[SOLVED] Why isn't my gpu utilization higher/ why are my frames not higher ?

gunthlog

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Feb 25, 2021
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So i've been playing valorant for quite awhile now and never really monitored my utilizations because i was running on low hz monitors but after getting a new 240 hz monitor i was getting screen flickering and decided to monitor and try to troubleshoot and i found that while playing the game my graphics card was only being utilized about 30-40% and then upon further inspection showed massive frame drops at random points during the game. So now i am wondering why my card isn't being used and why the frames are dropping, I've updated all drivers, installed all windows updates, turned of g-sync (fixed my flickering issue) and so on but nothing i have tried has worked yet and would love some help.
Specs:
Cpu: intel i7 9700k
Gpu: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
MoBo: Asus Prime Z390-A
Ram: 32 Gb DDR4
 
Solution
You don't.
Use HWInfo (sensors only) and have it running when gaming, you can check accurately exactly what is happening on a core to core basis, see ram speeds etc.

But do also check your in game settings, make sure in nvidia control you have DLSS enabled and Raytracing disabled in gpu, that you aren't running a 4k DSR etc.
What actual FPS are you getting? It is not just the gpu that determines the FPS. If you are hitting the maximum FPS your cpu can produce then running lower game settings won’t help, it will just result in lower gpu utilisation. Are any cpu cores hitting 100% while in game?
 
Feb 26, 2021
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There's a few things you could do . What is your Nvidia settings? Check them and set it to performance . Also go to your control panel and check the usage for valorant set it to high so your PC is prioritizing the game over everything else . Also make sure your not running stuff your not using in the back ground things like discord will hinder fps . Also check your display settings make sure it's on full screen and make sure you have switched it 240 hz .
 

gunthlog

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Feb 25, 2021
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What actual FPS are you getting? It is not just the gpu that determines the FPS. If you are hitting the maximum FPS your cpu can produce then running lower game settings won’t help, it will just result in lower gpu utilisation. Are any cpu cores hitting 100% while in game?
this is the weird part because it fluctuates from like 60-300 while none of my components are reaching even above 50% util
 

Karadjgne

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Ambassador
What are you using to verify those numbers? If it's taskmaster, throw the results out, totally useless.

Utilization is not how much of the gpu is used but how much it uses . There's a difference. Unless you are running Valorant in 4k, wide open in Ultra on a 144Hz + monitor, you aren't going to challenge a 2080. It's not going to saturate the vram, it'll throw out max fps and have power to spare.

Same goes for most decent cpus. A frame takes time to process, place objects, assign addresses and configure Ai etc. The amount of times it can do that in one second is your fps limit. Doesn't mean it uses every core, every thread, the full bandwidth of every core to do so.

So it's normal to see powerful equipment running low % utilization. If seeing 10% I'd be worried, 50% is normal.

Pick up a gallon of milk. You use every muscle in your hand to grip the jug. You use every muscle in your forearm to keep your wrist straight. You use every muscle in your arm to bend your elbow. What you do not use is the full strength of all those muscles, there's no need, no matter how fast you try and lift it, it's going to take a certain amount of time, and only requires a small % of your arms ability to do so.

Same theory for cpu/gpu. They'll only use what's required, using more is pointless waste as it doesn't change the results.
 
Last edited:

gunthlog

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Feb 25, 2021
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What are you using to verify those numbers? If it's taskmaster, throw the results out, totally useless.

Utilization is not how much of the gpu is used but how much it uses . There's a difference. Unless you are running Valorant in 4k, wide open in Ultra on a 144Hz + monitor, you aren't going to challenge a 2080. It's not going to saturate the vram, it'll throw out max fps and have power to spare.

Same goes for most decent cpus. A frame takes time to process, place objects, assign addresses and configure Ai etc. The amount of times it can do that in one second is your fps limit. Doesn't mean it uses every core, every thread, the full bandwidth of every core to do so.

So it's normal to see powerful equipment running low % utilization. If seeing 10% I'd be worried, 50% is normal.

Pick up a gallon of milk. You use every muscle in your hand to grip the jug. You use every muscle in your forearm to keep your wrist straight. You use every muscle in your arm to bend your elbow. What you do not use is the full strength of all those muscles, there's no need, no matter how fast you try and lift it, it's going to take a certain amount of time, and only requires a small % of your arms ability to do so.

Same theory for cpu/gpu. They'll only use what's required, using more is pointless waste as it doesn't change the results.
Yeah i get that but the problem is that in the lobby its throwing out 600 fps with full utilization but when in the game it drops to around 50% with random drops in frames sometimes reaching as low as 60 fps which with really messes with the game play
 

gunthlog

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Feb 25, 2021
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CPU isn't boosting at all. RAM XMP isn't enabled. High background usage.

What are CPU and GPU temps while gaming? What cooler do you have? What/how many case fans do you have? Are you on latest BIOS and chipset drivers?
the temps are quite low while playing usually from 50 degrees to a high of 75 on the gpu, for cooling i am running a corsair all in one for the cpu and it keeps temps really good and i have a total of 4 case fans, and yes i just recently installed those drivers
 
Download and install HWinfo. Clean boot win10 and run HWinfo followed by user benchmark. Repost results of user benchmark and post CPU and GPU peak temperatures recorded by HWinfo.

How to clean boot win10:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows-da2f9573-6eec-00ad-2f8a-a97a1807f3dd

HWinfo:
 

Karadjgne

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Ambassador
Yeah i get that but the problem is that in the lobby its throwing out 600 fps with full utilization but when in the game it drops to around 50% with random drops in frames sometimes reaching as low as 60 fps which with really messes with the game play
Lobby ≠ game. In the lobby, it's just you. No Ai, no physX, no other player Ai, no nothing but you and a menu. Once you hit the game, all that changes. And the more time it takes the cpu to figure out all that goes into a frame, the longer it takes to compile the frame, the lower the fps.

If fps is dipping that low compared to lobby, ask yourself why. It's obviously a cpu limitation, not a gpu limitation. So what is holding the cpu up. Is the ram not dialed in and creating too much latency, are the network drivers not optimized and creating more latency, is the cpu waiting time trying to figure out core sampling, are the 1-2 cores actually used hitting 100% with the rest at low 30's, so averaging a low % utilization but chopping fps, are there cpu bound settings in game for lighting, grass detail, name tags, floating damage etc that are using resources at horrific rates that are totally unnecessary....

Just to name a few.
 
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gunthlog

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Feb 25, 2021
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510
Lobby ≠ game. In the lobby, it's just you. No Ai, no physX, no other player Ai, no nothing but you and a menu. Once you hit the game, all that changes. And the more time it takes the cpu to figure out all that goes into a frame, the longer it takes to compile the frame, the lower the fps.

If fps is dipping that low compared to lobby, ask yourself why. It's obviously a cpu limitation, not a gpu limitation. So what is holding the cpu up. Is the ram not dialed in and creating too much latency, are the network drivers not optimized and creating more latency, is the cpu waiting time trying to figure out core sampling, are the 1-2 cores actually used hitting 100% with the rest at low 30's, so averaging a low % utilization but chopping fps, are there cpu bound settings in game for lighting, grass detail, name tags, floating damage etc that are using resources at horrific rates that are totally unnecessary....

Just to name a few.
I dont think it has to do with the ram as it does run pretty quickly, with certain cores running too quickly there was one or 2 that had a higher usage when checked on resource monitor but not too much higher, and how could i check core sampling?
 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
You don't.
Use HWInfo (sensors only) and have it running when gaming, you can check accurately exactly what is happening on a core to core basis, see ram speeds etc.

But do also check your in game settings, make sure in nvidia control you have DLSS enabled and Raytracing disabled in gpu, that you aren't running a 4k DSR etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: helper800
Solution