CPU usage is higher than it usually was. (SHORT AND LONG VERSION)

[duckd]

I have a prebuilt PC but my specs are:
CPU: I5 7400 @3.00Gzh Turboboost - 3,5Ghz
GPU: Gtz 1080 8GB
RAM: 16GB
That is all that I know about the parts that I deem necessary for you to be able to help me. If you need more I will do my best to find out more.

Here's the story. I got my PC on black friday 2017 and it's been working fine. The main game I play is OW at 144hz. I played it at EPIC settings and got a steady 144fps. After testing the PC out I lowered some of the settings for my liking since I deemed then a waste of performance and I could use the extra fps in heavy fights as I dropped to 120fps. Now fast forward to 2018 around Mars or April. I started playing Stardew valley which isnt very heavy on the PC but that was when my GPU fan broke and was locked at 6000RPM. I tried fixing it and in the short amount of time that it was quiet I had time to play some overwatch. And it was not good. Playing at the same settings on small maps (4v4 team deathmatch maps) I couldn't even hold 120 FPS and sometimes dropped to 20 fps. I wiped my SDD (saving the HDD since I had no games except fortnite on it and just a bunch of video clips from me when playing) and everything worked for a little while. Then the same problems occured. So I sent it in to ASUS to repair it, I mentioned my GPU fan being broken and I mentioned a little something about the CPU, but I didnt emphasis on it. Got my PC back everything was working nice untill a few days ago. Yet again I started playing new games, JC3 and Cities Skylines. When I then got back to OW I noticed the same thing happening but in a smaller form. I could run the game at 144FPS but my cpu usuage was very high. Wouldn't drop under 88% and sometimes hit 100% in which case I would drop a ton in FPS. I knew that my case fan stopped working since I got it back from repair but didn't fysically confirm it untill yesterday. So my first thought was that the CPU was overheating but checking the temps it seems to stay around a 50-60 C. I have no idea what to do now, I have tried looking for help on other websites but only tried getting help with softwares thinking something must be drawing it's usage. Could my CPU be broken? Should I send my PC back to repair? I also know that I dont have the best CPU and that it bottlenecks my GPU but it's worked fantastically untill my GPU broke.

Note: Even games as Counter-strike (not cs:go, not cs:source just the OLD counter-strike) has my CPU at 3400Mhz and around 50% usage on cores except core one which is on 70.90% (in menu)

Seriously considering buying a new CPU (I5-6700k @3.8Ghz TurboSpeed - 4.2Ghz. I have a pretty good CPU fan so I should also be able to OC it. But my fear is that the problem doesnt JUST lay in the CPU and that it will continue.

What do you think? I am open for ideas as this is my last resort before I send it back to service.

Sorry for the block of text, but I thought I'd let you know everything if I want as much help as possible.


Edit: I recorded a video of me playing with msi afterburner displaying my stats, here is the link. The video is unlisted so this is the only way to get to it. https://youtu.be/m2aSUbODK5I

Shorter version:
Bought a prebuilt pc, worked perfectly. Then had some GPU fan problems and also noticed huge drops in fps. CPU was maxed when playing games and at 3400Mhz almost at all time. Dont know how to fix it.

 

[Colif]

Its a Pre built Asus? What model is it?
I would suggest software too but you say you already done that.

You can run this on CPU and check it out - https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/19792/Intel-Processor-Diagnostic-Tool

Older games may only be single thread so they will use onbe CPU core more than the other ones.

 

[duckd]

Its a Pre built Asus? What model is it?
I would suggest software too but you say you already done that.

You can run this on CPU and check it out - https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/19792/Intel-Processor-Diagnostic-Tool

Older games may only be single thread so they will use onbe CPU core more than the other ones.

It's the G11CD, and I will check out that link you sent.
Edit: I can't find my CPU in there.

 

[gingerrankin]

Good afternoon. It is normal for your CPU to be 100% when you play games.
Except that you limit the maximum fps, your RIG will squeeze the cpu or gpu as much as possible so one of the two will be at 100%. The GTX 1080 GPU is comparatively much more powerful than the I5-7400 CPU and, therefore, it is normal for the CPU to be 100% especially if you play with 1080P resolution.

Confirm which is the native resolution of your monitor (in the video it seems that you play in 1080P). The higher the resolution, the more the GPU works and the CPU less. This GPU can work in 2K and even 4K, with 1080P it is so abundant that it is normal for the CPU to be 100%.

 

[Colif]

It is odd the I5 7400 isn't there when the I7 7400QM is. I did find an older version of tool that included that CPU.

I can't say I ever looked through that list before, it might not include everything they make though.

 

[duckd]

Good afternoon. It is normal for your CPU to be 100% when you play games.
Except that you limit the maximum fps, your RIG will squeeze the cpu or gpu as much as possible so one of the two will be at 100%. The GTX 1080 GPU is comparatively much more powerful than the I5-7400 CPU and, therefore, it is normal for the CPU to be 100% especially if you play with 1080P resolution.

Confirm which is the native resolution of your monitor (in the video it seems that you play in 1080P). The higher the resolution, the more the GPU works and the CPU less. This GPU can work in 2K and even 4K, with 1080P it is so abundant that it is normal for the CPU to be 100%.

It is not normal for my to CPU be at 100% while playing OW (The game I am play the most), If i remember correctly I usually had around 80% on GPU and 60-70% on CPU and can't remember anything I did to change that.. Limited my FPS to around 160FPS. I run all games in 1080P. I am fully aware that my CPU is a bottleneck for my GPU but since I was able to run the game perfectly before, I find it weird that all of a sudden the CPU is have a bigger % usage but noticeably lower FPS.

 

[duckd]

It is odd the I5 7400 isn't there when the I7 7400QM is. I did find an older version of tool that included that CPU.

I can't say I ever looked through that list before, it might not include everything they make though.

Do you still have access to it?

 

[Colif]

it was version 4.0.0.29 but I can't find a download for it on a site I would trust and oddly they all appear to be German or French

I am pretty sure you could run the new one on your CPU as I can't see them removing it from application when it was on there earlier in year.

 

[duckd]

it was version 4.0.0.29 but I can't find a download for it on a site I would trust and oddly they all appear to be German or French

I am pretty sure you could run the new one on your CPU as I can't see them removing it from application when it was on there earlier in year.

The CPU passed the testing which I find weird. Are there things the program can't detect which can impact my fps or is my CPU just shit? I still find it very strange how it can just flip like that, going from perfect performance to barely enough

 

[Colif]

3.4ghz isn't slow, turbo boost needs particular circumstances to boost to 3.5 the temps need to be cold enough to do it. My I5 4690K only rarely hits max turbo boost. 3.,4 compared to 3.5 is hardly noticeable. Is it summer there?

Do you have latest BIOS (newest is version 0807 dated May 31) and version of Intel Management Engine Interface installed as it is possible the slow down is caused by changes made to cope with Spectre which is making a lot of Intel CPU slower than they once were. Run or Download Asus LIve update from utilities section here - https://www.asus.com/us/Tower-PCs/G11CD/HelpDesk_Download/

If CPU tests were fine, the problem could be something as simple as dusty fans/heatsink reducing the performance, or maybe even that software you said you had already checked.

 

[duckd]

3.4ghz isn't slow, turbo boost needs particular circumstances to boost to 3.5 the temps need to be cold enough to do it. My I5 4690K only rarely hits max turbo boost. 3.,4 compared to 3.5 is hardly noticeable. Is it summer there?

Do you have latest BIOS (newest is version 0807 dated May 31) and version of Intel Management Engine Interface installed as it is possible the slow down is caused by changes made to cope with Spectre which is making a lot of Intel CPU slower than they once were. Run or Download Asus LIve update from utilities section here - https://www.asus.com/us/Tower-PCs/G11CD/HelpDesk_Download/

If CPU tests were fine, the problem could be something as simple as dusty fans/heatsink reducing the performance, or maybe even that software you said you had already checked.

Does this Asus Live Update check for bios and the Intel thing you were talking about? Cause it didn't find anything which is making me anxious.
Btw my turbo boost has never actually reached 3.5, only 3,4 as far as I've seen. But yes it is summer.

 

[Colif]

ASUS Live Update is an online update driver. It can detect whether there are any new versions of the programs on the ASUS Website and then automatically updates your BIOS, Drivers, and Applications.

https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1009776/