New Gpu usage fluctuates a bit.

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
G

ghostface97

Honorable
Jul 29, 2013
59
0
10,640
Hi, So I recently purchased a XFX r9 390 to replace a r9 280. So far it seems to doing alright, I have noticed something in the usage that seems a bit strange. So I have been using MSI afterburner to monitor temps, usage and fps. Well What I have noticed is that the GPU usage is not always constant. When I first start a game (GTA V, BF4) the usage sits at 0% and then slowly goes up to 100%, but it wont stay there for long! After a while, it starts dropping, it might drop and hang around 90%-99%. Then it just drops even more to 50-70, and sometimes even go as low as 0-15. It just goes all over the place, it is never constant at 99-100% which I remember my old r9 280 was. Something I have also noticed is when I stand still doing nothing, it drops to 0% and stays there for a bit till I start moving around. Anways, my problem is not really that the FPS drops or anything, is that even while the GPU usage fluctuates around quite a bit, the FPS doesnt really drop when it does. I have been reading of people who have this issue, but when their usage drops to 0% they usually experience freezes or FPS drops. When it happens to me, the FPS stats at a constant 60 FPS. Thats exactly why I find it strange! It could be at 99%, start dropping to 70% then 50% eventually 0%, but the FPS always stays at 60FPS. The temp never goes over 70C, the CPU runs at about 50-70%, with temp being at about 60C. Drivers are up to date. I am completely lost as to why this happens. Maybe even afternurner might be reading wrong? Even though the performance is not affected it does sort of worries me since I heard GPUs usually do run at 99%. The only thing I can think of is that I have a 550W PSU, and the recommended is 750W, but I was told that 550W should run it fine. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Full PC specs:
Intel i5 4590
XFX r9 390
Msi h81m-p33 Mob
XFX TS 550W
1Tb HDD
 
Solution
ingtar33
they only run at 99% when they're the bottleneck in your system. they run less then that when your cpu is the bottleneck or the game simply isn't enough to challange it.


with your cpu hovering around 50-70% utilization i'd say it's your cpu that's probably bottlenecking you a little bit, but it's not to the level of impacting performance. (50% typically means 2 cores are being fully utilized)

that or it's the title. i know GTAV has issues running off a hard drive, and that when it's not installed on an SSD you'll hit lag spikes when changing zones.

EITHER way, your gpu is functioning correctly.
Sort by date Sort by votes
ingtar33

ingtar33

Glorious
Dec 17, 2012
9,017
198
45,840
they only run at 99% when they're the bottleneck in your system. they run less then that when your cpu is the bottleneck or the game simply isn't enough to challange it.


with your cpu hovering around 50-70% utilization i'd say it's your cpu that's probably bottlenecking you a little bit, but it's not to the level of impacting performance. (50% typically means 2 cores are being fully utilized)

that or it's the title. i know GTAV has issues running off a hard drive, and that when it's not installed on an SSD you'll hit lag spikes when changing zones.

EITHER way, your gpu is functioning correctly.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
G

ghostface97

Honorable
Jul 29, 2013
59
0
10,640


Thanks! I would have never though that it would be due to a bottleneck, but it does make sense. I won't have any complications in the future due to a bottleneck though would I?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ingtar33

ingtar33

Glorious
Dec 17, 2012
9,017
198
45,840


all computers, from the top end supercomputers to the 10 yo pentium 4 rotting in a basement are bottlenecked by something as they're litterally only as fast as the slowest part. so your system is always operating with a bottleneck. what matters is where that bottleneck is. If your system is capped at 120fps by a cpu bottleneck, and you're on a 60hz monitor, the reality is it's your monitor that's the "real" bottleneck as you can't even see the bottleneck created by the cpu.

in fact monitor bottlenecks are pretty flippin' common. when i see all those people buying high end intel cpus and top dog gpus and their monitor is a 1080p 60hz unit i sorta die a little inside. because they spent all that money to get top dog performance only to be capped at the same 60fps anyone with a $70 cpu and $120 gpu is stuck at.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom