Graphics card being forced to run at 99% load (after a fresh install and card upgrade)

Sswo

Prominent
May 24, 2017
2
0
510
System specs:
CPU - i7 6700k
MOBO: ASUS Z170 Deluxe
RAM: 32GB Vengeance DDR4 @3000mhz
GPU: MSI ARMOR GTX970 >> ASUS STRIX GTX1070 OC
AIO: NZXT X52 Kraken
SSD: Samsung 950 evo 500gb
PSU: EVGA P2 750w supernova

So there is a lot of things going on in my case. Originally I was using a GTX970 and I was playing the majority of my games at high-very high at 140+ fps and my graphics card would run at 70%-80%~ load. Then after a friend had told me to change my AIO from front facing pull the top facing push and rearranging other fans when I booted next my games ran at 70-80fps and 98-99% load under the same settings.

Since then I have reinstalled windows, re-configured fans to try and trouble shoot to no avail. I used DDU to uninstall graphics drivers and start from scratch and nothing. So initially i thought ok card is probably running into trouble so I bit the bullet and upgraded card and got strix GTX1070 OC edition. I put the card in load up some games... 99% load immediately under same settings, granted FPS has increased but take R6 siege for example, under max settings its only using 4100mb of total 8100mb of graphical power, there should be no way that its forcing the card to run under max load. I'm getting these readings from after burner, gpu-z and nxzt cam software. I have tried once again to fresh install windows erasing all previous partitions in the hopes it had nothing to do with conflicting drivers but no luck.

on top of that I am starting to hear a tickle coming from the RAM modules...

Freaked out atm.. anyone have any clues?