Your i5-6600k seems to have persistent issues despite trying various solutions.
Your i5-6600k seems to have persistent issues despite trying various solutions.
I5-6600k with 8GB RAM, MSI GTX 1080 Samsung 970 EVO Plus, 250 GB SSD, 1 TB HD. This issue has persisted for nearly two years. In the screenshots you shared, I noticed unusually high CPU usage even during light tasks like playing Destiny 2 or watching a YouTube video at 720p. My friend uses an i7-6700K with 32GB RAM and GTX 1080, but he only has about 15-20% CPU usage for League of Legends ARAM. I’m considering upgrading to a new CPU and mainboard—my current options are Ryzen 2600X, i3-10100F, or i5-10400. It seems financially questionable since I bought the CPU hoping it would last. I enjoy gaming (League of Legends, Destiny 2, TFT) and streaming while watching YouTube or Twitch. Another problem is that my system barely runs when I start Windows; it feels like the processor is barely active. My friend reported similar issues—his system shows almost no power, like a V8 engine running only half its cylinders. When playing videos, his mouse freezes, lags, and jittery for a fraction of a second. The only solution I’ve tried is running heavy benchmark videos while moving the mouse between streams or videos until performance returns.
You're handling a lot for such a processor. When you look at CPU usage versus 6700k, it shows 8 threads while your setup has 4. That doesn't double performance, but Windows treats 8 threads as having twice the available time. So 50% on 6700k equals about 100% on 6600k, without adjusting for clock speeds yet. A quicker CPU would be beneficial; otherwise you might need to lower your workload. YouTube playback appears to consume a lot of resources. What is your frame rate in games? If you can cap it at a lower setting, it will ease game load and free up capacity for other tasks.
I didn't notice at first, but your RAM is quite full. Adding another 8GB would make a big difference. Do you have two 4GB sticks or one 8GB stick? If it's the latter, getting an extra module not only provides more space but also boosts bandwidth, helping the CPU work more efficiently.
I also tried another 2x4 stick with an i7-6700k and tested it. Unfortunately, it didn’t make any difference. I rebooted the PC several times and even performed a clean install of Windows with 16 GB RAM, but nothing changed. Another issue I hadn’t mentioned before: whenever I start my PC and open Windows, it seems the system has almost no power—like a V8 engine running only half its cylinders or just two. When watching a YouTube video, my mouse stutters, lags, and doesn’t register for 0.25 seconds at random. The only solution I found is to play two YouTube videos or Twitch streams together, run a CPU benchmark (using Heavyload), and while the system runs, move my mouse over both until everything normalizes.
For your intended system setup, a six-core processor is likely the minimum requirement. Streaming YouTube while gaming on a quad-core setup feels quite challenging. The Ryzen 5 2600X or i5 10400F would be ideal choices. An i3 10100 offers only a slight improvement at most, particularly if you're already pushing your 6600K to its limits—you'd get more threads but slower speeds. Best would be a 3700X/10700K or higher for optimal performance, though a budget option is acceptable. It's the current situation.
Might be time to consider a platform upgrade. There's a 12600k with your name on it, somewhere.