Getting Frame drops in games I have never gotten frame drops in before.

[Bunch007]

Good evening,

I want to apologize if this is in the wrong sub section of the forums, but I think my GPU is on its last legs, but not entirely sure, because here is why (specs listed below post);

The past week or 2 I have been noticing a considerable amount of frame drops in games that I have never had before in a game(World of Warships, Battlefield 4, Payday 2, Dead by Daylight and a few others). On Friday (Sept 16th) I noticed I had a few updates. I updated to the new UI in Nvidia Experience and also updated my video driver to 372.70. The 3rd software I updated was the EVGA Precision X(they call it OC now).

On Friday night I wanted to play Dead by Daylight with a friend, but my computer kept crashing the game and locking up the computer forcing me to hard boot the PC. Over the weekend I played a few other games and noticed something new. When I alt tab from the game to desktop, the computer screen goes black for 5 seconds, then afterwards my desktop appears, but I still can't click on software or manage around the computer for another 10 seconds. The mouse moves around, but the folders and files I clicked on 10 seconds ago are now popping up. This has never happened before. Alt tab immediately took me to the desktop and could manage around the desktop.

I decided to look at my processes to see if something was running that I didnt need. During my search, I noticed my GPU running at 51% power at idle. I took notice that when I installed the new UI for Nvidia Experience there was some new processes running. I shut down this 1 process called nvspcaps64.exe (Nvidia Capture Server) and just like that my GPU power went back to normal at idle (approx 8% power)

So, I wanted to check my problems out after I shut that process down to see if that fixed my alt - tabbing issue. It has not. Also, my games were not running the normal FPS either.

Things I have tried to resolve this:
Installed previous video driver (no fix)
Defragmented HDD(no fix)
Virus, root kit, and malware scans(no fix)
Monitored memory during games and alt tab(RAM did not exceed 4GB - 6GB used)
Monitored temperature for CPU and GPU during games(ran normal temps like before)

I just can't pin point the problem and was hoping to get some feedback and suggestions here. The last thing I can think of is a full computer reformat.

My specs: Windows 7 64bit, i7 4770K, EVGA 780Ti SC, Asus ROG Hero MB, 16GB DDR4 RAM, EVGA 750W PSU, 2SSD, 1 HDD, H100i cpu cooler, Asus sound card, 2 monitors and Corsair KB+M

Thank you for your time and I appreciate your comments/suggestions,

Dennis

 

[TehPenguin]

When rolling back the drivers, did you uninstall current ones using DDU?

Also, download MSI Afterburner and create a Log File of a game run and then post it here. Afterburner monitors multiple parts of your computer.

 

[Bunch007]

When rolling back the drivers, did you uninstall current ones using DDU?

Also, download MSI Afterburner and create a Log File of a game run and then post it here. Afterburner monitors multiple parts of your computer.

I did not use Display Driver uninstaller. I used the Nvidia website download and installed the older version through that. As it was installing, it said it had to uninstall the current version. So I assumed it uninstalled the current drivers.

Also, EVGA has a monitoring log too. I will go play a game and post the log info here. Not sure how though since the file will be pretty big. I guess as an attachment?

 

[Bunch007]

When rolling back the drivers, did you uninstall current ones using DDU?

Also, download MSI Afterburner and create a Log File of a game run and then post it here. Afterburner monitors multiple parts of your computer.

Well, I tried installing MSI Afterburner and an error message keeps popping up saying that "Some of the MSI Afterburner components are expired, missing, or corrupted" Tried uninstalling and reinstalling twice now.

 

[Bunch007]

Okay, I don't know how to put a log file onto the forums, so here is the google drive of my log file. Sorry if this is a pain.

http://

 

[TehPenguin]

Google drive is fine. On my phone now so I'll check it out later.
Please use ddu and then install the older drivers again. DDU is vital for this process.

 

[Bunch007]

Google drive is fine. On my phone now so I'll check it out later.
Please use ddu and then install the older drivers again. DDU is vital for this process.

Uninstalled the drivers using DDU and installed video driver 372.54 (the driver that worked previously before my problems occurred)

After that, I am still having issues with alt tabbing, but most of my games returned to normal FPS except BF4 and World of Warships.

 

[Bunch007]

Google drive is fine. On my phone now so I'll check it out later.
Please use ddu and then install the older drivers again. DDU is vital for this process.

I also should add that the game I did my log on was Arma 3 (hence the horrible FPS) I figured I would throw a game that is demanding on the system

 

[Bunch007]

Shortly, I will make a log for World of Warships and get the google drive posted here. Originally got 70-80 FPS

 

[Bunch007]

When rolling back the drivers, did you uninstall current ones using DDU?

Also, download MSI Afterburner and create a Log File of a game run and then post it here. Afterburner monitors multiple parts of your computer.

And here is my World of Warships log on google drive. Once again, sorry, for not knowing how to post these logs in a better and easier way.

http://WorldofWarshipsLog

 

[Bunch007]

New Observation: Each new game I play will crash the first time, but if I fire the game up a 2nd time, it will play without any crashing.

 

[TehPenguin]

Alrigth, back at the big screen.

Thanks for the graphs! Really good info source.

Both of those graphs show very little GPU utilization and it looks like a Power Limit. It seems like your GPU never draws more than ~54% of power it has available.
GPU usage bounces around between 30-55%
Now this explains perfectly why you experience poorer performance. Theoretically you should have double the FPS.
Now we have to find out why your GPU doesn't get enough power.

First of all, have you ever overclocked your card? If so, have you changed the power limit? Double and triple check that it is at least at 100%
If that doesn't help it might your PSU or the PCIe power cables. Try a different cable first and then a different slot on your GPU, if it's modular.
If your PSU is not modular then switching to a different cable should also switch to a different source on the PSU.

If nothing of the above works it could be one of the PCIe power connectors on the GPU itself, seeing as it has a 6 and an 8-pin. Or maybe a loose contact on one of those since the graph showed power spikes to about 70 but it bottomed out at 53-54% right afterwards.

 

[Bunch007]

Alrigth, back at the big screen.

Thanks for the graphs! Really good info source.

Both of those graphs show very little GPU utilization and it looks like a Power Limit. It seems like your GPU never draws more than ~54% of power it has available.
GPU usage bounces around between 30-55%
Now this explains perfectly why you experience poorer performance. Theoretically you should have double the FPS.
Now we have to find out why your GPU doesn't get enough power.

First of all, have you ever overclocked your card? If so, have you changed the power limit? Double and triple check that it is at least at 100%
If that doesn't help it might your PSU or the PCIe power cables. Try a different cable first and then a different slot on your GPU, if it's modular.
If your PSU is not modular then switching to a different cable should also switch to a different source on the PSU.

If nothing of the above works it could be one of the PCIe power connectors on the GPU itself, seeing as it has a 6 and an 8-pin. Or maybe a loose contact on one of those since the graph showed power spikes to about 70 but it bottomed out at 53-54% right afterwards.

I have overclocked the card before, but never touched the power limits as my overclocks were extremely low. Only raised the clocks by 50Mghz

But I will try switching out the cables to a new cable and will try and new slot on the PSU(modular) and will report back.

*Edit - Also the power limit is set to 100%

Thank you

 

[Bunch007]

Okay, reporting back after installing new cables. I think I had the GPU wired wrong. I made a diagram in MS Paint trying to explain the way I originally had it, compared to the way I just put it now., which I think is the correct way. Really hard to explain and illustrate on Paint, but hopefully you can make sense of it.

http://imgurwirediagram

*Edit - Desktop runs smoothly, no longer have to end processes to bring down my power limit on the GPU (before I would be idle on desktop and power usage for GPU would be at 51% all the time). Now it idles at 8% with all processes running.

Now I just have to test my games out on it and see what happens.

*Second Edit. Games still crashing and I took notice during my crash, GPU power did not go higher than 51% power during launch of game and during crashing of game.

Thank you for your help. Much appreciated. Hopefully you fixed this for me!

 

[Bunch007]

Here is another log after I changed the cables. I still can't get the GPU to run more than 56%. Still have no clue as to why. I got 1 last option and thats to change the cable to a different port on the PSU

http://googledrivelogaftercablechange

*Edit - Changed cables to a different slot on PSU and no change. Wanted to make a log for Arma 3 and game crashed and froze the PC. Still not getting power above 55% on anything I try.

 

[TehPenguin]

It might be that some of the power phases on the GPU PCB are dead but there is no way I know of to check it in home environment.

Let's try something less probable: go into nVidia control panel -> Manage 3D Settings -> Power management mode -> set it to 'prefer maximum performance'

Next thing that might work is get your overclocking software and change the power target to whatever value, apply changes, then set it back to 100% and apply changes.
If that doesn't work try setting it to 120 or 130% or whatever the maximum is.

I'm on my laptop now so I can't check the graphs: was temperature an issue? Was it well above 80?

 

[Bunch007]

It might be that some of the power phases on the GPU PCB are dead but there is no way I know of to check it in home environment.

Let's try something less probable: go into nVidia control panel -> Manage 3D Settings -> Power management mode -> set it to 'prefer maximum performance'

Next thing that might work is get your overclocking software and change the power target to whatever value, apply changes, then set it back to 100% and apply changes.
If that doesn't work try setting it to 120 or 130% or whatever the maximum is.

I'm on my laptop now so I can't check the graphs: was temperature an issue? Was it well above 80?

Nvidia control panel settings already was set to maximum performance (saw on another forum as I was trying to troubleshoot)

I have also done an overclock and set it back to normal clock speeds as well, but I have not set the overclocks to 120% or 130%, so I will try that now.

As for temperature, I have never seen the card break 72 degrees celsius (I even thought that was a high temperature and was going to shortly reapply thermal paste)

 

[Bunch007]

It might be that some of the power phases on the GPU PCB are dead but there is no way I know of to check it in home environment.

Let's try something less probable: go into nVidia control panel -> Manage 3D Settings -> Power management mode -> set it to 'prefer maximum performance'

Next thing that might work is get your overclocking software and change the power target to whatever value, apply changes, then set it back to 100% and apply changes.
If that doesn't work try setting it to 120 or 130% or whatever the maximum is.

I'm on my laptop now so I can't check the graphs: was temperature an issue? Was it well above 80?

Good news! I ran the Valley Benchmark and my GPU power went up to 100% power. Played a bit on Battlefield 4 and power went up to 80%. Seems to be working fine.

What I am thinking is that World of Warships (game I made the logs for) only requires 50%-58% power total? But if anything changes, I will report back here to this thread.

Thank You!

 

[TehPenguin]

If you frame lock a game(with vsync etc.)where your gpu could easily render many more frames then yes, it wont use as much power. But you ran Arma 3 and that is a demanding game. Look at GPU Utilization when testing games.

 

[Bunch007]

If you frame lock a game(with vsync etc.)where your gpu could easily render many more frames then yes, it wont use as much power. But you ran Arma 3 and that is a demanding game. Look at GPU Utilization when testing games.

Some games want to run fine and others don't. Some games utilize full power from the graphics card and some games don't then in return get really low FPS.

Been noticing some other things going on as well. Slow OS loading and desktop rendering is slower and icons just blank white squares for a while after start up.

2nd monitor does not render anything at all while I am in a game now. If I hover my mouse over the 2nd monitor, then I start seeing the desktop.

I think something else is going on here. PC just seems sluggish lately.

 

[TehPenguin]

And in games where you don't utilize your GPU: how is your RAM and CPU usage? I can't really answer why you're having desktop issues but we might try to find the bottleneck in games.

 

[Bunch007]

And in games where you don't utilize your GPU: how is your RAM and CPU usage? I can't really answer why you're having desktop issues but we might try to find the bottleneck in games.

CPU usage is fine, temps stay under 55 degrees C. As for RAM, I never really knew how to monitor RAM, but these programs CPU-Z and CPUID HWMonitor shown no issues with the RAM or stats that would be a concern.

 

[TehPenguin]

I am at a loss here. Can you make a short list of games you have performance issues with? And maybe a little comment for each game. If some games work(or perform well) and some don't then it can't be a broken part, me thinks.

 

[Bunch007]

I am at a loss here. Can you make a short list of games you have performance issues with? And maybe a little comment for each game. If some games work(or perform well) and some don't then it can't be a broken part, me thinks.

Arma 3 (game mode- King of the Hill) When I first started playing this game, I was getting +/- 30 FPS. Lately I have been dropping down to 10 FPS. I know the game is very demanding so I always had medium video settings. I would notice the heavy frame drops in gun fights in or around cities/towns. Also noticed my GPU power % goes up to 70%-80%. You would think it would be closer to 100%.

World of Warships (Multiplayer 12 vs 12) Never have I had issues with this game before. I even modded my folder to run at 120FPS instead of the stock 60FPS it was locked in at. And always ran at 120FPS no matter what situation I was in on the game. The past month I have been dropping as low as 23 FPS with about 50% power. Few people reported that a couple patches ago, they noticed a substantial frame drops as well. So possibly a patch issue?

Dead by Daylight (play survivor 90% of time) This game was recently purchased and I always had issues with it. If I did a reboot and ran the game immediately, I could get 54% power from the GPU. If I played another game and came back to this game, my GPU would max out around 25-30%. The main menu screen would run at 75%, but as soon as I entered a lobby, the power drops right down into the 20's

Battlefield 4 (online multiplayer 32 vs 32) Another game that ran flawlessly until as of late. Averaging 70-90FPS on ultra video settings. I have not played this much in the past month, but I have also been losing frames on this game. Not as substantial as the others, but noticeable. Dropping down to 50FPS with GPU power around 50%-70%.

Keep in mind that most of my games that ran fine in the past, I never really monitored the statistics of my GPU or CPU as I really had no reason too. Maybe a few times after changing a fan curve here and there to check temperatures. I normally have my CPU overclocked, but I recently reformatted since I tried to install windows 10 and it blue screened my PC and could not even boot into BIOS. I am going to apply an overclock to my CPU and see, if for some reason that would be the culprit.

 

[TehPenguin]

Just a quick comment, I'll come back to this post later: the GPU power doesn't have to be at 100%. GPU Utilization should be at 100% if the game is not frame limited. My GPU, for example, peaks at around 80% power but the utilization is almost always at 99%.

Sorry for the long response times.