6600k at 100% usage

[Gallarian]

Hey all,

After a Windows 10 update, I started up the Witcher 3. I loaded into the main city, and started to move and found that it would hitch and lag every couple of seconds.

After I enabled my MSI Afterburner OSD, I noticed that my CPU usage was very erratic - going from anywhere between 60-100% usage.

Previously, I had never seen my CPU go above 85%, but now it hits 100% every time I go from standing still to moving.

So I tested out some other games; GTA:V and The Division - same problem. CPU hits 100% very frequently, even though they had never pushed it past 80% previously.

Even on menus that are using 1% of my GPU, my CPU usage bounces between 40-70% usage.

Any ideas?

[system specs in signature]

- Gall

 

[mcnumpty23]

do you know what the update was?

and try bringing up task manager to see if its actually the game using 100% or if something else is adding to the game usage

 

[Gallarian]

It was the major update from March;

"KB3140743 (OS Build 10586.122) - This update includes quality improvements. No new operating system features or security fixes are being introduced in this update."

Task Manager shows no other programs using more than 5% CPU total, with 1.5% of that being TM itself, so its all from the games.

Im going to try rolling back GPU drivers.

 

[chris987]

when did the upgrade to win10 take place? use something like ccleaner and ensure old windows folder(s) are removed for good.! if it persists, reinstall mobo - gpu drivers. a bios upgrade to the latest version is also recommended.

 

[Gallarian]

This system was built on Windows 10, not upgrading from Windows 7.

All has been working well until this Windows update, then after that, high CPU usage.

 

[Gallarian]

Ive ran CCleaner and rolled back my GPU drivers to the last version, still hitting 100% usage in games (measured by Afterburner, HW Monitor and Task Manager).

However, it doesn't seem to be costing me any sort of performance. Even at 100% load, framerate doesn't change adn there are no stutters. Everything plays exactly how it should, but the usage % just jumps all over.

Could it be that its just not being properly tracked?

 

[chris987]

Ive ran CCleaner and rolled back my GPU drivers to the last version, still hitting 100% usage in games (measured by Afterburner, HW Monitor and Task Manager).

However, it doesn't seem to be costing me any sort of performance. Even at 100% load, framerate doesn't change adn there are no stutters. Everything plays exactly how it should, but the usage % just jumps all over.

Could it be that its just not being properly tracked?

what are you monitoring with? reinstal it or try another program. try core or real temp. also have you been overclocking? there are reported problems on win10 and skylake , thats why i suggsted the bios upgrade. if you have, try with stock settings.

 

[Gallarian]

I'm using MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner, HW Monitor and Task Manager to monitor CPU usage, all of which report the same %.

I have overclocked to 4.5ghz - but Ive reset my BIOS back to default and the problem was only made worse; I could actually get it to stay at 100% load indefinitely in Witcher 3 at stock by running through a city.

I just tried flashing my BIOS and updating it to the latest version, but problem still persists.

Also tried updating chipset drivers to no avail. Ive ran virus scans on AVG, Windows Defender and Malwarebytes; all came up clean.

Even lowering all in game graphics settings has no effect on CPU usage - could it just be a monitoring bug?

 

[mcnumpty23]

it could actually be caused by that update been plenty of people having different issues with it