Identifying a sudden decline in performance?
Identifying a sudden decline in performance?
Hello everyone,
My system used to run smoothly with games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Metro Exodus at medium to high settings. Recently, it began struggling even with simple, graphically light titles. Basic applications such as File Explorer also felt slow, suggesting the problem isn’t limited to graphics performance.
I haven’t identified a precise moment or update that triggered this issue, and I’ve gone through standard troubleshooting without success. Here’s what I’ve done:
- Restarted the computer completely.
- Windows is up to date, and graphics drivers are current.
- Defender didn’t detect any viruses or malware.
- Drives were cleared even when full, which didn’t resolve the problem.
- Dust was removed from the side, but there wasn’t much.
- Ran Windows Memory Diagnostic – no issues found.
- Reinstalled Windows via Settings (not from install media), as I couldn’t locate my flash drive today.
This helped a bit with overall responsiveness, but frame rates remain very low in games.
It’s a prebuilt Dell XPS model I’ve owned since Spring 2022. Its specifications are:
- Motherboard: Dell 0R6PCT A01
- Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700 at 2.10 GHz
- RAM: 2 x 16GB DDR5 4800 (part number HMCG78MEBUA084N)
- GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- Storage: 512GB SSD (OS + files), plus 1TB HDD
- Operating System: Windows 11
I’ve checked with MSI Afterburner and played Starcraft 2, but results were inconclusive. The monitor showed 1–3 frames per second, Afterburner reported temps under 45°C, RAM usage was around 15GB (45% in Task Manager), and GPU spikes reached up to 60%, though it stayed mostly idle.
What should I do next? Any suggestions or benchmark tests that could help narrow this down?
PSU: details about the unit, model, power rating, age, and its current condition (original, new, used, refurbished)?
Disk drives: specifications, storage size, and current usage level?
You referred to Task Manager. You might also try Resource Monitor, Performance Monitor, and Process Explorer to see what’s happening or attempting when performance drops.
Use all three tools at a time but only one at a time. Keep the window open while you work or play. Observe any changes during performance issues.
Process Explorer (Microsoft, free):
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysint...s-explorer
Check Reliability History/Monitor and Event Viewer. Either tool may record error codes, warnings, or events around performance drops.
Take your time, stay careful, watch thoroughly, avoid hasty judgments.
PSU: Dell L750EPS-00, 750W, the date code is R2146. I'm still trying to decode it but need a quick reply. The PC was new in 2022.
SSD: NVMe PM9A1 Samsung 512GB, free space 298/456GB
HDD: Western Digital WD10EZEX-75WN4A1, free space 512/931GB
I'll go through the tools you mentioned this evening and check for anything useful, thank you!
What could have shifted since everything seemed fine? My CPU cooler might have detached.
I'm struggling to figure out what changed recently. It seems nothing out of the ordinary happened over the past few weeks to cause this issue. I cleaned the machine and checked for dust, but everything looked fine. One fan was never connected initially (thanks Dell), and that problem is resolved now.
In a game with severe lag that should be within my capabilities, I ran afterburner and captured this image (red lines marked to show where the lag occurs). If this lag happens in the game but causes lower CPU and GPU usage, what’s limiting performance?
I’m also trying to identify other connections using the tools Ralston18 suggested.
I would conduct some investigation into the genuine quality of this unit's construction.
With Dell/Alienware OEM units, there can be significant variation from low-cost outsourced alternatives to more reliable in-house options.
Although switching to a reputable high-quality unit might not always be possible due to the existing OEM motherboard, I would prefer a clean MS Windows installation instead of the pre-installed Dell OEM versions.
Run the OCCT program
https://www.ocbase.com/download
Provides stability and benchmarks for core frequencies, temperature, voltage and power, helping you assess hardware status without using Windows.
I performed the 1-hour stability test on this device and it showed no issues. I ran the game consistently with stable lag, and the visual outputs remain similar (though I'm still unsure of the exact indicators).
If your issue is limited to a single game, check the forums for patches or guidance on settings adjustments.
If it occurs across all games, search for applications that might be running with higher priority and causing conflicts.
Discord, for instance, can have apps that continuously monitor for updates.