Does your computer meet the performance standards you expect?
Does your computer meet the performance standards you expect?
Setup details:
Core i7 2600 at 3.4ghz
GTX 970
16 gigabytes of RAM
Pre story:
The CPU was overheating significantly, reaching temperatures above 70 degrees during idle. I cleaned the PC and reapplied thermal paste, which provided some relief but didn’t fully resolve the issue. The system remains quite warm, especially given the hot outdoor conditions (35-40°C).
I played a simple game that only uses one core (HON) and noticed both my GPU and CPU were under heavy load yet I wasn’t achieving high FPS. This prompted me to investigate my PC’s performance and attempt an overclock of the GPU. I attached screenshots for the stress test and configuration settings. During the benchmark, just before completion, the screen briefly went black and the minimum FPS dropped dramatically from 18 to 4. I also observed some lines appearing on the right side of the display at the end. I’m not certain if this indicates a visual issue.
Performance in HON hasn’t changed much. I’m now planning to test a more demanding game that utilizes all cores.
Questions:
- Is my PC functioning as intended?
- Are my Afterburning settings excessive based on the incidents above?
- What is the main bottleneck affecting performance?
- How does my Univalley score compare with similar configurations?
- Why do both GPU and CPU show low load while the game runs below 60 FPS?
Benchmark and stress test results: https://imgur.com/a/knfxa
Thank you very much for your assistance ahead of time.
When sharing a thread for this natre, it's wise to provide a broader overview. Your complete system specifications weren't included, so here are them formatted as requested:
CPU+CPU Cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
1| The setup seems suitable for your platform.
2| Are you using the newest Nvidia GPU drivers and the latest BIOS update?
3| I don’t think it’s a bottleneck...
4| Refer to item 1
5| Which other games were you running to get a clear result?
When sharing a thread about this topic, it's helpful to provide a clearer overview. Your complete system details weren't included. Please format them clearly as follows:
CPU+CPU Cooler: Intel Core i7 2600 - 3.40GHz Quad Core, stock cooler.
Motherboard: Intel BearUp Lake Motherboard – unsure about the exact model.
Ram: 8GB DDR3 1333MHz RAM; added another 8GB about a year ago.
SSD/HDD: OCZ Vortex 128GB, Seagate 1TB 3.5" HDD 7200RPM SATA3 6GB
GPU: Geforce GTX 970 MSI Gaming 4GB
PSU: Gigabyte SUPERB 620W Power Supply
Chassis: Midi Tower Case – limited information available.
OS: Windows 10 Pro
Currently testing on a 1080p monitor, though I ordered the new Dell 1440p 144Hz G-Sync.
1| The setup seems suitable for your system.
2| Are you using the most recent GPU drivers from Nvidia and the latest BIOS update?
3| I don’t think it’s a bottleneck...
4| See point 1
5| Which other games were you testing to get consistent results?
Thank you. I have some Geforce experience installed, so I should be up to date with the latest drivers. I’m probably not on the newest BIOS version and don’t know much about it. I’ll need to look into checking and updating that.
The benchmark issues at the end (stripes and black screen), are they related to my GPU’s overclocking?
Not having a real bottleneck is good, but it makes me curious about where to focus upgrades for better performance on my new display. If everything looks normal and I’m confident about my motherboard and CPU/RAM, it would simplify deciding whether to upgrade the GPU.
I’ll try different games tonight to see how they perform.
CPU+CPU Cooler: Intel Core i7 2600 - 3.40GHz Quad Core, stock cooler.
Motherboard: Intel BearUp Lake Motherboard – unclear exact model.
Ram: 8GB DDR3 1333MHz RAM; added another 8GB about a year ago.
SSD/HDD: OCZ Vortex 128GB, Seagate 1TB 3.5" HDD 7200RPM SATA3 6GB
GPU: Geforce GTX 970 MSI Gaming 4GB
PSU: Gigabyte SUPERB 620W Power Supply
Chassis: Midi Tower Case – limited details.
OS: Windows 10 Pro