GTX 1080 Usage While at Idle??? PLEASE HELP!!

[Luke2468]

Hi, i bought a gtx 1080 strix and i've noticed something weird, while at idle the gpu usage % is spiking from 0-32% sometimes but it usually is bursts of 0-3%. So my question is is this normal? Or is this supposed to be a constant percentage? Thanks! PS: I use MSI afterburner and GPU-Z

 

[CelicaGT]

Remember that usage is relative to clockspeed. Watch it go when you squiggle your mouse around and your GPU is at idle.

 

[Luke2468]

Remember that usage is relative to clockspeed. Watch it go when you squiggle your mouse around and your GPU is at idle.

My clock speeds do nothing when i move my mouse at idle

 

[Chugalug_]

At idle your graphics card is only really keeping desktop running or a few applications, your CPU will do the majority of the work, so you can't really expect it to do much more than 5% stable to be honest.
As i'm writing this with a few chrome tabs open, my 1080 FTW is only at 203MHz core clock.
Idle usage is not demanding, so your graphics card won't run at high workloads as a result. 😉

 

[Luke2468]

At idle your graphics card is only really keeping desktop running or a few applications, your CPU will do the majority of the work, so you can't really expect it to do much more than 5% stable to be honest.
As i'm writing this with a few chrome tabs open, my 1080 FTW is only at 203MHz core clock.
Idle usage is not demanding, so your graphics card won't run at high workloads as a result. 😉

My clocks are pretty much the same too but why is the GPU usage % spiking then?

 

[Luke2468]

Remember that usage is relative to clockspeed. Watch it go when you squiggle your mouse around and your GPU is at idle.

Put the usage does stay constant when i dont move my mouse...what gives then why would that be happening??

 

[CelicaGT]

Remember that usage is relative to clockspeed. Watch it go when you squiggle your mouse around and your GPU is at idle.

Put the usage does stay constant when i dont move my mouse...what gives then why would that be happening??

Your GPU renders the desktop, anything you do is going to spike that usage a bit. Lesser cards than the 1080 will actually see clockspeed jumps. As noted the 1080 does not (mine doesn't either). Don't sweat it, normal behavior

 

[Luke2468]

Remember that usage is relative to clockspeed. Watch it go when you squiggle your mouse around and your GPU is at idle.

Put the usage does stay constant when i dont move my mouse...what gives then why would that be happening??

Your GPU renders the desktop, anything you do is going to spike that usage a bit. Lesser cards than the 1080 will actually see clockspeed jumps. As noted the 1080 does not (mine doesn't either). Don't sweat it, normal behavior

Even spikes in the 30% usage??

 

[CelicaGT]

Remember that usage is relative to clockspeed. Watch it go when you squiggle your mouse around and your GPU is at idle.

Put the usage does stay constant when i dont move my mouse...what gives then why would that be happening??

Your GPU renders the desktop, anything you do is going to spike that usage a bit. Lesser cards than the 1080 will actually see clockspeed jumps. As noted the 1080 does not (mine doesn't either). Don't sweat it, normal behavior

Even spikes in the 30% usage??

Can't say I watch it like a hawk. Just remember, 30% at 139Mhz (my current gpu clock) is a helluva lot different than 30% at 1873Mhz (my boost clocks). As I sit here and try it it jumps between l high 20's and low 30's if I drag a minimized browser window around, clockspeed 139Mhz. force it to base clocks with Afterburner and it stays at 5 to 7% max.

 

[Luke2468]

Remember that usage is relative to clockspeed. Watch it go when you squiggle your mouse around and your GPU is at idle.

Put the usage does stay constant when i dont move my mouse...what gives then why would that be happening??

Your GPU renders the desktop, anything you do is going to spike that usage a bit. Lesser cards than the 1080 will actually see clockspeed jumps. As noted the 1080 does not (mine doesn't either). Don't sweat it, normal behavior

Even spikes in the 30% usage??

Can't say I watch it like a hawk. Just remember, 30% at 139Mhz (my current gpu clock) is a helluva lot different than 30% at 1873Mhz (my boost clocks). As I sit here and try it it jumps between l high 20's and low 30's if I drag a minimized browser window around, clockspeed 139Mhz. force it to base clocks with Afterburner and it stays at 5 to 7% max.

So its okay.? I'm sorry lol had a bad experience in the past and just wanna be sure this gpu is 101% perfect

 

[CelicaGT]

Remember that usage is relative to clockspeed. Watch it go when you squiggle your mouse around and your GPU is at idle.

Put the usage does stay constant when i dont move my mouse...what gives then why would that be happening??

Your GPU renders the desktop, anything you do is going to spike that usage a bit. Lesser cards than the 1080 will actually see clockspeed jumps. As noted the 1080 does not (mine doesn't either). Don't sweat it, normal behavior

Even spikes in the 30% usage??

Can't say I watch it like a hawk. Just remember, 30% at 139Mhz (my current gpu clock) is a helluva lot different than 30% at 1873Mhz (my boost clocks). As I sit here and try it it jumps between l high 20's and low 30's if I drag a minimized browser window around, clockspeed 139Mhz. force it to base clocks with Afterburner and it stays at 5 to 7% max.

So its okay.? I'm sorry lol had a bad experience in the past and just wanna be sure this gpu is 101% perfect

Seems consistent with what I can reproduce. I understand how you feel, especially with the costs associated with these cards. I had one GPU fail and that was my own fault, tried to flash the BIOS when such things were arcane arts (GeForce 256). I had one DOA GPU, a Radeon HD6850 replaced by the (local) vendor. And I had one with a bad factory overclock (which I was able to stabilize) an AMD HD7870Ghz edition @ 1100Mhz. I've overclocked, underclocked, overheated and overvolted the hardware. In most cases issues are driver and or software related. Hardware failures will manifest in distorted images, lines/dots on the screen and full black, grey/red (any colour?) screens followed by a crash. I think you are fine, but it never hurts to check

 

[Luke2468]

Remember that usage is relative to clockspeed. Watch it go when you squiggle your mouse around and your GPU is at idle.

Put the usage does stay constant when i dont move my mouse...what gives then why would that be happening??

Your GPU renders the desktop, anything you do is going to spike that usage a bit. Lesser cards than the 1080 will actually see clockspeed jumps. As noted the 1080 does not (mine doesn't either). Don't sweat it, normal behavior

Even spikes in the 30% usage??

Can't say I watch it like a hawk. Just remember, 30% at 139Mhz (my current gpu clock) is a helluva lot different than 30% at 1873Mhz (my boost clocks). As I sit here and try it it jumps between l high 20's and low 30's if I drag a minimized browser window around, clockspeed 139Mhz. force it to base clocks with Afterburner and it stays at 5 to 7% max.

So its okay.? I'm sorry lol had a bad experience in the past and just wanna be sure this gpu is 101% perfect

Seems consistent with what I can reproduce. I understand how you feel, especially with the costs associated with these cards. I had one GPU fail and that was my own fault, tried to flash the BIOS when such things were arcane arts (GeForce 256). I had one DOA GPU, a Radeon HD6850 replaced by the (local) vendor. And I had one with a bad factory overclock (which I was able to stabilize) an AMD HD7870Ghz edition @ 1100Mhz. I've overclocked, underclocked, overheated and overvolted the hardware. In most cases issues are driver and or software related. Hardware failures will manifest in distorted images, lines/dots on the screen and full black, grey/red (any colour?) screens followed by a crash. I think you are fine, but it never hurts to check

Thanks !!!!!