Are there minor freezes in the game along with reduced GPU core load?
Are there minor freezes in the game along with reduced GPU core load?
Hello,
I've been facing some problems with my computer lately. Specifically, when playing games, I experience brief freezes lasting no more than a second. These occur roughly every minute. It's quite bothersome.
The issue appears across various titles, including WoW, LoL, and TESO. The audio remains unaffected and plays normally.
I've attempted to lower the graphics settings in the game, but it doesn't resolve the problem. I've also consulted friends and used tools like HwMonitor and OCCT to monitor CPU, GPU usage, and temperatures. OCCT proved helpful with its graphic options.
We suspected a hardware issue with the graphics card, so I switched from the GTX 970 to the GTX 1660, but the problem continued!
I've observed the following during freezes:
- A decrease in GPU core activity
- Higher CPU usage
- Lower GPU power without any change in CPU power
- Mild drop in GPU temperature (still within normal range of 65-70°C)
With the GTX 970:
- The spike indicating a freeze is visible
- Power supply readings taken shortly after the image above
After switching to the GTX 1660:
- GPU usage drops
- CPU usage increases
- No noticeable change in GPU power (just a slight rise)
- Slight temperature increase for both GPU and CPU (one spike of +5-10°C), which was reduced with the GTX 970
I tried several fixes without success:
- Uninstalling and reinstalling drivers, including DDU
- Reinstalling Windows 10
- Changing the power cable for the GPU to a different PSU cable
- Playing on a long-standing monitor (recently upgraded to 27-inch)
- Running OCCT 3D stress tests for 5 minutes – no issues found
- Running OCCT Power Supply stress test – computer shuts down briefly (1-3 seconds), resembling a black screen
Changing the graphics card to GTX1660:
- Immediate GPU usage drop
- CPU usage rises
- No change in GPU power readings (just a slight increase)
- Slight temperature rise for both GPU and CPU (one spike, +5-10°C), which was reduced with GTX 970
I'm really hoping someone can help. Also, please avoid using too many technical terms I might not understand. My only thought is that my power supply might be failing due to the stress test.
Thank you.
My details:
CPU: Intel i7-4790K @4.00GHz (2014)
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus VII Ranger (2014)
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 (2014)
New GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super (2020)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR3 16GB (2x8GB) CCR1600 (PC3-12800) (2014)
SSDs: 500 GB Samsung 840 Evo Basic (2014), 480 GB Kingston HyperX Savage (2016)
PSU: Corsair CX Series 750W (2014)
Operating System: Windows 10
I thought I needed to upgrade the CPU, so I purchased a new one, motherboard and RAM. To my surprise, the issue persists.
My current specs are:
CPU: AMD Radeon 5600X - brand new
MB: MSI X570 Gaming pro carbon wifi - brand new
RAM: G-Skill Ripjaw V (2x, 8GB, DDR4-3200, DIMM 288) - brand new
GPU: GeForce 1660X Super - brand new
PSU: Seasonic focus GX 750 W - brand new
The only parts from the old PC are the water cooler – which I doubt helped with freezing – and my SSD drives.
When running different games on both drives, the problem continues.
I’m really confused...
Thanks for your assistance.
CPU controls the display output and handles the "draw call" to the GPU.
Determines what appears in each frame and passes the request to the GPU.
What should appear, its position, etc.
The GPU creates the visual scene within the frame and sends it through the pipeline to the monitor.
As expected, the GPU waits for the CPU to finish its current draw call before starting the next one. If the CPU can't complete the call before the GPU processes the previous frame, the GPU remains busy, leading to high usage. This often occurs during rapid scene changes or when graphical demands are low (such as high FPS with low video quality).
With a CPU that has many cores, tracking CPU usage percentages can be tricky. On a 4-core/8-thread processor, using only 4 threads may prevent full CPU utilization, resulting in lower GPU load even if the CPU is underused. This could signal an IPC bottleneck.
Since you mentioned reinstalling Windows 10, have you tried reducing background processes? Also, do you have any Asus software installed for your motherboard?
Thanks for replying and explaining how it works. So it might be the CPU failing to give info to the GPU, which stops for a while ?
I have not made any particular effort to reduce background processes.
I don't know if I have any particular Asus software on my mobo, thought I just cleared the CMOS as suggested by a friend, and it did not help with the issue.
Consider turning off or removing any Asus applications.
Review the Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Delete) and disable any unnecessary programs.
This helps reduce CPU load by eliminating non-essential processes.
Once stabilized, re-enable them individually to identify which one affects performance.
Also look into updating your BIOS for potential improvements.
Hi,
Thank you for the update. I attempted an OCCT test using the CPU. There are two options available: "OCCT" and "Linpack". Both tests lasted about a minute before the screen went black, as if the computer was unplugged. I captured a screenshot during the Linpack test. The temperature increased to around 80°C, fluctuating up and down. Just before shutting it down, it spiked heavily between 65° and 93°C, which I've shown in the image.
Another point not mentioned: my CPU cooler failed two years after installation (in 2016). I experienced high temperatures on my CPU, causing crashes during games. It's possible that this damage occurred at that time, although I haven't noticed any issues since replacing the cooling system four years ago.
Background processes: Google Chrome uses the most CPU and memory, so it should be okay.
Asus software – I haven’t found any issues on my PC.
BIOS version: 2014, maybe it’s time to upgrade.
I’ll give it another try.
Edit: Updated, but it still doesn’t work :/
I thought I needed to upgrade the CPU, so I purchased a new one, motherboard and RAM. To my dismay, the issue persists.
My current specs are:
CPU: AMD Radeon 5600X - brand new
MB: MSI X570 Gaming pro carbon wifi - brand new
RAM: G-Skill Ripjaw V (2x, 8GB, DDR4-3200, DIMM 288) - brand new
GPU: GeForce 1660X Super - brand new
PSU: Seasonic focus GX 750 W - brand new
The only parts from the old PC are the water cooler – which I suspect won’t help with freezing – and my SSD drives.
When running different games on both drives, the problem continues.
I’m really confused...
Thanks for your assistance.