Occasional GPU performance varies across titles, while testing tools often show peak usage.
Occasional GPU performance varies across titles, while testing tools often show peak usage.
About a month ago I upgraded from a 2070 super to a 3070 and since then in most of the games I play I’m getting fluctuating gpu usage. Ile look in a certain direction in game it will go up to the 90s and then in another down to the 70s. The games this happens on are Hunt showdown, Horizon zero dawn, overwatch etc, there’s only two games where the gpu usage is at a stable 98% which is cyberpunk 2077 and red dead redemption 2. I would like to know whether this is a problem with my pc or just the games I’m playing are poorly optimised. I watch benchmarks on YT and on all there games including the ones I listed above they were getting a solid 98% the whole time specs: ryzen 5 3600 overclocked to 4.2 ghz Rtx 3070 xc3 750 watt power supply(don’t know if it’s gold or whatever) cheers
Check if VSync is active in those titles or any FPS caps. Also, see if I can track CPU usage during gameplay.
GPU tests are designed to push GPUs to their limits, which explains the full utilization there. For games, FPS changes are typical. Certain moments require more rendering power than others. Reduced activity suggests the GPU isn’t working hard enough or can’t increase further. CPU performance during gaming? Do one or more cores approach maximum usage?
It's possible you're facing a CPU limitation that becomes noticeable in demanding titles but not in more graphics-heavy games like Cyberpunk or Red Dead Redemption 2, where the workload shifts to the GPU. Since benchmarks are often designed for GPUs, this should keep your CPU usage low.
My CPU activity stays fairly steady around 50 to 20% during most games, and I’ve turned off VSync both in-game and via the NVIDIA settings. Performance mode is enabled, yet performance still isn’t resolving the issue. It’s puzzling why usage fluctuates so much depending on the scene—remembering the game *The Isle* where bodies clustered in one area while foliage stayed sparse, I noticed drops to 70% and spikes back to nearly 100%. I’m unsure if any single core is being fully utilized, but I’ll check again once I’m back on my PC.
It wasn’t a CPU bottleneck—mem tests passed without issues, motherboard update was applied and didn’t affect performance. My concern is the power cable to my GPU might be faulty since there are no other obvious causes for the fluctuations. I’m using the same cable I had with my 2070 Super.