I'm experiencing a strange issue with my 4070 SUPER GPU. My setup includes a CPU (7800X3D), 32GB RAM, and the GPU itself has a TDP of 220W. During gaming, the power draw is unusually low; for example, in Expedition 33, it peaks around 150W while staying at a temperature of 60C. I'm seeing even lower power draw of about 110W in the Horizon Zero Dawn benchmark. Interestingly, when I open OBS for recording, the power draw drops from 150W to 130W, which seems odd.
I've previously used DDU to reinstall video drivers, which increased the power draw for a while, but after a couple of months, the issue returned. I also updated my motherboard's BIOS, but the problem resurfaced soon after. Although I ran Furmark to stress test the GPU, it sustained a power draw of 220W without crashing. Despite setting Windows 11 to Better Performance and configuring the NVIDIA Control Panel for maximum performance, I can't figure out how to permanently solve this issue. Considering a factory reset would require extensive backups and reconfigurations, I'm hesitant but might need to explore it. Any advice on how to resolve this would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
When your GPU isn't drawing full power, how hard is your CPU working? If the CPU is maxed out, that could bottleneck your GPU. Also, are you sure you're running games at an uncapped frame rate? If you're capping it, the GPU won't use its full potential, which might be why you're seeing low draws.
Have you checked if GSync, FreeSync, or VSync is enabled? Sometimes these settings can limit power draw. Additionally, monitor your CPU usage per core to ensure you're not bottlenecked by a single core's performance. How's your overall performance; are you really noticing lag, or just watching the GPU power numbers?
I have G-Sync enabled and the highest CPU usage is only around 55%. My GPU performance is significantly below expectations, only achieving about 60% of what I've seen in benchmarks for similar setups.
My CPU usage fluctuates between 25-50%, definitely not maxed out. I don't cap frame rates either, but I'm still having performance issues in games. My benchmarks clearly show I'm not getting the performance I should be.