Question about GPU power usage and graphic settings

[Sasquatch43]

So I have been playing World of Tanks and I can almost max it out so I try to turn down my graphic settings to get a consistent 60 FPS but instead what happens is instead of increasing my FPS all it does is decrease my power usage, like if I turn the graphics all the way up I will get maybe 40-60 Fps with 80-100% GPU usage but if I turn it all the way down I get 50-70 Fps and my power usage decreases to 50% so what i'm wondering is, is there an option somewhere in the control panel that is throttling my GPU usage or what is happening to cause this?

 

Also I am using the GTX 760 and have an i5, have turned power management to prefer maximum performance, turned off v-sync in the control panel and game, and I have 2 monitors but the second one is just a TV used for watching videos and browsing.

[Goose Legs]

When you're maxing out the graphics, the GPU will be working as hard as it can, and thus will draw more power and your FPS's will be lower. (Lower being a relative term). When you back down off the graphics, the GPU doesn't have to work quite as hard (since it has less calculations it has to perform) and thus can crank out more FPS's more easily. (Also why it draws less power). It's not so much throttling, but it doesn't have to work quite as hard.

 

Think about it this way, if you went to school and you took a really easy course, and a really hard course. You wouldn't have to work super hard in the easy course to earn an A. But if you took a really difficult course, they'll work you to the bone and you'll be lucky to get out of there with a C. In terms of effort put in, the second class was far harder (more energy draw, less output) vs the former (less energy draw, more output). 

 

Does that kind of make sense?

[Sasquatch43]

When you're maxing out the graphics, the GPU will be working as hard as it can, and thus will draw more power and your FPS's will be lower. (Lower being a relative term). When you back down off the graphics, the GPU doesn't have to work quite as hard (since it has less calculations it has to perform) and thus can crank out more FPS's more easily. (Also why it draws less power). It's not so much throttling, but it doesn't have to work quite as hard.

 

Think about it this way, if you went to school and you took a really easy course, and a really hard course. You wouldn't have to work super hard in the easy course to earn an A. But if you took a really difficult course, they'll work you to the bone and you'll be lucky to get out of there with a C. In terms of effort put in, the second class was far harder (more energy draw, less output) vs the former (less energy draw, more output). 

 

Does that kind of make sense?

Yeah that makes sense thanks.