Question 100%CPU while gaming even after windows reinstallation and SSD wipe

[maxwang123]

Hello. I have been getting very frustrated about my CPU during gaming. I usually play valorant and my cpu usage will just rocket to 100% every time. Which causes my fps to fluctuate a lot while peaking at around 150. Given my specs, I dont think this should be the performance I deserve. I suspect theres some kind of cpu mining activity going on so I tried reinstalling windows ( wiped every thing by using the windows10 restore option ). Still getting 100% cpu usage. So then I wiped my ssd, tried booting with my hard drive disconnected etc. All did not work.

While gaming, my cpu is at around 75-80 degrees so I dont think it is caused by overheating either. I do not have much experience in PC stuff and most solutions online did not work. Changing energy preference. ... stuff like that.

My PC was not like this until recent months. Not sure what happened. Can anyone help?
Specs:
I7-9700k
RTX 2080
32GB ram

 

[sizzling]

It seems to be Chrome competing for cpu resources. Not sure why and as you already reinstalled Windows I wonder if it’s a chrome update. Might be worth trying a different browser.

 

[drivinfast247]

still says the same

Is RAM installed in the correct slots?

 

[overclockertoov]

If you're hitting 75-80C on load, please get a better cooler or always run your cpu fans at 100%. This is when most processors start thermal throttling. also , your ram is at a whopping 82ns, that will run SUPER slow, and your pc probably feels like its walking through mud.

 

[sizzling]

If you're hitting 75-80C on load, please get a better cooler or always run your cpu fans at 100%. This is when most processors start thermal throttling. also , your ram is at a whopping 82ns, that will run SUPER slow, and your pc probably feels like its walking through mud.

80c is perfectly acceptable for this cpu https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...in,with the temperature gauge in the red zone.

Most CPU’s don’t thermal throttle until the high 90’s.

 

[maxwang123]

Will the RAM slots affect the CPU usage that much? Basically under an apple to apple comparison, my pc is using significantly more cpu power than it should be. Gaming at 100% always when I'm playing valorant. Still have no idea whats going on,

One thing to note is that my friends noticed I got somehow scammed by the shop I purchased from. I did not receive a proper intel cpu packaging and was instead given a random - Plastic cpu case that have no "Intel" or anything related in it. However, given so, my pc still identified my processor as the i7-9700k. Is it possible that i was given a second handed cpu and it is underperforming significantly somehow?

Whats more strange is that I did not face any issue until the recent 2-3months, that means over the first year I don't see any issue with my cpu at all. Although the packaging of the cpu is very suspicious and it is clear that I was not given the packaging I should have received, the performance at first was still very on par with other 9700k.