Low FPS in many games, good PC

[auralz]

http://www.techspot.com/community/topics/low-fps-in-games-with-low-gpu-cpu-usage.183786/

This thread details basically every problem I have though I am not the author.

Specs

http://i.imgur.com/XhAvk.png

And an XFX 6970

To summarize, I basically get sustained low fps(20-30) in intense situations such as teamfights in HoN/LoL/Smite or big fights in SC2 but the GPU/CPU usage hangs around 20-30%, so when they should be throttling up, they choose not to, and instead I have to look at a choppy FPS instead of my hardware doing what it should. This is all with Vsync on, as games look quite choppy without it among the other annoying caveats of Vsync-less gaming.

Please help, I'm desperate!

On a seperate, sort of unrelated note, my display drivers crash if I change from the default clock on my GPU, even if I change it 1mhz up or down.

Here is a pic of the FPS spikes I am referring to(in game, Smite)

http://i.imgur.com/OHUEx.png

 

[kevin83]

You're first link is broken in my browser.

You're looking at several potential issues. You should reinstall the latest amd catalyst driver and try using MSI Afterburner for gpu tweaking.
You should also look into the temperatures on your components, if you are overheating the pc could be throttling itself instead of shutting off.
It would be very helpful to know the power supply manufacturer/model number as well, if your components aren't receiving enough power you could be throttling yourself.

 

[auralz]

You're first link is broken in my browser.

You're looking at several potential issues. You should reinstall the latest amd catalyst driver and try using MSI Afterburner for gpu tweaking.
You should also look into the temperatures on your components, if you are overheating the pc could be throttling itself instead of shutting off.
It would be very helpful to know the power supply manufacturer/model number as well, if your components aren't receiving enough power you could be throttling yourself.

Link fixed. I have tried that and I use Afterburner. My temperatures are well within normal ranges, and my power supply is an OCZ 700w. Well enough for my setup.

 

[Tavo_Nova]

how about an update?

if you tried that then hmm maybe there is something wrong with your card.

 

[auralz]

An update of what?

 

[kevin83]

Have you tried (as goebbels did) reinstalling the OS and all relevant motherboard, chipset, and graphics drivers? This often fixes such issues. If this does not fix the situation it is certainly possible that any of your components could be causing the issue. For instance, many games only use certain features of DirectX, so the ones that don't use features broken on your card will still run.
I would personally guess your graphics card is the issue.

 

[auralz]

Well, the OS as well as all drivers are a fresh install, it's a brand new PC. But it seems unlikely that a defect would cause the GPU to not throttle up as much as it should as opposed to dieing altogether. Another thought of mine was, maybe I am just very picky and the games just have poor optimization, so I see spikes because things are happening before the game has a chance to tell the GPU to render more.

I don't really know what I am trying to communicate here, besides that it could just be something everyone experiences and I just notice it.

 

[vrumor]

Try a different PSU in your system. It may be enough to power it all, but OCZ is not known as a great brand as far as PSUs go. THey are quite shite.

 

[auralz]

I don't have another PSU. So what if I order it and it it turns out that isn't the problem, i'm just out 100+ dollars?

http://i.imgur.com/OHUEx.png

Here is a picture of the FPS spikes I am talking about, in Smite.

 

[vrumor]

Well dunno, But f you dont try another PSU in your system, and theproblem persists, then what?

 

[auralz]

Well dunno, But f you dont try another PSU in your system, and theproblem persists, then what?

Well, what do you think? Is the FPS shown in the screenshots just normal for any game or should it literally be 59/60 100% of the time?

 

[auralz]

Update: I have done some monitoring of my resources while playing Smite(MOBA) and the highest usage my CPU got to was 50% and my GPU saw a max of 60%, but my FPS was hanging around 30-40 in larger fights.

Just trying to determine if this is normal or if it may be indicating a problem with my GPU/PSU and also what I could tweak to fix it.

 

[kevin83]

SMITE, being a very cutting-edge game and focused on large online battle scenarios, seems to me something that would tax a system's cpu to around 50-60 percent while hitting the GPU hard.
Being an online game it could certainly be due to internet lag, also the game is in beta so it's sure to have issues.
You should test with something more proven and not internet-dependent like Unigine Heaven. This will give us a better understanding of your system's capability as opposed to the effects of one game.

 

[auralz]

SMITE, being a very cutting-edge game and focused on large online battle scenarios, seems to me something that would tax a system's cpu to around 50-60 percent while hitting the GPU hard.
Being an online game it could certainly be due to internet lag, also the game is in beta so it's sure to have issues.
You should test with something more proven and not internet-dependent like Unigine Heaven. This will give us a better understanding of your system's capability as opposed to the effects of one game.

Thanks for the reply. The scenario I gave is literally identical for every game. Take League of Legends; my hardware functions as normal, until there is a large fight and my frames will dip to 40ish. In a GPU stress test like Heavendx11 or similar, my hardware acts as expected. Also, certain games, like Eve Online, utilize my GPU to its fullest when the situation arises, which leads me to believe it's a coding issue with games and I am just being picky.

As for what you said about Smite, it doesn't hit the GPU as hard as expected, and the CPU like I said, maxed around 50%.

 

[kevin83]

I would look into your network performance to see if you should switch ISPs to something more reliable, it sounds like it could be an issue with your internet connection.

 

[auralz]

I would look into your network performance to see if you should switch ISPs to something more reliable, it sounds like it could be an issue with your internet connection.

I don't see how it could have anything to do with my internet connection, and I recently switched providers and nothing changed.

 

[kevin83]

What I'm saying is that you've correctly identified a link between games that are connected to the internet heavily having weird performance and benchmark tests not. It would be nice to see stress tests on the system coming from other benchmark suites (Specifically Unigine Heaven) and possibly other intensive games like starcraft 2, Civ 5, and Dirt 3 which don't necessarily rely on the internet connection.
If these non-online games hit the gpu OR the cpu at 100%, then you probably have no hardware issues. This would indicate the online games need a better bandwidth from the ISP. If the offline games don't fully tax the cpu or gpu then you should be worried about malfunctioning hardware.

 

[auralz]

I get similar performance in SC2 SP, where it won't utilize the GPU but I have 20 FPS, which is the main reason I don't play it.

 

[auralz]

Hello once again, I have definitely had an effect on my issue by switching my GPU from one PCIE slot to the other. What does this mean, in essence?

 

[kevin83]

If it was in the first slot and you moved it to the second slot that would mean a defect on the motherboard. If it was in the second or third slot and you moved it to the first slot you could have been bandwidth limiting the card. Some motherboards limit the secondary or tertiary slots to x8/x4 speeds, which shouldn't affect anything, but certainly can.

 

[auralz]

Well, this issue is still persisting, I think it may have something to do with the CPU. More ideas are appreciated.

 

[vrumor]

Spose you didnt try another PSU. Thermaltake from what ive read has put some highly polished pieces of crap out masquerading as PSUs. You should be able to max out any of the games you listed at max resolution wth your setup. So until you try another PSU, who knows. Can always buy one at a brick and mortar store, Best Buys are everywhere, and return it if it isnt the problem. XFX, Corsair, PC Power and Cooling, Seasonic are all quality brands. TT isnt.

 

[auralz]

Spose you didnt try another PSU. Thermaltake from what ive read has put some highly polished pieces of crap out masquerading as PSUs. You should be able to max out any of the games you listed at max resolution wth your setup. So until you try another PSU, who knows. Can always buy one at a brick and mortar store, Best Buys are everywhere, and return it if it isnt the problem. XFX, Corsair, PC Power and Cooling, Seasonic are all quality brands. TT isnt.

Thank you for the idea, I might have to head to Best Buy. My PSU is an OCZ, not a thermaltake.

 

[vrumor]

OCZ, TT, both pretty crappy. Its worth a shot ya know?

 

[auralz]

Noted. I will head to best buy tomorrow and plug in a different PSU and update this, thanks.