Would like to understand something about GPU power usage

[tomas710]

I have a GTX 970, and i recently installed W10. When i was using W7, the power usage of  my GPU according to MSI Afterburner was on 50% constantly on idle, temps were at 38-40ºC, didn't think much of it, weird idle temps but nothing dangerous. However, after i installed W10, power usage went down to 15% on idle and idle temps are at a constant 28ºC. I am assuming i had a setting i accidentally activated that made my GPU use power constantly, and somehow the W10 installation reversed it, but while i'm happy it's back to normal, anyone has any idea what could it be? The power limit is 112%, no changes in voltage and an overclock of 200 MHz on the core and 300MHz on the memory. Again, i am having no issues now, i just wanna know what could have caused the 50% constant power usage. Thanks!

[Mohenjo]

it could be all the junk you had in windows 7 stressing the gpu, did you do a fresh install? 

[PlayStation 2]

It's probably just inaccurate readings.

[tomas710]

It's probably just inaccurate readings.

But it was all the time, it never went down from 50% and the temps backed it up, it wasn't always like this, i remember my GPU idling below 30, not sure what happened.

[tomas710]

it could be all the junk you had in windows 7 stressing the gpu, did you do a fresh install? 

I wanted to but i'm so fucking lazy...everything is working tho

[CommandMan7]

I have the same card running a nearly identical overclock, and I'm still on 7. My install is by no means "clean", and it's been around a year since I installed 7, so it's rather junked up, but it runs at about 30C idle (just about the same temps you get on windows 10). It was almost certainly something you had installed and not windows 7 itself.

[don_svetlio]

Likely had some background task running that was using it for some reason - youtube, facebook, something of the sorts.

[tomas710]

I have the same card running a nearly identical overclock, and I'm still on 7. My install is by no means "clean", and it's been around a year since I installed 7, so it's rather junked up, but it runs at about 30C idle (just about the same temps you get on windows 10). It was almost certainly something you had installed and not windows 7 itself.

 

Likely had some background task running that was using it for some reason - youtube, facebook, something of the sorts.

I agree with both, it just seemed like it was something i messed up in MSI afterburner cause it was a constant 50%, even when the load was near zero, like it was set to keep that power usage no matter what. W10 prolly did nothing, my guess is the install itself simply reverted something i unknowningly did.