[SOLVED] GPU low usage in games

Aug 23, 2019
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I have a problem with my gpu. It's sapphire rx 560 4gb version. So when i start playing any game gpu usage is at 100% and a bit later it drops down to 0-5% usage, it stays like that for 15-30 sec and goes back up to 100% and repats the process. Game's fps drops from 50-60 to 5-15 so game becomes unplayable. I have tryed it in couple of games but mostly i play ets2 and bf5 and it's always the same. I have tried to install diferent gpu drivers, change power plans, install new os, try using stronger power supply (750w) and mess with bios settings but unseccessfuly. It have worked fine with old motherboard and cpu and now with fx 6300 and biostar A960D+ is giving me a problems.
My pc specs are:
Fx-6300 6core 3.5ghz
Sapphire pulse rx 560 4gb
8gb ddr3 @ 1333mhz
Biostar A960D+
1tb hdd
500w power supply
 
Solution
That's not what i was talking about, in afterburner you can see at fps graph that lag spikes i was talking about and in second picture of OCCT in bottom left corner, you can see cpu frequency graph. They look similar
Hmm, looks like thermal throttling...
The 1400mhz is one of the cpu's low power states, and this occurred whenever the cpu temp hit a certain point, then tanked - along with core voltage.
What is your cpu cooler?
Aug 23, 2019
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Okay, that Corsair is an Okay-ish PSU, but CHIEFTEC PSUs are garbage, very poor/inferior quality. They should be avoided like a plague. Do not use any "chieftec" PSU on a Gaming PC.

Anyways, since you using Corsair now, then you are safe..
Good to know, i have just got his for testing purposes. Do you have any other idea what could be wrong with it? Whe i run unigine benchmark, gpu is working at 99% all the time.
 
Aug 23, 2019
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I dont think so, cpu is working 80-100% all the time, and when gpu kicks in also at 100% i get around 60fps, but when gpu goes down to 5% fps goes to around 10. I have watched goy on yt playing with same setup and he does have 50-60fps all the time on same settings in bf5 also his cpu and gpu are on 90-100% of usage all the time
 

RLarcosPES2

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Oct 10, 2014
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CPU is your bottleneck. It is extremely slow in anything single-core, and up to slightly below-average at everything else. Your GPU is slowing down, most likely, because it is waiting for the CPU to do it's part.

I have this same CPU with a worse GPU and it doesn't have the same issue.

I suggest going into the BIOS and turn off any power savings settings.

Also stress test the CPU and check the frequency alongside with the motherboard temps(monitor temp software tend to confuse the sensors and misreport the CPU core temperatures).

In my crappy board(some gigabyte 78lmt or something like that I don't have that PC right now with me) when having 100% load the frequency drops to 3ghz NOT due to thermal throttling but an issue with the motherboard or the chipset not supporting LLC properly.

To fix this issue. You need to install AMD Overdrive(this is software not hardware) and turn on and off the turbo function of the CPU by going to the Clocks/Voltage tab, the flipside is you need to do it every time you restart(I use it when I want to render something to save rendering times because in the games I play on that PC I don't need to do it, even in BF5).

On the thermal side of things if ANY sensor excluding GPU and HDD is above 70 degrees. You need to replace the stock cooler if you use that one(for the love of God please don't) and make sure there is enough airflow to the VRMs on the motherboard(very very important).

Don't hear them when they say that this CPU is crap. Just there are some very bad motherboards out there and I doubt your Biostar one is a good one. If you want more performance disable turbo boost and set the clock at 3.8ghz. With proper cooling try 4.1ghz and overvolt a bit.

P.S: Use open hardware monitor to monitor everything I said
https://openhardwaremonitor.org/downloads/ I don't trust HWmonitor, as it has been related to malware before.
 
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RLarcosPES2

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Oct 10, 2014
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Exactly my point. A slower GPU would be fine. An Rx 560 is about the speed on a GTX 1050, so the 1030 would probably be slow enough to not have to wait on the 6300.
His motherboard is bad and most likely the OP has an overheating issue and doesn't realise it. Talking from personal experience here. The RX 560 is not a monster GPU come on. I've had friends pairing the FX 6300 with a GTX 970 back in the day no issues like that.
 
His motherboard is bad and most likely the OP has an overheating issue and doesn't realise it. Talking from personal experience here. The RX 560 is not a monster GPU come on. I've had friends pairing the FX 6300 with a GTX 970 back in the day no issues like that.
I don't think we have enough info to even suggest a bad motherboard, CPU overheating wouldn't be a stretch, but again, nothing yet to indicate that.

OP, can to weigh in on your temps and your experience outside of gaming?
 

RLarcosPES2

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I don't think we have enough info to even suggest a bad motherboard, CPU overheating wouldn't be a stretch, but again, nothing yet to indicate that.

OP, can to weigh in on your temps and your experience outside of gaming?

I am not saying it is a defective motherboard, I say it is a bad model. The OP needs to clarify if he has an OC if he has modified any voltages and what type of cooling he has on his PC(including case fans and any cooler). We also need to know all the temps because those motherboards can give deceiving temps for the CPU Core.

He/She should read my long post as well.
 
Aug 23, 2019
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I am not saying it is a defective motherboard, I say it is a bad model. The OP needs to clarify if he has an OC if he has modified any voltages and what type of cooling he has on his PC(including case fans and any cooler). We also need to know all the temps because those motherboards can give deceiving temps for the CPU Core.

He/She should read my long post as well.
Cpu and gpu are not overclocked. As i said cpu tems while gamimg are around 60-70c and gpu is around 70c. Cooling in my pc is stock . I have tried removing side panel and pointing a huge fan for maximum cooling but things are the same. Is there any way that i can test motherboard?
 

treetops422

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Cpu and gpu are not overclocked. As i said cpu tems while gamimg are around 60-70c and gpu is around 70c. Cooling in my pc is stock . I have tried removing side panel and pointing a huge fan for maximum cooling but things are the same. Is there any way that i can test motherboard?
I had the same problem, benched fine, but in game went wacky. Most video cards go over 70c, that's not a issue. With my Radeon 5700 I had to reinstall windows despite it already being a fresh install. Likely windows at some point conflicted with your graphics driver. But you can try this instead of reinstalling windows.

Run DDU and reinstall your drivers. Turn your AV shields off during the process if you use a third party anti virus. You can use windows defender during this process. I would actually uninstall any third party AV and use windows defender during this process. Shields off\ DDU safemode restart\ Install GPU Driver restart\ install windows update restart\ shields on.
 
Aug 23, 2019
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I had the same problem, benched fine, but in game went wacky. Most video cards go over 70c, that's not a issue. With my Radeon 5700 I had to reinstall windows despite it already being a fresh install. Likely windows at some point conflicted with your graphics driver. But you can try this instead of reinstalling windows.

Run DDU and reinstall your drivers. Turn your AV shields off during the process if you use a third party anti virus. You can use windows defender during this process. I would actually uninstall any third party AV and use windows defender during this process. Shields off\ DDU safemode restart\ Install GPU Driver restart\ install windows update restart\ shields on.
I will try that ,thanks
 

RLarcosPES2

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Cpu and gpu are not overclocked. As i said cpu tems while gamimg are around 60-70c and gpu is around 70c. Cooling in my pc is stock . I have tried removing side panel and pointing a huge fan for maximum cooling but things are the same. Is there any way that i can test motherboard?

install open hardware monitor or hwmonitor to check motherboard temperatures. Are you using the stock cooler? Also, these CPUs throttle at around 65-70 degrees. But I still think these are just chipset temps. CPU could be higher. If you are using MSI afterburner to check temps it is likely you are getting false readings.
 
Aug 23, 2019
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install open hardware monitor or hwmonitor to check motherboard temperatures. Are you using the stock cooler? Also, these CPUs throttle at around 65-70 degrees. But I still think these are just chipset temps. CPU could be higher. If you are using MSI afterburner to check temps it is likely you are getting false readings.
I have instaled open hadrware monitor and run unigine heaven benchmark and max cpu temp was 60.5 degrees C and gpu's max temp was 76 degrees C, cpu's clock on all 6 cores was 4.1ghz and gpu was runing 1300mhz on core and 1750 mhz on memory. When it comes to motherboard tems they are: "Temperature #1" 60.0 degrees C, "Temperature #2" 54.0 degrees C, "Temperature #3" 46.0 degrees C
Open hardware monitor pics:
https://ibb.co/C7Lgs05

https://ibb.co/BL486yV
 

Phaaze88

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I don't think so, unigine heaven is more gpu-bound benchmark. I will do cinebench for cpu but while gaming it doesent get over 70-75 degrees C.
OP, I need you to run the heaven benchmark again with Msi Afterburner. Either let it finish, or 10 minutes is fine. I need to see the core clock and power graphs after the test has expired.

To confirm what others have said, that mobo is a really basic model.
That Rx 560 draws 150w of power = 6-pin cable(75w) + mobo pcie(75w)
Problem with some low end boards is that they don't/can't supply the 75w needed through the pcie slot - say, 40w.
In this case, your card would be power throttling. When you run the benchmark - if I'm correct - the gpu will be hitting and dropping boost clocks throughout.
 

RLarcosPES2

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OP, I need you to run the heaven benchmark again with Msi Afterburner. Either let it finish, or 10 minutes is fine. I need to see the core clock and power graphs after the test has expired.

To confirm what others have said, that mobo is a really basic model.
That Rx 560 draws 150w of power = 6-pin cable(75w) + mobo pcie(75w)
Problem with some low end boards is that they don't/can't supply the 75w needed through the pcie slot - say, 40w.
In this case, your card would be power throttling. When you run the benchmark - if I'm correct - the gpu will be hitting and dropping boost clocks throughout.

He should also STRESS TEST not just benchmark the CPU to see clocks.
 

Phaaze88

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He should also STRESS TEST not just benchmark the CPU to see clocks.
It doesn't matter which one the OP does, as either one should yield the same result(clock speeds bouncing around under load) - if I'm correct about the power throttling.
Heaven benchmark isn't a light application, it works just fine along with Kombustor and Asus Realbench.


I wasn't referring to the cpu, but GPU.
 
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