You finally got a new graphics card upgrade for your PC. You pop it in, connect all the cables, install the latest drivers, launch your favorite game, and there it is – you’re getting 15 FPS because the GPU is running at 5%.
There’s nothing more frustrating than hardware issues when you want to game. This article covers all the possible causes of GPU usage and the solutions to each of them.
Understanding Low GPU Usage
Low GPU usage occurs when your graphics card isn’t being utilized to its full potential during tasks that should be demanding, like gaming or graphic-intensive applications. This can result in poor frame rates and sluggish performance despite having a capable GPU.
Common Causes and Fixes for Low GPU Usage
1. Integrated Graphics Taking Over
Sometimes, your system may default to the integrated GPU instead of the dedicated graphics card. This often happens after upgrading your GPU or in systems that default to integrated graphics to save power.
How to Switch to Dedicated GPU
- Enter BIOS setup during boot.
- Navigate to the graphics configuration settings.
- Disable the integrated graphics or set the primary display adapter to PCIe/PEG.
- Save and exit BIOS, ensuring your monitor is connected to the dedicated GPU.
2. Outdated or Corrupted GPU Drivers
Out-of-date or corrupted drivers can lead to poor GPU performance. Ensuring your graphics drivers are up-to-date is crucial.
Updating Drivers
- Uninstall current drivers using software like DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller).
- Visit the official website of NVIDIA or AMD to download and install the latest stable drivers.
3. Inadequate Power Settings
Power-saving modes in Windows or in the GPU control panel can limit the performance of your graphics card.
Adjusting Power Settings
- Go to Windows Control Panel > Power Options.
- Set the power plan to ‘High Performance’.
- In your GPU’s control panel, set the power management mode to ‘Prefer Maximum Performance’.
4. CPU Bottleneck
A CPU that can’t keep up with the GPU can also cause low GPU usage. This is often evident in CPU-intensive games or applications.
Mitigating CPU Bottlenecks
- Upgrade the CPU to a more powerful one that matches your GPU’s capabilities.
- Increase the resolution or graphics settings in games, which can shift some load from the CPU to the GPU.
5. Software Conflicts or Background Processes
Other programs or background processes can interfere with your game or application, diverting resources away from the GPU.
Resolving Software Conflicts
- Use the Task Manager to close unnecessary applications running in the background.
- Check for malware or other harmful software that might be consuming system resources.
6. Thermal Throttling
If your GPU overheats, it may throttle down to reduce heat, leading to lower usage and performance.
Preventing Thermal Throttling
- Ensure your PC case has adequate cooling.
- Clean dust from vents and fans.
- Consider improving thermal paste application or upgrading your GPU cooler.
7. Game or Application Issues
Sometimes, the problem lies within the game or application itself. Poorly optimized games or software may not utilize your GPU properly.
Dealing with Game Issues
- Check for game patches or updates that might improve performance.
- Adjust game settings or lower graphic details to see if GPU usage improves.
- Consult online forums or communities for specific fixes or settings.
Tools for Monitoring and Diagnosing GPU Performance
Tools like MSI Afterburner or GPU-Z can be helpful in effectively diagnosing and monitoring your GPU usage. They provide real-time data on GPU usage, temperature, and other critical metrics. Use these tools to test different scenarios and settings to find what best improves your GPU’s performance.
Conclusion
Low GPU usage can be frustrating, especially when you expect top performance from your setup. By systematically checking the potential issues listed above and applying the recommended solutions, you can enhance your system’s GPU utilization and overall performance. Remember, sometimes the solution is as simple as updating a driver or switching a setting.
FAQs
Outdated drivers can cause performance issues. Game settings: Some in-game settings can limit the GPU usage. Check the settings of each game to make sure they are configured for high performance. Thermal Throttling: If your GPU is overheating, it might reduce its performance to cool down.
Why is my GPU suddenly so weak? ›
Poor performance
Reinstall your graphics drivers: You might have a corrupt, or out-of-date driver that isn't letting your graphics card run at its full potential. Check your temperatures: Keep an eye on your graphics card temperatures, particularly when gaming.
Is 70 percent GPU usage bad? ›
Modern GPUs have a feature called thermal throttling, just like CPUs, which limits the performance of a GPU when the temperature rises to a certain amount. If your CPU usage is 100% and your GPU usage is around 60 to 80%, this clearly means it's a bottleneck.
Why is GPU usage not 100%? ›
Hello, it is normal that GPU are not 100% used, because we need to use algorithm to make it smoother and faster, with temperature and other elements into consideration. Also, when rendering, you can use GPU-Z to monitor the GPU usage, I believe it should be used to their full potential.
What is a normal GPU utilization? ›
99% GPU usage is a good sign that your PC is well balanced. If you don't like it you can enable Vsync or set a FPS cap in your GPUs driver. yeah by default that's what gpu's are supposed to do. It's not bad and your card won't over heat (unless you have a poorly ventilated case).
Can RAM bottleneck a GPU? ›
RAM isn't usually a bottleneck when gaming, unless you don't have enough. For most modern games, 8GB of RAM is a good baseline, though 16GB is quickly becoming the standard.
Can a CPU be too weak for GPU? ›
The GPU does not work in isolation and requires an equally powerful CPU to work properly. In the case that you upgrade the GPU without upgrading the CPU, you may deal with CPU bottlenecking issues.
Will a weak GPU bottleneck CPU? ›
Can a GPU bottleneck a CPU? Yes. In fact it's the norm for games running well on any PC.
Is it normal for 99% GPU usage? ›
GPU being used at 99% in gaming is not an indication that there is something wrong with the software or hardware. Usually, depending on the resolution you're playing, that would put more weight on the GPU. For example, if you play on 1080p, a lot of the performance is dependent not on the GPU, but on the CPU.
Is 98% GPU usage normal? ›
nothing wrong with card running at 98%, means the game is pushing your card as it should , temps can be lowered by getting better cooling / cleaning out your pc , blowing out all the dust from fans that accumulates over time.
There will always be a “bottleneck”. Generally above 90% is what would be good. If it's way below 90%, like for example 60% or even worse say 30% then it means your CPU is very weak and not providing data to the GPU fast enough, and you are not getting the true value out of your GPU. If it's 100% it's probably fine.
Is fluctuating GPU usage bad? ›
Understand that you are playing games and daily use of the lag delay and GPU fluctuation of the magnitude of the problem, according to your computer configuration, such a situation is abnormal, if you are after updating the Gpu driver this situation, the first consideration is the driver problem, you can go to the ...
What is a CPU bottleneck? ›
A CPU bottleneck occurs when the CPU is the component within a computer system limiting its overall performance. When other components in a computer system can handle workloads better than the CPU and you aren't seeing the performance you expect, you may have a CPU bottleneck.
How to limit GPU usage? ›
To limit GPU usage by process in Windows, we can use third-party tools such as MSI Afterburner or NVIDIA Inspector. These tools allow users to set a maximum limit on the GPU usage of specific processes or applications.
Is 96 GPU utilization bad? ›
This kind of gpu load is actually a good sign. It shows that your pc utilizes your gpu to the fullest. If your gpu load were lower than cpu load you´d have a cpu bottleneck.
How can I improve my GPU efficiency? ›
How to Improve GPU Performance
- Update the GPU Drivers to Improve Performance.
- Plug Your Laptop to the Wall.
- Toggle Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling.
- Consider Trying Upscaling Technologies to Get Better GPU Performance.
- Clear Your PC to Lower Thermals.
When, for example, a CPU has higher utilization than the GPU, it means that the system is experiencing bottleneck. Bottleneck refers to a component that limits the potential of other hardware due to differences in their maximum capabilities.
