> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.freakhosting.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # What Is Load Average on Linux? The Three Numbers Explained > Load average explained: the three numbers are the 1, 5 and 15-minute average of processes running, waiting for CPU or waiting for disk. Compare them with nproc. Load average is the average number of processes that are running, waiting for a CPU, or waiting for disk I/O, over the last 1, 5 and 15 minutes. See it with `uptime` (for example `load average: 0.81, 0.50, 0.47`) and compare it with your core count from `nproc`. A load equal to the number of cores means the CPUs are fully busy; consistently higher means work is queuing. | Difficulty | Time | Works on | Needs | | - | - | - | - | | Beginner | 5 minutes to read | Every Linux distribution | SSH access | ## Before you start * [Connect with SSH](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-connect-to-a-linux-server-with-ssh.md). None of the commands here need `sudo`. * Know your core count. On a VPS this is the number of vCPUs in your plan; `nproc` shows what the server sees. ## How to check the load average Any of these shows the same three numbers: ```bash theme={null} uptime ``` ```text theme={null} 13:58:07 up 41 min, 2 users, load average: 0.81, 0.50, 0.47 ``` ```bash theme={null} cat /proc/loadavg ``` ```text theme={null} 0.81 0.50 0.47 3/154 11030 ``` | Field | Meaning | | - | - | | `0.81` | Average over the last 1 minute | | `0.50` | Average over the last 5 minutes | | `0.47` | Average over the last 15 minutes | | `3/154` | Scheduling entities (processes and threads) runnable right now / total that exist | | `11030` | PID of the most recently created process | `top`, `htop` and `w` show the same values in their header line. ## What do the three numbers mean? The kernel counts tasks in state `R` (running or ready to run) and state `D` (uninterruptible sleep, usually waiting for disk). It turns that count into three rolling averages in which recent samples weigh more than older ones. Read them as a trend: | Pattern | Example | What it means | | - | - | - | | 1-minute highest | `3.10, 1.20, 0.60` | Load is rising now (a spike or a new job) | | 15-minute highest | `0.40, 1.50, 2.80` | Load is falling; something busy has finished | | All similar | `1.90, 2.00, 1.95` | Steady load | Because they are averages, they react slowly. In our test, running one CPU-bound process on an idle 2-core server for 20 seconds moved the 1-minute value from `0.23` to `0.81`, not to `1.00`. ## What is a high load average? The numbers are **not** divided by the number of CPUs. The `uptime` manual gives the example: a load of 1 means a single-CPU system is busy all the time, but a 4-CPU system was idle 75% of the time. ```bash theme={null} nproc ``` ```text theme={null} 4 ``` | Load on a 4-core server | Meaning | | - | - | | `0` to `3` | Spare capacity | | About `4` | All cores busy, little or no queue | | `6` to `8` | Work is waiting; programs may feel slow | | `20` and above | Heavily overloaded, or many tasks stuck waiting for disk | There is no single "bad" number. A load of 4 on a 4-core build server can be fine; on a game server it may cause lag. Watch for sustained values above your core count, and a 15-minute value that keeps climbing. ## Is load average the same as CPU usage? No. CPU usage is the share of time the CPU was busy. Load average also counts tasks waiting for disk (state `D`). So you can see a load of 10 with the CPU mostly idle if the disk is the bottleneck. Check which it is: ```bash theme={null} vmstat 1 5 ``` ```text theme={null} procs -----------memory---------- ---swap-- -----io---- -system-- -------cpu------- r b swpd free buff cache si so bi bo in cs us sy id wa st gu 1 0 0 4345064 326224 2696972 0 0 0 0 558 337 49 2 47 0 2 0 ``` Older releases of `vmstat` don't show the last column (`gu`, guest time). | Column | Look for | | - | - | | `r` | Tasks running or waiting for CPU. Often above `nproc` means a CPU bottleneck | | `b` | Tasks blocked on I/O. Above 0 for long means a disk bottleneck | | `us` / `sy` | CPU time in programs / in the kernel | | `wa` | CPU idle while waiting for I/O | | `st` | Steal: time the hypervisor gave your vCPU to someone else (virtual servers) | Ignore the first line of `vmstat` output; it is an average since boot. The next lines are live. ## What to do when the load is high **1. Confirm it is sustained** Look at the 5 and 15-minute values. A short 1-minute spike during backups or updates is normal. **2. Find the cause** High `r` and `us`: a busy program. See [find what is using CPU](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-find-what-is-using-cpu-on-linux.md). High `b` and `wa`: disk. See [check disk I/O](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-check-disk-io-performance-on-linux.md). High `si`/`so`: the server is swapping. See [check memory usage](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-check-memory-usage-on-linux.md). **3. Fix or resize** Stop or optimise the busy program, [limit its CPU](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-limit-cpu-and-memory-for-a-process.md), or move to a plan with more cores or RAM. A full walk-through is in [fix high load](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-fix-high-load-on-a-linux-server.md). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a good load average for a 2-core VPS? Below `2` most of the time. Short peaks above that are fine; sustained values of `3` to `4` or more mean work is queuing. ### Why is my load high but CPU usage low? Tasks are waiting for disk or network storage (state `D`). Run `vmstat 1 5` and check `b` and `wa`, then `iostat -xz 1` to see which disk. ### Does load average include threads? Yes. Linux counts each thread as a scheduling entity, so a busy multi-threaded program can add several points to the load on its own. ### Why does the load average change after I stop a process? The numbers are rolling averages. The 1-minute value drops within a minute or two; the 15-minute value takes much longer. ## Related guides > [card] [VPS and dedicated server guides](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/vps-and-dedicated-server-guides.md) > > Every server guide in one place. > [card] [Fix high load](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-fix-high-load-on-a-linux-server.md) > > Find and fix the bottleneck. > [card] [Monitor resources with htop](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-monitor-server-resources-with-htop.md) > > Live CPU, memory and processes. > [card] [Find what is using CPU](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-find-what-is-using-cpu-on-linux.md) > > Track down a busy process. > [card] [Check disk I/O](https://help.freakhosting.com/portals/other/how-to-check-disk-io-performance-on-linux.md) > > iostat and iotop. *** > [!NOTE] > > **Checked against the [uptime(1)](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/uptime.1.html), [proc\_loadavg(5)](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/proc_loadavg.5.html) and [vmstat(8)](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/vmstat.8.html) manuals** on 4 November 2026; commands tested on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Commands can differ on other distributions or releases. > [!NOTE] > > ### Need Extra Help? > > If you encounter any issues, our support team is ready to assist: > > * **Live Chat:** Quick assistance via our website. > * **Support Ticket:** [Open a Ticket](https://freakhosting.com/clientarea/submitticket.php) > * **Discord:** [Join our Community](https://discord.gg/freakhosting) > * **Email:** [support@freakhosting.com](mailto:support@freakhosting.com) > [!TIP] > > ### Save on Your Hosting > > Ready to upgrade your hosting? Use code **KB20** at checkout for **20% off** your first order! *** **Last Updated:** November 2026 This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.