deciphering top(1) output

[Chuck Swiger]

On Feb 11, 2011, at 4:21 PM, Alexander Best wrote:
> a) my system is 100% idle, since no processes except the idle process takes up
>   up CPU time or
> b) that a or some processes take up 2% CPU time which aren't being shown or
> c) that each of my cpu core is only 86.6/89.4% idle?

It means (c).  Kernel activity, short-lived transient processes, and imperfections in sampling data are the other ~13 / 10 %....

Regards,
-- 
-Chuck