Hey everyone! I recently bought a Lenovo Legion 5i laptop, and it's got some pretty impressive specs: a 14th Generation Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1 TB SSD, along with a stunning 15.1" OLED display. However, I'm experiencing some serious performance issues when trying to play games like Arc Raiders and even simpler ones like Ball x Pit. I start off with around 60 fps on medium settings, but then the performance declines and I get a lot of stuttering. When I alt-tab out to check Task Manager, I notice my fps drops significantly and doesn't recover until I reboot the laptop. I'm wondering why this performance drop happens with alt-tabbing and if anyone has ideas on how to troubleshoot the issue. Given these specs, I thought I should be able to run these games smoother. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
This sounds like a thermal issue to me. When your CPU gets too hot, it can throttle its own performance to cool down. Making sure your cooling settings are optimal, and maybe even undervolting, could help sustain better performance. Also, keep an eye on fan speeds to ensure they are running properly.
First thing to check is the NVIDIA Control Panel settings. Head to 'Manage 3D settings' and make sure the 'Preferred graphics processor' is set to 'High-performance NVIDIA processor'. Also, disabling 'Hybrid Mode' in Lenovo Vantage can help. You might want to monitor your temperatures using tools like HWInfo64. If your CPU or GPU temperatures soar, it's likely throttling your performance due to overheating. That could explain the fps drop when you alt-tab, as it often forces the laptop into a different graphics mode.
It's important to remember that laptops switch modes when you exit a game, which can affect performance. I noticed my frame rates change based on the boost mode I have set. Also, consider elevating your laptop for better airflow while gaming, as heat buildup can affect performance.
Check out the optimization guide I've linked below. It has valuable tips, especially if you're using a controller. Make sure your power plan is set to performance mode, and you should see some improvement. If the problem persists, follow the steps for managing temperatures that can impact performance.
[Optimization Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDHelp/s/io56qZY9Yw)
Thanks for the tips! I figured it might be thermal issues. I underclocked the GPU a bit and got a cooling pad, and performance seems better now!