Possibly a failing GPU, yet seeking additional perspectives
Possibly a failing GPU, yet seeking additional perspectives
Hello, I own a Windows 11 64 (inactive) system with a Ryzen 5 5600G and a Ryzen 7 5700G both used. It comes with an RX 6650 XT, 8GB of used RAM, 32GB of 3600MHz memory, a 750W Gold SFX PSU from Lian Li, and a Gigabyte A520i Mini ITX case. Recently, I experienced inconsistent performance, especially during the Battlefield 6 open beta. The issue appeared randomly, and I have a screenshot showing the problem. It was suggested that replacing the CPU due to unusually high utilization (over 80%) might help, but the problem continues with the 5600G as well. Performance drops noticeably, regardless of graphical settings. For instance, at medium settings in Battlefield 6, I can achieve 60-80 FPS, but it quickly falls to 30-40, though it feels less than that. There are some screenshots available for reference, and I noticed occasional screen tearing only in web browsers—like the upper third freezing while the rest works, or the lower half freezing. This happens horizontally, sometimes affecting parts of the screen. The tearing occurs in Chrome, Edge, and Spotify too, but not in games. It seems thermal throttling isn’t the cause since temperatures stay around 70°C, though the GPU reaches close to 90°C. Screen tearing also appeared with both CPUs tested. I’m still unsure why this happens only in browsers or why CPU usage stays high. If you think the GPU is faulty, could it be a bad motherboard with damaged VRM’s, a defective PCIe connector, or an issue with the NVMe drive? Or is there a problem with the RAM or power supply? If you suspect the GPU isn’t the issue, how can I test further to identify the cause? Thanks for your help.
When dealing with PCI-E connector issues, you might notice problems in GPU-Z even when under stress, such as only seeing a 4-lane configuration. This tends to be a consistent issue, usually resolving after re-seating the card or cleaning the connections. Sudden changes are rare. A riser setup can sometimes cause strange behavior—either remove it and connect directly or adjust the PCI-E version in the BIOS to a lower one. Faulty VRMs are unlikely, but exposed sensors in hwinfo might indicate overheating. It’s hard to picture such a problem without visible damage like burn marks, which would likely render the board unusable. Random failures are improbable because these components usually fail predictably or completely. High CPU usage during gaming is normal, though background processes consuming frames (like monitoring tools, RGB, updates) can affect consistency. I’ve never heard of frame stealing happening this way, so it’s unclear why you’d notice it. Low GPU power and reduced CPU clock mean GPU load is minimal, yet temperatures seem fine unless there’s a hidden issue like VRM problems on the card or motherboard. If voltages stay high but power drops, it suggests a frame cap—though I assume you’d recognize that if it existed. Check event viewer logs and SMART data for further clues.
I should have mentioned the Fractal Design Terra case; it uses a riser. I’ll experiment with that. Your questions were covered thoroughly! Regarding the CPU change, others said high utilization (over 80%) suggested it was underperforming, which aligns with my expectations since it should be lower—around 40-60%. In non-BF6 games, CPU usage was much higher than I anticipated, so I’m still curious if that’s contributing to the issue. I’ve reinstalled Windows several times and only added Chrome and Steam; Task Manager shows the CPU is mostly used during games. Not sure if this matters, but I wanted to clarify. Thanks again—hope the riser is the problem!
Battlefield 6 puts a lot of load on the CPU. Expecting high CPU usage is normal. Replacing the 5700G with a weaker processor should only worsen things. You're seeing strong GPU usage, meaning you're limited by your graphics card. Are you at a certain resolution and using upscaling? It's frustrating because most large benchmarkers run the game with higher presets. While I don't have direct RX 6650XT Medium data, comparing HUB's High preset info with their scaling notes suggests around 53fps at 1440p Medium. At 1440p Medium FSR Q you'd see about 73fps, dropping to roughly 48fps with a small 1% drop. Also, the game runs out of VRAM on 8GB cards when High settings are enabled. It's unclear if this happens at Medium, but it's possible—your screenshots show over 7GB used. Have you tried lowering settings to Low to check performance?
I've been testing Battlefield 6 mainly because I've played it often, though other titles also showed very high CPU usage, sometimes reaching over 95%. Switching between CPUs didn't change the performance much. Based on the BF6 benchmarks I've reviewed (using top-end processors), the 6650xt achieves about 70 frames per second at high difficulty. When the issue arises, adjusting graphics settings doesn't improve the situation—low settings still give around 30 FPS while high ones perform better. Previously, a 4GB card kept running out of VRAM and hurt performance, but that was less severe than what I'm facing. Regarding GPU usage, lowering graphical settings during the problem doesn't reduce GPU load, as it remains between 95-100%. I've also noticed that restarting the game resolves the issue until it randomly restarts again. Sometimes I can play for hours without it happening, other times only a few minutes.
A straightforward method exists to identify the issue; switch to a different GPU on your machine and test it on another system. Potential reasons for the problem range from hardware faults to driver conflicts and Windows-related errors. Good luck!
Those signs seem to point toward a problem with the riser. If it's faulty, the card and CPU might be restricted by PCIe bandwidth. This could cause high utilization with low power and temperatures. The GPU is trying its best with the data it has, but lacks extra information from the CPU, and vice versa. Have you looked at GPU-Z to check the actual connection speed during load? Is it receiving the full PCIe 3x8 expected between a 5000G CPU and a 6650XT? Or is the speed lower than anticipated?