GPU Usage dropping while Gaming and Stress Tests

[Alaxandar66]

To start out I have my specs:

GPU: Radeon R9 280x

CPU: AMD FX(tm)-8350 Eight-Core

Mobo: ASUS M5A97 L.E R2.0

RAM: 8gb G.Skill DDR3

OS: Windows 10 64-bit

I recently switched to Windows 10, but this issue only seems to happen to me, I do not believe it is an OS issue. My GPU usage on average gets to about 60% while my CPU doesn't rise much at all. MSI Afterburner and Resource monitor while playing CSGO: http://i.imgur.com/hnDLYAv.png

 

Opening OpenHardwareMonitor shows my CPU never going above 60 degrees C. Every time it dips I can feel it. I used to get a constant 200+ FPS in CSGO and now I'm getting drops to 140-110.

This happens with every game I've played this week, including Skyrim, League of Legends, and Overwatch. In League of Legends I could keep my frames capped at 144 capped without ever dropping, and now I'm dropping to below 40 with no reason I can see. In the open beta for Overwatch I could use the Ultra preset, and rarely drop below 70 fps. Now I'm on medium, dropping from 70 down to 40 even 20 at times. This is an extremely frustrating issue. Neither my GPU or CPU are OCd, and I can't find anything that could cause these issues.

I ran FurMark to see what would happen using the 1080p preset, this was the result http://i.imgur.com/DF33cy5.png

This stress test was the only thing I could get my GPU usage to 100% with, but it still drops without any visible reason.

 

Things I have tried:

Updated all drivers, turned off Power Saving mode, Downclocking my CPU

 

All help is appreciated

[Morgan MLGman]

The motherboard is not fit to support an 8350, the VRMs might be overheating and thus causing the CPU to throttle, downclock and downvolt your CPU to FX-8320E values and see if it helps

[radical guild]

Sounds like a bottle neck 

[Morgan MLGman]

2 minutes ago, radical guild said:

Sounds like a bottle neck 

An 8350 does not bottleneck a 280X. I know because I used one with an R9 290X which is a far more powerful GPU.

[Alaxandar66]

4 minutes ago, Morgan MLGman said:

The motherboard is not fit to support an 8350, the VRMs might be overheating and thus causing the CPU to throttle, downclock and downvolt your CPU to FX-8320E values and see if it helps

I'll try this, however, I ran this setup for over a year and a half with no issues up until a week or two ago, not sure why this would happen now.

 

 

[Morgan MLGman]

1 minute ago, Alaxandar66 said:

I'll try this, however, I ran this setup for over a year and a half with no issues up until a week or two ago, not sure why this would happen now.

 

 

For example one of the VRMs might've gotten damaged due to extensive use of a power-hungry CPU, this motherboard is not good enough for an 8350 even at stock values, the power delivery system on that mobo is too poor and not cooled at all as there's no radiator over the VRMs

[m0k]

Okay, forget the VRM cooling
More importantly the motherboard has just one 4pin cpu power connection
4pin power for a 125watt cpu  ?!

your cpu is not getting enough power
you need a motherboard with 8pin cpu power port

[Alaxandar66]

Hmm, would simply replacing my Motherboard fix my current issue? I built this PC on a really tight budget and got this motherboard from a friend for about 20 dollars, so I don't see it as a huge loss.

I've just downclocked my CPU, about to test my GPU usage

 

[Alaxandar66]

The support page for this model motherboard says it supports my CPU, and other up to 140 W. I'm feeling like this isn't a motherboard issue

After downclocking I have the exact same issue I did while running FurMark. GPU usage dropping from 98-100 down to 60 or so.

I am on BIOS revision 2401 and the support for my CPU was in revision 1006.