[SOLVED] Sudden unstable GPU usage

Dec 7, 2020
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I have used my PC for 3.5 years without any problems, and now a couple of days ago I experience major fps drops and see that it is because of low GPU usage. I have a GTX 980, i5 6600k and 16gb ram, i also have a g-sync screen (heard that could be relevant). I used to have stable 70 fps in cod cold war, and now for no apparent reason I get 50 when standing still and as soon as I move it drops constantly, completely unplayable. I have tried updating all drivers as well as going back to older driver. I see that my cpu is going at 100% so i thought maybe some bottlenecking has occured out of nowhere, so i overclocked my cpu from 3.9ghz to 4.3, and there was no difference. Tried overclocking my gpu too but same thing, no difference. I made sure there was no low power modes or anything like that, also messed around with g-sync options but nothing helps. I didn't change any settings before that lagging started, it came completely random. Help is very appreciated!
 
Did the game got any updates on the meantime? Call of Duty games are VERY CPU demanding. They gobble 6cores easily, imagine your 4.
My second PC has a 6600k@4,5GHz and it struggles in some games at 1080p. In 1440p is far better though, as higher resolution go easier on the CPU and burden the GPU.
 
Dec 7, 2020
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Did the game got any updates on the meantime? Call of Duty games are VERY CPU demanding. They gobble 6cores easily, imagine your 4.
My second PC has a 6600k@4,5GHz and it struggles in some games at 1080p. In 1440p is far better though, as higher resolution go easier on the CPU and burden the GPU.
I understand they're cpu heavy but the thing is it worked fine a couple of days ago, it came suddenly which confuses me
 
Dec 7, 2020
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As for the GPU, try updating to the latest drivers and/or re-install them. Make sure all other drivers and software are up to date. Check the usage and temperatures for all your hardware, more specifically the CPU, GPU and RAM. If the problem persists check all your internal connections.
I have tried relocating my GPU to another PCI-e port and checked the connections in the meantime but the problem persists. All temperatures are normal and the ram is only using about 10gb of my 16. I just updated a bunch of old unrelated drivers and avast driver updater cant find any drivers that need updating, as I said I have tried both new and old GPU drivers. The cpu is using 100% while the gpu is going at 30-40 and dropping constantly, which is why i thought it was a bottleneck at first. Still tho, how can something bottleneck suddenly after 3.5 years without any problems?
 
They might not see a difference if they have more cores already. Just guessing though.

Try DDU in safe mode to remove and reinstall your GPU drivers.
 
Dec 7, 2020
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They might not see a difference if they have more cores already. Just guessing though.

Try DDU in safe mode to remove and reinstall your GPU drivers.
I tried a clean install with nvidia but maybe that isn't really a ddu, anyways i'll try it, thanks.

Also I just checked on battlefield 5 and the problem isn't as severe there, im running a stable 55fps with medium to high settings, but the gpu usage is still pretty wack while the cpu is going 100%, gpu is only doing around 60, but more stable than on cod.
 
Dec 7, 2020
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Cpu at 100 is a definite cpu bottleneck. Normally I would have told you to see each core utilisation individually but at 100% all cores are used max.

How are your temps idle and while gaming?
How can it just randomly start bottlenecking? Is it faulty? I overclocked it but there was barely any difference at all. My gpu temps while idle are around 60 and in game its around 70 while the cpu is at 40-50 idle, I haven't really checked cpu temps while playing cod or any other heavy games but I was playing minecraft rn and it was at 55 degrees max.
 
Dec 7, 2020
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could you borrow a more powerfull gpu from a friend for test and 70 c start to be hot made sure you have a good air flow in this case .
More powerful? If the cpu is running at 100% should i not get a less powerful GPU? And my airflow is good I have been using this exact setup for 3.5 years and never experienced any overheating or other issues. But I will try to borrow my friend 970 to see if it works better.
 
Dec 7, 2020
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Did windows update anything while you noticed the issue? Try removing the update if possible.
Scan for malware the system.

I would leave windows reinstall as a last resort as well.
I can't really recall any memory of a windows update, and I have no virus/malware according to avast and malwarebytes.
Just checked and it says an error occured when trying to update windows since an updating service was shut off, so there is a new version of windows available, I will install it now and see if it makes a difference.
 
Dec 7, 2020
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I can't really recall any memory of a windows update, and I have no virus/malware according to avast and malwarebytes.
Just checked and it says an error occured when trying to update windows since an updating service was shut off, so there is a new version of windows available, I will install it now and see if it makes a difference.
Updated, didn't help at all.
 

scout_03

Titan
Ambassador
what is your psu and the age of it also use hwinfo to see the voltages it give on idle and under load the other thing you could test you drive using is maker software and dsl test on gaming to see if your ips do not trottle you on gaming .
 
Dec 7, 2020
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what is your psu and the age of it also use hwinfo to see the voltages it give on idle and under load the other thing you could test you drive using is maker software and dsl test on gaming to see if your ips do not trottle you on gaming .
My psu is a 650w 80+ gold certified evga GQ, it's about 3.5 years old. My internet is good and stable, 450 down 100 up, I am experiencing purely fps drops.