The PC functions properly during tests yet seems to be limited during gameplay?
The PC functions properly during tests yet seems to be limited during gameplay?
I've experienced this problem for some time, but it only appears in certain tough games so I didn't notice it before. My setup includes:
B450 Tomahawk Max
Ryzen 9 5900X
RTX 3070
32GB RAM
Corsair RM850
When I run benchmark tools like UserBenchmark or Cinebench, everything functions normally and yields excellent results. However, during CPU load tests in Cinebench, the usage hits 100% across all cores without any issues, and the test completes successfully. But when playing games such as Starfield, my CPU usage stays below 40%, the cores run at a maximum speed of 4,900, yet they never exceed 2,000 during gameplay. I'm stuck at around 30fps, even though it doesn't seem to be limiting performance.
At first, I thought it might be a power-related issue, so I swapped my PSU for a Corsair RM850, but that didn't resolve the matter. My only remaining hypothesis is that the motherboard isn't sending data between the CPU and GPU quickly enough—though this would likely impact benchmarks. I'm hesitant to replace another component without getting more guidance before doing so. I've overclocked the CPU without any negative effects, checked every forum post about low CPU usage, but haven't found a solution that matches my situation. It also doesn't seem like an FPS cap, as it fluctuates between 25 and 40, and even dips down to 70 in certain areas.
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
When posting a thread of troubleshooting nature, it's customary to include your full system's specs. Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard? + Include a link to your ram kit.
I originally suspected it was a power issue and eventually fully replaced my PSU with a
Corsair RM850
but that didn't fix the problem.
What PSU did you have prior to the RM850?
Try and run DDU to remove all GPU drivers, then manually reinstall the latest GPU drivers from Nvidia's support site in an elevated command, i.e, Right click installer>Run as Administrator.
Thank you for providing the details. Here is your information rephrased:
The PSU used before the RM850 was the RM750, with no significant changes from that upgrade. To proceed, I attempted to run DDU to clear all GPU drivers and then manually reinstalled the newest drivers from Nvidia's support site using an elevated command. I will carry out this process now and let you know once completed.
I've attached an image of the system's clock speeds while playing Starfield at 28fps.
Most cores remain under 2,000, which is puzzling since they don’t increase further even when the GPU handles everything well. They stay below 2,000 during benchmarking and can reach up to 4k during new area loads, but drop back to under 2,000 during normal gameplay.
I also found a YouTube video with similar specs demonstrating the game running around 90fps.
Don't rely on this game for evaluation—it's just a very poor game. The video displays around 69 FPS at 1080p, far below the 90 you mentioned. It seems the settings were adjusted to low and off, possibly using 70% scaling. Unless the game settings match your PC's specifications, it doesn't reflect your system's performance. Also, check his CPU usage and memory speed; the graphics card was likely at maximum capacity. If the game allows high settings, the CPU won't be able to keep up.
He's still double my average, and in certain parts of the video you can see he has 90-130 where I only reach up to 30. Starfield isn't the only game this issue affects, as mentioned in my previous post. It's just the baseline I'm using since I know what it should be.
His reported 2% cpu seems like a bug or misrepresentation. It's impossible because Starfield is a CPU-intensive game, even at ultra settings. I also noticed the same results and FPS across all settings, and I matched his settings in the video consistently with an average of 30 fps.
His reported CPU clock speed is also around 4700, which makes the 2% figure clearly incorrect—my own would be at most 2500.
The issue lies with the 2% message; he's clearly exceeding more than 2% of his CPU usage when it's running at 4700 MHz. You can observe this in my screenshot—most of my cores aren't even generating half of that under load while playing games. That’s the problem. No game can artificially restrict your maximum clock speed, regardless of how unoptimized it is. Starfield isn’t the cause here.