Solved! GPU High power usage

Cespenar

Junior Member
Jul 14, 2012
15
2
71
Playing Elite Dangerous, freeze occurs.
I use task manager to stop game .EXE
In Task Manager, the memory usage is very high, and the GPU power usage is very high.
Everything seems normal.
For the record I have asked in Guru 3D and OCCLub forums but no answers.
Task Mngr: CPU 5.6%, Mem' 40% 1677MB, GPU 0% Power use very high to high. Temperatures are ok.
Could the power supply be bad? This is it's 3rd rig.
 
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Solution
The OCCT ran first with details of the CPU.
I then opened the GPU tab, but nothing happened, and the graph started on the CPU again.
My OCCT is not a paid one.
Could that be the problem?
Shouldn’t be. I haven’t tried the latest version though. You could try an earlier version and see if the same thing happens again. The other option is running 3DMark Time Spy on a long loop (not sure if that can be done with the free version)..

Ajay

Lifer
Jan 8, 2001
15,332
7,792
136
Playing Elite Dangerous, freeze occurs.
I use task manager to stop game .EXE
In Task Manager, the memory usage is very high, and the GPU power usage is very high.
Everything seems normal.
For the record I have asked in Guru 3D and OCCLub forums but no answers.
Task Mngr: CPU 5.6%, Mem' 40% 1677MB, GPU 0% Power use very high to high. Temperatures are ok.
Could the power supply be bad? This is it's 3rd rig.
Perhaps you made a typo, but 1.6 GB of memory for a modern game is high. How much system RAM do you have?

Edit: 'is NOT high' dammit.
 
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Stuka87

Diamond Member
Dec 10, 2010
6,240
2,559
136
We could really use some more details as to the specs on your machine.

You say that memory and power usage is very high, and then say everything is normal.

But as a general guideline, as a PSU ages, it does become less efficient, and so its max output does go down. Letting us know what PSU you have, along with the rest of the specs of this machine would help a lot.
 

Cespenar

Junior Member
Jul 14, 2012
15
2
71
Perhaps you made a typo, but 1.6 GB of memory for a modern game is high. How much system RAM do you have?
Ajay, those amounts are from the task manager list. I don't understand what is good or bad, just trying to figure out a fix.
System ram is 2 sticks of 8gig each. Saying normal was probably a stupid comment.
 
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Cespenar

Junior Member
Jul 14, 2012
15
2
71
We could really use some more details as to the specs on your machine.

You say that memory and power usage is very high, and then say everything is normal.

But as a general guideline, as a PSU ages, it does become less efficient, and so its max output does go down. Letting us know what PSU you have, along with the rest of the specs of this machine would help a lot.
Stuka87, My sig should show the details of my rig.
The power supply is Corsair HX850. Now I'm not sure how old it is.
Also, the CPU is 4000mhz not 4400.
Any specific details extra you need please ask.
And thanks for reply. Also saying normal was probably a stupid comment.
Strange that I see my sig when I answer, but when I save it, it disappears for me.
My CPU is Intel Core i7 4790K Haswell.
 

Stuka87

Diamond Member
Dec 10, 2010
6,240
2,559
136
I do see your sig, just was not sure that was the machine. Oh, and it doesn't list the PSU. That 850 should be more than enough under regular conditions.

Does this happen while playing any other game? Or while running a GPU benchmark?

Also, if you run HWMonitor (or similar) what does it show the GPU wattage and temperatures to be? Its possible the GPU is running too hot.
 

Cespenar

Junior Member
Jul 14, 2012
15
2
71
I do see your sig, just was not sure that was the machine. Oh, and it doesn't list the PSU. That 850 should be more than enough under regular conditions.

Does this happen while playing any other game? Or while running a GPU benchmark?

Also, if you run HWMonitor (or similar) what does it show the GPU wattage and temperatures to be? Its possible the GPU is running too hot.
GPU VRM (in/out) was a max of 40 watts. The Max temp was 44 degrees.
GPU memory allocated was 3764 MB. (max)
CPU temp max was 70 degrees.
Have not seen it yet, but had better play witcher 3 and see if that happens.
 

Shmee

Memory & Storage, Graphics Cards Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 13, 2008
7,381
2,415
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Hard to say for sure, but it could be the GPU is starting to become unstable in the game(s). I would do some basic stress tests and see what happens, including memtest86, perhaps a CPU stress test or something like cinebench, and some GPU stress test, or maybe loop heaven benchmark or something.

So basically, start with troubleshooting and stress testing.
 
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Ajay

Lifer
Jan 8, 2001
15,332
7,792
136
Hard to say for sure, but it could be the GPU is starting to become unstable in the game(s). I would do some basic stress tests and see what happens, including memtest86, perhaps a CPU stress test or something like cinebench, and some GPU stress test, or maybe loop heaven benchmark or something.

So basically, start with troubleshooting and stress testing.
Yeah, this. I'd roll back the graphics driver as a first step though.
 
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Leeea

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2020
3,599
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Task Manager power usage "high" or "very high" is meaningless.

Basically anything pulling over a few watts = very high in the task manager.

I use task manager to stop game .EXE

Typically, when a GPU crashes, the screen is going to freeze or go completely black, then either:
your computer will reboot or
the GPU will recover itself, and display an impossible to ignore dialog box informing you it crashed


My gut feeling is your problem is not related to your GPU hardware or your power supply.


If it is hardware, maybe your overclock. If system is overclocked, so turning off the overclock / XMP would be the first step.

Your signature seems to indicate you are overclocking.


My gut feeling is you have a software issue.
 
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Cespenar

Junior Member
Jul 14, 2012
15
2
71
Task Manager power usage "high" or "very high" is meaningless.

Basically anything pulling over a few watts = very high in the task manager.



Typically, when a GPU crashes, the screen is going to freeze or go completely black, then either:
your computer will reboot or
the GPU will recover itself, and display an impossible to ignore dialog box informing you it crashed


My gut feeling is your problem is not related to your GPU hardware or your power supply.


If it is hardware, maybe your overclock. If system is overclocked, so turning off the overclock / XMP would be the first step.

Your signature seems to indicate you are overclocking.


My gut feeling is you have a software issue.
Not overclocking. Did try OC the cpu but rolled it back to 4ghz
I agree memtest to check RAM.
I need to play a game that is hard on the machine, but got the feeling Elite Dangerous is the only one.
And the wattage in HWmonitor64 seems fine. Same as temperatures.
I wonder can a game cause this? As in software?
How do I stress the GPU?
 

Ajay

Lifer
Jan 8, 2001
15,332
7,792
136
Not overclocking. Did try OC the cpu but rolled it back to 4ghz
I agree memtest to check RAM.
I need to play a game that is hard on the machine, but got the feeling Elite Dangerous is the only one.
And the wattage in HWmonitor64 seems fine. Same as temperatures.
I wonder can a game cause this? As in software?
How do I stress the GPU?
I use OCCT to do stress testing on my computers. Seems to work well and have real-time monitoring.
 
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Cespenar

Junior Member
Jul 14, 2012
15
2
71
I use OCCT to do stress testing on my computers. Seems to work well and have real-time monitoring.
The OCCT ran first with details of the CPU.
I then opened the GPU tab, but nothing happened, and the graph started on the CPU again.
My OCCT is not a paid one.
Could that be the problem?
 

Ajay

Lifer
Jan 8, 2001
15,332
7,792
136
The OCCT ran first with details of the CPU.
I then opened the GPU tab, but nothing happened, and the graph started on the CPU again.
My OCCT is not a paid one.
Could that be the problem?
Shouldn’t be. I haven’t tried the latest version though. You could try an earlier version and see if the same thing happens again. The other option is running 3DMark Time Spy on a long loop (not sure if that can be done with the free version)..
 
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Solution

Cespenar

Junior Member
Jul 14, 2012
15
2
71
My OCCT was old. Downloaded the latest.
Ran it then started Elite Dangerous.
The GPU did not get much hotter than usual except GPU Hot Spot temp got to 67.84
The CPU got up to 94 max but sat around the 80 mark for most time.
The FPS sits at 120 normally, but dropped to as low as 64 and moved closer to around 80.
I stopped the stress after 27 minutes as nothing showed up.
Then the temperatures dropped to normal.
Leeea could be right, and it is the game that does it. (software)
At the moment another bug has hit many players. Use storage in any way and we get thrown to desktop with a bug report window.
I can live with the bugs, as it seems the hardware is ok. Testing the power supply is not out the window yet, but is a pain to get it out.
I want to thank you all for your interest and ideas. o7 and fly safe.
 
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