Inquiry regarding CPU/GPU performance during gaming
Inquiry regarding CPU/GPU performance during gaming
Hello everyone! Welcome to the new member here. Please don’t worry if I joined the wrong forum – feel free to shift it to a different space if needed.
I’m not particularly experienced with PC hardware, but I do my best to research thoroughly so I can keep my system running long-term while still enjoying gaming at a decent level. I’ve installed MSI Afterburner to monitor how my older build performs with GTA V. My reason for opening this thread comes from two observations during testing that have me a bit puzzled.
I’ve already looked up the issues online, but I haven’t found a clear solution – in some cases, the answers seem contradictory. To help clarify things, I’ll go into more detail. Before I continue, remember my PC is functioning perfectly. There are no crashes or unexpected problems during normal use (like browsing the internet) or while gaming.
My current setup:
- AMD RX 470
- Intel i5-6402P
- 2x4 GB RAM
- 1TB HDD (no SSD)
- Windows 10
During gaming, I kept settings at a high level to achieve the smoothest performance possible. Mostly, I maintained a consistent frame rate of around 60 FPS, with only minor drops to 53–55 FPS occasionally – hardly noticeable. That’s not what worries me. What bothers me are how the CPU and GPU behaved during gameplay.
Question 1:
Afterburner displayed extremely unstable GPU usage every second. It swung wildly from 100% down to 2%, then back up again, reaching 99% or even 0%, followed by spikes to 75%. This pattern is unusual. I’ve only recently started using MSI Afterburner, so I’m unsure if this was always happening or just a recent change. The good news is the GPU temperature stayed steady between 152–158°F (67–70°C), which is within a safe range according to my research. There were no screen tearing, stuttering, or other issues beyond those minor frame drops.
Is this normal? Should I be concerned about these fluctuations if the temperature and gameplay feel stable? Could they damage the GPU and shorten its lifespan significantly? Is there any sign that the GPU is malfunctioning?
Question 2:
Afterburner also showed the CPU usage was consistently high during the session. It usually stayed between 90–95%, with a low of 89% and a high of 100%. Afterburner confirmed that each core’s temperature remained steady at around 118–120°F (48–50°C), which is well within safe limits.
There’s conflicting information online about GTA V’s CPU demand – some say it’s very intensive, others claim it’s not. Some argue a CPU above 90% is normal while gaming, while others warn it should stay under 30%. My research suggests the typical safe range is between 70–80%. Since my usage exceeds that, I’m concerned.
My main worry is whether these high numbers will harm the CPU or its lifespan. I also noticed that GTA V runs much smoother at higher settings than lower ones. Lowering the settings reduces CPU usage below 95%, causing more frequent FPS drops. Additionally, other background programs consume CPU resources, but they’re mostly Windows-related and can’t be turned off easily without risking system issues.
I’m not an expert, so I prefer to keep these points in mind. If you think I’m overreacting and everything is fine, please let me know – I’d really appreciate your reassurance.
GPU fluctations are normal if CPU is taxed, CPU provides work for GPU, if you see low GPU usage, its just waiting for CPU
is you ram in dual channel? this could hammer CPU performance in games
try closing background stuffs while playing, GTA5 should run fine on 3core CPU and you have 4 cores, so probably something in backround
Thanks for the reply!
Yes, my RAM uses dual channel. Regarding closing background tasks, most of the processes are related to Windows services and software protection, except for Antivirus and Steam. I don’t see any need to close those.
In summary, it might just be background activities affecting CPU usage while the game runs—high utilization without overheating seems acceptable.