GTX 1070 60% GPU Usage causing low FPS?

Chrionz

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Jan 19, 2017
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So, I have a MSI Gaming X GTX 1070 (Not OC'd) and an i7 6700k OC'd to 4.4ghz connected to a 600w power supply and all running through a 1080p 60hz monitor. In games such as Battlefield 1 with ultra settings and v-sync off, my GPU usage stays around 60% and for a second it goes up to 96%, but other benchmarks I've seen with the same specs as me shows the GPU running at 99%. CPU usage has a range of about 70% to 80%. In turn, I'm getting about 10-20fps under what others are getting. Overwatch doesn't use 100% either, but I am getting the proper amount of FPS. Checked the settings in NVIDIA and its set to max performance, Windows PCI Link State Power Management is set to off, and I uninstalled the drivers with DDU and reinstalled. Still nothing. I'm honestly at my wits end because it's taking a hit on my performance. Here are some FPS ranges (All settings are maxed at 1080p):

Firestrike: 15,229

BF1 Conquest (Fao Fortress): 60-90fps. (Lower than others)

BF4: Lower than others

Overwatch (Temple of Anubis): Over 150fps (Seems on par with others)

Resident Evil 7: On par with others


Is anyone else getting these same marks? If not, how do I stop my GPU from not being utilized?

Edit: Added more info.
 
Solution
That shows your GPU score about the same as mine, which is normal. Your total score shows to be in the largest group, but there is a reasonable sized group with a higher score, which are likely those with heavy OC's, as you do have a very popular CPU for high end benchmarking.

The_Staplergun

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Jan 30, 2017
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Throttling. Turn on Vsync.

GPU Boost is built in to modern cards.

It limits you based on TDP, Voltage, or heat, which is a fine balance.
It throttles you starting at 50c, getting harder at 55, and choking at 60c.

If heat isn't a problem, TDP could be, which is effected by voltage. You'll hit TDP OR Voltage limits if the heat isn't a problem.

If your TDP is high enough (which I believe caps at 120% on most 10 series cards), then you could be limited by voltages. If your voltages are high enough, you could just be limited by total TDP throughput. Everything uses the card in different ways. Doing furmark caps me at TDP because it just doesn't make the card hot enough to throttle it. Using heaven as a benchmark caps me with heat because I have it set to 120% and it stays at 100% on heaven, but keeps going over 50c even at 100% fans.

USE VSYNC. It's an absolute waste to not use it unless you're doing a benchmark, which is based on how many frames your system generates in the end. It just makes your card do extra work, which makes it generate more heat, which could potentially throttle it more.
 


The 10xx series cards do not throttle till they reach 82C

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_1070/28.html

Idle temperatures are excellent, which is no wonder since the fans don't stop in idle. During gaming, the card goes above 82°C, which results in lower clocks due to Boost 3.0.

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_1070_Gaming_X/28.html
Idle temperatures are excellent, which is no wonder since the fans don't stop in idle. During gaming, the card goes above 82°C, which results in lower clocks due to Boost 3.0.

https://videocardz.com/60838/msi-geforce-gtx-1080-gaming-x-is-much-better-than-founders-edition

https://cdn.videocardz.com/1/2016/06/GTX-1080-FE-clocks-over-time.png

The reference card (orange) is clearly throttling ... the MSI card is clearly not throttling at 70C
 

The_Staplergun

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No, pascal thermally throttles at around every 10c starting at 50c. The throttle becomes more and more harsh as it goes up. The max temp throttle just absolutely chokes it until it can get below those temps, its a hard cap.

The 50c+ steps are small clock reductions that compound on each other. The Temp Target is where it just actually throttles it back more than just a smaller amount.
I've got a 1080. I experienced this last night. To reach my highest clock (without changing the overclock settings), I had to TURN THE FANS TO 100%. I had to keep the temps below 50c. If they broke 50c, or even 55c, it throttled it pretty bad, ~50-100 MHz, possibly more. It generally varied.
 

Chrionz

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Update: BF1 WILL use the 94-97% of the GPU about half the time. However, it will go down to 60% for a few minutes, even though the temps are fine
 

The_Staplergun

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Download MSI Afterburner. You don't have to OC the card, but use it to monitor how much TDP, Voltage, and Heat you're getting.
Since you have an MSI card you probably have it. It's a really useful program.
I have a ASUS GTX 1080 Strix 1607 base clock edition. GPU Tweak (asus software) didn't work. MSI Afterburner? See the results:
192364.bda46c679bd025fffe7a6179aaf6535b.1600.jpg


Run either heaven or furmark to see which one it limits you on. Furmark will tell you exactly what's limiting the card, at the top of the screen as a readout. Heaven will work the card in a different manner, and it might limit you a different way, like I was saying earlier.
 

Chrionz

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From NVIDIA's webside http://prntscr.com/e8t22k
 

genthug

Honorable
Throttling is defined as being forced under BASE CLOCK due to other conditions inhibiting the chip. Most frequently, thermals. GPU Boost 3.0 kicking back the core clock every couple C is not throttling, as it does not go below it's base frequency. It does not even come close to throttling.

Given that it is not throttling--I would agree with the above, check power target. What PSU do you have?
 

The_Staplergun

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Ok, you're not reading obviously. Pascal structure GPU's are designed to slightly reduce the clock in steps, at compounding amounts to try to reduce overall load, whether TDP, Temp, or voltage limits. The Temp Target, which is set at 82c default, CAN BE CHANGED. This is the HARD THROTTLE point, basically the shutoff point. It doesn't quite turn off, but it severely hinders it. I own a 1080. I've attested to this testing pattern through attempts to overclock my card. I never once touched my max cap, which is set to 92, and I experienced stepped throttling until I decided to turn on my fans to 100%. If anyone tells you otherwise, they're not paying attention.

Yes, genthug, maybe throttling isn't the correct term. It does reduce the clocks, but not full on "throttle" until it hits the temp target.
 

The_Staplergun

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Well, you've backed my point, I just used the wrong word. My apologies. You're the expert here, I'm just trying to offer suggestions, since I JUST experienced this last night after a couple of hours of looking up why my 1080 kept kicking back its clock some.
 

Chrionz

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EVGA 650 GQ and in BF 1 Power % is 50.
 


A GFX card will show a higher clock when no load is applied... as soon as it is, it drops and the fan goes on... Typical behavior:

Card idle no fans on.... GPU = 55C ... 1935 Mhz
Load applied 1 fan on.... GPU = 60C ... 1920 Mhz
Load applied 2 fans on.... GPU = 65C ... 1910 Mhz

I can not account for this as I don't know what is causing boost clock to make this teeny cut. is it diverting power to the fans and chipping away at power to GPU ? But no, this is not throttling.

The difference between the orange line and the blue line in image above ... those 10 - 15 MHz drops are not throttling ... the 110 - 230 Mhz drops we see between the blue and orange lines above that's throttling.




 

The_Staplergun

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Again, I used the wrong term. It's GPU boost lowering the boosted clock slightly when the temps go over 50c. It doesnt do large throttling (below base clock) until you hit any of the limits, heat, TDP, voltage.

Use MSI afterburner or gpuz to monitor your output of those three. If it hits 50c+, 100%tdp or the max limit voltage on the upper right monitor in MSI afterburner, you will see slight to moderate reductions in clock speeds. Turn the fans to 100% temporarily using afterburner and see if you can get better frames.

If you're limited by TDP or voltage, at that point you're running max power. You can increase the limit to oc it or stay at what you have and just know the limit.
 

genthug

Honorable
Agreed, it's already been gone over. No need to say anything else.

If your power target is only hitting 50% and you're only using 60% of your GPU I'd say that's possibly an issue. Does it ever break the 50% mark? Does it fluctuate when BF1 works properly? I can't get my 1070 to go over 65% power target when I'm playing Hitman hitting max 90% usage.
 

genthug

Honorable


That doesn't account for 60% usage on the core. That would account for some lost frames; but OP is losing 40% of his core performance. When GPU boost steps the card back, it still reads the percentage in terms of what it can output at that moment in time.
 

Chrionz

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Yep. Said it in the original post.
 

Chrionz

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Fluxuates from 50-60. 60% being used when GPU is at 90+%
 

Chrionz

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How can I verify it?
 

Chrionz

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CPU temps don't go over 60. Have a corsair water cooler on it
 

The_Staplergun

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Use heaven and furmark and monitor in MSI afterburner. See if you hit any caps. Not the 100% GPU usage. Furmark tells you at the top. Heaven might, I didn't see it but other people said they did. MSI afterburner has speedometer style readouts that show the limits.