Solved! Bad CPU and Good GPU, Why am I getting such low usage? (Bottleneck Questions)

[RileyM]

Specs are:
GTX 1070 sc 8gb
Core i7-3630qm
16gb ram
500gb SSD

I know my CPU is bad, I don't want to hear how I need to buy a new cpu, I get it, I'm working on it. These things are expensive. Anyway I know it should be mega bottlenecking the 1070, so I'm just wondering why the usage is so low?

I don't really understand how to tell what's bottlenecking what. Some games I get 60fps in 4k near ultra settings, and other games I get 20fps no matter the setting or resolution (Jurassic World Evolution). [strike]Although it seems like across the board I can never maintain constant 60 no matter, regardless of setting[/strike](I was wrong, I just had to lower a few settings, duh), even though most of the time in 1440p I can hit the 80s and 90s sometimes.

But MSI afterburner shows like 20% and sometimes less, sometimes it's high but the weird thing is gpu usage is always in the 90s.

Again I don't understand bottlenecks shouldn't the cpu usage be super high and gpu usage low? How do these things work?

Can you tell me how I know by the settings like if X is high then X. Link helpful videos if you want to I just want to understand this.

EDIT: TBH it varies from game to game it isn't always low, it ranges from 20% to 70%, but shouldn't it just be at 99% of something all the time? or at least very high?

 

[sizzling]

Don’t monitor total cpu usage. Monitor individual cores, it only takes 1 cpu core hitting 100% to limit performance.

 

[Lutfij]

The processor is a laptop/notebook processor. I wonder how you're going to get out of that with a better CPU? You should be looking at a desktop. Speaking of desktop, you're running your GPU using an external GPU dock(most often, the Beast EXP GDC GPU dock) which leads me to ask what the make and model of your PSU is and how old the unit is? Are you on the latest BIOS on your laptop? Speaking of laptop, what is the make and model of your unit?

 

[RileyM]

Don’t monitor total cpu usage. Monitor individual cores, it only takes 1 cpu core hitting 100% to limit performance.

I do all 8 cores have very low usage, screen shot if you want.

 

[sizzling]

Then Lutfij has asked some good questions. If you are not maxing out any cpu cores it is not a cpu bottleneck. My next thought is the external gpu caddy bandwidth but to be honest this isn’t an area I’ve looked into before.

 

[RileyM]

The processor is a laptop/notebook processor. I wonder how you're going to get out of that with a better CPU? You should be looking at a desktop. Speaking of desktop, you're running your GPU using an external GPU dock(most often, the Beast EXP GDC GPU dock) which leads me to ask what the make and model of your PSU is and how old the unit is? Are you on the latest BIOS on your laptop? Speaking of laptop, what is the make and model of your unit?

I wonder how you're going to get out of that with a better CPU? You should be looking at a desktop

I am looking at a desktop, sorry that's what I meant. This is only temporary setup, I'm a poor boy. By "better CPU" I mean building a desktop, thinking of i5 8400, if you know a better intel processor for the price do let me know.

make and model of your PSU is and how old the unit is?

You may have got me there the psu is not very good (I don't think). I got it from a friend for free. It's a 450 watt Antek 450, I could be wrong here, but I think it's this one https/www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371045
but maybe not. Don't know the age but probably very old. Yes I need a better power supply reccomendations are welcome. I'm on a budget.

Are you on the latest BIOS on your laptop?

No idea to be honest I'm not sure what it is or how to check.

what is the make and model of your unit?

It's a lenovo y500 but please note! Google is reporting the wrong specs, they say gt650m but it's 750m and some sources say 8gb ram but it's not it's 16gb, confirmed in nvidia control panel and windows itself. So I wouldn't trust their sources.

Sorry for not knowing alot. Thanks for trying to help.

 

[sizzling]

Why Intel? At i5 prices the Ryzen options are better. I’d only look at Intel when considering i7/i9, below that Ryzen.

 

[RileyM]

Then Lutfij has asked some good questions. If you are not maxing out any cpu cores it is not a cpu bottleneck. My next thought is the external gpu caddy bandwidth but to be honest this isn’t an area I’ve looked into before.

Really? Sooo, I know my cpu isn't good enough for the 1070 so how is that possible?

I must also say the tempertures of the cpu are very hot like 85 celsius.

external gpu caddy bandwidth

I know that it's much slower bandwidth and overall equals roughly 25% less performance than a desktop version. You can check my history for that where people explain it to me. But I mean hey, shouldn't this actually HELP my cpu? I'm not trying to run anything over 60fps. I'm fine with the lower bandwidth. I don't need hundreds of fps. I just want consistency and to maintain 60, it usually goes up to like 100fps in 1440p ultra but then will drop to 40fps sometimes and stuff.

 

[RileyM]

Why Intel? At i5 prices the Ryzen options are better. I’d only look at Intel when considering i7/i9, below that Ryzen.

Honestly because I'm used to intel and I don't even know what's good with ryzen at all or anything. I prefer intel cause I know more what's good and I've always had them. help is appreciated I guess.