Is 100% CPU usage bad while Gaming??

[fishfish98]

When playing BF4 I am using 100% of my cpu, is that bad? Should I upgrade?

 

[ProWilma]

No, thats normal. If you buy a CPU would like games to run only at 80%? that'll be a waste. If you list you CPU then I might able to judge whether an upgrade is needed.

 

[clutchc]

Sounds like it might be bottle necking the gfx card if it constantly stays at 100% while gaming.

 

[Anub1s]

No, thats normal. If you buy a CPU would like games to run only at 80%? that'll be a waste. If you list you CPU then I might able to judge whether an upgrade is needed.

That doesn't really make sense. A CPU running at 100% means there is no overhead, which means potential bottleneck. It means your CPU may be holding you back from running at higher graphical settings, or may be holding your framerate down from where it could be. A Core 2 Duo running at 100% isn't the same as an i5 running at 100%, so bottleneck is a likely accurate assumption.

If your GPU usage is at 60%, but CPU usage is 100% while gaming, you have a bottleneck. If framerates are acceptable at your chosen resolution and settings, then no need to worry. If, however, things get choppy at times and you see frequent dips in framerates, you should consider revising your hardware. If you're holding your GPU back, you may want to consider revision as well. It makes no sense to have a poorly matched GPU and CPU combo, unless you're upgrading one and then slightly later, the other.

 

[fishfish98]

--Processor: AMD Athlon X4 750K Processor

--Motherboard: MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 Motherboard


--Graphics Card: XFX Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition Graphics Card


--RAM: 8GB (2x4GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR3 RAM

--Hard Drive: 500GB Western Digital Caviar Blue Hard Drive

--Case: NZXT Source 210 Case


--Power Supply: 430W Corsair CX430 Power Supply


--OS: Windows 7


--Wifi: Asus PCE-N15

System Averages about 50-60fps in Battlefield 4 on Medium Settings...about 25-35 on high
System Averages about 40-50fps in Far Cry 3 on High Settings

 

[fishfish98]

Also is there away you can check how much of the GPU you are using? I would also like to check how much of the PSU I am using.

 

[clutchc]

The Athlon X4 750K should not bottle neck the HD 7770. The 100% usage is either do to an extreme number of players on a big map, or you may have other issues causing the high CPU usage. To eleiminate the latter possibilty...
Run CCleaner and do the Clean and Registry portions both. You may have to run it more than once if the system is badly messed up.
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Next, update your virus pgm and then run a FULL virus scan. Then run Malwarebytes and have it remove any bloatware that may have been installed on the system: http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Finally, check to see how much junk you can live without running in the background when Windows starts. Look in your tray to see how many items are running. Or on your task bar. For the best gaming experience, you want as little as possible to be going on when the CPU/GPU are stressed in a gaming environment.

The best way to see how many watts your PSU is consuming, would be to plug it into one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882715001

 

[lumpk1n]

Never use a registry cleaner, this users is uninformed. There's a reason why PC enthusiasts stay far away from these. To answer the question however, 100% usage is not normal, it means that your CPU is most likely the bottleneck of your system.

The Athlon X4 750K should not bottle neck the HD 7770. The 100% usage is either do to an extreme number of players on a big map, or you may have other issues causing the high CPU usage. To eleiminate the latter possibilty...
Run CCleaner and do the Clean and Registry portions both. You may have to run it more than once if the system is badly messed up.
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Next, update your virus pgm and then run a FULL virus scan. Then run Malwarebytes and have it remove any bloatware that may have been installed on the system: http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Finally, check to see how much junk you can live without running in the background when Windows starts. Look in your tray to see how many items are running. Or on your task bar. For the best gaming experience, you want as little as possible to be going on when the CPU/GPU are stressed in a gaming environment.

The best way to see how many watts your PSU is consuming, would be to plug it into one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882715001

 

[lumpk1n]

No, thats normal. If you buy a CPU would like games to run only at 80%? that'll be a waste. If you list you CPU then I might able to judge whether an upgrade is needed.

It's dangerous to consider a user like this knowledgeable. There's a clear disconnect in his logic.

 

[clutchc]

@ lumpk1n
Baloney. I have used CCleaner for a decade. Since back when it was still called Crap Cleaner. On more machines than I can count. Dozens. It is one of the safest cleaners available. If you're afraid to use it, fine.