Dave Plummer, a former Microsoft engineer and now a prominent YouTuber, has released Task Manager OG, a spiritual successor to the original Windows Task Manager that first launched in 1995. This new application, developed over the course of a week while Plummer's child was undergoing surgery, aims to push the limits of modern hardware with enhanced visuals and data presentation. Task Manager OG is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Plummer, who has been open about his intention to create a Task Manager that takes advantage of contemporary processing power, describes the development process as partly "vibe-coded." The sequel features 60 Hz animations, mouse tracking, and a summary page. By default, it presents a high-contrast, neon-infused aesthetic, a design choice Plummer attributes to his personal embrace of autism.
Initial impressions of Task Manager OG reveal significant differences in resource reporting compared to the built-in Windows Task Manager. For instance, Chrome tabs reported usage close to 11 GB on OG, compared to just over 8 GB on the standard Task Manager. Slack usage also showed a disparity, with OG reporting 1 GB versus Task Manager's 500 MB. However, both applications provided similar overall memory usage statistics.
Task Manager OG consumes slightly more system resources out of the box, utilizing around 120 MB of memory and 3-4% of CPU usage, compared to the default Task Manager's 105 MB and under 1% CPU. These figures can be reduced by disabling the high-frequency visuals, bringing the CPU usage down to approximately 2-3%. Plummer acknowledges that Task Manager OG is more resource-intensive, a point the review notes with some irony.
The performance tab in Task Manager OG includes modules for CPU power and thermals, features absent in the original. However, the CPU power module reportedly failed to display data, and the thermal readings consistently showed 16.9°C, a figure noted as being unrealistically low and potentially unrepresentative of actual system temperatures. This contrasts with tools like HWinfo, which successfully capture CPU power and temperature readings.
While the default visual style of Task Manager OG may not appeal to all users, its layout offers customization options for colors and bloom effects. The application provides a unified view of CPU, GPU, and memory performance, alongside thermals and power usage. A notable feature in the CPU overview is a graph that displays initial measurements in seconds and longer intervals at the end, allowing for both granular, second-by-second monitoring and a broader long-term perspective on the same graph.
Many of the unique features are slated for the paid "Pro" version, which is not yet available as the software is currently in beta. Pro is expected to offer a comprehensive hardware readout, a list of installed applications with their versions and sizes, and a disk space reader, in addition to benchmarking tools. Despite these planned additions, the review suggests that much of the functionality can already be replicated using a combination of the standard Task Manager and other system utilities like Hardware Info. For macOS users, the built-in Activity Monitor serves a similar purpose, while Linux users have options such as Htop and NVTOP.
Plummer appears receptive to user feedback, with positive interactions noted on his Twitter, suggesting a willingness to implement changes based on community input. This approach contrasts with the perceived development practices of larger companies. However, the ultimate value proposition of the Pro version remains to be seen, especially given its current unavailability and the existence of established alternatives. For now, the existing Task Manager and specialized tools like HWinfo suffice for many users' needs.