I7-4770k usage problems while gaming

Dman8846 · Sep 22, 2014

So this problem really starts off with the games I have been playing. I just built this new pc and trying to run csgo and bf4 on it. They both play smooth and have high fps. The problem is they sometimes have unplayable lag spikes. By pulling on graphs on bf4 and using afterburner for them on CS it was clear to me that I was experiencing heavy cpu spikes. In BF4 I get them randomly after five minutes of gameplay-not in any specific moment just completely random.Csgo is a different story. In that game my cpu 2 and 4 both drop to 0% usage while playing so I have no idea whats going on. The things I have considered doing are turning up the processor states and upgrading to windows 8.1. With the processor state though- I have tried many options to get it to show up but with no luck. I will leave it at that, so if you can help me find a way to turn them on or give me a suggestion thanks. I will leave the options I have explored and my specs below!

Things I have tried-
Updating and using both stable and beta drivers
Setting clocks back to default
trying dx11 and mantle on bf4
tried almost every way to get processor state (turning off intel virtualization, turning on high performance mode, downloading regedit accesories)

Specs
I7-4770K- stock, hyper threading on
corsair H80i
msi z97m gaming
Msi r9 290 gaming
8gb g.skill sniper ram
ss 840 evo 128gb ssd
seagate barracuda 2tb hdd
seasonic x 850w
Bitfenix prodigy m

Darkbreeze · Sep 22, 2014

Try disabling turbo boost in the BIOS and then go into control panel power options in Windows and set the power scheme to performance. If that doesn't do the trick you may need to change from any auto settings for the cpu to manual settings, or even setting a manual overclock with a set multiplier and voltage to stop the multiplier and voltage from jumping around.

Darkbreeze · Sep 22, 2014

Might also want to see if there is a more current BIOS update available for your board that might have some stability updates in the firmware.

Dman8846 · Sep 22, 2014

Darkbreeze :

Okay, my first response is that I already had turbo boost disabled and should I check how the game runs or was that a fix for the processor state? It is still not showing up. Second, I forgot to mention that the cpu was already tested and worked out fine. I had a different power supply and a r9 280x instead two weeks ago and it was running fine. It wasnt until I got the new stuff that these problems arose. Just wondering if that made a difference in deciding for a bios update. Thanks for the speedy reply!

Darkbreeze · Sep 22, 2014

Well, your new PSU is about as good as it gets in my opinion. Anything made by Seasonic is a good PSU. The R9 290 might make things work a bit different than with the 280x, but probably not horrifically different. What version of the Catalyst drivers are you running? A lot of people have updated to the 14.7 stable beta drivers and found that issues in many games were resolved. If the gaming is online it could be related to the Ethernet cards demands on the cpu too. You might want to make sure you have the lastest drivers for your network adapter as well. You can get the Catalyst 14.7 drivers for your R9 290 here:

http://support.amd.com/en-us/download/desktop?os=Windows%208.1%20-%2064

What version of Windows and what bit version are you running?

Dman8846 · Sep 23, 2014

Darkbreeze :

I have been running 14.7 with this card but I also tried 14.4 for a little while back. I have windows 7 professional 64 bit. I will try to update my Ethernet card driver later this evening. Thanks for the support so far!

RobCrezz · Sep 23, 2014

I would be tempted to do a complete wipe and reinstall with the bare minimum (games and drivers) and test, just to see if it is hardware or software problem.

Dman8846 · Sep 23, 2014

Darkbreeze :

My motherboard sets all of the OC settings on auto and I have no idea how to turn it off. I have looked at the manual and messed with it myself but with no luck.

Darkbreeze · Sep 23, 2014

Well, after re-reading your initial post, I'm kind of confused once again as to what the problem actually is. You say yur concern is that two of the cores drop to 0%, but that's completely normal on multiple core CPUs. Unless there is an extremely high demand on the CPU, which gaming usually does not create since the GPU carries the bulk of the load, there will almost always be at least one or two cores that look like they're not doing anything. Since most games are not taking advantage of multithreading to any great degree, you probably only need one or two to keep the GPU happy. And I'm not sure what you mean by "turning up the processor states"? The processor states, if you're talking about the C states, are generally either enabled or disabled. There really is no turning them up or down. Upgrading to windows 8.1 would probably be a good idea as you would have much better hardware driver support from the hardware vendors.

Dman8846 · Sep 23, 2014

Darkbreeze :

Thats helpful to know. And by processor states I mean when you go to control panel/power options/change plan settings/change advanced plan settings/processor power management there is supposed to be a minimum and a maximum processor state to force the cpu into running the usage amount you set. For me I dont have that option and I have tried multiple ways to get it to show up.

Darkbreeze · Sep 23, 2014

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, ok. I understand now. And suddenly the clouds parted and the sun shone through. (Insert big stupid smile here) Let me work on that. That might be a chipset issue.

Darkbreeze · Sep 23, 2014

Since I don't know exactly what MSI provided drivers you've installed, and which ones you left alone after the initial Windows 7 installation, I'd recommend installing the following MSI provided drivers for your motherboard which are available at the following link:

http://us.msi.com/support/mb/Z97M_GAMING.html#down-driver&Win7 64

I'd download and install the Intel Management Engine driver and the Intel chipset driver which are the fourth and the last listed items.

The chipset driver was released this month and the management driver was released in May, so they might very well be solutions for the problems you are experiencing. Install the, reboot and see if the power options are now available. If not, we'll look into it further.

Dman8846 · Sep 24, 2014

Darkbreeze :

No luck for any of the suggestions yet. It the cpu is still spiking at random moments and now I have noticed another issue. My gpu is downclocking itself(from my oc of 1020mhz all the way down to 850mhz while full load gaming) as if it were throttling. I know it is not though because it stays at its target temperature.(Which another issue I have is no way to change target temp from 94, because the setting is missing. So much bad luck) I appreciate the support so far but I do not want to strain the people helping me too much so if there is no noticeable solution to my issue then feel free to tell me. Thanks!

RobCrezz · Sep 25, 2014

RobCrezz :

Did you try this?

Dman8846 · Sep 27, 2014

RobCrezz :

I do not think it will work because with all the games I have played on this system it has the same issue. Random spikes and my gpu not going above 850mhz while gaming. I think I will just take it to a computer store to see if they can figure it out. I dont know at this point.

Darkbreeze · Sep 27, 2014

Which makes it even more likely that you will end up with a fresh install as most of the local repair shop techs, most, not all, are less knowledgeable than many of the members and moderators here.

Dman8846 · Sep 30, 2014

Darkbreeze :

Well no change so far. Any last ditch efforts, otherwise I am just going to leave the situation where it lies and deal with it at a later date (or not at all). Thanks for support and sorry for keeping you waiting.

Darkbreeze · Sep 30, 2014

Well, if you don't have installation media for the operating system in order to do a clean install, or don't feel comfortable doing one, then maybe it's best to take it in and have them do it. Hope it does resolve the issue for your either way. How frustrating, I know. Good luck to you on getting it resolved if you go that route.

I7-4770k usage problems while gaming

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