I recently picked up a used high-end PC and have started encountering significant performance drops. Here are my specs:
- RTX 5070 12GB
- Intel i9-11900KF
- 16GB RAM running at 2133 MHz (with XMP enabled)
- 1TB Kingston NVMe
- 500GB SATA SSD (where Windows is installed)
- 1920x1080 resolution at 144Hz.
Initially, it worked great, but now I'm seeing low FPS, like ~40 FPS while driving in GTA V and noticeable stuttering in Fortnite, even on recommended settings (20-50 FPS).
Things I've done to troubleshoot include enabling XMP, updating my GPU drivers, and doing a fresh restart with no background apps open.
I'm curious if RAM speed or CPU could be the bottleneck, and if having Windows on the SATA SSD rather than the NVMe drive is affecting my performance. What can I check next?
3 Answers
Make sure to check your SSD's status as well. If it's nearly full, that could cause slowdowns, especially if Windows is on it. Keep your SSD clean and consider defragmenting it if necessary. Also, check CPU and GPU temperatures to rule out overheating—as throttling can affect performance, too.
I did a fresh install of Windows after buying the PC, so that should be fine.
It sounds like your RAM speed might be an issue. 16GB at 2133MHz is relatively slow, especially when you're playing demanding games. Check if your RAM is running in dual-channel mode. If it’s showing just one channel at that speed, it could be impacting your performance. Also, confirm your motherboard model to see its capabilities!
I used the BIOS to check, and it seems like the RAM should be 3000MHz. Thanks for the heads-up!
Are you using a utility like CPU-Z to check? It’s great for verifying RAM speeds.
From what you've shared, it seems like memory usage is a big factor. If you're running anything else alongside your games, RAM can get maxed out quickly. I have a less powerful setup with 32GB of RAM at 3200MHz, and it's smooth sailing for me. You might want to keep an eye on those usage stats.
Yeah, RAM usage often spikes to around 80-90%, while CPU can hit 90% occasionally during gameplay.
Wondering if the thermal paste has gone bad—do you think that’s a possibility?