Weird GPU usage

[gogi]

Hi

First off my specs:
- AMD Gigabyte 6870 HD
- FX 8120 (stock clock ~3.1GHz)
- 8GB RAM (corsair vengeance 4x4)
- motherboard ASrock 970 Extreme+

So i've been having problems with FPS in some games. Long story short the GPU usage doesn't seem right

Games i've tested:
- Sleeping Dogs
http://prntscr.com/rxcjf

- All point bulletin : R
http://prntscr.com/rxfjk

-Blacklight retribution
http://prntscr.com/rxh6m

I also stress tested my GPU with the MSI kombustor :
http://prntscr.com/rxhlp

So is this normal behavior, is there any fix. What could cause this problem?

 

[Kari]

either you have vsync on which limits your fps to 60 and you are sitting comfortable at steady 60fps most of the time, or your cpu is bottlenecking the card in these games at the graphic settings you are using. If you increase the in-game settings (details, AA, AF, etc) the load should go up. (thou the fps might also come down some if you over do it).
Anyways if the cpu is holding you back, try overclocking it.

 

[bigshootr8]

Yea its very possible that you have vsync turned on. I concur.

 

[gogi]

There's no Vsync on. I've had it overclocked, but pretty much the same result. My friend has the same CPU except his graph card is 5770 HD and those games are working better at his.

 

[bigshootr8]

Hmm, how is your CPU usage? Also, what games do you and your friend play together this will help to know whether its a graphic bound game or a cpu bound game.

 

[gogi]

here are the results: http://prntscr.com/rxo98

 

[bigshootr8]

Hmm, looks pretty low across the board. Could be that the games you are playing are just not taking advantage of cores beyond 2-4.

 

[gogi]

but still how come those 2- 4 cores still bottleneck my graph card even when OC'd at 4GHz

 

[bigshootr8]

Because there are games that won't look at your other cores. Games most games are not optimized for 8 cores as 8 cores hasn't been a common cpu range.

 

[gogi]

i understand, what im saying is even at 2 cores clocked at 4GHz, shouldn't bottleneck my GPU

 

[bigshootr8]

Right but you have to understand that your cpu frequency is being spread among your 8 cores to my knowledge they are not all running at 4 ghz.

 

[gogi]

i havent tryd overclocking my cpu to 4GHz running at 8 cores since im still using the stock cooling. I've locked 4 cores in the bios and OC'd it to 4GHz, so basicly its a quad core running at 4GHz.

 

[bigshootr8]

Ah okay so you've gone into the bios and changed it up a little. Does it act any different when its not locked versus locked?

 

[gogi]

Not at all.

 

[gogi]

i should also mention that i have a prolbme while playing Tera Rising too. The GPU usage is at 30% but when i turn off the UI interface the GPU usage rises and the ingame FPS double.
UI :
http://prntscr.com/rwcjb
VS
no UI:
http://prntscr.com/rwcdm

 

[bigshootr8]

Hmm that is weird well keep in mind that bulldozer does have a hard time with single threaded applications so I'm not sure with your CPU.

 

[gogi]

my friend is running tera just fine on his bulldozer

 

[bigshootr8]

Well it looks like you are as well. Do you guys have identical systems? Do you run the same settings?

 

[gogi]

Yeah. Except he has the 5770HD and i have the 6870 HD

The funny thing is that changing the video settings doesn't make much of a difference, the difference is around 10fps max.

 

[Kari]

well that is weird indeed...
what catalyst version are you running, hopefully some recent one? Thou the latests are mainly about the 7000 series.

 

[gogi]

I'm running the 13.1 , trying to revert to older ones right now. But my windows 8 is installing the 13.1 drivers back right away. Is there any work arounds? 0. o

 

[Kari]

hmm windows 8 might still have some odd quirks..

but something else came to mind, check that card is actually running at pcie x16 linkwidth, GPU-Z will show it, you can DL it here
http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz

 

[gogi]

One more question, can the PSU ruin the GPU/CPU performance cuz i have a shitty LC power PSU.

 

[gogi]

hmm windows 8 might still have some odd quirks..

but something else came to mind, check that card is actually running at pcie x16 linkwidth, GPU-Z will show it, you can DL it here
http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz

and yes it is http://prntscr.com/ry6la

 

[smeezekitty]

One more question, can the PSU ruin the GPU/CPU performance cuz i have a shitty LC power PSU.

Usually not but if the rails are unstable then the system performance can suffer and system stability can be compromised. I would upgrade it when you get a chance.

I am not a PSU expert but I think these are fair choices for that power level but YMMV:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016