Why GPU power draw is difference in game even GPU same 100% load ?

[Winterlight]

I play a lot game and see very strange thing that my GPU (RTX 2080) power draw is very difference in games even  GPU usage is 100% and run at same max clock (1800 Mhz) speed. For example in Shadow of Tomb Raider with ultra settings + ray tracing GPU draw only ~150W under 100% load but for some reason in many other game that have even way worse graphic GPU spike too 200W+. That really strange than game with worse graphic and older still can draw way more power than new game with way better graphic. This extra ~50W actually mean about ~10C° higher GPU temp.

[SignatureSigner]

could be hitting parts of the gpu harder. (unoptomised)

[Eigenvektor]

100% load essentially means the GPU is running the game's code as fast as it can. It does not necessarily mean that all parts of the GPU are being utilized (e.g. if a game doesn't do RTX, the cores specific to ray tracing may not be used and as such use little to no power).

 

You also need to look at the fps you're getting. If the older game runs at higher fps, this may require more power than running a more modern game with ray tracing enabled but at a lower speed.

[Winterlight]

Especially in MMORPG games I see spike too 200W+ in most single player game it run usually at way lower power draw even at same 100% load.
Well but Shadow of Tomb Raider use RT core and over all it still draw less power than some games without RT.

[Eigenvektor]

19 minutes ago, Winterlight said:

Especially in MMORPG games I see spike too 200W+ in most single player game it run usually at way lower power draw even at same 100% load.

100% simply means the GPU is never idle (i.e. waiting for work), it is always working on something. This does not mean that all work requires the same amount of power.

 

E.g. if I spend all day sitting in an office writing code, I'm at "100% load", i.e. I have no room to take on additional work . Doesn't mean I burn the same amount of calories as a miner digging a tunnel (also at "100% load").

[Mark Kaine]

100% doesn't mean what you think it means, a GPU has more than one part for different tasks. you can set it in Afterburner to show you the different "engines" but its quite pointless tbh. Unless you're experiencing issues you don't really need to monitor these things.

 

Tldr, an application may use "100%" at 350mhz while another uses "100% "at 2040mhz... its not the same thing at all. 

 

 

18 hours ago, Winterlight said:

Well but Shadow of Tomb Raider use RT core and over all it still draw less power than some games without RT.

thats weird, the new Tomb Raider games (except the 1st)  are amongst the most power hungry ones on my system