Question FPS drops, can't identify the cause ?

[ScttSkyler]

I'm curious if anyone can help me out. I get FPS drops in games sometimes, and am currently playing Fallout: New Vegas to try and test it out. It's an older game that should run perfect on my system, but it actually stutters worse than newer games. I've checked all of my metrics using windows resource monitor, looking at all of my cores, using the AMD overlay to look at FPS and utilization of resources. When the FPS drops happen, NOTHING is maxed out. Not a single core, not disk usage, not memory. Nothing. All of it stays static, barely even moves, but the stutters still happen.

What am I missing? What tree should I be barking up here?

Thank you.

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

When posting a thread of troubleshooting nature, it's customary to include your full system's specs. Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.

 

[ScttSkyler]

This is a laptop, a Dell Insprion 5577

CPU: Intel i7-7700HQ @ 2.80Ghz, 8 cores
CPU cooler: Stock...?
Motherboard: Don't know, can't find that info
Ram: 16GB DDR4
SSD/HDD: HDD 5400 RPM
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6800 (External)
PSU: EVGA 500w, several years old.
Chassis: Don't know, laptop?
OS: Windows 10
Monitor: Dell
BIOS version: Most up to date version. This PC no longer receives updates.

 

[Lutfij]

Since we're dealing with a laptop, the make and model of said laptop and it's SKU was all we'd need to understand the hardware under the hood. The template above was meant for a PC, since you'd posted in the Systems section.

Regardless, have you tried using DDU to remove all GPU drivers(Intel, Nvidia and AMD) in Safe Mode, then manually installing the latest driver(sourced from AMD's support site) in an elevated command? You state being on Windows 10, what version(not edition) of the OS are you on?

 

[ScttSkyler]

I did what you said for the Nvida and AMD drivers (I did have some Nvidia junk on here and that graphics card is dead on the mobo) I reintalled the AMD drivers using their software, I don't know what the elevated command is, is that "Run as Administrator"? Fallout is now CRASHING after the reinstall and I can't play it...

I'm on version 22H2, OS build 19045.4291

 

[ScttSkyler]

Fallout does boot up when I use the built in Intel graphics card, though....

Other games are working on my Video Card, like Helldivers. So I don't know what happened to Fallout after the re-install.

 

[geofelt]

I see many complaints about gaming laptops not performing well.
Usually gaming while plugged in.
One common cause is thermal throttling.
Laptop coolers must, of necessity be small and light.
The coolers are also relatively underpowered.
If you run an app such as HWMonitor or HWinfo, you will get the current, minimum, and maximum cpu temperatures. Set to see each individual core.
For intel processors, if you see a max of 100c. in red, it means you have throttled.
I think the number for ryzen is more like 85c-90c.
The cpu will lower it's multiplier and power draw to protect itself until the situation reverses.
At a lower multiplier, your cpu usage may well be at 100%
What can you do?
First, see that your cooler airways are clear and that the cooler fan is spinning.
Use a windows balanced power profile, not the performance profile.
Set a minimum cpu performance to something like 20%

It is counter-intuitive, but, try changing the windows balanced power profile advanced functions to a max of 90% instead of the default of 100%
You may not notice the reduced cpu performance.

 

[Frag Maniac]

I suspect the old 500w PSU may not be enough to run the external RX 6800. Whenever running an enteral GPU on a laptop, you have to be very careful how you set it up, including power balancing between the CPU and GPU, and PSU and GPU.

It occurs to me by "external" you may have meant dedicated internal mounted GPU, vs the onboard graphics however. And I know the processors in laptops are generally downclocked, but AMD recommends 650w for their desktop RX6800, which is quite a bit more than your laptop has.

That said, TPU shows the RX 6800M as having 31% less power than the RX 6800 desktop GPU, so the old PSU may be enough. It's really a close call though because old PSUs can output at 10% less than when new, which would put it at barely enough.

Out of curiosity though, does this happen even when the laptop is plugged in, or just on battery?

 

[ScttSkyler]

I'll have to try the CPU temp suggestion when I get a chance later tonight.

I can believe the power supply being an issue, since playing Helldivers has given me a BSOD on occasion and there didn't seem to be any power going to the graphics card until I restart the PC. The graphics card is just an internal desktop card that is mounted externally with a dedicated PSU supplying the power to it, then that getup is attached to my laptop.

I didn't think the PSU would be an issue, though, because nothing else is drawing power from it, and I thought recommended PSU specs from a graphics card was assuming there are other things drawing power from it. Also, the FPS dips occur much worse in a 14 year old game vs a brand new highly intensive game, could that still be a PSU issue?

I keep the laptop plugged in only, I would have no reason to unplug it since the external video card forces me to use it at the desk.

 

[Frag Maniac]

I'll have to try the CPU temp suggestion when I get a chance later tonight.

I can believe the power supply being an issue, since playing Helldivers has given me a BSOD on occasion and there didn't seem to be any power going to the graphics card until I restart the PC. The graphics card is just an internal desktop card that is mounted externally with a dedicated PSU supplying the power to it, then that getup is attached to my laptop.

I didn't think the PSU would be an issue, though, because nothing else is drawing power from it, and I thought recommended PSU specs from a graphics card was assuming there are other things drawing power from it. Also, the FPS dips occur much worse in a 14 year old game vs a brand new highly intensive game, could that still be a PSU issue?

I keep the laptop plugged in only, I would have no reason to unplug it since the external video card forces me to use it at the desk.

Yeah I wasn't completely sure you actually meant external on the GPU, because few do that with a laptop. OK then, if the EVGA 500w one you mentioned is being used for the GPU, it likely IS the culprit. As mentioned AMD recommends 650w for their RX 6800 desktop GPU.

As for why it's happening with an older game, could be due to inefficient coding, lack of proper optimization, etc. Such things can cause an abnormally high power spike. The fact that it's happening in Helldivers II, a game that has had it's share of technical problems, supports that theory.

It's always good to go with the GPU chip designers PSU recommendations though, even if the GPU is the only thing running on the PSU.

 

[ScttSkyler]

So I managed to fix the FONV crashing issue. I had to roll back to an older driver. It appears FO4 just has issues in general because Bethesda had a janky engine and refused to fix it. The lag still appears, and I can replicate it in certain spots, like talking to certain NPCs, but that seems to be more of a Bethesda issue.

As far as the more modern games like Helldivers 2, I tried one of the programs that was suggested for the CPU. The program specifically says that the processor is not throttled. I'll try a different PSU and see what that does, but I'll have to wait until I have the funds.

 

[Frag Maniac]

So I managed to fix the FONV crashing issue. I had to roll back to an older driver. It appears FO4 just has issues in general because Bethesda had a janky engine and refused to fix it. The lag still appears, and I can replicate it in certain spots, like talking to certain NPCs, but that seems to be more of a Bethesda issue.

As far as the more modern games like Helldivers 2, I tried one of the programs that was suggested for the CPU. The program specifically says that the processor is not throttled. I'll try a different PSU and see what that does, but I'll have to wait until I have the funds.

Sounds like you're getting closer to a solution.