Question GPU randomly dropping to 0% utilization

[BaaaaL44]

I've been experiencing a strange issue for a few weeks. Every now and then when playing games (So far it has happened in AC:Origins, Lords of the Fallen, Dragon's Dogma 2) GPU utilization suddenly drops to 0%, along with GPU power, core voltage, and basically all other GPU metrics, and the game either freezes or stutters unplayably. Eventually (sometimes a few seconds, sometimes 30 seconds or so) it resumes normal operation. Here is a picture from OCCT that shows the problem:

https://imgur.com/a/KdzvHoY

View: https://imgur.com/a/KdzvHoY


CPU and PSU metrics seem unaffected, and the GPU does not produce any artifacts, and remains perfectly stable in 3DMARK (99.7% frame consistency in a prolonged stress test) and other benchmarks/stability tests. I am using the latest AMD drivers, but the issue started happening with the previous one, that I had been using for a while when it first happened, so it's unlikely to be a driver issue. Nothing in my configuration has changed recently, except for getting a new screen (Alienware 2724DM). My GPU is fairly heavily overclocked. My specs:

Gigabyte Z790 UD AX
Intel i5 13600KF
AMD RX6800
Corsair Vengeance DDR5 6000, 32GB
Samsung 980 PRO 2TB
Asus ROG STRIX 850W Gold PSU
Be Quiet Dark Rock 4 cooler.

My GPU is fairly heavily overclocked (it is running at 2500Mhz) but thermals are within acceptable range (highest hotspot has ever gotten was around 82-83 degrees celsius), CPU never reaches 70. Does anyone have a clue why this may be happening or how to troubleshoot it? I am comfortable doing software stuff, but since my PC is still under warranty, and was custom-built in a shop, I cannot really dig around inside it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[BaaaaL44]

Makes a lot of sense, thanks for the reply.

I guess i was naive to hope a repair shop would actually investigate the issue. Esp. an elusive one.
If you took it to them they would probably replace the 6800 and be done with it.

Hmm... Where is the Samsung 980 PRO 2TB? The CPU side M.2 slot?
That would rob the 6800 of some of it's full capability as the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot downgrades to x8, but it should not cause problems.
Maybe the 980 Pro is doing something that causes the PCIe slot to choke.

You cannot really move the NVMe around, but you can check if there is something weird going on when GPU util. drops to 0%. Are there any crazy reads or writes? Is it overheating?

I'm unsure which M.2 slot the SSD is in (checked when I got the PC in July but forgot) but according to GPU-Z the 6800 is operating at the full x16 bandwidth. I activated the NVME sensors in OCCT while I'm gaming to check if there is anything out of the ordinary happening when the usage drops.

Edit: The NVME is actually in the M.2 slot right below the GPU since that's the only M.2 slot on the mobo that has a built-in heatsink.

 

[35below0]

You could see it in BIOS, if you wanted to. There's a list of devices, and info on where they're connected etc.
If the 6800 has full x16 then it's academic anyway.

 

[BaaaaL44]

You could see it in BIOS, if you wanted to. There's a list of devices, and info on where they're connected etc.
If the 6800 has full x16 then it's academic anyway.

By way of update, I uninstalled the latest Windows update KB5036893 which many people complained about, and which also royally f-ed up my VPN connectivity, but all it did was cause a green flash in the screen and a driver timeout message from Adrenaline every time I launched a game (game launched and ran normally after that), so I reinstalled it from the Windows update menu, since then, timeouts are gone again. Weird.

 

[NayuKani]

By way of update, I uninstalled the latest Windows update KB5036893 which many people complained about, and which also royally f-ed up my VPN connectivity, but all it did was cause a green flash in the screen and a driver timeout message from Adrenaline every time I launched a game (game launched and ran normally after that), so I reinstalled it from the Windows update menu, since then, timeouts are gone again. Weird.

Hey,

I am having a similar issue to yours and read through this thread. Did un- and reinstalling the windows update fix the issue? It wasn't clear to me from your last post whether it did or not.

 

[BaaaaL44]

Hey,

I am having a similar issue to yours and read through this thread. Did un- and reinstalling the windows update fix the issue? It wasn't clear to me from your last post whether it did or not.

Hey!

I am not sure if it was reinstalling the windows update or a driver update, but the original issue seems to be solved. I have played around 200 hours since then, and only experienced minor drops in utilization that can easily be explained by shader compilation stutters.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Excellent! Result

 

[NayuKani]

Hey!

I am not sure if it was reinstalling the windows update or a driver update, but the original issue seems to be solved. I have played around 200 hours since then, and only experienced minor drops in utilization that can easily be explained by shader compilation stutters.

Could you tell me what update you reverted to? (As windows is a mess in and of itself) I suspect that, for me, the most likely solution is also to revert to an older version.

Potentially another cause (one that someone already suggested) may be the m.2 ssd above my GPU (4TB Lexar NM790), since it's the only "significant" change that I am aware of. I'd rather first try on the software side before ripping out my GPU again.