Monitoring CPU activity at full capacity leading to a decrease in frame rate.
Monitoring CPU activity at full capacity leading to a decrease in frame rate.
Hello! I’ve recently encountered an issue where I can no longer play games at high settings, and I suspect microstutters are the cause. It happened suddenly overnight. The next day, I found myself struggling with titles such as Arc Raiders, Marvel Rivals, and Warframe at the same settings I used before. I experienced a consistent drop of about 30 to 50 frames per second. In the Task Manager, I noticed CPU usage spikes reaching 100% with minimal GPU activity, leading to severe frame drops.
At first, I thought it was due to overheating. I checked and confirmed my CPU temperatures were around 90°C. So I upgraded the case and added cooling, which brought temperatures down to below 70°C during heavy CPU loads. However, the same issues continue. I also tested individual cores and none are randomly exceeding their limits. My GPU never exceeds 65°C.
There have been no recent updates to Windows or graphics drivers when the problems began. My system specs are as follows:
- Motherboard: B450M-VDH pro max
- GPU: NVIDIA 4070 Super
- CPU: Ryzen 7 5800X3D
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18
- Storage: 2TB SSD and 1TB SSD
- Power Supply: Corsair 850W
- Monitor: 2580x1080
I’ve tried several solutions:
- Raising game settings to increase GPU load
- Updating drivers for AMD chipset, GPU, and BIOS
- Performing a full PC reset and formatting SSDs
- Testing the same game on different SSDs
- Switching to performance mode from balanced
- Replacing the cooling solution (switched from fan to a Corsair 240AIO, which was pre-installed)
- Ensuring display is connected to the GPU
- Verifying RAM usage is stable and not dropping unexpectedly
This build was originally prebuilt. All components except the motherboard have been replaced. I’m seeking advice, as I’m feeling quite stuck. I can run games at lower settings, but the stuttering and FPS fluctuations are still very bothersome.
Did you adjust the BIOS settings? Most factory defaults fall below 75% of the potential maximum speed. At least XMP/EXPO and PBO are required?
Have you checked the task manager to identify the sources of the spikes?
Yeah, I have this XMP file, haven't heard of PBO but I can give it a shot.