Games cause odd CPU behavior, yet tests indicate typical performance
Games cause odd CPU behavior, yet tests indicate typical performance
My processor performance exceeds expectations during gaming, yet it doesn’t reach optimal use. In Overwatch 2 I see consistent high utilization across all cores and around 90-120 frames per second in practice. Valorant feels extremely slow, often taking over an hour to load into the menu. Task manager shows CPU at full capacity throughout the game. When it finally starts, I get only 10-25 fps. I checked the task manager during launch, but CPU stayed at 100% constantly. Apparently Valorant consumes just 30-40% of the CPU, with the rest used by unrelated apps like Steam and Discord (each around 30%). My idle usage appears normal from what I observe. The real problem emerges only when Valorant starts—other programs seem to share minimal resources. I’ve tested various SSDs, RAM configurations, and even disabled non-Windows services without resolving the issue. Running Windows on different drives has helped slightly, but not enough. I’ve also tried using XMP settings, a different RAM module, and a clean boot, yet the performance remains poor. Benchmarks run fine, but my CPU and GPU scores are lagging. Two notable points: 1) The same Valorant issue occurred on an older Dell Optiplex 3050 with an i5-6500 and RX 550; only the storage type matched. 2) The problem briefly resolved after a reset for Valorant, but returned after a Windows update and driver installation. I also installed software such as WinRAR, VLC, and other utilities.
I won’t spend money on those items, yet something seems off. Could you capture a screenshot showing CPU activity and the running processes?
I only realized this after comparing the images directly. On the defective machine, disk usage during game start is almost zero. On my normal PC, it appears to read the disk properly as shown in the screenshots. Also, the high CPU consumption isn't random—it occurs only when a specific app runs. In this instance, Task Manager used 20-30% of the CPU. This still doesn’t seem right, since on my normal PC it behaves normally (I was also checking Task Manager in both screenshots). I’ve run disk speed tests with CrystalDiskMark and everything looks fine, so the problem likely isn’t with the SSD. I’ve also tested two different SSDs as mentioned earlier.
The CPU performance in Overwatch 2 isn’t clearly documented. The game starts without issues but struggles with GPU usage. A recent capture is taken for reference, and no FPS limits are enforced via RTSS or in-game settings.
The 6500XT isn't too far behind, though we're unsure if the game runs smoothly. I'd recommend using a GTX 1080, updating the outdated drivers to the latest stable ones.
I don't think it's a game optimization issue, here's a Youtube benchmark of the expected usage stats and FPS for the RX 6500xt (They use the same CPU as well). I know the 6500xt has a very small memory bus but I'm using PCIE GEN 4 just like the benchmark video. I think this is some sort of driver issue, so I'll try to look into that more. I've tried swapping out the RX 6500 XT for my GTX 1080, but I ran into the same issue. I didn't use DDU to wipe the old AMD drivers when testing that, so I'll try that eventually.