FPS issues - related to GTX 970? PSU?

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jiseman

Commendable
Dec 16, 2016
9
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1,510
Hello everyone! I'm having some trouble running Overwatch smoothly and wondered if anyone could help? I think my rig is fast enough that I shouldn't be having issues, and my ping is never above 30.

The problem: I'm just looking to stay stable at 60 FPS (monitor cap), but have been dipping into the high 20's and low 30's when things get particularly "busy" in game. I'm running the game at it's lowest graphics setting (though my GPU application suggests that my system should be able to run it at much higher settings). I have taken all the small steps I know of to help (closing all background applications, closing battlenet launcher in particular, updating GPU drivers), but sense there is a problem outside my range of knowledge. In particular, I have read that PSU's can be limiting if options are not set correctly, though I will admit not knowing the "correct" way of setting them, or how to approach doing so.

Any suggestions for fixes, or paths to take in diagnosing the problem would be very welcome. And keep in mind, you're talking to someone who just built their first PC a year ago (this one, though it's worth mentioning this is the only problem I've had with it).

My specs for your reference:

Intel i5 - 3.2 ghz CPU
H97M Micro ATX Motherboard
8gb DDR RAM
250gb 2.5 SSD Boot Drive
2tb 3.5 HDD Hard Drive
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 (Nvidia) GPU
Phanteks Entho EVOLV MicroATX mini tower case
XTX XTR 550 Watt Power Supply
Windows 10

Thanks in advance for those who reply!
 
Solution
I
The only downsides to raising the fan speed is more noise, and more wear and tear on the fan itself. I think keeping your temps under control are more important. I'm assuming your talking about the CPU fan speed, right?

I think you should start with re-applying your thermal paste. It's fairly simple with a stock heat sink, and is your cheapest option. If that still doesn't work, then you should consider a different heat sink/fan combo.

EDIT: And yes, that's a very nice case. I prefer more room to work in though.
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A

aylafan

Distinguished
Feb 24, 2006
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Yes, I agree something is wrong. I run a GTX 970 on a 27" 1440p monitor with almost everything on ultra settings and get 60-80 FPS in Overwatch. However, I do have Dynamic Reflections on medium in Overwatch since that affects FPS the most.

I don't think it's the PSU since the GTX 970 pulls like 145W and the PSU is a good quality one. However, you never know; it could be failing? I'm not sure what could be the cause; have you checked your temperatures on your CPU and GPU when your FPS dip to the 20s and 30s?
 
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J

jiseman

Commendable
Dec 16, 2016
9
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1,510
Glad to hear you agree something is off aylafan.

It was suggested to me to run some software called Core Temp to measure this. I'll do so and report back here.
 
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I

imrazor

Distinguished
Dec 28, 2009
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Temperature could be an issue here, especially if you have a cramped case with poor airflow. IIRC, CoreTemp just returns CPU temperatures. It would be more useful to get GPU, CPU and ambient temps. A utility like Speedfan or HWMonitor can tell you the other temperatures in your case.

Do you have issues with other games, or just Overwatch? Do things slow down just when there's a lot of on-screen activity? Have you switched your power options to 'High Performance'?
 
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J

jiseman

Commendable
Dec 16, 2016
9
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1,510
Yes, I'm running high seventies to low eighties C, just doing idle work, under 10% load. Something is amiss there.

Checked the heat sink fan, it's going. Case fans both running. My intel chipset drivers are out of date, but I'm struggling to get the driver utility to update. I run as normal, it downloads, says it's installed and I need to restart.... but upon restart is not installed.

I am just using stock fans and the stock heat sink that came with the case, but a friend is telling me that I should invest in a better heat sink to solve this issue (like a Corsair hydro series, etc.). Perhaps that's the avenue to try.
 
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J

jiseman

Commendable
Dec 16, 2016
9
0
1,510


Ah, did not see this before using core temp. I'll try your suggestion. Thanks!
 
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imrazor

Distinguished
Dec 28, 2009
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19,665
Over 80 Celsius at idle is very bad. Under load your CPU (assuming you got that from CoreTemp), your CPU is probably exceeding 90 Celsius. I looked at your case; it's pretty nice with the 200mm fan in front and 140mm in the rear, but it's probably cramped inside. Are both fans still operating? The 200mm fan is obscured by the front panel and it may not be obvious if it's stopped spinning.

EDIT: Ah, I saw that you said both case fans were running. Do you have a lot of loose cables in your case blocking airflow? Your friend could be right about a new heatsink, but it may just be that you need to reapply some thermal paste to the CPU. Check your ambient temperature as well to make sure the cooling in the case is OK, too.
 
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J

jiseman

Commendable
Dec 16, 2016
9
0
1,510


The ambient temp seems right, but yes, once loaded, the CPU is hitting mid to high nineties. It's becoming clear it's a heatsink issue I think.

I went into the UEFI and noticed that the heatsink speed was not set to "performance." At low graphics settings in the game this seemed to help a bit, but when I bumped the graphics to medium, the temps raised back up into the mid nineties. I was considering setting the fan to run at full speed, full time (as that is an option in the UEFI) but wasn't sure if there was a downside to this? I think I'll still consider upgrading the heat sink and re-pasting, but before I do - what are your thoughts on cranking the fan?

Thanks for all your help!

EDIT: No loose cables, everything is tied off behind a wall. It's a very nice case on the whole, and allowed for a clean build in that sense.
 
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I

imrazor

Distinguished
Dec 28, 2009
1,075
5
19,665
The only downsides to raising the fan speed is more noise, and more wear and tear on the fan itself. I think keeping your temps under control are more important. I'm assuming your talking about the CPU fan speed, right?

I think you should start with re-applying your thermal paste. It's fairly simple with a stock heat sink, and is your cheapest option. If that still doesn't work, then you should consider a different heat sink/fan combo.

EDIT: And yes, that's a very nice case. I prefer more room to work in though.
 
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Solution
J

jiseman

Commendable
Dec 16, 2016
9
0
1,510


I am talking about the CPU fan speed, yes.

Okay, I'll order the parts, and just crank the fan speed until they get here so nothing tragic happens. Thanks for the help, and I'll report back here with what difference the paste and/or new heatsink make.
 
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J

jiseman

Commendable
Dec 16, 2016
9
0
1,510


So, I bought a new fan and some thermal paste. Took everything apart, cleaned off the old thermal paste with some rubbing alcohol, applied the new paste, and put the new fan on the CPU. Since then I haven't crossed over 48 C, and my performance issues are completely gone. I can run Overwatch at Ultra settings without issue. Thanks for all the help and great suggestions!
 
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