Question CPU increased voltage causing system lag

[Tomwebb64]

Hi there,

I have been having problems with my desktop for the past 3-4 months, have tried so much and looked on almost
every thread relating to lag and stuttering without finding a solution.

I have had the PC for 2 years, built myself.

Specs:
CPU: Intel i7 7700k
GPU: Geoforce 1070
Motherboard: MSI z270 pro carbon
Power supply: EVGA Supernova 850 W Gold G2
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4 3000 MHz
Storage: Samsung 960 EVO M.2 and a Seagate BarraCuda

The problem occurs every 5-10 minutes with normal use, but every 20-30 seconds while playing games.
The stuttering sometimes subsides for a few days, but always returns and is very irritating while working and gaming.

Things I have tried:
-Clean install
-Update driver
-Change resolution and refresh rate

There are no errors in event manager leading me to assume this problem is due to hardware. I have tried unplugging my GPU
and using my CPU's onboard graphics, the problem still occurs.
Additionally, my Mouse movement causes my CPU usage to increase by 20-25%, could not find a solution for this either
and could be the cause of the problems.

Screen capture of what the freezing looks like with CPU usage and voltage shown:

View: https://youtu.be/Q28k25lj8QQ


If there is any additional information you need or tests you would like me to run, please let me know.

UPDATE: I am not sure how accurate my testing was, as the longer the computer is on for, the worse the issue gets. I did a test using the inboard graphics and removed my graphics card and the issue did not occur. Unsure if this was simply because the computer had been hard reset. If the problem is caused by the GPU it could explain the increase in CPU voltage as it may be trying to fill in for a stutter in the GPU. Does anyone know a way to test for errors specifically on the GPU, I've tried after burner but it only gives me graphs of values which aren't affected when my pc stutters. I don't believe the GPU turns off, just maybe it gets bottlenecked when the load is high, although the usage is normally only around 40% when in a game.
Hoping I've found the problem, but don't want to buy a new GPU until I'm sure it's the culprit.

UPDATE 2: I have decided to remove my GPU and use my PC as normal for a few days, although the problem went away originally, it has now returned after 24 hours without the GPU installed. Below is a screenshot of CPU usage with multiple lag spikes shown:

https://imgur.com/a/iS3Bicv

So instead of finding the problem, I have now ruled out my GPU, at least that's progress.
I have also done tests on the PSU and the 12V rail stays stable during the freezes.

 

[Ralston18]

What was the original (no problems) CPU voltage?

How much did you increase the CPU voltage - what is the current voltage?

Do the problems stop if you go back to the original voltage?

 

[Tomwebb64]

What was the original (no problems) CPU voltage?

How much did you increase the CPU voltage - what is the current voltage?

Do the problems stop if you go back to the original voltage?

I have not overclocked my CPU, the problem arose randomly around 5 months ago and have been trying to fix it since.

 

[Ralston18]

No voltage changes...

Sort Task Manager's displayed values by clicking the column headers to show the highest values at the top. Watch for some Name process jumping to the top when the lags occur. Or dropping suddenly.

Also try using Resource Monitor to observe system performance. The graphs may help with discovering what is happening.

 

[Tomwebb64]

There is no particular program that jumps up, the usage of the CPU doesn't change too much, the only link I have found so far is that the wattage drawn by the CPU spike despite the usage staying the same. I have done stress tests on the CPU and I do not think the wattage drawn is the issue as I can go up to 80-90 watts with 100% usage and the issue is the same as when the CPU is between 20-40 watts. I am beginning to feel like this may be a motherboard or power supply error but I am not sure how to test these theories.

 

[Tomwebb64]

UPDATE: I am not sure how accurate my testing was, as the longer the computer is on for, the worse the issue gets. I did a test using the inboard graphics and removed my graphics card and the issue did not occur. Unsure if this was simply because the computer had been hard reset. If the problem is caused by the GPU it could explain the increase in CPU voltage as it may be trying to fill in for a stutter in the GPU. Does anyone know a way to test for errors specifically on the GPU, I've tried after burner but it only gives me graphs of values which aren't affected when my pc stutters. I don't believe the GPU turns off, just maybe it gets bottlenecked when the load is high, although the usage is normally only around 40% when in a game.

Hoping I've found the problem, but don't want to buy a new GPU until I'm sure it's the culprit.

 

[Tomwebb64]

UPDATE: I have decided to remove my GPU and use my PC as normal for a few days, although the problem went away originally, it has now returned after 24 hours without the GPU installed. Below is a screenshot of CPU usage with multiple lag spikes shown:

https://imgur.com/a/iS3Bicv

So instead of finding the problem, I have now ruled out my GPU, at least that's progress.

I have also done tests on the PSU and the 12V rail stays stable during the freezes.

Any further advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank,
Tom