Question Weird problem: 99% GPU usage but lower performance in games on random days ?

[Garette]

I've been having this weird PC problem for months now. For the longest time my FPS in games were pretty consistent and playable. For some reason these recent months my FPS were reduced randomly by 10-40 FPS in almost all the games I have and they stutter like crazy. This happens at seemingly random sessions when I turn the PC on again on the next day. Some days I have good FPS other days I have bad FPS. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it.

The weird thing I noticed is when I have a "good FPS day" the CPU usage are typically close to the GPU usage and they don't really reach 100% in most gaming situations.
On a "bad FPS day" My CPU usage is almost always below 50% and the GPU usage is mostly around 98-99%.

Things I've tried:

• Clean GPU driver install
• Clean OS
• Buying a new SSD as the main storage.
• Replaced the old PSU with a Rated one.

No help. Although with the new OS on the SSD, & then the new PSU "fixed the problem" for a few consecutive days only. Then we're back on random "bad FPS days" to this day.

I'm considering buying a UPS since this will help with some potential power issues I might be having, I've been told. It'll be useful to have either way.
Any Help would be appreciated. Thank you very much.

Here are my specs for reference:

• Windows 10 64bit
• Xeon E3 1230v2 CPU
• GTX 1650 Super GPU
• ASRock H61M-VS3 Mobo
• Kingston 16 GB 1600 MHz RAM
• OLD PSU: Deepcoold DE500
• NEW PSU: SilverStone ST50F-ES230

Pretty dated specs but it gets the job done (atleast it used to).

 

[rgd1101]

check the cpu/gpu temp during bad day?
malware scan the system?

 

[Garette]

check the cpu/gpu temp during bad day?
malware scan the system?

Similar temps on both days. My temps seem fine, they don't get close to 80 degrees Celsius both CPU/GPU/Case while gaming on a hot afternoon. They're usually at 60-70 on games like Elden Ring & Cyberpunk 2077.

 

[lordmogul]

(...)
The weird thing I noticed is when I have a "good FPS day" the CPU usage are typically close to the GPU usage and they don't really reach 100% in most gaming situations.
On a "bad FPS day" My CPU usage is almost always below 50% and the GPU usage is mostly around 98-99%.
(...)

Sounds like on those "bad days" the GPU doesn't boost right or doesn't go in the right power state. When in both situations the GPU is fully loaded, but on a bad day it drops to half, the GPU might be doing only half the work (causing less "prep work" for the CPU)
It should boost somewhere around 1750 MHz ±50 and have slower states to consume less power in idle.
(For example my 1060 boosts to around 1960 MHz, but idles around 200 and has another state around 600 MHz for video use.

 

[Garette]

Sounds like on those "bad days" the GPU doesn't boost right or doesn't go in the right power state. When in both situations the GPU is fully loaded, but on a bad day it drops to half, the GPU might be doing only half the work (causing less "prep work" for the CPU)
It should boost somewhere around 1750 MHz ±50 and have slower states to consume less power in idle.
(For example my 1060 boosts to around 1960 MHz, but idles around 200 and has another state around 600 MHz for video use.

I can't seem to follow on those technical stuff, sorry. Any suggestions on how I can fix the "bad fps day" problem?

 

[lordmogul]

To see if the boost is running properly you could use tools like MSI Afterburner (despite the name it also works with all other vendors cards) and set the overlay to display GPU clock speed. Then it should show you the value when you're playing.
Keep that up for a while and note down what values you get each day you use it and if it's a bad or good day. See if there is a pattern.

 

[neojack]

quit all the background programs before running your game.
(antivirus, etc)