Significant system slowdown (portable computer).
Significant system slowdown (portable computer).
Greetings
My portable computer, an E14 E5 475g, has the following specifications:
i5 7200u processor
940mx 2GB gddr2 graphics card
4GB (2133mhz) of RAM operating in a single channel configuration
Windows 10 Pro
This laptop is approximately one year old, and initially I was able to play Fortnite at medium settings with over 60 frames per second (at a resolution of 1366x768). However, currently, I can only consistently achieve a stable 40+ frames per second (at 640x360) using only the lowest settings, accompanied by significant stuttering and freezing—including frequent frame rate fluctuations. Browsing the web on this device has become frustratingly slow and difficult. Despite a relatively minor CPU performance loss of only 5% compared to the average i5 7200u, I suspect a CPU bottleneck.
I have attempted numerous solutions, including overclocking and underclocking both the processor and graphics card, adjusting resolution scaling, utilizing memory reduction techniques, installing a 1500rpm laptop cooler, removing the battery for enhanced performance (with little effect), limiting virtual RAM usage, disabling visual animations within Windows, maximizing CPU clock speeds by unparking it, applying extreme cooling (including protective measures against condensation), loading games from an external SSD, regularly cleaning my hard drive and temporary files, disabling integrated graphics, removing the Chrome browser, adding specific command-line arguments to Fortnite, modifying game files to use resolutions below the maximum allowed, aggressively reducing graphical details (LOD bias), scanning for malware, prioritizing Fortnite in Task Manager, updating graphics drivers, ensuring Epic Games closes completely after launching Fortnite to conserve memory, preventing the startup disk from powering down, using an external monitor, lowering the native resolution to 1280x720 and 960x540, verifying DirectX 12 functionality, running benchmark tests with consistently high scores, replacing the hard drive, and utilizing a wired network connection to rule out internet issues. Despite all these efforts, the problem persists.
I have extensively researched online forums without finding a suitable resolution.
Thank you for your assistance.
Is your computer’s processor and graphics card temperature being tracked? A smaller memory capacity won't improve the situation, but if it performed adequately at first, there’s no reason to expect it to be functioning similarly presently. Applying ice to the warmest section of your laptop won't effectively reduce heat, so if you’re experiencing overheating, that approach is unproductive.
My CPU performance isn’t satisfactory, as I consistently achieve significantly lower results than anticipated during Cinebench R20 testing. My expected score of 700 to 736 cb is frequently reduced, sometimes reaching only 605 or even 543. Furthermore, I’ve examined benchmark videos using the same game and hardware, and my performance appears substantially lower, causing noticeable stuttering across all settings. I’m experiencing approximately a 35% decrease in expected performance, which leads me to believe it is not acceptable at this time.
My laptop has a GeForce 940mx with 2GB of GDDR5 memory and an Intel Core i5-7200U processor. I used to play Fortnite, but recently my game performance deteriorated significantly, with frequent stutters occurring. After investigation, I determined that the issue stemmed from insufficient GPU utilization – my usage consistently remained below 65%, and temperatures stayed under 65 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, I’m confident that no hardware is faulty; my graphics card consistently achieves 99.6% usage when rendering in OpenGL, yet only 50% average usage within DirectX11. I initially had excellent performance with this hardware, and benchmark tests using the same equipment demonstrated significantly higher frame rates on medium settings. I believe this indicates that my system isn’t currently bottlenecked.
Processor temperatures range from 72 to 85 degrees Celsius, with activity levels consistently between 93 and 100 percent. However, the CPU is performing adequately; I’ve resolved an issue by disabling HPET, which was hindering its performance. Consequently, I'm now achieving 801cb in Cinebench R20 and believe I’ve identified the solution to my difficulties. The graphics card is operating at 50% during gameplay with low settings, increasing to 71% when utilizing high settings, resulting in noticeable stuttering regardless of the chosen configuration.