The GPU cannot maintain a steady frame rate.
The GPU cannot maintain a steady frame rate.
Saul Hinojosa :
SPgamer007 :
It seems to be the PSU, it's a poor unit and not allowing the GPU to utilize its full capacity constantly, which is why there are frequent frame drops.... You should use a tier 1,2 550W unit. Here is the PSU tier list in signature. I'm sorry for not being clear enough; this issue has occurred recently. My system has been running for about a year now and has always maintained a constant 60fps, except occasionally dropping to 59 or 58. Otherwise, it never goes below that. If I power it up right now, it would be 30fps consistently then drop to 24 or 25. If this problem just appeared suddenly, it might be more related to software than hardware. Although it's possible you have a hardware issue, let's first rule out any software problems. I believe the best first step is to download Malwarebytes and perform a custom scan on the entire drive where your OS is installed (usually C). Remove any malware or PUPs found and restart your computer. Then open Task Manager to check if any application is consuming excessive system resources, such as high CPU or RAM usage. If you find a program with unusually high usage, it could be the cause of your issue. What you're experiencing might be due to malware or an unknown program running in the background that's consuming resources.
Saul Hinojosa :
SPgamer007 :
It seems the PSU is faulty, preventing the GPU from utilizing its full capacity consistently, which leads to frequent frame drops.... You should consider a tier 1,2 550W power supply. Here’s the list of PSU tiers in my notes.
I’m sorry for not being more precise before; this issue has been occurring recently. My system has been running for about a year now and has stayed stable at around 60fps for most of it—just a few times at 59 or 58, but never dropping below that. If I power it up now, it will drop to about 30fps consistently before falling to 24 or 25.
If this problem started suddenly, it might be more related to software than hardware. That said, hardware issues are still possible. Let’s first try running Malwarebytes and performing a custom scan on the drive where your OS is installed (usually C). Remove any malware or PUPs found and restart your computer. Then open Task Manager to check for any applications consuming excessive CPU or RAM resources. If you spot a program with high usage, it could be the culprit—possibly a background app hogging resources and causing the issue.
As you mentioned, now in Task Manager everything looks normal.
Did Malwarebytes detect any malware or PUPs?
Yes, exactly four found.
As long as your Task Manager reports minimal CPU and RAM usage, proceed with launching a game to check for ongoing issues. Determine your current CPU and GPU temperatures; if they are elevated, consider clearing dust and debris from your system and re-evaluating the temperatures to avoid thermal throttling.
Redneck5439:
Check your Task Manager for low CPU and RAM usage. If that's the case, try launching a game to see if issues persist. Note your current CPU and GPU temperatures. If they're high, clean the dust from your tower and recheck the temps to avoid thermal throttling. Thanks for the advice!
Saul Hinojosa :
Redneck5439 :
If your Task Manager shows low CPU and RAM usage, you can try launching a game to check if issues persist. What are your current temperatures (CPU and GPU)? If they look high, cleaning the tower of dust and debris might help and rechecking the temps could prevent thermal throttling. Thanks for the advice!
Just took it apart and cleaned it about a month ago. Appreciate your help. As a computer science student for a year, I feel like a newbie for not considering the basics like malware, viruses, adware, etc. Thanks again!
Redneck5439 suggested checking CPU and GPU temperatures, cleaning dust from the system, and ensuring no thermal throttling is occurring. They mentioned they cleaned and restarted the system recently and felt confident after the change. The other person agreed with the advice and shared their experience of often missing the simple solutions.