increased GPU utilisation

xerave1

Till the mod 19 patch, I used to leave the game at the character selection screen everytime Im not playing. But now, while playing my GPU utilisation while playing is 45-60%, on Character selection its stands on 85%(!!!), and same on the login screen which im at when loging out from the game.

The reselut is if Im leaving the game and it remains on the character selection screen, like I used to have,my gpu temp, is rising up to nearly 80 degrees , celsius.

please do something.

I have nvidia 1060 gtx graphic card.

plasticbat

I am using a Nvidia gtx 1080. My GPU utilization in character selection screen is between 13% to 43%.
Yes, I should change my habit and exit the program from now on.

mwk

@xerave1#3974 Use EVGA Precision XOC, MSI Afterburner, or ThrottleStop, which might help your problem? Also if no hot air is being blown out of the computer? FIX THAT! I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT HOT AIR SHOULD BE SUCKING OUT, NOT IN; BLOWING HOT AIR OUT! Meaning a fan blowing on the graphics card and a 'FAN' that is faced backwards (air blowing out of the computer case) to suck hot air out! I tend to be resourceful, though I'm not having any issues. My laptop blows hot air like a dragon! Yet, I hope this helps. It took some researching. AGAIN HOT AIR SHOULD BE BLOWING OUT!

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBj9u2binds[/video]
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DQYP0SN_Kk[/video]

micky1p00

In game options, check that the option to throttle the game down when it's not focused is checked.

plasticbat

micky1p00 said:

In game options, check that the option to throttle the game down when it's not focused is checked.

Where is that option? Which tab? Thanks.

micky1p00

Even though it says limit the CPU usage, what it does is sleeps between frames to reduce to about 5fps when the game is minimized or not in focus (another windows window is focused). So that is even more beneficial for lowering the GPU utilization than CPU on static screens like the char select menu, which is only gpu limited and can heat it up similar to how stress testers work.
It will not work if the game screen left in focus though.

I can video what it does if the explanation is not helpful

plasticbat

micky1p00 said:

Thanks. That does not help because I have that turned on always.

micky1p00

I've edited my previous post a bit.
If your utilization jumps high on the char select, and you want to keep it in focus then you can try and limit the overall frame rate.

plasticbat

This is more interesting.
I am running windows 10.

When the game is in choose character screen and it is not in focus, it does not show the graphic background. It has a black background, my character is not shown and a circle spinning slowly. Yet, the GPU utilization goes from 14% to 40% for whatever reason. The game is still shown on the monitor.

If the game exit, GPU utilization goes to 0.

Since I am using Windows 10, I assign different desktop for different purpose.
When I switch to another desktop, the game is not shown on the screen anymore.
Yet, the GPU utilization stays at the same (14% to 40%) although I kind of expect that.

Although the game screen is now more or less static (nothing move) except the slow spinning circle, the GPU utilization shows it is doing 3D stuff. i.e. that 14% to 40% are all 3D activities when there is really nothing 3D being shown.

There are "moving" graphic I missed, the 2 candles of "Enter World".

micky1p00

It doesn't matter if there is something spinning or not, once a program creates a renderer context, in this case it's DirectX (other options are OpenGL, Vulkan, and Metal on Mac) and pushes some data to render it will utilize the 3d hardware. In laptops for example, in many cases this means switching from the intel GPU to the AMD/Nvidia one and powering it up.

It can be a static texture (an 2d image) without any movement and it will be considered as 3d.

There is a specific problem with very simple scenes, like that single image or like the character selection screen. It is not CPU limited, and while it will not utilize the whole GPU (the shader units) it will push the rasterizer and other parts to the max FPS possible, because nothing limits it.
This creates a heavy utilization of those GPU parts, jump on frequency and heat. And in some famous cases, like the Starcraft 2 loading screen and Nvidia driver at the time, fried cards. It was patched to limit the FPS to prevent exactly that (Today's cards will lower their frequency when overheated)

I do use windows 10, but not the virtual desktops. Are you using fullscreen mode or maximized window? if the second try to focus out of the game, just click alt, and then bring up any other window, notepad or something, even if the game is still shows.
You should see the fps drop and utilization with it.

in game /showfps 1 now works directly without /showdevui

plasticbat

micky1p00 said:

It doesn't matter if there is something spinning or not, once a program creates a renderer context, in this case it's DirectX (other options are OpenGL, Vulkan, and Metal on Mac) and pushes some data to render it will utilize the 3d hardware. In laptops for example, in many cases this means switching from the intel GPU to the AMD/Nvidia one and powering it up.

It can be a static texture (an 2d image) without any movement and it will be considered as 3d.

There is a specific problem with very simple scenes, like that single image or like the character selection screen. It is not CPU limited, and while it will not utilize the whole GPU (the shader units) it will push the rasterizer and other parts to the max FPS possible, because nothing limits it.
This creates a heavy utilization of those GPU parts, jump on frequency and heat. And in some famous cases, like the Starcraft 2 loading screen and Nvidia driver at the time, fried cards. It was patched to limit the FPS to prevent exactly that (Today's cards will lower their frequency when overheated)

I do use windows 10, but not the virtual desktops. Are you using fullscreen mode or maximized window? if the second try to focus out of the game, just click alt, and then bring up any other window, notepad or something, even if the game is still shows.
You should see the fps drop and utilization with it.

in game /showfps 1 now works directly without /showdevui

I use maximized windows in full screen in one of the monitors. I click to other application (such as web browser) in another monitor to change focus. No, I don't see the difference of GPU utilization in the task manager between the "select character" screen in focus and another application (such as web browser) is in focus.

micky1p00

Interesting

Here what happens for me, everything the same, except once the game is focused, the other time it's the task manager:

Game:


Taskmanager:

plasticbat

I take it back. If the game is in focus (and in choose character screen), it is about 38% to 42%. If it is not, it is 14% to 40%. So, there is a difference.

mwk

@xerave1#3974 I'm more concerned about the air flow in your computer case. I don't know how your computer is designed, though if your GPU is getting 82 degrees Celsius, something isn't flowing right in your computer case! That's 176 Fahrenheit! That's extremely hot! Fans blow on the graphics card, which is given and having fans aiding that blow out of the case to suck out hot air is how it works! I don't know how you designed your computer, so please do yourself a favor and look at your design!

Sure your GPU fan is spinning more during game-play. Though how much temperature is decreasing even when those GPU fans are not spinning as much at the character screen or when your graphics card is at idle? However, it's obvious that there is hot air floating around your computer case! That's a problem!

My suggestion is that wherever the air-flowing out by the heatsink from your GPU, you need some fan near it to help suck hot air out in that area! Fans blow onto the GPU and your temperatures are rising 80 degrees Celsius or 176 Fahrenheit with no aid to get hot air out of the case! Air blows on GPU with its fans and fans blows out of your case to suck air out! UNDERSTAND?! A GPU be running that hot on game-play and idle will wear out your GPU and possibly your CPU as well!

Here is mark up recommended as an example for good cooling. You could add another fan on the top to help suck hot air out on my markup. Though the second example seems ideal.

sobac

Don't forget that Windows task manager only shows your GPU % usage, but not the GPU and mem clocks (which is more important that just GPU % usage)!!! While playing, the graphic card should max GPU and Mem clocks when needed, but when the game is in background, GPU/Mem clocks should be MUCH lower, i.e. less heat and power consumption, so don't worry. If you still want to check this, use GPU-Z, you will be able to see clocks, temp, power consumption and much more interesting data. If in background, your clocks are still at max, then you have a prob. FPS should be @5 as someone already said. Update drivers if needed.
PD: i have 1060 too, btw.

nooneatza

Weirdly enough i have a similar issue
While ingame gpu hovers around 30% usage and ~1.5ghz, cpu boosts to max and stays around 50% usage on all cores.
Performance is <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font>, 40 fps max.

In character select screen cpu and gpu are pinned to 100% and gpu boosts to ~1.9ghz.

I run an i5 6500 ajd gtx 1060 6gb, 8gb ram in dual channel and nw is on a sata ssd.

Its not a thermal issue as other way more demanding games run as they should and temps never exceed 70c.

(Got my data from msi afterburner)

Ive just given up on trying to fix it.