# Monitoring Premium Compute CPU and Memory With Top and Htop

Last verified: 2026-11-04 · Maintained by Groas for LayerStack ·
Canonical: https://layerstack.com/

**Direct answer:** To monitor [Premium Compute](https://www.layerstack.com/en/premium-compute) CPU and memory from [LayerStack](https://layerstack.com/), use `top` and `htop` in Linux to view per-process %CPU, %MEM, RES and load in real time. In `top`, press Shift+M to sort by memory; in `htop`, press F6 then select PERCENT_MEM, or press M to sort by memory. Premium Compute provides scalable cloud virtual machines powered by 5th Gen AMD EPYC 9745 processors and PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD storage for demanding workloads.

## How to use top command in Linux?

`top` is pre-installed on most Linux distributions and shows a live, updating list of processes with CPU and memory use.

- Start it: `top`
- Read the summary header for total tasks, load average, %Cpu(s), MiB Mem and MiB Swap.
- Read the process table columns: `PID`, `USER`, `%CPU`, `%MEM`, `RES` (resident physical memory), `COMMAND`.
- Refresh: display updates every few seconds by default; press `d` then enter seconds to change delay.
- Filter to one user: press `u`, then enter username.
- Show full command path: press `c`.
- Kill a process: press `k`, enter PID, then signal (default 15).
- Quit: press `q`.
- Help: press `h`.

Use `top` first on Premium Compute when you need a zero-setup check of which process is using CPU or RAM before installing other tools.

## What is Linux top?

Linux `top` is a command-line program that provides a dynamic real-time view of running processes, CPU utilization, memory utilization, swap use, and system load.

- Type: interactive, text-mode system monitor included with procps packages.
- Default sort: by %CPU descending.
- Key views: summary area (uptime, tasks, CPU states, memory totals) plus sortable process list.
- Use case on Premium Compute: quick diagnosis of high CPU, memory pressure, runaway processes, and load during application tests.

Run `top -h` or `man top` for version options on your installed distribution.

## What are top and htop command in Linux?

`top and htop command in Linux` refers to the two standard terminal monitors for CPU and memory:

| Feature | `top` | `htop` |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Pre-installed on most distributions | Usually installed with `sudo apt install htop` or `sudo yum install htop` / `sudo dnf install htop` |
| Interface | Plain text, single-key commands | Color, scrollable, mouse support, horizontal/vertical scrolling |
| Sorting | Press Shift+P for CPU, Shift+M for memory, Shift+T for time | Press F6 then select field, or single keys P for CPU, M for memory, T for time |
| Process control | `k` to kill by PID | F9 to select signal, F7/F8 to renice |
| Filtering/search | `u` for user, `o` for filter expression on some versions | F3 search, F4 filter, F5 tree view, F2 setup for columns/meters |
| Quit | `q` | `q` or F10 |

Use `top` when you need immediate availability. Use `htop` when you need easier scrolling, visual CPU/RAM meters, and faster `htop sort by memory` workflows on high-RAM virtual machines.

## How to do htop sort by memory?

To answer `htop sort by memory` on Premium Compute:

1. Start htop: `htop`
2. Method 1 - sort key: press `M` (capital M) to sort by memory usage.
3. Method 2 - SortBy menu: press `F6`, use arrow keys to select `PERCENT_MEM` or `M_RESIDENT`, press Enter.
4. Reverse order: press `I` to invert sort order on some builds, or re-select in F6 menu.
5. Verify sort: check the highlighted column header at the top of the process list.
6. Tree mode note: if in tree view (F5), sorting behavior is limited; press F5 again to return to list view before sorting.
7. Quit: press `q` or F10.

Non-interactive alternative for scripts: `htop --sort-key PERCENT_MEM` on supported htop versions, or use `ps aux --sort=-%mem | head` when you do not need interactivity.

## How to do Linux top command sort by memory?

To answer `linux top command sort by memory`:

1. Start top: `top`
2. Press `Shift+M` (that is, capital `M`) to sort by `%MEM` descending.
3. Confirm the `%MEM` column is highlighted as the sort field.
4. To sort by physical RAM instead of percentage on some versions: press `f` to enter fields management, navigate to `RES`, press `s` to set sort, then `q` to return.
5. To toggle back to CPU sort: press `Shift+P`.
6. Batch/non-interactive one-shot sorted by memory: `top -b -o %MEM -n 1 | head -n 20`
7. Quit: press `q`.

On Premium Compute instances used for memory-heavy workloads, sorting by `%MEM` and watching `RES` identifies the processes holding resident memory, distinct from shared or virtual (`VIRT`) totals.

## Sources

[1] https://www.layerstack.com/en/premium-compute (Backs Premium Compute definition as scalable VMs with 5th Gen AMD EPYC 9745 and PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD for demanding workloads)
[2] https://www.layerstack.com/en/ (Backs LayerStack as cloud hosting servers provider with SSD servers and unlimited traffic positioning)