Question High CPU Usage ?

[punisher_09]

Hello! I have the following PC:

MB: Gigabyte B760 Gaming X
CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F
GPU: RTX 3060 Windforce 12GB
RAM: 2 x16GB DDR5
PSU: Super Flower 650W Gold
HDD: SATA 500GB
SSD: SATA 500GB plus 2 x M.2 500GB PCIe 4.0
Cooler: ID-Cooling SE-214-XT D Black

The problem is that when I play FarCry6 (high video settings) I got 80-90% cpu usage and around 90-100% GPU usage. But when I play Chernobylite (ultra video settings) I got 40-50% cpu usage and 40% GPU usage.
My question is why I am getting that 80-90% CPU usage when playing FarCry 6 ?
I watched some videos with FarCry6 (on same PC as mine) and the CPU usage was about 40 -50%(on ultra video settings). I played both games at 1080p and 75 Hz. Max CPU temperature was about 60*C while gaming.

 

[Aeacus]

Shown CPU usage is not only for that specific game, but for all tasks that CPU has to do.

To see which programs hog your system resources, download and run Process Explorer,
link: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

Guide on how to understand it,
link: https://www.pcworld.com/article/406...ee-supercharged-task-manager-alternative.html

With Process Explorer, you can tell exactly what processes take up your CPU compute power.
Could be, that one of them takes up a lot.

For example, in my PC, NZXT CAM takes up ~24% of my CPU compute power whenever it is running. And i don't have much in terms of NZXT hardware for CAM to use so much CPU compute power.

 

[Zerk2012]

Hello! I have the following PC:

MB: Gigabyte B760 Gaming X
CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F
GPU: RTX 3060 Windforce 12GB
RAM: 2 x16GB DDR5
PSU: Super Flower 650W Gold
HDD: SATA 500GB
SSD: SATA 500GB plus 2 x M.2 500GB PCIe 4.0
Cooler: ID-Cooling SE-214-XT D Black

The problem is that when I play FarCry6 (high video settings) I got 80-90% cpu usage and around 90-100% GPU usage. But when I play Chernobylite (ultra video settings) I got 40-50% cpu usage and 40% GPU usage.
My question is why I am getting that 80-90% CPU usage when playing FarCry 6 ?
I watched some videos with FarCry6 (on same PC as mine) and the CPU usage was about 40 -50%(on ultra video settings). I played both games at 1080p and 75 Hz. Max CPU temperature was about 60*C while gaming.

Completely different games, you can't compare them and expect the same results.

For Youjunk videos I can make one that show's anything I wish also a game patch or update can change what that game demands.

If you play one game that the game engine can only use say 2 cores then with your 6 core processor you would see 33% CPU usage + whatever else is used by Windows and anything else you have running.

You play a game that can use more cores then higher CPU usage.

The same thing with the video card. From Steam recommended specks it's a big difference in those 2 games.
Massive in the recommended video card.

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X @ 3.8 GHz or Intel Core i7-7700 @ 3.6 GHz (AVX, AVX2 and SSE 4.2 support required)
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: AMD RX Vega 64 (8 GB) or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (8 GB)

And.

• Processor: Intel Core i7 4790k CPU
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: Geforce GTX 970/GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 480/RX 570

EDIT For the recommended CPU you can't really go off that since it depends on the game engine. I remember when the first Watch Dogs game was coming out it recommended a i7 processor and everybody was trying to upgrade before it was released.

But guess what the game engine could only use a couple of cores and a simple i3 gave the same performance as a i7.

 

[punisher_09]

I used Process Explorer, task manager and HWinfo and they shows different results
https://ibb.co/WKp20zj

444 hosted at ImgBB

Image 444 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

https://ibb.co/6ykjdRF
Please have a look and tell me what you think.
All screenshots are while running FarCry 6.

 

[Aeacus]

I used Process Explorer, task manager and HWinfo and they shows different results

In Process Explorer, "System Idle Process" usage is the free CPU compute power. So, 96% usage in "System Idle Process" = 4% actual CPU usage.

As of HWinfo64, i can't tell what processes you're running at a time, when it reports ~62% thread utilization. Doesn't seem to be anything else shown on the desktop.

Btw, you can run HWinfo64 and Process Explorer on the same time, to cross-validate the results between the two. But as screens show currently, it looks like both programs have been run separately at different times.

 

[punisher_09]

@Aeacus All 3 programs were running at the same time, and they showed me different cpu usage at the same time. This is why I asked about the cpu usage, because I don't know which of them show the real usage.

 

[Aeacus]

If all 3 would be running at the same time (Process Explorer, HWinfo64 and a game), it would look like so:

This screenshot is of my own build, where i have Process Explorer, HWinfo64 and The Talos Principle 2 running all at the same time. Easily verified by Process Explorer since it is seen "Talos2.exe" running. Alongside "HWinfo64.exe".
Also, cross-validating the CPU usage between Process Explorer and HWinfo64 is easy. I had CPU usage of ~22% at the time of taking that screen. (The ~100% CPU utilization seen earlier on Process Explorer CPU graph is when i launched The Talos Principle 2 and game was loading/booting.)

I watched some videos with FarCry6 (on same PC as mine) and the CPU usage was about 40 -50%(on ultra video settings).

Even if 2nd PC is identical to the hardware as your PC is, you can't compare the two. Background processes running will skew the results.
E.g if you have several programs running, your CPU usage will be higher than on that video you watched.

My question is why I am getting that 80-90% CPU usage when playing FarCry 6 ?

Far Cry 6 is heavy on single-thread usage, so, it uses mostly 1 CPU thread to run itself. Due to that, CPU usage spikes to the roof, since many CPU usage metrics read one thread utilization and put it under "CPU usage".

Chernobylite in the other hand, is better optimized to utilize all CPU threads and is more evenly spaced out between CPU threads. With this, several CPU threads get utilized ~40% per thread and CPU usage shows CPU at ~40% as well. That, and Chernobylite has far less severe impact on hardware compared to Far Cry 6.

 

[punisher_09]

I measured the CPU usage using the same software as it was measured in the videos that I saw on YouTube (MSI Afterburner) , and it was about 40-50% which is the same as it was in the videos.
But if I run as administrator the Process Explorer (not at the same time as MSI Afterburner), then it gives me the following graph while playing FarCry 6.
https://ibb.co/71n7gvG

 

[geofelt]

When you activate task manager, right click on the cpu graph and select logical processors.
You will get a better feeling as to what is going on.

You can start the resource monitor and select the cpu tab.
Sort on cpu usage.
That will show you what processors are using cpu cycles.

 

[punisher_09]

It looks like both resource monitor and task manager are reporting the same CPU usage.
https://ibb.co/CnZBSnT

 

[Aeacus]

But if I run as administrator the Process Explorer (not at the same time as MSI Afterburner), then it gives me the following graph while playing FarCry 6.
https://ibb.co/71n7gvG

Looks to me like normal CPU usage. Spikes in graph show software (game) loading, but otherwise, impact on CPU load is minimal.

I measured the CPU usage using the same software as it was measured in the videos that I saw on YouTube (MSI Afterburner) , and it was about 40-50% which is the same as it was in the videos.

Do note that MSI Afterburner is abandoned and no longer developed. So, it showing errors wouldn't be that big of a surprise.

MSI Afterburner is developed by 1 Russian national, living in Russia. But since the start of Russo-Ukranian war in early 2022 and due to the sanctions put on Russia, MSI wasn't able to make payment transfers to the developer of MSI Afterburner. And with no funding, MSI Afterburner development was abandoned by the developer.
News article from Jan 2023 covering this: https://www.techpowerup.com/303298/...-paid-for-a-year-product-development-in-limbo

It looks like both resource monitor and task manager are reporting the same CPU usage.
https://ibb.co/CnZBSnT

Resource Monitor shows "FarCry6.exe" to use, on average, 2.63% of CPU compute power. So, what other software you have, that takes ~50% of CPU usage?

 

[punisher_09]

Resource Monitor shows "FarCry6.exe" to use, on average, 2.63% of CPU compute power. So, what other software you have, that takes ~50% of CPU usage?

I don't know. It just doesn't appear in my Resource Monitor. https://ibb.co/f960Nrc
It says that average CPU mean the average consumption by the process in 60 seconds.

 

[geofelt]

I might try to uninstall afterburner on the theory that some russian hacker is involved here.
For that matter, uninstall any apps in your installed program list that you don't need or might be suspicious.

 

[punisher_09]

I have already uninstalled afterburner and riva tuner from my PC.
The screenshot from my previous post is made after I uninstalled afterburner and riva tuner.

 

[Aeacus]

At this point, i'd look towards malware issue.
There can be malware, that doesn't show itself on the Task Manager or Resource Monitor, but still uses plenty of CPU compute power.

Download, install and run a scan of MalwareBytes;
link: https://www.malwarebytes.com/

I'm personally running payed subscription of MalwareBytes Premium but you can download the Trial version for free.

 

[punisher_09]

I am already using a paid subscription of the BitDefender Total Security which have malware protection.

 

[punisher_09]

I will try to remove the HDD and use only the SSD's.
Also I installed Call of Duty Modern Warfare (the one from 2023), and It has aprox. 70-80% cpu usage while playing and the GPU usage is about 95-100%.
All games are running from a PCI-e 3.0 (not 4.0, my mistake) SSD.

 

[thestryker]

Do note that MSI Afterburner is abandoned and no longer developed. So, it showing errors wouldn't be that big of a surprise.

This is not accurate information anymore as there have been 2 updates since that news went wide (unwinder is also active over on the development forums).

 

[Aeacus]

I am already using a paid subscription of the BitDefender Total Security which have malware protection.

Would not hurt to cross-validate it with Malwarebytes.

Also I installed Call of Duty Modern Warfare (the one from 2023), and It has aprox. 70-80% cpu usage while playing and the GPU usage is about 95-100%.

In Process Explorer and when you click on the CPU column, to order the processes by CPU usage, does it show the ones that use so much CPU compute power? (You'd need to scroll all the way to the top, to see processes that use most CPU.)