My MSI gaming laptop suddenly started running games at only 20–30 FPS this morning, even though I previously got around 60 FPS or more. The problem continued for several hours, including during bot matches. Changing in-game graphics settings and NVIDIA settings did not help. The laptop does not seem to be overheating, and the fans are working normally. The affected game is Deadlock, while Minecraft still feels smooth. My system has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 with 6 GB of VRAM alongside Intel UHD integrated graphics. Could the game be using the integrated GPU, or could a driver, power, controller, or laptop-model issue be causing the performance drop?
3 Answers
If you were using an Xbox controller over Bluetooth, disconnect it and test again. Some controller and Bluetooth audio driver loops have caused unusual performance problems for certain games. If that does not apply, try reinstalling the graphics drivers and testing another game to determine whether this is specific to Deadlock or affects the whole system.
Check the actual CPU and GPU temperatures, clock speeds, and utilization while the game is running instead of judging by fan noise alone. A laptop can throttle because of heat or power limits even when the fans seem fine. MSI Afterburner, HWiNFO, or a similar monitor can show whether the RTX 3050 is active and whether its clocks are dropping.
First check which GPU the game is actually using. Make sure Deadlock is assigned to the NVIDIA RTX 3050 rather than Intel UHD Graphics in Windows Graphics settings or the NVIDIA Control Panel. Also verify that the laptop is plugged in and set to a high-performance power mode. The model and driver package should match your exact MSI laptop, since installing drivers for a different Katana or GF-series model could cause problems.
I may have described the hardware incorrectly, so I’ll check the exact model and confirm which GPU the game is using.