Extremely poor frame rates with no apparent cause
Extremely poor frame rates with no apparent cause
Hi,
My computer has been acting very poorly lately, especially in games that previously worked well.
Current specifications:
i7-3770 CPU @ 3.4GHz
Nvidia GTX 1050-Ti
2x8GB DDR3 RAM
1TB SSD
ECS H61H2-MV motherboard
I've tried several fixes:
- Performed a full Windows reset
- Updated all drivers to the latest version
- Monitored CPU and GPU temperatures for thermal throttling (under heavy load, temps reached around 80°C, which is high but not extreme)
- Checked task manager usage (all well within normal limits)
- Verified that games were utilizing all cores and the correct GPU settings
- Played a specific game (Risk of Rain 2) where FPS would drop to 1 or 2 for long stretches, sometimes briefly reaching 60 FPS before dropping again (average around 10 FPS)
I suspect there might be a software-related issue, but I can't identify the exact problem. I've run multiple benchmarks and they all show normal performance, which makes me think hardware isn't the main cause.
How could this happen? Is it possible that a Windows reset missed something affecting my system?
I'm fairly sure my CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage are working properly. Could another component be causing this issue?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Reliability voltage... It seems like either the graphics card VRM or the power supply is failing, but others here might have more insight. Likely the power supply, considering the other signs and the system's age.
And no, your CPU shouldn't be behaving this way without thermal throttling or power issues.
Check for a replacement power supply.
Do other titles exhibit comparable issues, or is this specific to ROAR 2? Use Get HWiNFO to compile a performance report; any hardware concerns—power or thermal—should appear in the results.
RoR2 is one of the more challenging games I frequently play, which is why it's the only one that has slowed down to 1fps. I've experienced worse than anticipated performance in other titles like Heroes of the Storm, Skyrim, and Overwatch. I believe the problem isn't limited to ror2.
I've created a log using HWiNFO. What should I be checking for?
Monitor FPS drops, observe CPU speed and throttling state, and track GPU and VRAM frequency along with performance limit reasons.
Log indicates no thermal throttling of CPU or GPU. These visuals come from the end of a ror2 game. Overall performance declined as the game went on, which is typical with more enemies appearing. A notable moment was near the one-minute mark when I experienced nearly full 60fps despite maximum enemy count. At about thirteen minutes, performance hit its lowest point around 10fps. This is unfamiliar territory for me, so I’m uncertain about expected values, particularly regarding performance limits. Are these typical?
Edit: It’s worth noting that the fps drops aren’t the main concern. The real issue is that frame rates are much lower than anticipated, even at the lowest settings. I might think this was just normal hardware wear if not for the occasional random spikes back up to about 60fps during gameplay. For instance, I’ll be running at 8fps and then suddenly see 60fps for a few seconds before it falls back to 8.
Can't detect images on this link, but if it's not thermal, it could be voltage issues affecting your GPU's performance limit, or—if the CPU and GPU frequencies were stable without unexpected drops—a software problem such as a crypto miner taking up cycles from your game.
The performance limit warning shifted from a utilization-based to a reliability voltage-based condition. This suggests a change in system behavior under different stress scenarios. To address it, consider checking your hardware stability and ensuring no persistent malware is affecting performance.
Reliability voltage... It seems like either the graphics card VRM or the power supply might be failing, but others here would have more insight. Likely the power supply, considering the other signs and the system's age.
And no, your CPU shouldn't behave this way without thermal throttling or power issues.
Check for a replacement power supply.