System reports high CPU activity while GPU remains idle.
System reports high CPU activity while GPU remains idle.
Survival Evolved uses more CPU while relying less on the GPU. Recently, I tested this on my brother’s setup, which runs an AMD build. His specs include an i7-8700 CPU, 16GB RAM, and an R9 380 GPU. When we played WoW with identical settings, his machine used nearly all its GPU power and barely engaged the CPU. His usage stats were around 20% CPU and 80% GPU. It’s puzzling since my own setup never forces the GPU to work hard during games. Now I’m confused about COD Modern Warfare—why does it seem to favor the GPU? I’ve tried resetting software, reinstalling drivers, updating BIOS, and even disabling internal graphics. Still, no clear solution emerges. I’m eager to learn more and find a way to resolve this. Appreciate your help!
It's typical for WoW to demand more from the CPU than the GPU. Even with high settings, the game runs smoothly because it isn't very demanding visually. With a powerful card like a 2070, performance stays stable. On your brother's system, the graphics card performs well, meaning the CPU isn't the main constraint. In fact, you're likely limited by the GPU, which explains the low CPU usage.
It's essentially the same concept, just presented differently. The more intricate a game becomes, the greater the strain on the GPU. Over time, whether it's the CPU or the GPU that limits performance will depend on the situation. When you push the GPU to its limit, the CPU will be idle; if you still have some capacity left on the GPU, the CPU will face more pressure. If both have enough flexibility, neither will run at full capacity. The system won't operate at 100% all the time—it adjusts based on what it needs.
I'll look into it! Your thoughts on Task Manager were spot on, I wasn't aware of HWinfo until now. Mostly I was new to it. I'm a bit concerned about needing more. What's better than researching in depth instead of just searching online? That makes perfect sense. Thanks a lot for the assistance and details!