GPU issues - high gpu usage, but low performance and low power consumption

Turin Turambar · May 24, 2022

Hi, let's see if someone can help me with this weird issue I have.

I have a amd 3700x, asus prime x570p and Gigabyte gtx 1080 Windforce OC, a model with a slight factory OC. Since some months ago, I'm noticing how the performance in games was less than I expected.At first I rationalized it (I bought a new 27" monitor with a higher res than my old 24" some time ago so I need more power, newer games need more power and my gpu is already a few years old...) but more and more I had the feeling something was... off.

A few days ago I found and old Borderlands 3 benchmark log file, from Dec'19, where I had the same cpu/gpu. It said I got 78 fps on that benchmark. I still have the txt with the graphic options, etc. It occurred to me to download again the game, replicate the same graphical options (including the resolution, 1200p, despite having a 1440p monitor now), and surprise, I got a measly 43. That's what, 45% lost performance??

I started to do more tests. For example in an old review for this gpu I found the reviewer had a Unigine Heaven score of 2700 or so. while right now I run the same and I only have 1445.

I found a somewhat low gpu energy consumption, a like 66% on a OC utility from Gigabyte. Later I checked the Watts in hw info:

That's 50W from the mobo and 93-97W from the 8pin cable, if I read it correctly. I searched, and found a Tom's Hardware review where they show how it should use more Watts:

(and even higher, given the slight OC of the card)

Another test more:

where you can see I'm 'behind the curve'.

While this all happens, the gpu is pegged at 100% usage in most games.

My temps are a bit high (I don't have a good tower), but they aren't high enough to explain this loss of performance, and it even happens with short tests (for example unigine isn't very long). Hell, I also tried to remove the side panel, and nothing changed of course.

More images

Other Things I tried:

-Checked the 6+2 pin pcie cable from the psu was correctly inserted, replugged them just in case, tried another connector. Nothing.

-DDU, reboot, reinstalled last Nvidia drivers... nothing.

-Installed old Nvidia drivers, circa mid 2020... nothing.

-I suspected it could be the psu, so I actually bought a new one, a 850W cooler master... nothing. I will return it tomorrow.

So it really seems the gpu is somehow failing?

SimplyChunk · May 24, 2022

How clean/old is your windows install? Can you grab a 2.5" SSD from anywhere and load a fresh install on it to test its not a borked Windows instalation?