GPU core @ 98% & CPU cores @ half that???

[Kenton82]

Hi lads and ladies, I've recently upgraded my very ageing rig to an Asus 970 GTX STRIX 4GB card and everything seemed ok-ish, until I looked at Open Hardware Monitor (after resetting the min/max values) this evening. I am getting some (what seems to me) odd readings. After playing train simulator 2017 for about an hour, I checked out the hardware monitor, and see these readings, which don't seem right to me; CPU core 1 is highest @ 57.3% (followed by the other 3 at their respective own - all slightly lower) but the GPU core was reporting 98%... Am I being completely f'ing dumb? (quite possibly!) This seems the reverse of a bottleneck to me!?? PC specs: - and yes I know this is an old girl, but all works very well and is still very quick and strong; Intel i7 930 @ 3.2GHZ, Asus Rampage II Extreme MOBO, 16GB Ballistix Sport RAM, Asus 970GTX 4GB STRIX GPU, 1TB WD HDD, Windows 10 64 pro, 1010W Everest PSU.
If anyone could enlighten me, I would me much obliged!
Sorry for another old git machine question!....
Cheers guys.
Kenton.

 

[ingtar33]

that looks like the definition of a bottleneck to me. one part is maxed, meaning it's setting the max performance of your system.

 

[rgd1101]

do you have issue with the game?

 

[Kenton82]

Thanks for your reply's, as I understood it, the CPU being lower in demand compared with the gpu, meant the opposite of a bottleneck no? I could be mistaken of course. but inreply to rgd1101, the game does become very laggy in parts, but I understand that this game does suffer with that due to the particular graphics engine it uses... But on the other hand, I also play BeamNG drive, which is a very CPU and GPU intensive game, and I realise very good FPS, anywhere around 40 - 90 FPS (depending on map selected) but always consistently smooth using high settings AND postfx! The CPU is at around 80-90% and the GPU hovers around 90-98% going no higher than about 65oc.
Cheers for the interest,
Kenton

 

[kango69]

Here is a good article on CPU and GPU bottlenecks
http://www.pcgamer.com/will-your-cpu-bottleneck-your-graphics-card/

 

[rgd1101]

Sound like issue with that game engine. does lower the detail/resolution help?

 

[Vellinious]

I wouldn't worry about that. Now, if the GPU were running at 50% and the CPU maxing one or two of it's cores out all the time, then it would be time to think about an upgrade. As it stands, a GPU maxing out instead of the CPU maxing out, seems ideal to me.

 

[Kenton82]

Sound like issue with that game engine. does lower the detail/resolution help?

Just tried an experiment with medium, and highest settings. Not much difference in physical form, except the occasional screen flicker, which maybe to do with the fact that I am only using 60hz (@HD 1080P) But again, in BeamNG Drive, this does not happen. And the GPU core usage has only gone down around 6%.... CPU usage around the same drop in value!
Cheers,
Kenton

 

[Kenton82]

I wouldn't worry about that. Now, if the GPU were running at 50% and the CPU maxing one or two of it's cores out all the time, then it would be time to think about an upgrade. As it stands, a GPU maxing out instead of the CPU maxing out, seems ideal to me.

Yes, this is what I thought I had understood! But needed some reassurance on. Although I still don't quite see why the GPU should be slogging its guts out quite so hard on what is really a very old game engine! lol. Where as BeamNG Drive on the other hand, is a very much more modern game physics wise, and it is all about the FPS. Where the GPU, and the CPU seem very even in the usage rates!

Thanks for the time taken to comment Vellinious, I will do some more tests and update!
Cheers,
Kenton.

 

[Kenton82]

Here is a good article on CPU and GPU bottlenecks
http://www.pcgamer.com/will-your-cpu-bottleneck-your-graphics-card/

Many thanks for the link, makes very interesting reading!
Gives a little more confidence 😉
Cheers mate