Codex applies a code patch in VS Code

Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

• #15330
• #15706

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Same issue for me

the same

Same issue

Same issue for me

Same issue happened to me

Same issue, last version 26.325.21211 have same problems CPU go to MAX

Same issue after Codex completes a task that actually changes files, It seems that the VS Code renderer/window CPU spikes heavily.
ver. 26.325.21211

same issue for me

Codex app same here, the CPU hits 100% during coding and thinking. but the CLI runs perfectly smooth.

Same issue for me

I’ve also encountered the same issue. The resource usage remains very high, and even after the conversation has ended, the related process continues to stay at a high level. In most cases, disabling the extension or restarting the application is necessary to restore things to normal.

<img width="2212" height="1276" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/988836ff-ad6d-4a06-96cd-507437d1834e" />

Been having the same issue with the overheating a macbook air m4 using codex on vs code. The only workaround I've found was to use the official codex app for mac. It's not overheating when using the app, but now I have to keep switch apps between the Codex app and Vs code app.

Been having the same issue with the overheating a macbook air m4 using codex on vs code. The only workaround I've found was to use the official codex app for mac. It's not overheating when using the app, but now I have to keep switch apps between the Codex app and Vs code app.

Yes, the desktop app of codex doesn't get hot

This is not limited to MacOS. Arch Linux here with high load after changing a file using the VS Code extension.

My local VSCode installation with Codex has been behaving this way every day since I first installed Codex. I feel like its potentially shortening the life of my device, would hate for OpenAI to have a class action lawsuit related to thousands or millions of damaged work devices and associated hardware as a result of this fault; cutting 2-3 years off of a maintenance and replacement cycle is no small matter at a national or global scale.

Windows 11, latest version of VSCode and Codex plugin, I don't use the CLI version. CPU load behaviour been happening pretty consistently for months, sometimes just opening the VSCode app is enough to do it without starting any chat with Codex, truly a bizarre use of my system resources that has been unpatched far too long.

My local VSCode installation with Codex has been behaving this way every day since I first installed Codex. I feel like its potentially shortening the life of my device, would hate for OpenAI to have a class action lawsuit related to thousands or millions of damaged work devices and associated hardware as a result of this fault; cutting 2-3 years off of a maintenance and replacement cycle is no small matter at a national or global scale. Windows 11, latest version of VSCode and Codex plugin, I don't use the CLI version. CPU load behaviour been happening pretty consistently for months, sometimes just opening the VSCode app is enough to do it without starting any chat with Codex, truly a bizarre use of my system resources that has been unpatched far too long.

Yes, beyond frustrating.

The class action comment made me smile, but the concern is valid. This has been going on for months now, there are many reports, and the pattern is consistent: excessive CPU, heat, fan noise, battery drain, and machines getting hammered during normal use.

At this point the product is unusable for many people, and if teams with hundreds of engineers are hitting this too, then it is not just an annoying bug, it is a real operational and hardware-impact issue at scale.

OpenAI needs to stop letting this sit and actually prioritize fixing it.

Any workaround found? Debian Sid here.

For me it is:

• 100% (a single core) for /usr/share/code/code --type zygote
• 25% for another process of the above
• 25% for /proc/self/exe --type=utility --utility-sub-type=node.mojom.NodeService

A rather blunt-force workaround is to restart VSCode's extension host: ctrl + shift + p opens up the command palette, then you want Developer: Restart Extension Host

That will restart _all_ of your extensions so it might cause problems with them afterwards, but I've not found a way to properly restart just a single extension yet - but that's a VSCode problem

Here is a trick: if you opne a new thread, it consumes back to 0%. But if you jsut reopen old thread, it is back to 100%. So there is some bug in rendering answer

I’m experiencing a similar issue

Environment:

• VS Code: 1.115.0
• macOS (Apple Silicon - M5)
• Extension version (problematic): 26.409.20454
• Extension version (stable): 26.318.11754

Symptoms:

• "Code Helper (Renderer)" goes to ~100–120% CPU (sometimes higher)
• In VS Code Process Explorer, the "window" process is the one consuming CPU (~110%)
• The issue appears when the Codex panel/chat is open
• "codex app-server" process remains at 0% CPU

Downgrading to 26.318.11754 completely resolves the issue. This looks like a regression introduced after 26.318.x, specifically affecting the renderer/webview layer.

Seeing this also on my laptop with Ubuntu 24.04.

It was resolved after installing the latest version (26.5415.20818).