Desktop Windows Manager using 100% of my GPU

[LootSocks]

Having an interesting problem. I have a 3080Ti with a Corei9 9900KS CPU on a MSI Z390 Godlike Motherboard running under Windows 11. I have 3 monitors, an ROG XG27UQR (4K 144Hz) set as my main display in lanscape mode, a ROG PG279Q (1440p 144Hz) in portrait mode both connected via DP. My third monitor is an LG TV, the OLED55CXPUA on an HDMI 2.1 cable. What I have been observing is that the Desktop Windows Manager process is using a ton of my GPU, sometimes as much as 100%.

I have attached a screenshot of the Task Manager showing the Desktop Windows Manager using 100% of my GPU. HWMonitor doesn't agree that I am using 100% of my GPU and shows a much smaller usage in the attached screenshot. MSI Afterburner also doesn't agree with Task Manager but I do see my GPU running at about 50°C so it's for sure doing something.

I have done a clean install of my Nvidia Graphics Drivers and installed any pending Windows Updates. Additionally I have used Winaero Tweaker to turn off or kill almost all the bloat in Windows 11.

 

 

[Zando_]

Yep! Task Manager sees functions of your GPU as separate things. You can run Blender and see 0% GPU usage, but if you tell the graphs section to show CUDA core usage, it'll be maxed out. Just Task Manager being weird as usual. Grab HWiNFO64 instead of TM or HWMonitor, it's the most reliable option. 

[LootSocks]

@Zando_Thanks for the tip on HWiNFO64. I grabbed it and installed it. Here is an interesting data point I have observed. When I enable my 3rd monitor (the LG TV, the OLED55CXPUA) and set it's refresh rate from 60Hz to 120Hz I see the Desktop Windows Manager process suddenly spike up and do this 100% usage behavior. When I have my 3rd monitor disabled in the Nvidia Control Panel or set to 60Hz in the System Settings I see the Desktop Windows Manger go back to a normal usage amount. You are right that HWiNFO64 doesn't reflect the 100% usage. 

My question is, why does having that 3rd display driving 4K at 120Hz in addition to my other 2 displays (1 at 4Kat 144Hz and 1 at 1440p at 60Hz) send the Desktop Windows Manager into overdrive (at least as far as Task Manager is concerned)? Is it too taxing for my system or my GPU in general to drive that much pixels or too taxing on Windows 11? Or is this simply Task Manager being stupid and I should just ignore it?

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, LootSocks said:

My question is, why does having that 3rd display driving 4K at 120Hz in addition to my other 2 displays (1 at 4Kat 144Hz and 1 at 1440p at 60Hz) send the Desktop Windows Manager into overdrive? Is it too taxing for my system or my GPU in general to drive that much pixels or too taxing on Windows 11? 

To answer that I'd have to know what the heck Task Manager is calling 100% GPU usage in respect to Desktop Windows Manager. Like I said above, it'll see 3D render and CUDA render as different usages (and other capabilities of the GPU as well), and occasionally not at all. IIRC I've had games where the GPU was at full load in HWiNFO64 and MSI Afterburner's OSD, both showing me pulling full power target/100% usage/full boost clocks, my killawatt confirmed I was pulling load wattage from the wall, and Task Manager said 0% GPU usage. 

 

I guess to sum it up, Task Manager is good for managing tasks (thus the name), services if you have the nice new W11 22H2 version, and startup programs. It's unreliable for much hardware monitoring other than CPU and RAM usage, GPU it's terribly inconsistent with and you can't really trust it for clocks on anything especially if you manually OC. 

[LootSocks]

@Zando_ I saw this same issue on Reddit and it looks like they are concluding this is the latest NVIDIA graphics driver, 522.25, causing the issue. Additionally it was suggested there to disable Windows Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling on Windows 11. After disabling Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling and rebooting I am able to run all my displays at max refresh rate without seeing the Desktop Windows Manager using all my GPU in Task Manager. End of the day that "fixed it", but I do suspect the Nvidia driver is the real root cause.
 

Reddit Post

[LootSocks]

On 10/14/2022 at 12:31 PM, Zando_ said:

To answer that I'd have to know what the heck Task Manager is calling 100% GPU usage in respect to Desktop Windows Manager. Like I said above, it'll see 3D render and CUDA render as different usages (and other capabilities of the GPU as well), and occasionally not at all. IIRC I've had games where the GPU was at full load in HWiNFO64 and MSI Afterburner's OSD, both showing me pulling full power target/100% usage/full boost clocks, my killawatt confirmed I was pulling load wattage from the wall, and Task Manager said 0% GPU usage. 

 

I guess to sum it up, Task Manager is good for managing tasks (thus the name), services if you have the nice new W11 22H2 version, and startup programs. It's unreliable for much hardware monitoring other than CPU and RAM usage, GPU it's terribly inconsistent with and you can't really trust it for clocks on anything especially if you manually OC. 

 

@Zando_ I saw this same issue on Reddit and it looks like they are concluding this is the latest NVIDIA graphics driver, 522.25, causing the issue. Additionally it was suggested there to disable Windows Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling on Windows 11. After disabling Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling and rebooting I am able to run all my displays at max refresh rate without seeing the Desktop Windows Manager using all my GPU in Task Manager. End of the day that "fixed it", but I do suspect the Nvidia driver is the real root cause.
 

Reddit Post

[IrishLuck]

On 10/15/2022 at 3:46 PM, LootSocks said:

 

@Zando_ I saw this same issue on Reddit and it looks like they are concluding this is the latest NVIDIA graphics driver, 522.25, causing the issue. Additionally it was suggested there to disable Windows Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling on Windows 11. After disabling Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling and rebooting I am able to run all my displays at max refresh rate without seeing the Desktop Windows Manager using all my GPU in Task Manager. End of the day that "fixed it", but I do suspect the Nvidia driver is the real root cause.
 

Reddit Post

I agree with the sentiment that Nvidia's driver is at fault. I rolled back my driver and the issue immediately resolved itself before I had even restarted my computer.