F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop After upgrading RAM, the CPU starts working at full capacity while the GPU goes into sleep mode.

After upgrading RAM, the CPU starts working at full capacity while the GPU goes into sleep mode.

After upgrading RAM, the CPU starts working at full capacity while the GPU goes into sleep mode.

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cookiedough909
Posting Freak
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782
06-24-2016, 04:41 AM
#1
Hello everyone, I hope you're all well! My PC build can be found here: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/FnRkhk. After many years using my initial configuration, I opted to upgrade to 16GB of RAM. I replaced one 8GB Kingston HyperX stick (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/Fb7p...426c16fb38) with new units. The installation went smoothly, and I verified the RAM was functioning correctly in BIOS. Performance improved noticeably during GTAV tests—FPS jumped from around 60 to about 80 when idle, and maintaining 60 in traffic felt much easier.

However, my CPU began behaving oddly. It didn’t show any issues when Steam, Discord, or Task Manager were active (see picture 1). The problem became apparent when I started GTAV. The CPU reached nearly 100% usage, almost entirely for the game, while the GPU stayed at zero. I tried adjusting settings and even reinstalling GPU drivers from NVIDIA’s site. A clean driver update increased the GPU usage to around 8%, which was still limited. I consulted a friend who suggested disabling the CPU’s built-in GPU via BIOS. They recommended changing settings in the NVidia control panel to adjust graphics preferences. It didn’t appear there, suggesting the CPU’s iGPU might not be recognized. This step seemed effective.

My partner experienced similar trouble while building The Sims 4—it crashed with a blue screen and restarted the PC (no photo attached). For reference, I ran a benchmark on Shadow of the Tomb Raider using high settings. The results showed minor screen tearing, but overall performance was smooth. The CPU still struggled, though.

My partner tried to launch The Sims 4 again. With Opera open in front of the game, the GPU reactivated. The CPU remained under heavy load but didn’t reach maximum. My partner didn’t notice any difference in speed or loading times. (see picture 7). Confused, I restarted GTAV, and the GPU stopped working entirely—back to the same problem.

I’m stuck and would really appreciate your guidance. Thanks!
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cookiedough909
06-24-2016, 04:41 AM #1

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well! My PC build can be found here: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/FnRkhk. After many years using my initial configuration, I opted to upgrade to 16GB of RAM. I replaced one 8GB Kingston HyperX stick (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/Fb7p...426c16fb38) with new units. The installation went smoothly, and I verified the RAM was functioning correctly in BIOS. Performance improved noticeably during GTAV tests—FPS jumped from around 60 to about 80 when idle, and maintaining 60 in traffic felt much easier.

However, my CPU began behaving oddly. It didn’t show any issues when Steam, Discord, or Task Manager were active (see picture 1). The problem became apparent when I started GTAV. The CPU reached nearly 100% usage, almost entirely for the game, while the GPU stayed at zero. I tried adjusting settings and even reinstalling GPU drivers from NVIDIA’s site. A clean driver update increased the GPU usage to around 8%, which was still limited. I consulted a friend who suggested disabling the CPU’s built-in GPU via BIOS. They recommended changing settings in the NVidia control panel to adjust graphics preferences. It didn’t appear there, suggesting the CPU’s iGPU might not be recognized. This step seemed effective.

My partner experienced similar trouble while building The Sims 4—it crashed with a blue screen and restarted the PC (no photo attached). For reference, I ran a benchmark on Shadow of the Tomb Raider using high settings. The results showed minor screen tearing, but overall performance was smooth. The CPU still struggled, though.

My partner tried to launch The Sims 4 again. With Opera open in front of the game, the GPU reactivated. The CPU remained under heavy load but didn’t reach maximum. My partner didn’t notice any difference in speed or loading times. (see picture 7). Confused, I restarted GTAV, and the GPU stopped working entirely—back to the same problem.

I’m stuck and would really appreciate your guidance. Thanks!

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Butterfly1416
Senior Member
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701
07-14-2016, 11:56 AM
#2
Consider using different monitoring tools besides Task Manager. For instance, MSI Afterburner can display real-time CPU and GPU activity during games. The video suggests 64 FPS might be slightly low, which could be normal given your hardware specs. A minor CPU bottleneck isn't surprising if it's not fully utilizing the GPU. Also, Windows Task Manager now often shows CPU usage based on base clock, so higher values may indicate full utilization. Checking with other software can help confirm these observations.
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Butterfly1416
07-14-2016, 11:56 AM #2

Consider using different monitoring tools besides Task Manager. For instance, MSI Afterburner can display real-time CPU and GPU activity during games. The video suggests 64 FPS might be slightly low, which could be normal given your hardware specs. A minor CPU bottleneck isn't surprising if it's not fully utilizing the GPU. Also, Windows Task Manager now often shows CPU usage based on base clock, so higher values may indicate full utilization. Checking with other software can help confirm these observations.

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