I noticed something odd while gaming: my MSI Afterburner shows that my AMD 9800X3D's integrated GPU (GPU1) uses between 30-90 watts while my RTX 5070 TI (GPU2) is pulling about 190 watts. While I'm aware that GPU1 consumes 20-40 watts even when idle, I'm curious as to why it ramps up usage during gameplay when all the rendering is supposed to be handled by GPU2. Is it doing something specific? I plan to disable it soon, but I wanted to understand what's going on first. Just for context, I confirmed my display cable is properly connected to the RTX 5070 TI, not the motherboard. I disabled the iGPU via the BIOS without issues, and it seems to have made my CPU fan quieter, but that might just be a placebo effect.
3 Answers
Interesting! I learned today that the 9800X3D actually has an integrated GPU. I thought those models didn’t come with one!
It’s probably because your display cable is still accidentally plugged into the motherboard instead of the GPU! Double-check that setup; it can really confuse the system. It’s easy to overlook.
Exactly! It's a common mistake and can lead to weird power readings.
What you’re seeing with the 90W is likely the total package power draw of your entire CPU, not just the integrated GPU. The iGPU itself doesn’t pull that much power, so if it did, there might be an issue with the CPU.
Yeah, all the 7000 series CPUs come with integrated graphics unless specified otherwise!