- Dec 30, 2023
- 6
- 2
- 515
So I noticed that for some reason, my CPU temperature spikes like crazy when I switch to fullscreen mode. It’s much lower in windowed or borderless windowed, and I have no idea why. I double-checked this through both RTSS and HWiNFO in case it was a bug, but nope, both show the same temp changes.
I’m using a laptop connected to a 1440p 120Hz external monitor (native 144Hz, but I set it to 120 since that’s my FPS target). My specs are a 3050 Ti (4GB VRAM) and Ryzen 5 5600H. It’s not the most powerful setup, but I can actually push 120FPS in some games with frame generation at 1080p. I'm on the latest drivers and windows update and my games are all updated as well.
At my other place, I was using an older 1080p 120Hz monitor, and temps were totally fine in both fullscreen and windowed modes. But now, with the 1440p monitor, my CPU temps spike only in fullscreen, while windowed modes stay cool, and the difference is noticeable.
The screenshots I attached are from First Berserker: Khazan. I also noticed something weird. If I change the in-game resolution to 1080p while my desktop is set to 1440p 120Hz, my monitor refresh rate drops to 100Hz in fullscreen (but not in borderless). I can see this directly through my monitor’s OSD, which shows the current signal resolution and refresh rate.
This kind of fixes itself if I set the monitor to its native 144Hz, but then even when I switch the in-game resolution to 1080p, my monitor shows that the signal is still 1440p at 144Hz. So it’s downscaling internally, I guess, but the output signal isn't actually changing.
The CPU temp spike only happens in fullscreen. No matter what resolution or refresh rate combo I use, fullscreen mode always runs hotter. Windowed or borderless windowed runs cooler, but obviously those come with downsides like being stuck at native resolution or having to play in a smaller window, so I don’t know how to work around this.
This doesn’t just happen in Khazan either. I also noticed it in games like Stellar Blade and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Fullscreen mode runs like 10°C hotter compared to borderless in those too.
In Stellar Blade, I get the same refresh rate bug. Switching to 1080p in fullscreen locks me to 100Hz, and I can only get 120Hz back if I set my monitor to 144Hz. But I like locking to 120Hz because I feel like 144 introduces frame pacing weirdness if the game can’t consistently hit 144 FPS.
So yeah, I’m confused. I’d really appreciate any help or insight into what’s causing this temp spike only in fullscreen, and what’s up with the refresh rate switching and scaling issues. Thanks in advance. It probably shouldn’t matter, but I’ll mention my monitor models just in case. I’m using the Asus TUF VG32V for the 1440p display, and my older 1080p 120Hz monitor was an Acer model, though I don’t remember the exact one. I was using HDMI 2.0 for the Acer and HDMI 2.1 for the Asus. FYI, I can’t test the monitors side by side since they’re at completely different setups in different places, so I can’t really go back and forth between them for direct comparison.
Images of Khazan, notice the cpu temps on the top right, the higher temp is full screen and the lower temp is windowed mode, both 1080p
I’m using a laptop connected to a 1440p 120Hz external monitor (native 144Hz, but I set it to 120 since that’s my FPS target). My specs are a 3050 Ti (4GB VRAM) and Ryzen 5 5600H. It’s not the most powerful setup, but I can actually push 120FPS in some games with frame generation at 1080p. I'm on the latest drivers and windows update and my games are all updated as well.
At my other place, I was using an older 1080p 120Hz monitor, and temps were totally fine in both fullscreen and windowed modes. But now, with the 1440p monitor, my CPU temps spike only in fullscreen, while windowed modes stay cool, and the difference is noticeable.
The screenshots I attached are from First Berserker: Khazan. I also noticed something weird. If I change the in-game resolution to 1080p while my desktop is set to 1440p 120Hz, my monitor refresh rate drops to 100Hz in fullscreen (but not in borderless). I can see this directly through my monitor’s OSD, which shows the current signal resolution and refresh rate.
This kind of fixes itself if I set the monitor to its native 144Hz, but then even when I switch the in-game resolution to 1080p, my monitor shows that the signal is still 1440p at 144Hz. So it’s downscaling internally, I guess, but the output signal isn't actually changing.
The CPU temp spike only happens in fullscreen. No matter what resolution or refresh rate combo I use, fullscreen mode always runs hotter. Windowed or borderless windowed runs cooler, but obviously those come with downsides like being stuck at native resolution or having to play in a smaller window, so I don’t know how to work around this.
This doesn’t just happen in Khazan either. I also noticed it in games like Stellar Blade and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Fullscreen mode runs like 10°C hotter compared to borderless in those too.
In Stellar Blade, I get the same refresh rate bug. Switching to 1080p in fullscreen locks me to 100Hz, and I can only get 120Hz back if I set my monitor to 144Hz. But I like locking to 120Hz because I feel like 144 introduces frame pacing weirdness if the game can’t consistently hit 144 FPS.
So yeah, I’m confused. I’d really appreciate any help or insight into what’s causing this temp spike only in fullscreen, and what’s up with the refresh rate switching and scaling issues. Thanks in advance. It probably shouldn’t matter, but I’ll mention my monitor models just in case. I’m using the Asus TUF VG32V for the 1440p display, and my older 1080p 120Hz monitor was an Acer model, though I don’t remember the exact one. I was using HDMI 2.0 for the Acer and HDMI 2.1 for the Asus. FYI, I can’t test the monitors side by side since they’re at completely different setups in different places, so I can’t really go back and forth between them for direct comparison.
Images of Khazan, notice the cpu temps on the top right, the higher temp is full screen and the lower temp is windowed mode, both 1080p
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