Does your GPU usage not consistently reach 100% during gaming suggest a bottleneck?
Does your GPU usage not consistently reach 100% during gaming suggest a bottleneck?
Yes, but I think I need higher frames per second because my GPU usage is around 80-85 even though my CPU isn't reaching 100%.
If you mean this clip...
There's really nothing to be concerned about with the usage shown OR the smoothness of the gameplay. You really want to monitor your GPU usage to determine a bottleneck more than CPU usage. When GPU usage is low, it usually means it's waiting for the CPU to send it data.
You're clearly worried about nothing here given the example you've shown.
All it takes is JUST ONE CORE. It doesn't have to sit there to be considered a cpu limitation.
It's a common occurring scenario for users to mistake low gpu utility or performance for 'something wrong with gpu', when it's usually just waiting on something else.
Can't continuously send what it don't got, right?
I understand that both my GPU and CPU are outdated by current standards. I'm curious if it's typical to see 80% GPU usage with only 60% CPU usage in a game. I also notice this happens while playing Batman Arkham Knight, but with Red Dead Redemption 2, my GPU usage stays near 95-100%.
The issue lies with the game and the engine it uses. An older processor with less single-core performance than newer hardware often struggles. Most of the time, your card was in the 60/70 range and could only handle what the processor provided. Many people got excited about Watch Dogs, thinking an i7 would be needed, but they ended up spending a lot and realized they should wait for the game release. It turned out an i7 only improved performance by 6 frames compared to a basic i3 4130. You can't always build a gaming PC that will run everything smoothly—something will always limit performance, whether it's the game, CPU, or GPU. The limiting factor can change depending on your components and the specific game.
The issue often lies with the software (game engine), especially since many of these new games arrive in poor condition at release.