Dying i7 4790k? Please help <3

Matezudo · July 3, 2019

Hello guys, I have an intel i7 4790k( in stock) for 2 years now, it has been an amazing processor. I used to play Overwatch, pubg, bf at higher fps due to my GTX 1080. But, in the last couple of months it has been suffering, the cpu usage goes straight to 100% in those games now in high density areas, and the cpu temp gets top 80C on hot summer's days ! I don't know what is happening and i have already reinstalled the system and drivers!

suchamoneypit · July 3, 2019

What you are describing is a CPU bottleneck. If the CPU is always pinned at 100% trying to keep up with your 1080, it will also get pretty hot depending on your cooling solution. A way to try and reduce this bottleneck (which might cause stuttering in games) would be to overclock it. You could also limit your frame rate by using an in-game frame rate limiter or VSYNC, this way your GPU doesn't work as hard by rendering the game at like 200FPS which puts a high load on the CPU. Also, if the CPU is getting really hot because of summer, it might even not be boosting to as high a clock rate because of the high temps and this would exaggerate the CPU bottleneck even more. So on second thought maybe don't overclock as you seem to already be at the limits of your cooling solution. If your CPU is always running that hot, then the best short term solution might be a better cooler. Its certainly not healthy for the CPU to be so hot all the time.

kiwibacon · July 3, 2019

53 minutes ago, Matezudo said:

Hello guys, I have an intel i7 4790k( in stock) for 2 years now, it has been an amazing processor. I used to play Overwatch, pubg, bf at higher fps due to my GTX 1080. But, in the last couple of months it has been suffering, the cpu usage goes straight to 100% in those games now in high density areas, and the cpu temp gets top 80C on hot summer's days ! I don't know what is happening and i have already reinstalled the system and drivers!

Same here. 3800x cant come soon enough.

Srnewbee · July 3, 2019

28 minutes ago, suchamoneypit said:

What you are describing is a CPU bottleneck. If the CPU is always pinned at 100% trying to keep up with your 1080, it will also get pretty hot depending on your cooling solution. A way to try and reduce this bottleneck (which might cause stuttering in games) would be to overclock it. You could also limit your frame rate by using an in-game frame rate limiter or VSYNC, this way your GPU doesn't work as hard by rendering the game at like 200FPS which puts a high load on the CPU. Also, if the CPU is getting really hot because of summer, it might even not be boosting to as high a clock rate because of the high temps and this would exaggerate the CPU bottleneck even more. So on second thought maybe don't overclock as you seem to already be at the limits of your cooling solution. If your CPU is always running that hot, then the best short term solution might be a better cooler. Its certainly not healthy for the CPU to be so hot all the time.

its not a bottleneck, I had a 3770k (weakly oced to 4.1) coupled with a 1080 gtx. The GPU usage was always higher than CPU usage in 99% of the games I played. I happen to play all sorts, ranging from Overwatch to Civilization V.

@matezudo so let me get this straight. You claim that you did not have this problem before and this 100% usage started recently?

If you did not install any new hardware, then it must be a software issue. I am suspecting two things

1) malware/ miner program

2) windows update

If it is a malware, run a malware scan and see what is eating up your CPU.

If it is a windows update, roll back to the previous version or update it further.

1080 is not powerful enough to bottleneck a 4790k. My slower 3770k ran just fine. A 1080TI would most likely bottleneck it slightly.

On a different note, if you are hitting 80 degrees during gaming session, you have a HUGE cooling issue. During gaming, it should max around at 75 degrees max. Run prime 95 blend test for about 30 minutes. Use realtemp to monitor your temps. Make sure the chip never hits above 85 degrees. I think you should wash your heatsink and reinstall the fans. (if the temp increase was rather sudden, then I suspect that one of your fans are either dead or a due to poor cable management, one of them is not spinning.)