GPU activity low, CPU load high, FPS decreases?
GPU activity low, CPU load high, FPS decreases?
Good morning everyone,
I’m not entirely confident about every PC detail, especially when it comes to the more specific aspects, so please give me a chance!
My setup includes:
- ASUS RTX 3070
- Intel i7-9700 (3.00MHz, 8 cores)
- Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB RAM DDR4 at 3000MHz
- H370 Gaming Pro Carbon (MS-7B16) motherboard
This machine was assembled by a friend who builds PCs and has previously customized several of my friends’ systems too.
Let me share a bit of my story...
I used to be a console gamer, which is fine. When I first got the PC, I faced numerous problems—slow downloads, frequent crashes, and glitches. It turned out to be a faulty Windows installation, so someone else reinstalled a clean copy, which resolved everything. After that, I played mostly Call of Duty Warzone for a while before upgrading to PC.
A few months later, I started experiencing lag—around 170 or 180 frames per second—and sometimes a drop to 30 or 40 FPS. This seemed like a lag spike, possibly due to poor internet connection, but the latency was normal and the FPS fluctuations were noticeable. My CPU consistently ran at 100% during games, which likely contributed to the stuttering. With 150MB of internet, that could easily explain the issue.
I took it back to another technician who performed a full reset and installed a fresh Windows version. He also checked my PSU and upgraded it to a 750W Corsair unit. After the replacement, things improved significantly.
Now, about a year ago, I encountered the same problems again—FPS drops and high CPU usage. I spent weeks trying various fixes: adjusting settings in Windows, changing power modes, tweaking NVIDIA control panel options, and even checking GPU performance. Eventually, I loaded the game again and saw a noticeable improvement, dropping to 180-200 FPS.
Task manager showed me 100% CPU usage and just 1% GPU usage—still odd, but better than before. I also noticed the GPU was barely active and the CPU was constantly at 100%. On Tuesday night, I took it back to the tech support again. This time, my internet connection was slower (about 40 downloads instead of 150), which delayed the game download.
After a few hours, the game loaded without downloading anything else. My FPS improved to 180-200, and I managed to play through the game without stuttering. Checking GPU usage, it was around 10-11%, which was still not ideal but an improvement. The CPU usage stayed between 80-100%, which helped with performance.
Unfortunately, my £450 console didn’t handle these issues well. Maybe it’s easier to switch back to a console? Also, I’m currently working on buying a house, so the idea of upgrading my PC isn’t very appealing right now!
Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Jake.
A lot of information was read, but it seems no one took the time to install the motherboard drivers needed for system communication.
The PC was configured for me and I just got the return with everything ready to power on.
Chipset driver for Windows 10 "NOT 11" is a common initial error many users encounter.
Download the latest BIOS from the provided links.
Avoid attempting this if you lack experience, as it may damage your system permanently.
No beta BIOS versions are available.