Poor gaming performance with i5 8400 and gtx 1070 ti

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connerbusch15

Sep 7, 2018
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So I just finished upgrading a pre-built desktop I have. I’ve got a good setup, the specs are:

256gb Samsung 850 pro ssd
External 4tb Seagate hard drive
Gtx 1070 ti
i5 8400 (water cooled)
460w psu
8gb ddr4 2666 ram (1x8 single stick)
Intel Z370 Mobo
Alienware Aurora R7 case

So my problem is when I’m playing most of my games the usage of my cpu and gpu is pretty low (like 50-65%). I don’t know if this is just a cpu bottleneck or what but then in other games the cpu usage will be like 90-100% for the first core but the rest will be around 20-50%. I’m just wondering why this happens and how to fix it. This causes my frametime and frame rates to spike up and down pretty frequently and the games will stutter a lot (v-sync on or off), it’s pretty frustrating. There are a few games though that work great and the gpu will run at 80-99% all the time (v-sync off). Is this a problem with the games or my hardware? Also do I need to change settings in the Nvidia Control Panel or update the bios or something?

Thanks in advance
 
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Darkbreeze
Yes, the memory is likely problematic. It does not pose a risk to the hardware like the use of a power supply that is not sufficient for the demands of the system AND is likely a low quality OEM style model as well, does. I would worry about the memory later.

The power supply is likely behind a shroud. You will probably need to take the side panel on the other side of the case, off, and the PSU likely either comes out that way or you can see the label, maybe, from that side.

I wouldn't say that replacing the case is essential, unless you simply want to, but knowing what model of case or prebuilt system you have would help us give you better advise and options, rather than just assuming that you'll have to replace stuff. You never...
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When you upgraded the system, what did you upgrade FROM?

Did you do a totally new, clean install of Windows after the upgrade?

What is the model number of your 460w power supply?

Have you bothered to look at the thermal sensors for the CPU and graphics card?

What is the model of your CPU cooler and case, and how many case fans do you have installed? In what configuration are the fans for the CPU cooler AND for the case fans?
 
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HWmonitor, Open hardware monitor, Realtemp, Speccy, Speedfan, Windows utilities, CPU-Z and most of the bundled motherboard utilities are often not the best choice as they are not always accurate. Some are actually grossly inaccurate, especially with certain chipsets or specific sensors that for whatever reason they tend to not like or work well with. I've found HWinfo or CoreTemp to be the MOST accurate with the broadest range of chipsets and sensors. They are also almost religiously kept up to date.

CoreTemp is great for just CPU thermals including core temps or distance to TJmax on AMD platforms.

HWinfo is great for pretty much EVERYTHING, including CPU thermals, core loads, core temps, package temps, GPU sensors, HDD and SSD sensors, motherboard chipset and VRM sensor, all of it. Always select the "Sensors only" option when running HWinfo.

In cases where it is relevant and you are seeking help, then in order to help you, it's often necessary to SEE what's going on, in the event one of us can pick something out that seems out of place, or other indicators that just can't be communicated via a text only post. In these cases, posting an image of the HWinfo sensors or something else can be extremely helpful. That may not be the case in YOUR thread, but if it is then the information at the following link will show you how to do that:

*How to post images in Tom's hardware forums



Run HWinfo and look at system voltages and other sensor readings.

Monitoring temperatures, core speeds, voltages, clock ratios and other reported sensor data can often help to pick out an issue right off the bat. HWinfo is a good way to get that data and in my experience tends to be more accurate than some of the other utilities available. CPU-Z, GPU-Z and Core Temp all have their uses but HWinfo tends to have it all laid out in a more convenient fashion so you can usually see what one sensor is reporting while looking at another instead of having to flip through various tabs that have specific groupings.

After installation, run the utility and when asked, choose "sensors only". The other window options have some use but in most cases everything you need will be located in the sensors window. If you're taking screenshots to post for troubleshooting, it will most likely require taking three screenshots and scrolling down the sensors window between screenshots in order to capture them all.

It is most helpful if you can take a series of HWinfo screenshots at idle, after a cold boot to the desktop. Open HWinfo and wait for all of the Windows startup processes to complete. Usually about four or five minutes should be plenty. Take screenshots of all the HWinfo sensors.

Next, run something demanding like Prime95 version 26.6 or Heaven benchmark. Take another set of screenshots while either of those is running so we can see what the hardware is doing while under a load.

*Download HWinfo


For temperature monitoring only, I feel Core Temp is the most accurate and also offers a quick visual reference for core speed, load and CPU voltage:

*Download Core Temp
 
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I didn’t do a new install of windows when I upgraded. I upgraded the gpu from a gtx 1050 ti to the 1070 ti and I upgraded my hard drive from a 1tb toshiba 7200rpm to the 850 pro. I don’t know what the model number of the psu is I just know it’s the standard Alienware one. Yes the thermals actually are doing pretty well, the cpu is usually around 60ish C and the gpu is usually around 70 C while gaming. There are 2 front fans and 1 back fan in the case, I don’t know what water cooler model is, it’s also just the stick Alienware part.
 
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I’ve also noticed that since the Creators Update my performance has been worse, could this be the cause? Should I restore windows to a previous version? Also msi afterburner usually indicates that the voltage frequently goes between 0 and 1, I don’t know what this means but is that okay while gaming?
 
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Yes this is normal for lots and lots of games,many only use one core and most others are limited to 3 or 4 threads,that's why so many people say that you don't need more then 4 cores for gaming.
What you can try is to lock all your cores to the same clockspeed so that all the threads of the game run at the same speed,if one runs faster then the other(s) it causes stutters.
(A second stick of ram wouldn't hurt as well)
 
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What is most important, is what the CPU and motherboard chipset from the previous built were? When you move from one chipset to a newer or different one, it is ALWAYS a very good idea to do a clean install. I've only seen success, good success, using the current installation when changing CPU generations and chipsets maybe 20% of the time and that's usually when changing to a very similar chipset such as Z170 to Z270 where there are not significant changes overall to the chipset.

Also, maybe equally important is the fact that even FROM BOARD TO BOARD within the same chipset, you will have changes in storage controllers, and this is even more pronounced when changing to an entirely new chipset. Storage controller conflicts can cause a boatload of issues from very small barely noticeable ones to ginormous problems.

It would be a REALLY, REALLY good idea to do a clean install of the operating system.

Also, if you have not done so yet, it would be a really good idea to make sure you have the very latest BIOS version installed.

There are no "standard" Alienware power supplies. From model to model they may use entirely different models and brands for the power supply. Anything from Delta to some dumpster fire quality unit could be in there. There will be a label on the side of the PSU someplace with the model number on it. That would be essential in knowing whether the quality of that unit is any good or not and whether or not it's even a unit that is likely able to support the full listed capacity that it's supposed to be able to supply continuously. Often, these kind of prebuilt system units cannot do that.

Also, knowing the model of the PSU would allow us to know whether or not that unit can be easily replaced or whether it is some kind of proprietary form factor.

Honestly, Alienware is not known for including high quality power supplies with it's prebuilt systems and often they are small form factor units. Sometimes they are even proprietary and require that you just ditch the case and PSU and get entirely new ones when upgrading to aftermarket hardware. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't Depends on the model.

What is the model number of your WHOLE prebuilt system? That might answer a lot of questions.

Also, it is patently impossible that that 430w unit could adequately power that 1070ti. Even if it was a great aftermarket unit, Seasonic or something equally good, at only 460w you are well below the recommended capacity of 550w.

http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

Being that it is NOT a great aftermarket power supply in all probability, that just makes the matter worse. It's highly doubtful that your system is able to perform at optimal performance with a cheap OEM 460w unit that can likely barely supply the necessary power for the components that it originally came with, much less the hardware you've upgraded to. Aside from doing a clean install and updating the bios, getting at least a 550w high quality power supply, something that has been reviewed and shown to be a quality model from somebody like Seasonic, Corsair, Antec, EVGA, FSP or XFX, and not all of even those brands units are all good, should be your #1 priority.

I cannot stress how important it is to not run a system on a low quality unit, much less one that is clearly and substantially below the recommended capacity.

I would also tend to agree that only having 8GB is likely to hamper performance in some titles. This is not going to be your primary issue however, just one that you might want to address at some point after these other issues are all sorted out.
 
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I think the psu is a proprietary form factor do I guess I need to get a new case and psu. I didn’t change the cpu or Mobo when I upgraded the system. Thanks for the info as well.
 
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Of course. So, do us both a favor. Take the side panel off the case, find the sticker on the side of the PSU that has the unit specifications on it. It has to have one, unless you took it off, because it is law that all power supplies come with one showing the specifications.

Find the model number on the sticker and post that here. That will allow us to know exactly what we are dealing with and get us some specific information about that unit.

Or, get us the exact specific model of the prebuilt system you purchased. PSU would be better, but system model might be helpful too.

What was the GPU card model that it HAD in it before you upgraded the GPU card?
 
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Ok, so you have to figure that all of these prebuilt systems come with power supplies that are, by design, intended to just be enough for the hardware that the system comes with. In this case, a 1050ti, which calls for about a 350w PSU. So they include a 460w PSU because they know there needs to be SOME amount of headroom plus it's not the greatest unit in the world and likely can only sustain maybe 400w of that 460w rating.

Not you have a 1070ti with about a two hundred watt higher power demand, so it's not surprising that the whole system is struggling.
 
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Ok so the psu is in a metal enclosure and I don’t see how I can take it out since there are no screws but it’s held tightly in place by something I can’t see. I think it’s safe to assume that the psu just isn’t good enough for the gpu and I’ll just get a good quality, new 550w or 600w psu and case.
 
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This memory configuration is bottlenecking your system: 8gb ddr4 2666 ram (1x8 single stick)
Games use up all 8gb and then some and as a result your page file increased causing more SSD I/O. On top of adding another 8gb stick of DDR4 2666 your system will be running in dual channel mode, as opposed to single. This will double your memory throughput for an overall improved performance.
 
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Yes, the memory is likely problematic. It does not pose a risk to the hardware like the use of a power supply that is not sufficient for the demands of the system AND is likely a low quality OEM style model as well, does. I would worry about the memory later.

The power supply is likely behind a shroud. You will probably need to take the side panel on the other side of the case, off, and the PSU likely either comes out that way or you can see the label, maybe, from that side.

I wouldn't say that replacing the case is essential, unless you simply want to, but knowing what model of case or prebuilt system you have would help us give you better advise and options, rather than just assuming that you'll have to replace stuff. You never know, you could have a good case and power supply already and not know it although I think that's pretty doubtful on the power supply side of things.

Anyhow, it's up to you of course. I personally would want to make sure my hardware did not get damaged by a power supply that zapped something when it died due to being over taxed and the protection failing because it was a cheap model, or any of ten other things that could occur.

Also, as far as the memory goes, there are PLENTY of people gaming on 8GB of RAM that don't have any substantial issues. It is not mandatory to have 8GB of RAM for gaming. Is it better? Is it advisable? Are you likely to have fewer performance related issues than with 8GB? Yes, yes and yes. Is it essential? No, it's not. There are still very few games that recommend you have 16GB of RAM and none of those that do REQUIRE it.
 
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