@SoulAsylum Has Norton 360 updated to v26.5.20995 on your system yet? I received this update yesterday (June 2). The “model_host.exe” file is dated June 2, 2026 after the update. I have no way of checking to see if that file was present before the update. All I know is that prior to the update, Norton 360 was reporting GPU usage for “nortonui.exe”. After the update, GPU usage is being reported for “model_host.exe” instead.
Next PVR does not task the GPU when running as a background service/process. The screenshot I provided previously shows there is zero percent GPU usage for the Next PVR processes. Next PVR does use the GPU when recording OTA content. But that was not happening at the time of the screenshot.
I am also aware that Edge and other processes use the GPU. But Edge usage is only 0.1% unless I’m watching a video on YouTube. The only other processes that use the GPU (according to task manager) are the Desktop Window Manager and Windows Explorer. But usage for those processes is only .5-1% when sitting on my Edge home page. Usage by Norton 360 exceeds both of those when Edge is Active.
As for your assertion that the 1-2% GPU usage by Norton 360 “… alone isn’t enough to force hardware to make itself spike to the point a system runs hot”, it does appear to be on my system. The GPU in my system typically ran at 37-39degrees Celsius when using Edge prior to the update from Norton at the beginning of May. My fan profile is set to start ramping up the fans when temperature exceeds 40degrees Celsius. The 1-2% added load from Norton seems to be enough for that to happen. If I temporarily disable Norton antivirus, temperatures remain below 40 degrees Celsius when Edge is active. As soon as I enable it again, temperatures exceed that threshold and the fans ramp up.
I fully understand that other processes (and Microsoft AI) use the GPU. That is not the issue here. The issue as I see it is that for some reason Norton 360 is now using the GPU (whether it is Nortonui.exe or model_host.exe) when there is no reason for it to be doing so. Is it because of new AI features that have been baked in to the latest versions of the Norton 360 software?
Having just ran live updates manually my installed version of Norton 360 remains 26.5.10994 (build 26.5.10994.984). Version 26.5.20995 isn’t being offered at this time my side. I’m in the USA, East Coast time. What is your geo-location?
Crap! That was a typo on my part. The update I received yesterday was v26.5.10994 (build 26.5.10994.984) (not v26.5.20995). Sorry for the confusion.
So I’m on the same version as you. That is weird that I have a “model_host.exe” file, and you do not. I’m going to uninstall and reinstall tomorrow to see if that changes anything. My subscription expires at midnight, so this seems like the right time to do so before entering the new license key I purchased at Best Buy at 50% of the price Norton was offering me in-software to continue my subscription.
@SoulAsylum As of this morning, “model_host.exe” is no longer using the GPU when Edge is active. I did find a post in the NortonAntiVirus subreddit from four days ago where another user states that “model_host.exe” uses the GPU on their system after the update at the end of May. So at least I know I wasn’t the only one seeing this behavior.
Thanks for your help! I’ll post back if anything changes.
Curious, did you use new your Best Buy key?
Do you still find “model_host.exe”?
What if any other Norton?
Note: I don’t find “model_host.exe” at Norton\Suite\
@Darrell_Wunder Thanks for the post-back and good news. I’m glad we could help in some way. Please post back again if this reappears, we can follow-up again.
Model_host.exe disappeared running on the GPU for me too, probably the last update fixed that? Nortonui.exe is still running on the gpu, but the devicemanager disable/reactivate helps for now.
jeg tror de fixer den fejl nu da jeg kan se de ikke har opdateret i over 3 dage så jeg tror de har snart en miner klar til norton 360 der fixer gpu og cpu det er min ide jeg tror senest søndag så er den ude grunden til den ikke kommer før er at de smider flere fejl i på en gang jeg tror de fixer både cpu og gpu plus nogle andre fejl som de fandt her og der det er derfor det bliver en miner og ikke en hotfix jeg tror de tar alt det de kan finde
I did a few hours ago. The “model_host.exe” file was indeed located in the “C:\Program Files\Norton\Suite\” folder after reinstalling Norton 360 with the new key.
