I need some help! My CPU is maxing out at 100% usage when I play games, which wasn't the case before. I've tried several fresh reinstalls and a bunch of troubleshooting, but nothing seems to work. Here are my specs:
- **CPU**: Intel Core i5-9600K @ 3.70GHz
- Base Speed: 3.70 GHz
- Cores: 6
- Logical Processors: 6
- Utilization: 98%
- Current Speed: 4.30 GHz
- **Memory**: 16.0 GB (2133 MHz)
- **GPU**: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
- Driver Version: 32.0.15.8115
Typically, my CPU sits around 20% usage when I'm browsing or watching YouTube. But now, as soon as I launch a game, it spikes to 100% and stays there. What could be the issue?
4 Answers
You're likely just facing limitations with your older CPU paired with a newer GPU. Depending on the game, the performance might not be optimal, especially with your RAM running at 2133 MHz which could create bandwidth limitations. Make sure to check your framerates too!
It sounds like you might be hitting a CPU bottleneck. Since your CPU isn't overclocked, consider upgrading it if it's struggling with newer games. Make sure to also clean your CPU and reapply the thermal paste, plus check if there's an update for your BIOS and drivers.
Sounds like your CPU just can't handle it right now. Have you done a recent reinstall of your game? Sometimes if shaders aren't fully loaded, it can use up a lot of CPU in the background. Also, Windows loves to run demanding background processes at the most inconvenient times.
It’s possible that the games you’re playing have become more demanding. Have you checked your thermals? If your CPU is overheating, that could throttle the performance. Also, just let the game run at 100% CPU for a bit; sometimes it's just shader compilation taking up resources.
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