Laptop GTX 960M huge fps drops but gpu usage goes up.

[xeveus]

I recently got a new laptop with an i7-6700HQ, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a GTX 960M, and running Windows 10 64 bit.. During the first couple weeks, everything was fine, but when I updated NVIDIA drivers to 372.54, I was getting the fps I should be for a few seconds or minutes, but then it would drop to 5 to 10 fps. I've tried reinstalling drivers with clean install, also using DDU, but it didn't work. I also tried going back to the previous driver, but that also didn't work. It's also worth noting that sometimes the laptop will blue screen with the error "VIDEO_DXGKRNL_FATAL_ERROR". There were also some problems with sometimes the GPU wouldn't show up. I had to do a complete wipe and reinstall of windows, and while it seems to have fixed those problems, i still get that blue screen, and I'll get normal fps for a few seconds or minutes, but then it will drop. I looked in MSI Afterburner and I noticed that when the fps dropped, the GPU usage would skyrocket. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: I've also noticed that the laptop doesn't get as loud as it used to when it was working.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

sound like the GPU is overheating. maybe while using Afterburner you have unknowingly set the fans to a low speed and they are stuck there.

try turning off 'User Define', and turning on 'Auto':

or you can set your own fan curve profile that will probably work better.
in 'Settings' second tab. example of mine:

with a custom profile you will need 'User Define' set to 'On' along with 'Auto'.

 

[xeveus]

sound like the GPU is overheating. maybe while using Afterburner you have unknowingly set the fans to a low speed and they are stuck there.

try turning off 'User Define', and turning on 'Auto':

or you can set your own fan curve profile that will probably work better.
in 'Settings' second tab. example of mine:

with a custom profile you will need 'User Define' set to 'On' along with 'Auto'.

I had the problem even before installing MSI Afterburner, but I checked it out as you said and this is what I have for the fan control.
https://gyazo.com/7408fd62ed499d77074163740d05fee4

I also checked in the settings and I didn't have a fan control option
https://gyazo.com/9fd5295bd495bcd49992811ec6116e60

maybe because this is a laptop not a desktop?
also, im getting the "VIDEO_DXGKRNL_FATAL_ERROR" blue screen more often.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

I had the problem even before installing MSI Afterburner, but I checked it out as you said and this is what I have for the fan control.
https://gyazo.com/7408fd62ed499d77074163740d05fee4
I also checked in the settings and I didn't have a fan control option
https://gyazo.com/9fd5295bd495bcd49992811ec6116e60
maybe because this is a laptop not a desktop?

looks like something else is in control of the GPU fan(s) and not allowing Afterburner access.
i use it with my laptop's 860M and it works fine but i have Nvidia Control Panel's control options all turned off.
maybe check there(NCP) for fan speed info. if i remember correctly it's under Device settings.

 

[xeveus]

I had the problem even before installing MSI Afterburner, but I checked it out as you said and this is what I have for the fan control.
https://gyazo.com/7408fd62ed499d77074163740d05fee4
I also checked in the settings and I didn't have a fan control option
https://gyazo.com/9fd5295bd495bcd49992811ec6116e60
maybe because this is a laptop not a desktop?

looks like something else is in control of the GPU fan(s) and not allowing Afterburner access.
i use it with my laptop's 860M and it works fine but i have Nvidia Control Panel's control options all turned off.
maybe check there(NCP) for fan speed info. if i remember correctly it's under Device settings.

when I looked at NCP I didn't see anything for device settings or fan control. All I have is 3d settings.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

when I looked at NCP I didn't see anything for device settings or fan control. All I have is 3d settings.

it looks like this laptop may not even have any direct control over the system fan, just a heatsink on the GPU chipset, and it's single rear panel system fan. you may need to setup a better power plan in Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Power Options and set your laptop's rear fan to run faster at lower temperatures. also make sure all dust & debris is cleaned out of the rear vents.
it could also be a more indepth problem like the chip itself failing, but we'll hope it's not that drastic.

 

[xeveus]

when I looked at NCP I didn't see anything for device settings or fan control. All I have is 3d settings.

it looks like this laptop may not even have any direct control over the system fan, just a heatsink on the GPU chipset, and it's single rear panel system fan. you may need to setup a better power plan in Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Power Options and set your laptop's rear fan to run faster at lower temperatures. also make sure all dust & debris is cleaned out of the rear vents.
it could also be a more indepth problem like the chip itself failing, but we'll hope it's not that drastic.

yep, looked in control panel and had no options to control fan speed or anything. I tried cleaning out the rear vents but I'm still having the same issue. when playing games I noticed the gpu temp would slowly go up and when the fps dropped the gpu temp would go to 0 degrees C, then climb to like 90+ C.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

what brand/model laptop is it?

 

[xeveus]

what brand/model laptop is it?

HP Pavilion 15-bc067nr

edit: also, idk what happened but when i ran games in borderless mode with GPU-Z on top it would run regularly for a lot longer, and I noticed that the gpu would stay around 65 to 70 C. I've also seen that the GPU temp, core clock, and memory clock sensors would randomly cut out and go to 0, and then come back one second later, as well as the temp randomly going to 90+ C and then coming down to 60ish.

edit2: looking at GPU-Z, my memory controller load drops when it starts crapping out.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

i asked a local friend of mine who has the HP Pavillion 17 with the same 4GB 960m about his gaming & cooling options.
said when he first got it he had overheating issues too. then got a recall notice about overheating battery for the Pavillion 14, 15, & 17 models. says after he got the new battery the issue stopped.
this could be an issue you're experiencing.

 

[xeveus]

i asked a local friend of mine who has the HP Pavillion 17 with the same 4GB 960m about his gaming & cooling options.
said when he first got it he had overheating issues too. then got a recall notice about overheating battery for the Pavillion 14, 15, & 17 models. says after he got the new battery the issue stopped.
this could be an issue you're experiencing.

it isnt this, i got this laptop about 3 weeks ago, also i checked with the utility hp provided to see if my battery was affected and it wasn't.

 

[xeveus]

I was able to fix this issue, for some reason all I did was try running games off the integrated graphics, and then switch it back after restarting the computer and it seems to have worked.