Your 4070Ti Super appears to be running below its potential.
Your 4070Ti Super appears to be running below its potential.
Hello, I recently installed an RTX 4070Ti Super, specifically the PNY XLR8 Gaming Verto RGB, and have been experiencing performance issues lately. After a few days of use on a 1080p display (planning to upgrade to 1440p soon), it often feels like something else is slowing things down. My CPU is a Ryzen 7 5800X, and I suspect it might be the bottleneck, especially since my monitor is still at 1080p. I've tried various solutions—Darktide with full settings, including RT—and achieved around 64fps in the hub, similar results with Sons of the Forest (110fps, sometimes dropping to 95). None of my CPU cores reach 100%.
I’ve also cleaned the drivers for my previous GPU using DDU, enabled PBO which allows the CPU to hit 4850MHz, ensured my RAM is at its maximum speed (3200MHz), and activated Nvidia low latency in the control panel. These changes helped a bit, though not enough. I’m confused about how a CPU could be bottlenecked when I thought it would only happen if a core or whole CPU was over 100%.
I’ve updated the motherboard BIOS, refreshed Windows, and cleaned the DirectX shader files with MS Tool. My specs are: RTX 4070Ti Super, Ryzen 7 5800X, 32GB 3200MHz Corsair Vengeance, Samsung 980 Pro 2TB drive, Asus ROG STRIX B550-F Gaming motherboard, and Corsair RM850x power supply.
Anyone with a comparable build has similar issues? Or is this a common problem? I was hoping for a CPU bottleneck but didn’t expect it to be this severe. Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated.
4070Ti Super is a fast card, definitely not something you need to purchase for 1080p, but you're aiming to improve that. Let's begin with this point. The CPU doesn't have to run at full capacity just to limit performance in a game; they usually don't operate perfectly multithreaded, so they can't utilize all cores efficiently. It's worth noting that the CPU isn't always the bottleneck—sometimes it's the graphics card or external limits like frame rate caps and VSync settings.
To better understand what's happening inside the system, standard tools like Task Manager fall short. A simpler option I find useful is Intel PresentMon. It’s a straightforward app that needs no setup—just set a hotkey to toggle an overlay. It displays real-time graphs, including GPU Busy and Frametime on top of the GPU usage. In perfect conditions, these lines would align perfectly, showing the GPU running at maximum speed without waiting. When they start to drift, it signals the GPU is slowing down due to something else between frames.
Personally, I prefer Special K for this task, though it's more advanced and might be overkill for your needs. With a powerful card at low resolution, you risk stressing other components beyond their limits, which could reveal weak points. For instance, even if your RAM is running at its rated speed, high GPU usage can still cause issues.
Try running benchmarks like 3DMark (free demo available on Steam) and see how the GPU performs under load. You might also want to check DDU, update chipset drivers, consider a BIOS update, and use HWiNFO or Cinebench to confirm the CPU is performing as expected.
It's rare to see full CPU usage, and that doesn't always point to a bottleneck. The main issue is only when you're not getting the performance you expect, which can happen because of any bottleneck. Even then, having a bottleneck doesn't necessarily mean you need to act unless it's affecting your experience. Performance levels differ from person to person.
I played Sons of the Forest using the PresentMon overlay (probably needed GPU focus mode). The graph shows the line and GPU usage spikes that aren’t aligned, suggesting a major bottleneck. Also, your monitor runs at 144Hz with VRR turned on.
It’s obvious that a factor is limiting the GPU performance, though it doesn’t confirm a CPU bottleneck just yet. Without more testing across different titles and possibly analyzing other users’ experiences, it’s hard to say for sure. Checking the game’s recommended specs suggests the issue might lie with the settings, GPU drivers, or even the game itself, since they don’t demand high requirements. I’d try a more demanding title and see if you can achieve consistent results. Do you have a copy of Cyberpunk 2077? It’s a big, graphically intensive AAA game. I’m hoping to run as many tests as possible to verify GPU stability.
I adjusted a few parameters in the BIOS and Ryzen Master; setting the FLCK to half my RAM speed and turning on PBO really boosted my gaming performance. In "Sons of the Forest" at that setting, I went from about 85fps to 100–110fps. The same happened with "Darktide"—from roughly 78fps to around 92fps. I should have taken more notes and been more systematic, but the results clearly show a difference.
I'm relieved the GPU issue is gone. I tested running Kombustor without any FPS cap or VSync, watching its power usage—it's reaching maximum draw. So maybe I should upgrade my CPU for better performance, but I can wait. It might also help to optimize certain games like Kingdom Come Deliverance, which struggles with poor frame rates even on a strong CPU and powerful GPU.