High CPU load (70-80%) with minimal GPU activity (30-35%) on i7-9700K and GTX 1660 Ti
High CPU load (70-80%) with minimal GPU activity (30-35%) on i7-9700K and GTX 1660 Ti
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
System Specifications: CPU – Intel i7-9700k, GPU – NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti, RAM – 16GB DDR4, Motherboard – MSI Z390-A PRO, PSU – 600W, Storage – 1TB NVMe SSD (OS and games installed), BIOS – Version 7B98v1C (latest)
Game Issue: Playing The Last of Us shows high CPU usage (70-80%) while GPU remains low (30-40%). Performance feels suboptimal despite the game running. Attempted to reduce in-game settings, boost graphics, updated drivers, checked background tasks, and enabled high-performance mode. No crashes or thermal issues detected. Concerned about CPU bottleneck despite normal temperatures. Seeking advice from others with similar experiences.
It makes sense. Your current CPU meets the minimum threads required for smooth gaming these days, so it’s operating near full capacity. The last of us on PC is a demanding title that relies heavily on both CPU and GPU power. It generally needs a Ryzen 3600 to perform well. There’s not much left to do here.
Shadows typically require heavy GPU usage rather than CPU power. A greater distance from the draw can boost CPU workload, but it will also raise GPU demands since more triangles need rendering. (~note: in other words, reducing shadow complexity and distance will likely cut GPU strain more than CPU, letting the GPU work quicker and relying on fresh data more often, which raises CPU demand.) This offers no benefit; it simply stops the CPU from lowering its speed when idle, wasting power without improving performance.