[SOLVED] My i7 9700K CPU usage is running at 100% without many processes being used, as well as low temperatures ?

[TheCartoonGuy]

Specs:
Mobo: MSI Z390 Gaming Plus
CPU: i7 9700K octa core 3.60 Ghz
GPU: Nvidia 2080 RTX
RAM: 16GB Corsair Vengance DDR4
PSU: Corsair 850RM series (80 Plus Gold)

So I just updated my windows and I don't know if this is the issue which is the cause of the spike in cpu usage, I know last year from looking at people with the same problem as mine had this happen to then due to the window update, I don't intially know how to run back to the previous windows update, and don't want to mess around with stuff without some guidance.

I should note when streaming Dead By daylight my CPU is being ran at 100% which shouldn't be the case, it's causing either 1 or 2 things to happen as well, either the game freezes and lags or I drop frames on my streamlabs obs. I'm currently in the process of running my PC into save mode and uninstalling my graphics driver as this was recommended to someone last year, but I'm not intially sure how they fixed that issue seeing that thread was never "solved".
(Tempatures while streaming and playing games: 34.8 ° C)

I have the latest version of my mobo Bios as well.

Thank you for looking at this thread, and hopefully we can work resolve this for myself and other people who may of ran into the same issue as myself.

 

[Darkbreeze]

If there are any steps listed here that you have not already done, it would be advisable to do so if for no other reason than to be able to say you've already done it and eliminate that possibility.

First,​

Make sure your motherboard has the MOST recent BIOS version installed. If it does not, then update. This solves a high number of issues even in cases where the release that is newer than yours makes no mention of improving graphics card or other hardware compatibility. They do not list every change they have made when they post a new BIOS release.

Second,​

Go to the product page for your motherboard on the manufacturer website. Download and install the latest driver versions for the chipset, storage controllers, audio and network adapters. Do not skip installing a newer driver just because you think it is not relevant to the problem you are having. The drivers for one device can often affect ALL other devices and a questionable driver release can cause instability in the OS itself. They don't release new drivers just for fun. If there is a new driver release for a component, there is a good reason for it. The same goes for BIOS updates. When it comes to the chipset drivers, if your motherboard manufacturer lists a chipset driver that is newer than what the chipset developer (Intel or AMD, for our purposes) lists, then use that one. If Intel (Or AMD) shows a chipset driver version that is newer than what is available from the motherboard product page, then use that one. Always use the newest chipset driver that you can get and always use ONLY the chipset drivers available from either the motherboard manufacturer, AMD or Intel.


IF you have other hardware installed or attached to the system that are not a part of the systems covered by the motherboard drivers, then go to the support page for THAT component and check to see if there are newer drivers available for that as well. If there are, install them.

Third,​

Make sure your memory is running at the correct advertised speed in the BIOS. This may require that you set the memory to run at the XMP profile settings. Also, make sure you have the memory installed in the correct slots and that they are running in dual channel which you can check by installing CPU-Z and checking the Memory and SPD tabs. For all modern motherboards that are dual channel memory architectures, from the last ten years at least, if you have two sticks installed they should be in the A2 (Called DDR4_1 on some boards) or B2 (Called DDR4_2 on some boards) which are ALWAYS the SECOND and FOURTH slots over from the CPU socket, counting TOWARDS the edge of the motherboard EXCEPT on boards that only have two memory slots total. In that case, if you have two modules it's not rocket science, but if you have only one, then install it in the A1 or DDR4_1 slot.

Fourth (And often tied for most important along with an up-to-date motherboard BIOS),​

A clean install of the graphics card drivers. Regardless of whether you "already installed the newest drivers" for your graphics card or not, it is OFTEN a good idea to do a CLEAN install of the graphics card drivers. Just installing over the old drivers OR trying to use what Nvidia and AMD consider a clean install is not good enough and does not usually give the same result as using the Display Driver Uninstaller utility. This has a very high success rate and is always worth a shot.


If you have had both Nvidia and AMD cards installed at any point on that operating system then you will want to run the DDU twice. Once for the old card drivers (ie, Nvidia or AMD) and again for the currently installed graphics card drivers (ie, AMD or Nvidia). So if you had an Nvidia card at some point in the past, run it first for Nvidia and then after that is complete, run it again for AMD if you currently have an AMD card installed.

Graphics card driver CLEAN install guide using the Wagnard tools DDU
​

And last, but not least, if you have never done a CLEAN install of Windows, or have upgraded from an older version to Windows 10, or have been through several spring or fall major Windows updates, it might be a very good idea to consider doing a clean install of Windows if none of these other solutions has helped. IF you are using a Windows installation from a previous system and you didn't do a clean install of Windows after building the new system, then it's 99.99% likely that you NEED to do a CLEAN install before trying any other solutions.


How to do a CLEAN installation of Windows 10, the RIGHT way​

 

[deadpoolxxxxx]

When your CPU reaches 100 percent utilisation open task manager to see which processes are eating up the cpu. Normally it's some microsoft services bugs(like sppsvc.exe) that uses up unnecessary cpu . Then disable those processes or look up in the internet how to deal with such executables.
Edit- the sppsvc.exe is microsoft software protection service.

 

[TheCartoonGuy]

I'm currently in the process of the fourth step listed I was following your tutorial to the other post @Darkbreeze hopefully this 4th step will help I'll make sure to keep the thread updated.

@deadpoolxxxxx When I'm streaming it's literally the game which is running at 40-60% usage and streamlabs at 30-40% I've montiored it unless there's processes lying about the cpu usage then I think I can rule that issue out. I've been in touch with Microsoft as well and they kinda have denied them making cpu issues in the past but I guess they wouldn't want to acknowledge that.

Thank you for the replies and help.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Those usage numbers while streaming, don't see out of line to me.

 

[TheCartoonGuy]

Those usage numbers while streaming, don't see out of line to me.

I feel like they are at 100% and when I'm not streaming they are pretty high for what I was used to especially when comparing to earlier models of cpu outperforming my CPU now. I was around 40% while streaming and it's just concerning to see this massive leap in percentage comparing it to about a 3 weeks ago.

 

[TheCartoonGuy]

Uninstalling and reinstalling the GPU Drivers seemed to help a lot, it's seemed to lower my CPU usage back to the usual, hopefully this is a fix but @Darkbreeze thank you for the tutorials which you've put time into, appreciate the support. I think maybe something with windows being updated from 1903 to 2004 just doesn't agree with drivers installed on the past version of windows.

https://prnt.sc/v1yoq5 (These are more normal numbers I am used to).

 

[Darkbreeze]

Cool man. I'm glad you got things to improve to an acceptable level.