Question High CPU usage

[tobzer]

Good morning all,

I built a PC last summer. From the start I encountered kernel power 41 type problems: my pc suddenly restarted, as if a brief power cut had occurred, only when I was playing certain games. Another symptom existed: the screen suddenly turning off ~ 5 seconds, then turning on again, especially with less demanding games. All these failures were totally random (sometimes 3 crashes in 1 hour, sometimes 0 in 8 hours), but only in game.

I did a lot of research and tried a lot of things before considering any hardware replacements, and last week I think I fixed the problem by:

• changing HDMI cable by DP
• doing a reset via DDU of the graphics drivers + reinstall
• update of all possible and imaginable drivers
• use of high performance mode in power management
• updating the BIOS of the mobo (version end of February 2021)
• also updating the chipset

Problem:

Since then, my pc has not crashed or displayed a black screen, but my processor is suffering. It's quite strange, when I observe the task manager, it is a real roller-coaster ride. Normal 15 seconds, ~ 3-4% CPU usage, and then it'll suddenly go up to ~ 30% for 15 seconds. All this in idle. The most demanding processes seem quite random: chrome, system, cortana, wsappx, radeon software, antimalware service executable etc ... I couldn't find a process that was specifically problematic.

Suddenly, when idle, I notice quite obvious slowness when starting any app, even steam for example, which may no longer respond 30 seconds before opening. The installations have become much longer, the overall fluidity of my PC is strongly impacted. At stake: slowness, which occur in spurts, especially if I make a save for example (very obvious, a fast save will severely slow the game for 20sec). What is quite astonishing is that the processor does not seem overloaded in game: 30% in total on Divinity 2 for example ...

What I have tried so far:

• Pilot status check via all the drivers + Update of some outdated pilots
• Switching to the old BIOS version
• New BIOS update
• Disabling fast boot
• Modification of the minimum state of the processor, (which was on 100%) to 5%
• Search for malware, viruses: 10 infections quarantined
• sfc scan now : OK
• memtest86: OK
• Windows reinstallation
• Deactivation of audio devices: High definition audio + AMD high definition audio device
• Temperature check: nothing to worry about (maximum in stress test: 43 ° CPU, 70 ° GPU, 44 ° mobo)
• CPU stress test via OCCT : OK during the test (45 minutes)

I'm not used to checking CPU% so I don't know the standards, but I guess that's not normal. Even if we are not on 90-100% H24 use, I still feel that there is a problem.

Some screens:

By installing a steam game:



In game:



Idle:



Anyone have an idea? I really have the feeling that it comes from windows, but a reset did not give anything ... After that it was not a full formatting, it was with the tool proposed by W10. What seems to be certain is that this is one of my actions aimed at solving the kernel power problem that caused all of this, but I can't seem to find which one ...

My configuration :

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 + be quiet! Dark Rock Slim
MOBO: MSI B450 GAMING PLUS MAX
RAM: 8x2 DDR4 3200
GPU: RX 5700 XT GAMING OC 8G
PSU: LDLC US-550G 80PLUS Gold
Only peripheral not "new" which comes from my old tower, the SSD: 850EVO 500GB

I did not dare any OC

I have only one Windows update pending, anecdotal I think: functionality update 20H2, downloaded quickly, installed in several hours (!!), but I cannot finalize it in restarting. My PC gets stuck on restart in progress (tested over a whole night)


On another forum, a member advised me to do a test in safe mode, here is the result:



The difference is undeniable: no more slowdowns. What can I deduce from this?

I disabled the GPU in the peripherals manager for the motherboard to take over, and that didn't improve things, so I think I can exclude it.... Probably not the fault of ethernet drivers either because in safe with network support it was OK.

One week ago I reinstalled Windows using the tool offered by W10: usually it should take ~20 minutes and there it lasted 2 to 3 hours, which already seemed totally abnormal to me.

Maybe I should try a new reinstallation, not with windows 10 tool but booting through a Microsoft ISO on a USB stick? Guess it formats and reinstalls much more drastically? And then cautious update of the drivers, graphics in particular?


Thanks to those who took the time to read everything

 

[Colif]

Pilot status check via all the drivers + Update of some outdated pilots

what is this?

use of high performance mode in power management

Modification of the minimum state of the processor, (which was on 100%) to 5%

top one is why CPU was at 100%, if you set power to balanced it sets minimum back to 5%, main difference between both modes is power delivery.

Not happening in safe mode could mean its drivers or just that safe mode is less demanding on hardware, and some background tasks may not be running.
why worry about power usage on a desktop pc? those columns more for laptops who need to know whats using the most power. Or am I looking at wrong columns

Try a clean boot and see if it changes anything - make sure to read instructions and make sure NOT to disable any microsoft services or windows won't load right - https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/929135/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows

if clean boot fixes it, it shows its likely a startup program. You should, over a number of startups. restart the programs you stopped to isolate the one that is to blame.

 

[tobzer]

what is this?

Oops, I translated the application by mistake. "tous les drivers" is a french application allowing to detect obsolete drivers, to then download them on the manufacturers sites.

top one is why CPU was at 100%, if you set power to balanced it sets minimum back to 5%, main difference between both modes is power delivery.

Not happening in safe mode could mean its drivers or just that safe mode is less demanding on hardware, and some background tasks may not be running.
why worry about power usage on a desktop pc? those columns more for laptops who need to know whats using the most power. Or am I looking at wrong columns

I read it on another forum, this had already solved the problem for two people, but thanks for the explanation



I will try clean boot tonight and i'll tell the results!

 

[tobzer]

So i tried a clean boot in admin session but it didn't resolve the problem. Then I reinstalled by downloading an image via microsoft webpage, it took at least 4 hours, then I went to bed and it was only 70% ... But this morning: no more problems about overuse of the processor.

I was able to do all the Windows updates. I will do the driver updates quietly now, hoping that the initial kernel-power problem does not reappear.

Thanks for your help anyways!