Question Very low CPU usage in games ?

sasan200

Honorable
Nov 25, 2017
18
0
10,510
Hi guys
my spec:
CPU: i7-3770
RAM: 16gb ddr3 1600 (2*8gb dual ch)
Giga B75b3
RX 580 8gb xfx gts
Win 11 pro 64bit

I tested in the following three games and in all three games with msi afterburner software, the amount of CPU usage only reaches a maximum of 10% while the graphics card is at 100%. The only problem I have with Snowrunner is that on ultra settings I have severe frame loss and lag

Resident 4 remake High setting (6.47 gb vram usage) FSR2 Quality : FPS 40 - 60
Red Dead 2 high (ultra) FSR2 Quality : 45 - 60
Snowrunner ultra and high test : very lag and fps max 35 ???

in the following three games CPU only showing 10% max usage

help me
 
Nothing to help with. Your GPU is at 100%, which gives time for the CPU to go idle, you aren't going to get any more performance out of the system without a faster GPU.

Lowering graphics resolution and settings is about all you can do.

In an ideal world you would upgrade the whole system. Expecting a 12 year old CPU to keep up with a late model GPU is asking a bit much.

You could also just try buying something like the RX6600, it would be a major improvement over an RX580 and it is the cheapest gaming GPU worth buying at the moment. You can also check used prices.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i3-12100 3.3 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($100.54 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B760M-H/M.2 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL32 Memory ($92.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: TEAMGROUP MP33 512 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: ASRock Challenger D Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $510.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-06-04 13:40 EDT-0400
 
Nothing to help with. Your GPU is at 100%, which gives time for the CPU to go idle, you aren't going to get any more performance out of the system without a faster GPU.

Lowering graphics resolution and settings is about all you can do.

In an ideal world you would upgrade the whole system. Expecting a 12 year old CPU to keep up with a late model GPU is asking a bit much.

You could also just try buying something like the RX6600, it would be a major improvement over an RX580 and it is the cheapest gaming GPU worth buying at the moment. You can also check used prices.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i3-12100 3.3 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($100.54 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B760M-H/M.2 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL32 Memory ($92.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: TEAMGROUP MP33 512 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: ASRock Challenger D Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $510.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-06-04 13:40 EDT-0400

The videos I see on YouTube did not have such a problem with the same CPU and graphics. Could it be a problem with Windows 11?
 
The videos I see on YouTube did not have such a problem with the same CPU and graphics. Could it be a problem with Windows 11?
Maybe but I doubt it, if your GPU is at 100% and is clocking up to boosts clocks, The CPU usage really isn't going to matter much in gaming as the CPU is not holding the GPU back, which is a good thing.

RDR2 and Snowrunner, thats about right for that system, I played Showrunner on a FX8120 at 5ghz system and a GTX 780ti, was about what I was getting if not lower in more dense areas.

I would download the AMD drivers, and DDU, disconnect from the internet, pull the ethernet cable or disable wifi, boot up in safe mode, run DDU and remove the AMD drivers, then restart back in normal mode and install the AMD driver you just downloaded, then you can connect back to the internet and give it another try.

Also since you are on Win 11, I doubt you get build updates as its an unsupported system, what build of Win 11 are you on? Might be worth going back to Win 10, but I doubt it will help much.

You'd be better off building or finding a newer system on the used market if you want to save money, Don't need the latest and greatest to play them games well, but going from your i7 3770 to a Ryzen 5 2600 with no less than a b450 motherboard to natively support win 11.

Good Luck!
 
Maybe but I doubt it, if your GPU is at 100% and is clocking up to boosts clocks, The CPU usage really isn't going to matter much in gaming as the CPU is not holding the GPU back, which is a good thing.

RDR2 and Snowrunner, thats about right for that system, I played Showrunner on a FX8120 at 5ghz system and a GTX 780ti, was about what I was getting if not lower in more dense areas.

I would download the AMD drivers, and DDU, disconnect from the internet, pull the ethernet cable or disable wifi, boot up in safe mode, run DDU and remove the AMD drivers, then restart back in normal mode and install the AMD driver you just downloaded, then you can connect back to the internet and give it another try.

Also since you are on Win 11, I doubt you get build updates as its an unsupported system, what build of Win 11 are you on? Might be worth going back to Win 10, but I doubt it will help much.

You'd be better off building or finding a newer system on the used market if you want to save money, Don't need the latest and greatest to play them games well, but going from your i7 3770 to a Ryzen 5 2600 with no less than a b450 motherboard to natively support win 11.

Good Luck!

My Windows 11 build 22631.3672 (version 23H2)

Currently, I don't have any problems playing rdr2, I don't have frame drops and lag even with FSR2 turned off
Previously, 8 gigs of RAM were installed on my system, and the BIOS graphics key was set to mine, so I had no problems playing the snowrunner game on high-ultra settings.