Hey everyone! I've been having an issue lately where my AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU is hitting 90% or even 100% usage in some of the newer games I play. I also have an NVIDIA 3070 Ti GPU, but it doesn't seem to be working as hard as the CPU during gaming sessions. I've updated everything I could think of—motherboard, chipset drivers, GPU drivers—and even tried tweaking the CPU with undervolting and overvolting, but nothing seems to help. For example, games like Stellar Blade, Skate, and Black Ops 6 are still pushing the CPU usage really high even when I lock the frame rate to 60fps with lower graphics settings. The CPU temps also get pretty high, sitting around 80°C to 85°C during intense gaming sessions. Do you think it's time for a CPU upgrade, or is there something I can do to optimize my setup? Just a note, I'm gaming on a 240Hz 1080p monitor but I usually lock my games to between 60 and 90fps.
5 Answers
Running at 1080p with low settings might be causing the CPU to show bottlenecks. Maybe increase the settings to let your GPU do more work. Those temps are within the normal range for a 5800X under load, though if you want to manage them better, consider turning on a power-saving mode in BIOS to prevent overheating.
I play at 1440p with a 5600X and a 6750XT, and I usually see about 50-60% CPU usage. But with demanding games like Borderlands 4, I hit up to 90%. So, it might sound like your lock on 60fps combined with low settings is limiting your GPU utilization. Have you thought about bumping up your resolution or graphics settings? It could help balance the load better!
Yeah, the GPU needs to have some work to do, too. If you're always at low settings, the CPU has to do more of the heavy lifting, leaving the GPU underused.
Consider running some CPU benchmarks to gauge performance. Benchmarking tools can give you a clearer view of what's happening with your CPU utilization during heavy gaming.
What benchmarking tools do you suggest? I'm looking to see how my CPU performs specifically.
Why lock your games to 60-90fps when you have a 240Hz monitor? If your GPU isn't stressed, you should see high CPU usage. Those temps sound pretty normal under load. Just check if your cores are all being utilized in Task Manager while gaming.
I'm locking the frame rates to avoid stutters on some games, especially since I mainly play zombies on Black Ops 6 where a super high fps isn’t needed.
Your CPU temps do seem a bit high. If it’s a newer chip, that shouldn't be a huge issue, but you might benefit from reapplying thermal paste or upgrading your cooler. What's your current cooler setup?
I have a Noctua DH-15 cooler. Do you think that's enough for this CPU?
Totally! Just need to figure out which graphics settings hit the GPU harder without making my CPU cry.