Low CPU Utilization

[Boshi]

Specs

Windows 11

CPU: 2600x (upgrading soon)

GPU: 6950xt (up to date drivers)

Motherboard: ASUS Prime B450 Plus (up to date bios)

 

My CPU hovers around 30-40% utilization at most on one core while gaming, with the rest hovering around 1-5% at most.

My GPU at the same time will be at 50-60% utilization.

This doesn't make any sense to me as, I'm pretty sure that my 2600x should heavily bottleneck my 6950xt yet it is not anywhere near 100% utilization. I have not capped my frame rate and play at the highest possible settings, the CPU usage also stays the same at the lowest settings. I have also changed my power plan to be at 100% for my CPU.

Any help is much appreciated : )

 

 

[GarlicDeliverySystem]

Which game, which settings, and what monitor?

 

How are you measuring the CPU utilization and GPU utilization?

[Boshi]

5 minutes ago, GarlicDeliverySystem said:

Which game, which settings, and what monitor?

 

How are you measuring the CPU utilization and GPU utilization?

I was testing it on Returnal at 1080p144hz, measuring the CPU utilization via Core Temp and for the GPU utilization I relied on the in game stats, as well as the windows performance tracker in task manager.

[GarlicDeliverySystem]

OK, a few things I can think of here.

 

I am not familiar with Returnal or how hard it is to run, but could it be it is topped at 144fps due to FreeSync? Or does it have an engine cap?

Also, I would use something like HwInfo and MSI Afterburner, since they give you more granular information.

Temps are ok? It is not that the GPU runs into a thermal limit?

 

What about RAM, that used up completely?

 

Overall, from your description I would agree that if everything is uncapped, something should peg at 100%. Therefore something must be limiting either the FPS, or the hardware. Be it software or hardware.

[podkall]

vsync on/off?

[Boshi]

1 minute ago, GarlicDeliverySystem said:

OK, a few things I can think of here.

 

I am not familiar with Returnal or how hard it is to run, but could it be it is topped at 144fps due to FreeSync? Or does it have an engine cap?

Also, I would use something like HwInfo and MSI Afterburner, since they give you more granular information.

Temps are ok? It is not that the GPU runs into a thermal limit?

 

What about RAM, that used up completely?

 

Overall, from your description I would agree that if everything is uncapped, something should peg at 100%. Therefore something must be limiting either the FPS, or the hardware. Be it software or hardware.

Thank you for your response.
I tested again and looked at temps specifically, seems as though the CPU temps are hovering around 85-90°C under load, which makes me think my CPU is being thermal throttled. So I think this is the main issue.
The GPU runs fine at 40°C under load.

I have 32gb of ram at 3600mhz and it does not get fully used up by the game.
I will test again with HwInfo and Afterburner.
Clarification about the 144fps, that was just monitor refresh rate, the game ran at around 100fps never hitting the cap.

[Boshi]

1 minute ago, podkall said:

vsync on/off?

vsync off

[podkall]

2 minutes ago, Boshi said:

vsync off

is the framerate capped by game somehow?

[Boshi]

5 minutes ago, podkall said:

is the framerate capped by game somehow?

I'm currently in an extremely low demanding part of the game and am able to get fps greater than 144 now. So it does not seem to be capped.

[podkall]

45 minutes ago, Boshi said:

I'm currently in an extremely low demanding part of the game and am able to get fps greater than 144 now. So it does not seem to be capped.

how are your graphics settings? and are you fullscreen or fullscreen borderless(windowed fullscen)?

[WereCat]

1 hour ago, Boshi said:

 

 

My CPU hovers around 30-40% utilization at most on one core while gaming, with the rest hovering around 1-5% at most.

My GPU at the same time will be at 50-60% utilization.

This doesn't make any sense to me as, I'm pretty sure that my 2600x should heavily bottleneck my 6950xt yet it is not anywhere near 100% utilization. 

 

 

thats not how CPU bottleneck works... games usually dont use 100% of the CPU but just few cores and if those are slow, you will never be able to get your GPU to 100% usage