What could be causing your laptop to run slowly?
What could be causing your laptop to run slowly?
Hello! I'm attempting to play Valorant and checking online on CanYouRunIt. It indicates my system meets both the minimum and recommended specifications for smooth gameplay. However, my GeForce Experience app suggests I should use mid-range graphics settings. When I actually play the game, I experience significant lag spikes—from 200 frames per second to just 8 FPS. I can't understand why the performance drops so drastically. To keep the game running without freezing, I play at the lowest possible graphics settings. I have the resolution set to the minimum available for Valorant.
I'm a tech-savvy user who has tried many solutions without success. It seems my computer simply struggles to handle the game at higher settings. I'm using Windows 10, with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, 3.0 GBVRAM, an Intel i7-7700HQ CPU at 2.80GHz, and 16GB of RAM.
I'm using Razer Central to disable unnecessary background programs and services, but the issue persists. I've even attempted a full Windows reinstall and re-downloading the game to improve frame rates, yet the problem remains. Since the game runs on an SSD drive and I have a solid internet connection, it's unclear what might be causing the issue.
Is the laptop running on mains power or battery? If it's on mains, consider using the performance power plan in Windows and NvidiaCP as well. The battery would significantly affect the laptop's behavior, so I wouldn't depend on this approach. Also, check the CPU temperature using Core Temp and run a benchmark. I prefer Core Temp because it offers a concise view and allows easy monitoring of CPU speed. Use Gpuz to benchmark and keep an eye on the graphics card temperature.
Hello, thank you for your message! I often keep my laptop connected to the charger and use a high performance power plan for both Windows and NvidiaCP. It seems my CPU, GPU, and mainboard temperatures are consistently around 55-70 degrees Celsius. I also have an external fan and enable the laptop's fan in overboost mode to maintain good cooling.
These are typically the usual culprits for sluggish performance. Next, check any utilities or software you install after a fresh OS setup. Examine startup items in the task manager. Consider trying an alternative GeForce driver, as newer versions aren't always optimal and may cause issues.
i have turned off all background utilities and processes/services/apps that can be stopped while gaming, but it doesn’t really help improve my fps. the issue still happens, and it doesn’t seem to depend on the geforce driver i use since I’ve faced this problem before with many updates. 🤦♂️ it’s a real disappointment because the pc should be able to run the game smoothly at 144fps on medium settings, but it keeps struggling to hit 60fps even in the lowest settings.
I notice numerous complaints regarding gaming laptops underperforming.
Typically, performance drops when the device is connected to a power source.
A frequent reason is thermal throttling.
Laptop coolers need to be compact and lightweight.
They are also generally less powerful.
Monitoring tools like HWMonitor or HWinfo will display the current, minimum, and maximum CPU temperatures.
For Intel processors, a maximum temperature of 100°C indicates throttling.
The CPU reduces its multiplier and power consumption to safeguard itself until conditions improve.
With a lower multiplier, your CPU usage might actually reach 100%.
What steps can be taken?
Check that the cooler air passages are unobstructed and the fan is operating.
Use a Windows balanced power profile rather than the performance profile.
Set a minimum CPU performance threshold around 20%.
Although unusual, adjusting the advanced settings of Windows Balanced Power Profile to a maximum of 90% instead of the default 100% could help.
You might not immediately notice a decrease in performance.
I really value this idea and plan to test it tonight! I’m guessing the issue might be the CPU temperature, even though I’m doing everything to keep it cool. Since I play for long periods and notice the laptop getting hot, I think you’re onto something. I’ll check if this makes a difference, but from what I’m thinking, laptop gaming isn’t that good and I might need to upgrade to a proper PC build.
Where abouts are the exhaust vents, out the rear/sides or bottom? If exhaust was sides or rear and intake only from bottom you could think about getting a cooling pad and diy insulate foam strips under the laptop to fill gaps around the border forcing as much air as possible through. Normally there'd be a few mm gap, too easy for air to escape.