resolved Poor performance of RTX 3080, low FPS, worse than 5700 XT sometimes

[Riichy]

Since I've had my RTX 3080 TUF OC it's been nothing but poor performance. In many cases, it performs worse than my Sapphire 5700 XT reference card did. Here are the things I've tried:

-Assuring power is connected properly, unplugging and plugging back in (1000W Corsair HX1000i, 3 months old, used with my 5700 XT as well prior, no issues)

-Unplugging and reseating the GPU, making sure contacts and everything is clean

-DDU'd about 5 times, in safe mode both the old AMD drivers & Nvidia drivers.

-Assured my RAM is running in dual channel @ 3200mhz with XMP on. It was quad channel but I removed 2 to see if that was the issue, it didn't change anything

-Assured  the RTX 3080 is correctly running at PCIe x16 lanes 3.0, PCIe is set to 3.0 in the BIOS, not automatic

-I've tried it with DSR on and off, no fix

-Did a clean Windows 10 install on a new SSD on the same system, installed Nvidia driver, same issue, no change

-I have 2 monitors, I've turned off and unplugged on, restart the PC and test it. The same issue persists

-Performance in 3DMark tests seem to appropriate, a little low but that might be because of the CPU

-Change power plan to high performance

-Change Nvidia Control panel to "prefer maximum performance"

-I've disabled the Xbox overlay

-I've tested everything with a manual OC (Pwr 110%, Core +115, Mem +500 Afterburner) and on bone stock settings, GPU performs better with OC by just barely, or the same, never worse

-I've uninstalled every single Asus application, any overlay programs (f.lux, lightshot etc.)

-I've flashed the new VBIOS for TUF OC for 0 fan speed, exact same performance, nothing changed

Specs below also were the same as the 5700 XT I had prior:

GPU: RTX 3080 TUF OC (Temp almost never exceeds 65C)

RAM: Was 64 GB RAM 4x16GB, now 2x16GB (no change in performance) XMP on @ 3200mhz

MOBO: ROG STRIX X399-E GAMING

CPU: Threadripper 2920X

PSU: 1000W Platinum+ Corsair HX1000i (3 months old)

Case: Deepcool Matrexx 55 E-ATX

Monitor: 27" 1440p Samsung VA Curved

Driver: Was 456.71 updated to 457.09, no change

Windows Ver: 19042.608

 

Performance in some games:

Assassin's Creed Odyessy 1440p Ultra: 30-80 FPS, 57 FPS average (Worse than 5700 XT by far)

Watchdogs Legion 1440p Ultra DLSS Quality ON: 29-70 FPS (47 Avg), DLSS OFF 29-66 FPS(46 Avg) (Power & VRAM consumption is absurdly low, but normal in RDR2 and 3D Mark)

Death Stranding 1440p Ultra DLSS Quality ON: 101-115 FPS, DLSS OFF 101-114 FPS

Red Dead Redemption 1440p Ultra MSSA/FXAA OFF: 26-88 FPS (70 Avg) (This has gone up a bit after the last 2 DDU, though dont have the numbers, it's performing as expected according to other benches)

Forza Horizon 4 1440p Ultra MSSA/FXAA OFF: 94 FPS Avg (Worse than 5700 XT)

Horizon Zero Dawn 1440p Ultra: 77-79 FPS Avg (Just like 3-4FPS more than my 5700 XT)

BFV 1440p Ultra + Raytracing performs right at 90-100FPS, but with Raytracing off it should be around 140-150...but instead its the exact same with RT on.

Minecraft Dungeons has massive frame drops anytime there's action going on (to like 8-13fps no joke), its not a graphically demanding game and on my 5700 XT ran flawlessly

Warzone 80-105 FPS, it was higher like 110-120FPS but it's dropped since. Rendering at 4k is the exact same performance

Deliver us the moon RTX ON DLSS OFF 30-58 (Frquent drops), RTX & DLSS OFF 70-140, DLSS ON RTX ON, about 4FPS more on avg (64 was highest)

 

 

[Kilrah]

Seems like you're CPU-limited.

[boggy77]

how are your temperatures?

[idontlikephysx]

See all this 1440p ...

This is a 4K card so get yourself a 4K display.

[Riichy]

Just now, Kilrah said:

Seems like you're CPU-limited.

That's what I thought but I've spoken with the Asus rep and we don't think that's this issue, as my 5700 XT with the same system has beaten this GPU in many cases. WD: Legions doesn't even use 50% the CPU in benches,

[cr8tor]

Run a hwinfo log for me will ya.

Start the log and play the game that seems to suffer the most if that makes sense.

 

Download HWiNFO here - https://www.hwinfo.com/

 

When you open HWiNFO, choose the option for Sensors only, and if prompted, hit continue. 

Also if prompted, do not download the beta version.

 

How to create a log:

Open HWiNFO and choose sensors only.

Then in the bottom right there is an icon that looks like a spreadsheet with a green plus on it.

Click that button to start logging, the green plus will switch to a red X to let you know its saving data. 

It will also ask you for a file name and where to save it. I save them to my desktop, name it whatever you want.

Otherwise after a length of time click the spreadsheet again so the red X turns back to a green + to stop the logging.

You now have a log file to view and share.

 

How to view the log file:

You can view the log using the GenericLogViewer addon here https://www.hwinfo.com/add-ons/

Download, extract, run GenericLogViewer.exe, click the open file button in the top right and point it to the log file you made above.

Use the dropdown in the upper right to choose which category to view

[Kilrah]

100% CPU assumes all cores are fully used. You've got 12 cores and games can't make use of that, so you can well have <50% total usage but the cores that the game is actually using are fully loaded.

 

Previously your GPU was limiting performance so you weren't running into CPU issues, but now since the card isn't a restraining things anymore the CPU hits the limit. And being CPU-limited causes much more annoying problems and stutters than being GPU limited.

[Riichy]

 

1 minute ago, boggy77 said:

how are your temperatures?

Temps are below 66C for the CPU & 65C GPU in every game, they seem to be good.

 

2 minutes ago, cr8tor said:

Run a hwinfo log for me will ya.

Start the log and play the game that seems to suffer the most if that makes sense.

 

Download HWiNFO here - https://www.hwinfo.com/

 

When you open HWiNFO, choose the option for Sensors only, and if prompted, hit continue. 

Also if prompted, do not download the beta version.

 

How to create a log:

Open HWiNFO and choose sensors only.

Then in the bottom right there is an icon that looks like a spreadsheet with a green plus on it.

Click that button to start logging, the green plus will switch to a red X to let you know its saving data. 

It will also ask you for a file name and where to save it. I save them to my desktop, name it whatever you want.

Otherwise after a length of time click the spreadsheet again so the red X turns back to a green + to stop the logging.

You now have a log file to view and share.

 

How to view the log file:

You can view the log using the GenericLogViewer addon here https://www.hwinfo.com/add-ons/

Download, extract, run GenericLogViewer.exe, click the open file button in the top right and point it to the log file you made above.

Use the dropdown in the upper right to choose which category to view

I'll run that now.

[xAcid9]

Did you use/set Game Mode in Ryzen Master?

[SavageNeo]

3 minutes ago, Riichy said:

 

Temps are below 66C for the CPU & 65C GPU in every game, they seem to be good.

 

I'll run that now.

you are cpu limited. the single core of 2920x is not that good, so you are "single core" bottlenecking. Getting a seconh hand Zen 2 threadripper should help by quite a bit.

[cr8tor]

13 minutes ago, Riichy said:

I'll run that now.

Ill watch for it.

I do suspect they are right on the bottleneck, but hopefully logs can confirm the issue for you, or point us another direction.

[Riichy]

1 hour ago, cr8tor said:

Ill watch for it.

I do suspect they are right on the bottleneck, but hopefully logs can confirm the issue for you, or point us another direction.

Did a couple here, I didnt run Death Stranding or Deliver Us the Moon or Control with DLSS on, if you'd like to see the difference (Since performance with DLSS on seems to be the same, if not just a tiny bit more). Warzone is probably one of the worst.

HWRDR2.CSV HWDeliverMoonmRTXONDLSSOFF.CSV HWDeathStranding.CSV HWforza.CSV HWMCDungeons.CSV HWACreed.CSV

HWWDLegions.CSV

HWWarzone.CSV

[cr8tor]

hhhmmm,

Well you have 6 cores or so hitting 60-80% utilization which is pretty high.

I dont see any strange voltages or temps.

 

What does device manager look like?

Clean like this?

[Riichy]

7 minutes ago, cr8tor said:

hhhmmm,

Well you have 6 cores or so hitting 60-80% utilization which is pretty high.

I dont see any strange voltages or temps.

 

What does device manager look like?

Clean like this?

 

Pretty similar except for Bluetooth, security devices and firmware

[cr8tor]

yeah agreed, device manager looks fine.

Have you adjusted your resolution to see how it affects the situation?

For example if you are running 1440, what happens if you set it to 1080 and test? 

How does it affect the situation?

Also, are you game settings turned down or up?

Does that make sense? Are you turning down settings trying to help things?

If so, try higher graphics settings, let the GPU chew on things more, which slows it down a touch, which may allow your CPU to keep up if its bottlenecking?

[Riichy]

43 minutes ago, cr8tor said:

yeah agreed, device manager looks fine.

Have you adjusted your resolution to see how it affects the situation?

For example if you are running 1440, what happens if you set it to 1080 and test? 

How does it affect the situation?

Also, are you game settings turned down or up?

Does that make sense? Are you turning down settings trying to help things?

If so, try higher graphics settings, let the GPU chew on things more, which slows it down a touch, which may allow your CPU to keep up if its bottlenecking?

All my setting are to the max except I turn off MSAA and FXAA because everything goes to garbage with those on. I just ran Watch Dogs: Legion at 1080p, the FPS/performance is the exact same as 1440p which is weird. However I did notice in other games before running at 4k the performance was also the exact same as 1440p. This was the first time I tried 1080. I attached the HWinfo for that here. If you'd like me to try another game let me know

wd1080.CSV

[cr8tor]

So something ive noticed.

Your clock speeds are dropping from 4200 or so all the way to 2800 or so.

Not sure why, looking into it.

But if you look at the logs you can see its happening on the cores being used, so i suspect this is your problem.

Not sure why yet though, temps look ok.

Looking at more. Will comment more shortly.

[cr8tor]

Can you download furmark and run a cpu burn in test for a moment while logging?

Im curious if your clocks drop during that also, or if its just while in game.

[cr8tor]

You said you pulled 2 sticks out for troubleshooting purposes right?

Have you ever put them back in?

If not, put them back in, and try running them with xmp off.

[cr8tor]

Might try the new nvidia driver that just came out also. 457.30 

[Riichy]

16 minutes ago, cr8tor said:

Might try the new nvidia driver that just came out also. 457.30 

Thanks, I'll do all the above when I get the chance!

[Riichy]

2 hours ago, cr8tor said:

So something ive noticed.

Your clock speeds are dropping from 4200 or so all the way to 2800 or so.

Not sure why, looking into it.

But if you look at the logs you can see its happening on the cores being used, so i suspect this is your problem.

Not sure why yet though, temps look ok.

Looking at more. Will comment more shortly.

Ran a couple games on the new driver, nothing seems different or improved FPS/Performance wise. Ran Furmark for 10min, here's the HWInfo

Furmark-MSI (VK).CSV

[cr8tor]

@Riichy You ever put those other sticks of ram back in it?

[cr8tor]

You core doesnt drop during the stress test.

I believe that core drop is related to your problem.

Now to figure out why...

Looking at logs more.

[Riichy]

8 minutes ago, cr8tor said:

You core doesnt drop during the stress test.

I believe that core drop is related to your problem.

Now to figure out why...

Looking at logs more.

Yeah even during 3DMark tests the CPU seems to perform as expected compared to other 2920Xs

10 minutes ago, cr8tor said:

@Riichy You ever put those other sticks of ram back in it?

Not yet, going to have to do that sometime tomorrow. Sorry for the delay, will let you know when I do though