Low Gpu usage rtx 3060 ti

[Tharalb]

Hi everyone, Recently got my first pc, a Lenovo legion T5 with a rtx 3060 ti GPU and a Ryzen 7 3700x CPU. After playing Apex legends for some time now I've noticed that my gpu usage won't exceed 75% and usually hovers between 50 - 75%. Consequently I'm getting some pretty mediocre fps for what the 3060 ti should be able to handle (around 110fps on average). The weirdest part is that my gpu usage drops when looking over open areas with lots of detail (50-60% usage) and increases when looking into a wall or at the ground (70-75% usage). Looking at benchmark videos in apex using the same cpu and gpu, they have a constant 90+% gpu usage and average around 165+ fps. I've done a lot of looking around on different forums but can't seem to find a solution. So far I have tried optimizing the gpu settings for apex via nvidia control panel, reinstalling drivers as well as trying older ones and my power plan is set to performance. I have also tried running heaven benchmark where the gpu had 90+% usage at all times and where the resulting fps average was in line with what it should be. Don't really know what to do now and my limited knowledge of computers doesn't help. Anyone know what could cause this and if there is a solution?

GPU temp usually stays around 70 degrees Celsius and the CPU usually stays around 75-85 degrees (looking into getting a better cooler).

CPU usage stays around 40-50%.

Checked CPU and GPU usage via msi afterburners in game overlay.

Specs:
GPU: RTX 3060 ti
CPU: Ryzen 73700x
RAM:16GB (in dualchanel)
512 GB SSD

 

[FreedomEclipse]

lets do a little test. Remove the side panel and game without it on and see if anything improves... Also download a programme called HWmonitor and have that running in the background when you game. then screen shot the 'sensors' tab and throw it up on here and we'll take a look.

 

[GerKNG]

Low GPU Usage = CPU Bound

Apex Legends is a pretty heavy AVX game. my 5950x can't keep up with a 3080 at 1440p quite often.

 

[Tharalb]

lets do a little test. Remove the side panel and game without it on and see if anything improves... Also download a programme called HWmonitor and have that running in the background when you game. then screen shot the 'sensors' tab and throw it up on here and we'll take a look.

Yea, I'll try that and return with the results tomorrow. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Ferd]

running heaven benchmark where the gpu had 90+% usage at all times and where the resulting fps average was in line with what it should be.

Heaven benchmarks barely uses any cpu resources, it’s a heavy gpu bench so comparing that to a game is not useful

 

[Tharalb]

Low GPU Usage = CPU Bound

Apex Legends is a pretty heavy AVX game. my 5950x can't keep up with a 3080 at 1440p quite often.

ah i see, just felt it was unlikely due to how well pcs with the same specs preformed in benchmarks. thanks for the reply though, feel a little more at ease knowing that.

Heaven benchmarks barely uses any cpu resources, it’s a heavy gpu bench so comparing that to a game is not useful

oh, haha, i see. ty

 

[FreedomEclipse]

also knowing which games you play. would help us.

 

[Tharalb]

also knowing which games you play. would help us.

Mainly apex legends but doom eternal and splitgate too.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

well apex legends is GPU based. so you should be running that game without any problems at all.

Doom eternal's engine is pretty good with resource usage so it should be fine. Same with splitgate as that uses Unreal Engine 4

prebuilt machines usually have bad airflow so im trying to find out if its just your system throttling which is causing the fps issues.

If this is your system here:

I would say your system could possibly be thermal throttling. There is not enough airflow inside that case with the fans provided. Ideally you'd want to another fan to take up the empty space above the one already there like here in this picture.

you can read the model number off the fans and try to buy one off amazon/ebay or you could throw out the fan it came with and put in a pair of Arctic Cooling P12s of P14 PWM fans.

 

[eidairaman1]

Heaven benchmarks barely uses any cpu resources, it’s a heavy gpu bench so comparing that to a game is not useful

I used heaven to test stability of my system totally along with Ryzen Blender.

well apex legends is GPU based. so you should be running that game without any problems at all.

Doom eternal's engine is pretty good with resource usage so it should be fine. Same with splitgate as that uses Unreal Engine 4

prebuilt machines usually have bad airflow so im trying to find out if its just your system throttling which is causing the fps issues.

If this is your system here:

I would say your system could possibly be thermal throttling. There is not enough airflow inside that case with the fans provided. Ideally you'd want to another fan to take up the empty space above the one already there like here in this picture.

you can read the model number off the fans and try to buy one off amazon/ebay or you could throw out the fan it came with and put in a pair of Arctic Cooling P12s of P14 PWM fans.

Those cases with glas fronts and tiny vents on sides are not enough cooling, he needs a mesh front or fans on the side panel with high static pressure fans and low room temperatures.

 

[Tharalb]

lets do a little test. Remove the side panel and game without it on and see if anything improves... Also download a programme called HWmonitor and have that running in the background when you game. then screen shot the 'sensors' tab and throw it up on here and we'll take a look.

Here are the HWmonitor results from about an hour of playing apex.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

oof - Package node 97'c. Im not familiar with the newer ryzens but ive read enough to know that high package node aint good.

Your GPU temps are a little hot but well within safety limits. Its definitely an airflow issue. There probably wont be much you can do unless you run it with the side panel off and point a desk fan at it.

Whats happening here is all the hot air from your graphics card is being sucked into the cooler above before it leaves the case. You need more airflow.


Other alternatives would be to either send it back to Lenovo and buy a pre-built from a company that knows what they are doing or set yourself a budget of something like £40-80 and do everything yourself....

Upgrade all the fans and possibly upgrade the stock cooler for a better one - but this is optional and can be left till last. The most important thing is getting more fans for more airflow.

the AVC fans in the picture are very good and reliable. They are used on servers all over the world and you can buy them off aliexpress or ebay (and possibly amazon) They might cost you a little more but the main thing is all the fans are the same brand/model.

alternatively, you can just buy another random fan like an Noctua Redux or a single Arctic P12 or P4 and run with one of those instead and it will probably work out just fine too but I have OCD so everything has to be the same or at least have some sort of uniformity (I dont like to mix fans - Its a personal thing)

Also as point of note -- Check the direction the fans are blowing in. Some people are reciving units with fans blowing the wrong way....

Fans blowing wrong direction....

 

[QuietBob]

Your case fans appear not to be working, unless HWMonitor is misreading their PWM values. Your CPU is sitting at a whopping 76c at idle (should be below 40c) - which may also indicate high case temperature.
I'd immediately check whether the fans are even spinning. Try inspecting the front and the rear of your case visually, and place your hand near the fans. Can you sense any airflow?

 

[eidairaman1]

Your case fans appear not to be working, unless HWMonitor is misreading their PWM values. Your CPU is sitting at a whopping 76c at idle (should be below 40c) - which may also indicate high case temperature.
I'd immediately check whether the fans are even spinning. Try inspecting the front and the rear of your case visually, and place your hand near the fans. Can you sense any airflow?

That case appears to only have tiny vents on the side but no vent directly in front of fans, Id remove the front panel

Definite case of thermal throttling

 

[Tharalb]

That case appears to only have tiny vents on the side but no vent directly in front of fans, Id remove the front panel

Definite case of thermal throttling

Hi, my case isn’t the one shown in the video if thats the one you meant. Mine only has mesh in front and on the top aswell. However, it does have the really shitty intel stock cooler which i’ll be replacing with an arctic freezer 34 duo in a few days.

 

[eidairaman1]

Hi, my case isn’t the one shown in the video if thats the one you meant. Mine only has mesh in front and on the top aswell. However, it does have the really shitty intel stock cooler which i’ll be replacing with an arctic freezer 34 duo in a few days.

While youre at it clean the filters and get high static pressure fans for front and bottom of case and high cfm fans for rear and top.

 

[QuietBob]

However, it does have the really shitty intel stock cooler which i’ll be replacing

This is probably where you should start. Another video on the channel @FreedomEclipse found clearly demonstrates that this OEM cooler is deficient. Still, that guy maxes it out at 85c, which is much lower than yours. You should definitely try to improve your case cooling:

 

[Tharalb]

This is probably where you should start. Another video on the channel @FreedomEclipse found clearly demonstrates that this OEM cooler is deficient. Still, that guy maxes it out at 85c, which is much lower than yours. You should definitely try to improve your case cooling:

Im in the process of doing so now. I’ve ordered the arctic freezer 34 duo which should be sufficient for the 3700x, and two actic freezer case fans too which will go in the front and in the top.

 

[Tharalb]

Hi everyone, thanks to all of you who took the time to reply to my question. The low gpu usage issue is not yet resolved although my fps has improved. I changed my CPU cooler and the thermal throttling problem is no more. Running the same test as last time, my CPU barely exceeds 60 degrees Celsius as its max temperature. Turns out there was a clear lack of thermal paste on the old one and that coupled with its poor performance resulted in the high temps. Anyhow thank you all for bringing the temperature issue to light!