I just built my first PC, and games are performing far worse than expected. Cyberpunk 2077's built-in benchmark averages around 4 FPS, and other games also run like they're on a very old computer. A diagnostic tool reported that everything looked fine. Initially, the graphics card had become disconnected during transport, but I reseated it and the monitor now receives a signal from the card. The monitor is connected directly to the Radeon RX 9070 XT, not the motherboard. I haven't installed any graphics card or chipset drivers yet because I didn't realize they were required. What should I check to get the system using the GPU properly? Hardware: Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Radeon RX 9070 XT Challenger.
3 Answers
While Cyberpunk is running, open Task Manager and check the GPU section to see which adapter is being used and whether the RX 9070 XT is under load. Windows Graphics settings can also be used to assign Cyberpunk to the high-performance GPU. Check Device Manager for missing display or chipset drivers as well.
Double-check that the DisplayPort or HDMI cable is connected to the graphics card's ports rather than the motherboard's video outputs. Also confirm that the GPU's power connectors are fully seated. The PC may still produce a picture from the integrated graphics, but performance would be extremely poor.
Start by installing the latest AMD Adrenalin graphics driver for the RX 9070 XT, along with the AMD chipset drivers for the motherboard. A card can display an image using basic Windows drivers while still having terrible gaming performance. After installing them, restart the PC and run the benchmark again.
I didn't know the GPU needed its own drivers, so I'll install both the graphics and chipset drivers first.
The monitor is definitely connected to the GPU, and the card is now seated after being disconnected during transport.