Question about hw monitor

[Hobo1256]

Hi friends I have searched throughout the internet and only seen a post or two that wasn’t super definitive about this. So I’m hovering on utilization limit on my Cpu primarily when not gaming. Im using HW monitor to monitor my data and also hit reliable voltage limit when I’m playing 4k max settings. Are these normal? I have an i7 7700k and a gtx 1080 ti. Also nothing in my system is overclocked 

[Mark Kaine]

Yeap, I can say that's normal, just checked.

Also hwmonitor is not considered reliable... I like using it tho as it's less confusing than hwinfo.

 

Do you have even any issues with your setup? 

 

In any case my card runs fine and I have this too,  seems to just be one of those superfluous features hwmonitor thinks would be cool to have imo! 

 

Also I just confirmed it changes to 0 if you actually use your card.

[Jurrunio]

Yes, even though HWmonitor itself is not recommended when there's HWinfo

[Hobo1256]

I’ll download HWinfo as I hadn’t heard of that. In game utilization limit turned off but reliable voltage limit hovers on 1 and randomly power limit 1 pops up.

 

all on 4k max settings apex legends typically. Glad to hear others think this is normal 

[Hobo1256]

I should also mention my CPU temps never go past 50C even in 4k max settings and gpu doesn’t pass 65C. So all of this it normal to have utilization limited etc? I have OCD apologies 

[Mark Kaine]

15 minutes ago, Hobo1256 said:

I should also mention my CPU temps never go past 50C even in 4k max settings and gpu doesn’t pass 65C. So all of this it normal to have utilization limited etc? I have OCD apologies 

Me too actually so I can relate.  But that's also why asked this 

 

20 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

Do you have even any issues with your setup? 

 

Because as long you don't this voltage limit etc stuff is really all kinds of irrelevant. 

 

You could download GPUZ it's a bit simpler and easier to understand,  even though it is probably not necessary, usually people download those programs when they have actual issues with their hardware or software. 

 

Also keep in mind monitoring programs use resources so your performance will actually be worse while using them,  although minimal,  I guess like 1-3% realistically,  even though you probably shouldn't notice this. 

 

Personally I really like Afterburner to OC and to monitor, but  you can also use it to just monitor,  it's imo more conclusive, especially visually than other monitoring software. 

 

Example:

 

[Hobo1256]

So after a game of apex legends at 4k max I noticed I constantly have a reliable voltage limit while playing and very rarely will power limit kick in. Utilization limit goes away while gaming I just want to make sure these stats look fine. Temperatures are most definitely fine IMO

[Mark Kaine]

And that's exactly why Afterburner is better because you can either in real time or afterwards see what is what and when what happens. 

 

And yes Vrel is also just totally normal,  that's how GPUs work they're constantly adjusting stuff to not damage themselves.

 

But warning : Afterburner is great,  but it's also very deep and not exactly easy to use,  I'm still learning the ins and outs myself.  

[Hobo1256]

I’ve always used afterburner but needed a solid program to monitor temps in the background. Is it even worth monitoring them while gaming? I downloaded HWInfo and good lawd it’s like eye cancer. Granted it tells you like everything it’s just way harder to navigate than hwmonitor

[Hobo1256]

Low key did not know MSI afterburner also tracked CPU stats. Huh good to know 

[Mark Kaine]

39 minutes ago, Hobo1256 said:

I’ve always used afterburner but needed a solid program to monitor temps in the background. Is it even worth monitoring them while gaming? I downloaded HWInfo and good lawd it’s like eye cancer. Granted it tells you like everything it’s just way harder to navigate than hwmonitor

Haha lol yeah..  I don't like it either. 

 

Anyway you can just use Afterburner it tells u pretty much everything hwmonitor does, and in real time and with time stamps, you just have to tick the stuff on if isn't by default... 

 

And I would just use one monitoring program anyways as more than one can make readings inaccurate (and cost resources) 

 

Me I just usually check after a gaming session more or less out of interest and because I'm constantly what feels like the limit my card can do anyway lol.

 

 

 

PS: here's a thing I did that greatly helped me understand some issues I had with the game I'm playing and eventually also helped me to fix these issues.