GTX 780 throttled by old 650w PSU?

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Setup:
CPU: FX-8350 @ 4.3Ghz
GPU: EVGA GTX 780
RAM: 16G DDR3 @ ~2000Mhz 9-10-9-27
PSU: Corsair TX650W Bronze
MOBO: Biostar TA990FXE
SSD: 120G Gorsair Force GT
RES: 1920x1080
OS: Windows 7

So I bought a GTX 780 recently to replace a GTX 660Ti in order to run a beefy Skyrim (ENB, HD texture packs, 200+ mods, LOD/Ugrids adjustments, etc.). I have been modding Skyrim for a while now and have made every well tested performance adjustment there is.

The issue:
When standing at the top of Whiterun (a known fps punisher) I sit around 20 fps (even with the ENB turned off) and usually don't go above 40 fps in other parts of Whiterun or out in the wild. Power usage and temperature targets are all set to decent amounts (100% and 85 C). When I check MSI Afterburner the GPU usage never goes above 70% and CPU usage sits around 30% with none of the cores maxing out (highest any core goes is ~75%). The card doesn't clock down or go above 50-60 C.

Some things I have tried so far:
I have clean installed 340.52 Nvidia drivers using a driver sweeper.
Set all power management options in windows and in nvidia control panel to performance.
I have played around with different ENB settings.
Applied correct nvidia inspector settings for my setup.
Tried running vsync in adaptive mode.
Re-installed Skyrim and meticulously re-installed essential mods using wyre bash, NMM, save game cleaner, etc.

The only conclusion I can think of is that my 7+ year old PSU is worn out (I recycled it from and old build because I am cheap like that). Does this sound reasonable or is there something I am missing?

Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
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Cristi72

Cristi72

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Hello,

Please install HWMonitor, let it running and check the voltages after some gaming, especially the +12V one; if it dips below +12V then it's time to change the PSU (if it is lower than +11.5V, you must change the PSU ASAP).

What are the CPU temps?
 
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G

Guest

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After some testing I SSed a pic of some monitors right after exiting the game.

http://i.imgur.com/oLipqgK.jpg

I sat at the top of Whiterun looking down (during the areas of ~50% GPU usage) and then looked up away at the sky (rendering just the skybox) which is represented by the two spikes to ~99% GPU usage. I'm no expert but to me this seems backwards. Also, I don't think HWMonitor is reading my +12V correctly unless I am looking at the wrong metric.

CPU temps seem fine.
 
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Cristi72

Cristi72

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Jun 25, 2014
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It seems that HWMonitor cannot properly interpret the values given by motherboard's sensors; try to read the voltage values in BIOS. Your mobo doesn't have its own monitoring software?
 
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G

Guest

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The mobo monitor seems to be reading it correctly, the lowest it went was 11.989 so I'm guessing there is something else going on instead of the PSU. I still don't understand why the GPU usage is lower during stressed periods and maxed out during low stress periods :|
From everything I've read I'm starting to think that Bethesda just did a poor job in optimizing their game.

I guess I should also mention that I am not obsessive over FPS. As long as the game is smooth and I don't notice any choppiness then I'm fine, I just don't want my GPU taking a nap on me when I need it the most.
 
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Mahisse

Mahisse

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Nov 26, 2012
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And that is why should test with other games before trying to make any conclusion out of it. Also try to run a benchmark.

you can also try this:
Install Latest drivers,
Go to NVidia Control Panel -> Manage 3D settings -> Power Menagement mode -> Prefer maximum performance.
Also it may be possible for you to set a "maximum performance option" in EVGA's GPU utility tool's power management.
 
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Cristi72

Cristi72

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Jun 25, 2014
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Usually that means your CPU cannot keep up with the GPU. However, you said that none of the cores are not maxing out, so it is a little bit weird (it can be indeed the game itself, it can be the mods you are using)... Do a test: set the CPU to its default clock and see if the CPU/GPU usage changes. Some applications are very sensitive to OC and sometimes they work worse on overclocked systems.
 
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Cristi72

Cristi72

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It could be indeed the PSU, as you have said in your first post (even for the best PSUs, a 7-year stint derates the power specs, and especially for the new graphics cards it could be a problem because of their agressive power features which can go from idle to 100% power draw in milliseconds), but it could also be your motherboard (the PCI-E slot cannot supply enough power; a PCI-E 3.0 card should work in a PCI-E 2.0 slot, as both have the same power specs, but sometimes it just doesn't work properly).

Are you having another devices connected in the PCI-E x16 slots?
 
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G

Guest

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Only the GPU is taking up a slot. Also there is a molex plug on the mobo that provides auxiliary power to the GPU.
 
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Cristi72

Cristi72

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That 4-pin Molex is used when doing Crossfire/SLI, so for your setup is not mandatory. Of course, if you used it and still has the same problem, then remains either a PSU, a GPU or a software problem (if you have a spare HDD, disconnect all other HDD/SSDs, install a new OS and see if the problem replicates). Ideally, you should use the PSU and the GPU on another system and see how it performs.
 
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