PC Performance Is Running UNDER Expectations

[Draine97]

Hi there,

 

Well let's start with my specs.

 

OS: Windows 10 Education 10.0.18362 Build 18362

MB: Asrock Z170 Pro4

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K @ 4.00GHz

CPU-cooler: Coolermaster Masterliquid 240

RAM: 2x8GB (Corsair Vengeance LPX CMK16GX4M2A2133C13)

GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Gaming OC 6G

CASE:  NZXT S340 Elite White

PSU: be quiet! Power Zone 650W

Monitor: Philips 276E8VJSB (4k)

DRIVES:

• Samsung SSD EVO 960 250GB nvme (boot drive)
• Samsung SSD EVO 850 250GB sata600
• Seagate ST2000DX001 2TB

 

So, my problem. It says it in the title. 

I thought I should have the horsepower to play decent games at 1440p.

But even on 1080p I rarely reach 60-70 fps.

How can this be? I have nothing overclocked...

 

Extra info: Sometimes the CPU-temp spikes to 67 degrees while idle, normal temp on idle 35 degrees.

 

If more information is needed than please let me know.

 

 

 

 

 

[PopsicleHustler]

Is your CPU overclocked? Spikes to 67c at idle under water cooler look suspicious.

[Draine97]

@PopsicleHustler Nope, nothing

[.Apex.]

3 minutes ago, Draine97 said:

But even on 1080p I rarely reach 60-70 fps.

This doesn't say much, which game? at what settings?

[PopsicleHustler]

Just now, Draine97 said:

@PopsicleHustler Nope, nothing

Have you monitored CPU and GPU temperatures under load to make sure that nothing is thermal throttling?

[Draine97]

1 minute ago, _Syn_ said:

This doesn't say much, which game? at what settings?

Battlefield 1 - High settings

Apex Legend - Medium settings

Rainbow Six Siege - High settings

[Mr.Humble]

I'm not sure a 1660Ti is a 1440p high capable GPU.

I agree with @_Syn_ and @PopsicleHustler though - we need more information.
 

What games are you playing, what settings, resolution. How many FPS are you getting in those.

What temperatures do you get from a monitoring software like HWiNFO?

 

Try running a stress test like Prime95 or AIDA64 and give us the sustained CPU clocks and temperature.

[.Apex.]

Just now, Draine97 said:

Battlefield 1 - High settings

Apex Legend - Medium settings

Rainbow Six Siege - High settings

and the FPS for each game?

[Draine97]

4 minutes ago, PopsicleHustler said:

Have you monitored CPU and GPU temperatures under load to make sure that nothing is thermal throttling?

While gaming:

GPU max temp ~80 degrees

CPU max temp ~72

[Draine97]

Okay - UPDATE

 

while running Prime95 as a suggestion. The results after 10 minute are as seen in the image below 

 

I notice that Core #1 is throttling, what can i do about it?

 

EDIT: i did not have HW info open while running the test... like a noob 

 

 

[samcool55]

Can you try to run unigine superposition and cinebench r15?

links: https://benchmark.unigine.com/superposition

https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/cinebench-15-download.html

 

Cinebench R15 multi-core should be around 900

Superposition should be around 3300 on 1080p extreme, 8500 on 1080p high and 11500 on 1080p medium.

 

With that information we should be able to figure out what's wrong (or at least have a clue/indication)

[Mr.Humble]

9 minutes ago, Draine97 said:

Okay - UPDATE

 

while running Prime95 as a suggestion. The results after 10 minute are as seen in the image below 

 

I notice that Core #1 is throttling, what can i do about it?

 

EDIT: i did not have HW info open while running the test... like a noob 

 

 

Spoiler

 

Those temperatures suggest to me one or multiple of:

 

1: incorrect AiO installation - make sure the cooler is properly attached to the CPU, there's no foreign objects between the cooling plate and CPU, and thermal paste is applied (correctly - not too much)

2: improper fan configuration - override your fan settings to 100% and try again. Make sure both fans are working, let us know how you have them (push/pull, position of the radiator in the case etc)

3: a pump malfunction / failure - make sure the pump is connected to a proper header (I think Z170 boards already started having dedicated pump 4-pins), try a different header to see if it's the motherboard.

[samcool55]

4 minutes ago, Draine97 said:

Okay - UPDATE

 

while running Prime95 as a suggestion. The results after 10 minute are as seen in the image below 

 

I notice that Core #1 is throttling, what can i do about it?

 

EDIT: i did not have HW info open while running the test... like a noob 

 

 

-snip-

Let's hope it's just a bad mount.

What you can do is remove the CPU and re-apply the thermal paste (removing the old one first with something like isopropyl alcohol for a clean mount) and hope that re-mounting the cpu cooler solves the problem.

The fact there is a 30 degree difference is not a good sign, it really shouldn't be that big.

[Draine97]

8 minutes ago, samcool55 said:

Can you try to run unigine superposition and cinebench r15?

links: https://benchmark.unigine.com/superposition

https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/cinebench-15-download.html

 

Cinebench R15 multi-core should be around 900

Superposition should be around 3300 on 1080p extreme, 8500 on 1080p high and 11500 on 1080p medium.

 

With that information we should be able to figure out what's wrong (or at least have a clue/indication)

Well, after only running the Cinebench test my score is 791.... far from 900.

My network is not that amazing so im still downloading superposition

 

 

 

[Draine97]

6 minutes ago, Mr.Humble said:

Those temperatures suggest to me one or multiple of:

 

1: incorrect AiO installation - make sure the cooler is properly attached to the CPU, there's no foreign objects between the cooling plate and CPU, and thermal paste is applied (correctly - not too much)

2: improper fan configuration - override your fan settings to 100% and try again. Make sure both fans are working, let us know how you have them (push/pull, position of the radiator in the case etc)

3: a pump malfunction / failure - make sure the pump is connected to a proper header (I think Z170 boards already started having dedicated pump 4-pins), try a different header to see if it's the motherboard.

Just a question about the mount, i vagely remember something about mounting the cooler to tight. Could that also be something?

[Draine97]

42 minutes ago, samcool55 said:

Can you try to run unigine superposition and cinebench r15?

links: https://benchmark.unigine.com/superposition

https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/cinebench-15-download.html

 

Cinebench R15 multi-core should be around 900

Superposition should be around 3300 on 1080p extreme, 8500 on 1080p high and 11500 on 1080p medium.

 

With that information we should be able to figure out what's wrong (or at least have a clue/indication)

The results are in:

 

Cinebench test:791

 

1080p extreme: 3215

1080p high: 8051

1080p medium: 10730

[Mr.Humble]

42 minutes ago, Draine97 said:

Just a question about the mount, i vagely remember something about mounting the cooler to tight. Could that also be something?

It can happen, but I think it would cause other types of issues than high temperatures. Not sure though.

 

10 minutes ago, Draine97 said:

The results are in:

 

Cinebench test:791

 

1080p extreme: 3215

1080p high: 8051

1080p medium: 10730

The superposition numbers are relatively within margin... not sure what it tells yoy @samcool55

 

Try the fans trick and tell us the position and configuration of the cooler, if the temperature is still high try to remount the cooler.

[Draine97]

16 minutes ago, Mr.Humble said:

It can happen, but I think it would cause other types of issues than high temperatures. Not sure though.

 

The superposition numbers are relatively within margin... not sure what it tells yoy @samcool55

 

Try the fans trick and tell us the position and configuration of the cooler, if the temperature is still high try to remount the cooler.

See image for PC config, the only thing i could think of is changing the pull- to a push-configuration.

 

 

[samcool55]

16 minutes ago, Mr.Humble said:

It can happen, but I think it would cause other types of issues than high temperatures. Not sure though.

 

The superposition numbers are relatively within margin... not sure what it tells yoy @samcool55

 

Try the fans trick and tell us the position and configuration of the cooler, if the temperature is still high try to remount the cooler.

It tells us the graphics card is working as it should which means we can be sure that's not the culprit of the performance issues.

It's not because the scores aren't out of whack that they are useless

 

@Draine97 (just tagging you to be sure you are up-to-date)

 

The cinebench score is too low but because we know by now it has thermal issues a lower score is to be expected.

Because only 1 core is waaay out of whack it's very likely a bad cpu cooler mount.

Or, in a much worse case, the IHS isn't properly mounted to the CPU die which means you either need to RMA it (i would only do this if you know the shop will be nice about it and acknowledge such issue) or go the delid route which is risky so i really hope we don't need to do this.

 

While your rad mounting would be fine in most cases, i would go for a push-config (fan on the other side of the rad blowing air through it) because that case is trash airflow wise because there aren't enough holes for the fan to suck air from, it's basically always starved for air so every bit helps here.

The fans already have difficulty enough sucking air through the rad, let alone when there isn't much air on the other side of the rad to suck through.

[Mr.Humble]

22 minutes ago, samcool55 said:

It tells us the graphics card is working as it should which means we can be sure that's not the culprit of the performance issues.

It's not because the scores aren't out of whack that they are useless

combined benchmark... right

 

for the record I didn't say the numbers were useless, I just didn't know the use

 

23 minutes ago, samcool55 said:

Because only 1 core is waaay out of whack it's very likely a bad cpu cooler mount.

Agreed. 

25 minutes ago, samcool55 said:

because that case is trash airflow wise

but it has tempered glass so it's got that hot look... literally 

 

This is what happens when you care more about how it looks than if it works 

[Draine97]

@samcool55

 

I've changed the configuration to a push, and remounted the cooler on the CPU, did some additional fan tuning and ran a Cinebench test: 845...

 

Looks like my throttling problems are over!