Everything You Need to Know About Killer Network Service

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Identify and fix high RAM and CPU usage from KNS

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: January 6, 2025 Fact Checked

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What Killer Network Service Is

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What Killer Network Service Does

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Can You Disable Killer Network Service?

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Common CPU Issues

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Popular Fixes to Stop High CPU Usage

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Video

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Tips

Do you keep seeing "Killer Network Service" at the top of your task manager's CPU usage tab? This feature is designed to help streamers, gamers, and other network-demanding apps, but there are imperfections in the software that make Killer Network Service (KNS) more annoying than helpful. Read on to learn more about KNS, what it does, its common issues, and how to fix high CPU usage.

What is Killer Network Service and do I need it?

Killer Network Service (KNS) is an Intel service that optimizes your network usage and is most beneficial to power users, streamers, and gamers. If you're more casual on your computer and don't use high-bandwidth apps, like games or streaming apps, you can safely disable KNS from Task Manager.

Section 1 of 5:

What Killer Network Service Is

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Killer Network Service (KNS) is an Intel product. Only certain Wi-Fi cards are compatible with the Killer Networking software; most are on gaming or high-performance computers.
- To check which Wi-Fi card you have, open Device Manager and double-click Network adapters . You'll see your Wi-Fi card listed there. The newest ones that are compatible with KNS are:
  - Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (i s)
  - Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (x w)
  - Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6E AX1675 PCIe Card
  - Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6E AX1690 (i s)
  - Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 7 BE1750 (x w)
  - Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 7 BE1750 (i s)
  - Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6E AX1675 (i s)
  - Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6E AX1675 (x w)
  - Intel® Killer™ Ethernet E3100 2.5 Gbps ^{[1]
    X
    Research source}
- Killer Network Service is not a virus and is a safe program. It mostly comes pre-installed on computers with certain Intel hardware. However, KNS runs in the background and manages network traffic, which might be a red flag for some users. Also, malicious apps mimic KNS by using similar names.

Section 2 of 5:

What Killer Network Service Does

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Killer Network Service prioritizes network usage for latency-sensitive apps. This includes gamers, so your game doesn't stutter as your computer automatically downloads an OS update. Other latency-sensitive apps and activities include streaming apps, video or audio communication software, or tasks that require real-time response, such as online stock trading.
- Essentially, KNS manages network bandwidth based on task priority. In this case, the game has a higher priority than the background download.
- KNS is beneficial to gamers, streamers, and multitaskers since they are more likely to be negatively impacted by lag spikes or interrupted network data.

Section 3 of 5:

Can You Disable Killer Network Service?

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You can safely disable KNS if you don't need it. Casual users may not need KNS running in the background, which takes up additional resources. And it's easy to disable in Task Manager!
- Open Task Manager (press Ctrl + Shift + Esc ), right-click "Killer Network Services", and select End task .

Section 4 of 5:

Common CPU Issues

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Below is a list of reasons for high-CPU usage by KNS. If your computer seems slower or you see more stuttering than usual, KNS might be hogging resources, like CPU usage.
- Extensive network traffic monitoring : If you have multiple apps open that need internet access, KNS will work too hard to manage your network usage.
- Outdated software : Using an old version of KNS will hurt your computer more than help it. Additionally, older versions may not be optimized for newer network protocols.
- Software conflicts : Some security apps, like Norton or McAfee, might block KNS.
- High network demand : High-bandwidth activities, like streaming or gaming, make KNS work harder to maintain the network quality.

Section 5 of 5:

Popular Fixes to Stop High CPU Usage

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Usually, updating your computer will also update the driver, but you can also right-click on your driver in "Device Manager" and select Update .
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Disable it if you don't need it. Disabling KNS without uninstalling it is a temporary solution that's perfect for users who don't frequently use high-bandwidth activities.
- Disable it by opening Task Manager (press Ctrl + Shift + Esc ), then finding Killer Network Services (you can also search for it), right-clicking it, then clicking End Task . ^{[2]
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  Research source}
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Use high-performance power settings. By using the high-performance setting or creating a custom setting, more CPU will be delegated for tasks other than KNS. The power options are in different places depending on your version of Windows:
- Windows 11: Go to Settings > System > Power & battery > Power Mode and select "Best Performance."
- Windows 10: Click the battery icon in your taskbar and drag the slider to the right towards "Best performance." ^{[3]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Microsoft Support
  Technical support and product information from Microsoft.
  Go to source}
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Run System File Checker. This scan can help identify and repair corrupted or missing KNS files.
- Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Type sfc /scannow and press Enter .
- Follow on-screen instructions to repair corrupted or missing files when the scan is complete.
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Uninstall and reinstall Intel® Killer™ Performance Suite. Sometimes a clean install will solve the high-CPU usage issues. Follow these steps to perform a clean installation:
- Go to https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19779/intel-killer-performance-suite.html?wapkw=killer and click Download . This will work on any Windows 10 version 1803 or higher.
- To uninstall, go to "Apps & Features" in Settings and find the list of installed apps. Click on Intel Killer Performance Suite and select Uninstall . Restart your computer.
- Once your computer restarts, press Win and type %temp% to open your temp folder. Delete all the files in this folder (all of these are safe to delete; if you run into a "File cannot be deleted" error, click Skip All ). Close the temp folder.
- Double-click the downloaded file from the Intel site and select Complete . The package will install the Intel Killer Performance Suite and the device drivers. Follow the remaining on-screen instructions to complete the installation. Note that this involves downloading additional software from the Microsoft Store, the Killer Performance Suite user interface, which is required.
- Restart your computer after installing everything.
You can add it to the whitelist in your antivirus so KNS can run without being blocked.