[tor-relays] CPU usage

[kingqueen]

Hi, I'm running a Tor relay on a low cost dedicated server.

The tor relay is named kingqueen and it's running on an Intel Atom N2700 dual core hyperthreaded CPU with 2gb of memory, in a data centre with a symmetric 100mbps connection.

I have found as time goes on and usage of my relay increases (about 3 weeks now) that the Tor process is increasingly using more of the CPU. TOP shows Tor using over 100% of CPU and the load average is 2 or more.

I use the dedi for other, less intensive things (OpenVPN, seedbox, also Owncloud though this falls over). I know that this is sub-optimal and ideally the dedi should be for the relay alone.

I was wondering if the CPU usage is standard. I guess it could be, given it has decryption work to be done? Is it high? Is there anything I can do to lower it, other than rate limiting, which I don't want to do?

Thank you