F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop What could be causing your PC to struggle?

What could be causing your PC to struggle?

What could be causing your PC to struggle?

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U
UnicornCracker
Senior Member
663
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM
#1
CPU: Intel i5-10600K (no overclocking)
GPU: RTX 3060 12GB (no overclocking)
RAM: Corsair 16GB (2133 MHz, dual-channel)
PSU: Seasonic 650W
Storage: Two SSDs and one HDD
My PC is having trouble running games and even basic tasks in Windows; it occasionally stutters or slows down.
For instance, I attempted to play Hogwarts Legacy at high settings but managed only a fragile 60 FPS. I’ve noticed many YouTube clips showing people achieving over 100 FPS with the same graphics card.
I also tried Planetside 2, a game that demands heavy CPU power, and I could barely reach 70 FPS even at low settings.
Here’s what I have done and verified so far:
Carried out a clean Windows installation.
Purchased a brand-new H510M motherboard and updated the drivers.
Acquired a used ASUS Z490 motherboard and installed the latest drivers.
Installed a fresh 650W Seasonic power supply.
Conducted a full MemTest; everything passed without issues.
Performed a disk health check; all results were satisfactory.
Inspected system temperatures; they are all within normal ranges.
Installed all required drivers.
Executed Cinebench tests for both CPU and GPU; outcomes were standard.
Disabled Bluetooth and switched to different mouse and keyboard hardware.
I’m at the end of my troubleshooting steps. Could my system have been compromised? What additional actions should I consider?
U
UnicornCracker
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM #1

CPU: Intel i5-10600K (no overclocking)
GPU: RTX 3060 12GB (no overclocking)
RAM: Corsair 16GB (2133 MHz, dual-channel)
PSU: Seasonic 650W
Storage: Two SSDs and one HDD
My PC is having trouble running games and even basic tasks in Windows; it occasionally stutters or slows down.
For instance, I attempted to play Hogwarts Legacy at high settings but managed only a fragile 60 FPS. I’ve noticed many YouTube clips showing people achieving over 100 FPS with the same graphics card.
I also tried Planetside 2, a game that demands heavy CPU power, and I could barely reach 70 FPS even at low settings.
Here’s what I have done and verified so far:
Carried out a clean Windows installation.
Purchased a brand-new H510M motherboard and updated the drivers.
Acquired a used ASUS Z490 motherboard and installed the latest drivers.
Installed a fresh 650W Seasonic power supply.
Conducted a full MemTest; everything passed without issues.
Performed a disk health check; all results were satisfactory.
Inspected system temperatures; they are all within normal ranges.
Installed all required drivers.
Executed Cinebench tests for both CPU and GPU; outcomes were standard.
Disabled Bluetooth and switched to different mouse and keyboard hardware.
I’m at the end of my troubleshooting steps. Could my system have been compromised? What additional actions should I consider?

M
MilleA
Junior Member
33
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM
#2
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
PSU: Seasonic 650W
Seasonic is the brand of the unit while 650W is the advertised wattage of the unit. What is the model of the unit? How old is it?
1| Where did you get the installers for the OSes?
2| What board were you using before? Speaking of the new board, what BIOS version are you running?
3| Did you reinstall the OS in offline mode after switching to a Z490 motherboard? Speaking of that, what is the model of the Asus Z490 motherboard?
4| What PSU did you use previously?
RAM: Corsair 16GB (2133 MHz, dual-channel)
You're missing out on performance. Ideally, you should be using a Z series board with DDR4-3200MHz~DDR4-3600MHz.
For instance, I attempted to play Hogwarts Legacy at high settings, but I barely achieved stable 60 FPS. I've seen many YouTube videos showing people reaching over 100 FPS with the same graphics card.
Do you have a similar setup? Also, that game is known for being very demanding on resources—some users went as far as installing 32GB of RAM. This is just one example.
What resolution and refresh rate are you using?
M
MilleA
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM #2

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
PSU: Seasonic 650W
Seasonic is the brand of the unit while 650W is the advertised wattage of the unit. What is the model of the unit? How old is it?
1| Where did you get the installers for the OSes?
2| What board were you using before? Speaking of the new board, what BIOS version are you running?
3| Did you reinstall the OS in offline mode after switching to a Z490 motherboard? Speaking of that, what is the model of the Asus Z490 motherboard?
4| What PSU did you use previously?
RAM: Corsair 16GB (2133 MHz, dual-channel)
You're missing out on performance. Ideally, you should be using a Z series board with DDR4-3200MHz~DDR4-3600MHz.
For instance, I attempted to play Hogwarts Legacy at high settings, but I barely achieved stable 60 FPS. I've seen many YouTube videos showing people reaching over 100 FPS with the same graphics card.
Do you have a similar setup? Also, that game is known for being very demanding on resources—some users went as far as installing 32GB of RAM. This is just one example.
What resolution and refresh rate are you using?

S
59
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM
#3
Have you examined the Task Manager to identify resource-heavy processes? While reviewing, also inspect the performance area to analyze hardware activity and usage metrics such as CPU, GPU, and RAM.
S
SlenderCraft18
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM #3

Have you examined the Task Manager to identify resource-heavy processes? While reviewing, also inspect the performance area to analyze hardware activity and usage metrics such as CPU, GPU, and RAM.

C
creuse02
Member
172
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM
#4
Here are some screenshots from the requested sources: CPU-Z, Task Manager, and an uploaded IMGUR link.
C
creuse02
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM #4

Here are some screenshots from the requested sources: CPU-Z, Task Manager, and an uploaded IMGUR link.

I
i3z___
Senior Member
559
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM
#5
I obtained the installers from official sources. This refers to the drivers, not the hardware itself.
I
i3z___
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM #5

I obtained the installers from official sources. This refers to the drivers, not the hardware itself.

S
sfajar
Member
183
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM
#6
I kept an eye on all the programs in operation, yet nothing unusual has been detected.
S
sfajar
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM #6

I kept an eye on all the programs in operation, yet nothing unusual has been detected.

M
ManTheMonkey
Member
222
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM
#7
Hier ist der Link (es tut mir leid, es ist auf Deutsch):
https://imgur.com/a/lT0XBS0?third_party=1
M
ManTheMonkey
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM #7

Hier ist der Link (es tut mir leid, es ist auf Deutsch):
https://imgur.com/a/lT0XBS0?third_party=1

S
SparkyWolfTail
Junior Member
11
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM
#8
Were the screenshots taken while the game was running or while idle?
If they were captured during idle, it might indicate a cryptomalware presence on your PC.
S
SparkyWolfTail
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM #8

Were the screenshots taken while the game was running or while idle?
If they were captured during idle, it might indicate a cryptomalware presence on your PC.

B
bossmode05
Member
52
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM
#9
I often have several Chrome windows active, and live streams are playing in the background. Typically, during idle time, the consumption isn't very high.
B
bossmode05
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM #9

I often have several Chrome windows active, and live streams are playing in the background. Typically, during idle time, the consumption isn't very high.

H
HowBoutCoffee
Member
176
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM
#10
Are there any of these streams active while playing? They're consuming a lot of GPU power.
H
HowBoutCoffee
06-11-2025, 06:34 AM #10

Are there any of these streams active while playing? They're consuming a lot of GPU power.

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