Minimal processing demand observed.
Minimal processing demand observed.
Windows 11 system specs: CPU 2600x with potential upgrade, GPU 6950xt running latest drivers, motherboard ASUS Prime B450 Plus with current BIOS. My performance shows the CPU stays around 30-40% usage on one core during gaming, while the other core uses 1-5%. The GPU runs at 50-60% utilization simultaneously. It seems my 2600x is not causing a full bottleneck despite its high utilization, which contradicts expectations since it's not hitting 100%. I haven't limited frame rate or played at maximum settings, and I've set the CPU to 100% power plan. Help would be greatly appreciated.
I evaluated the performance on Returnal at 1080p144Hz, tracking CPU usage through Core Temp and GPU activity using in-game metrics and the Windows performance monitor.
I have some ideas but don’t know much about Returnal or its performance. Could it be that the top frame rate comes from FreeSync? Or is there a maximum limit set by the engine? I think using tools like HwInfo and MSI Afterburner would help provide more detailed data. The temperatures seem fine, but what about the RAM usage—did it run out completely? Based on what you said, if everything is not hitting its limits, then either FPS or hardware should be the bottleneck.
You're observing temperatures around 85-90°C during load, suggesting thermal throttling might be the problem. The GPU performs well at 40°C under stress. Your RAM is at 3600MHz with 32GB and isn't fully utilized by the game. I'll check again using HwInfo and Afterburner. Also, the 144fps mentioned was just the monitor refresh rate; the game ran smoothly at about 100fps without hitting any limits.
The frame rate is limited by the game's settings or performance constraints.
You're experiencing higher FPS now that you're in a less demanding game phase, which suggests the performance isn't limited.
What are your graphics preferences? Are you using a fullscreen view or a windowed fullscreen setup?