I've been running into a major issue where my games, like Call of Duty, seem to be using the CPU instead of the GPU. This problem just started happening after I updated my BIOS and enabled XMP. Before that, everything was running smoothly. Now, even with my monitors plugged into the GPU, the performance is terrible — the CPU hits 100% while the GPU barely shows any usage, resulting in laggy gameplay. I've tried reinstalling Windows, updating all graphics drivers, and even changing BIOS settings, but nothing seems to work. I'm at my wits' end trying to figure this out!
4 Answers
If you haven't already, go to your Windows settings, specifically under gaming graphics, and add your game to high performance. That might help to prioritize the GPU usage, especially if Windows isn't auto-assigning it.
It's tough when things like that happen out of the blue. Just remember, any game will use the CPU to some degree since it’s the brain of your PC. If you suspect the GPU isn’t being utilized correctly, the Task Manager might not be the best tool for checking that. Try using an in-game overlay, it usually gives a better read on GPU usage.
I monitored both in Task Manager and HWInfo, and it shows my GPU temp staying low, while the CPU is maxed out. The game barely runs and hangs at around 1fps, making my PC sluggish.
There’s a chance the GPU got damaged or something was inadvertently changed in the BIOS settings that affected it. If your CPU is working too hard, it might be a good idea to check whether any settings are allowing the iGPU too much access. It could even be that the recent BIOS update mixed things up with your PCIe configuration. If you can’t downgrade the BIOS, consider a factory reset to see if that helps.
What should I reset in the BIOS? I just want my games to work again!
Sounds like your BIOS changes might have messed with something. If the GPU isn't being used, you'd experience major performance drops. You could try reseating the GPU or checking the settings regarding PCIe access or even resetting your BIOS to default. Sometimes the XMP or other settings affect how the GPU interacts with the system memory. If those settings changed after the BIOS update, it might be worth investigating further.
I did turn off Resize BAR after disabling XMP, but could that have damaged the GPU? I can't roll back the BIOS either.
I already did that as you can see in my post — it's so frustrating!