CPU Bottleneck / Overheating

**Csargo** · 04-13-2018, 03:44

Ah, so is it keeping the other 2gb as a buffer for swapping in data from the HD? I'm guessing that's the case at least.

**Husar** · 04-13-2018, 14:29

Well, if we employ some advanced mathematics here.....if 4GB usage are 80%, that would mean the system has 5GB available. Using advanced quantum physics, we can deduce from this, that 3GB might be reserved for something else. I think some of that info should actually be in the performance tab of the task manager, or whatever the second tab is called in non-German.

If that is the case, I would follow Xiahou's advice and see whether you can find the BIOS setting that allocates 3GB to the GPU and reduce that to zero, which should leave the GPU with the 4GB of its own memory and give the system the full 8GB.

**Csargo** · 04-13-2018, 17:00

Originally Posted by Husar

Well, if we employ some advanced mathematics here.....if 4GB usage are 80%, that would mean the system has 5GB available. Using advanced quantum physics, we can deduce from this, that 3GB might be reserved for something else. I think some of that info should actually be in the performance tab of the task manager, or whatever the second tab is called in non-German.

If that is the case, I would follow Xiahou's advice and see whether you can find the BIOS setting that allocates 3GB to the GPU and reduce that to zero, which should leave the GPU with the 4GB of its own memory and give the system the full 8GB.

If Xiahou's right then the 80% is the GPU 2/4GB VRAM plus the system 4GB RAM, which would be 6/8GB ~ 80% I believe. My task manager completely separates the GPU from system RAM, so I don't understand why it would be like that? I don't understand why the GPU isn't maxing out either.

If you're right it shouldn't be reserving 3GB of RAM from the system. That seems excessively high to me. I've got 7.9 out of 8, so that's .1GB reserved for hardware/OS or whatever.

**Husar** · 04-14-2018, 03:48

Originally Posted by Csargo

If Xiahou's right then the 80% is the GPU 2/4GB VRAM plus the system 4GB RAM, which would be 6/8GB ~ 80% I believe. My task manager completely separates the GPU from system RAM, so I don't understand why it would be like that? I don't understand why the GPU isn't maxing out either.

If you're right it shouldn't be reserving 3GB of RAM from the system. That seems excessively high to me. I've got 7.9 out of 8, so that's .1GB reserved for hardware/OS or whatever.

Well, there's this:

Originally Posted by edyzmedieval

This is what I found weird. Double checked - it has 8 GB, but it uses 80% and it's at almost 4 GB.

I don't think anyone would combine system RAM and GPU RAM or even sell a notebook where they are both 4GB in 2018. If the usage is at 80% with 4GB that means there should be another GB available, but Windows may already begin swapping programs to keep those last 20% in reserve.

It would indeed be weird if the BIOS is set to reserve 3GB for the GPU, but who knows? I don't think it reserves a lot for anything else, my main question is why 4GB usage = ~80% and not ~50%.
The amount of RAM Windows uses itself is already included in the 80% either way.

If you have system RAM reserved for your GPU, it should actually be shown in the performance tab of the task manager. Go to "Memory" and look for Hardware reserved". On my notebook I set it to 500MB and it gives me 562MB, the 62 being the bit it reserves anyway. The overall available system memory is consequently shown as 7.5GB since it detracts the GPU-reseved memory right away, but also shows that 8GB are installed. In fact, a screenshot of that memory section could be helpful.

**Csargo** · 04-14-2018, 04:17

Originally Posted by Husar

Well, there's this:

I don't think anyone would combine system RAM and GPU RAM or even sell a notebook where they are both 4GB in 2018. If the usage is at 80% with 4GB that means there should be another GB available, but Windows may already begin swapping programs to keep those last 20% in reserve.

It would indeed be weird if the BIOS is set to reserve 3GB for the GPU, but who knows? I don't think it reserves a lot for anything else, my main question is why 4GB usage = ~80% and not ~50%.
The amount of RAM Windows uses itself is already included in the 80% either way.

If you have system RAM reserved for your GPU, it should actually be shown in the performance tab of the task manager. Go to "Memory" and look for Hardware reserved". On my notebook I set it to 500MB and it gives me 562MB, the 62 being the bit it reserves anyway. The overall available system memory is consequently shown as 7.5GB since it detracts the GPU-reseved memory right away, but also shows that 8GB are installed. In fact, a screenshot of that memory section could be helpful.

It seems weird if that would be the case, I'm just struggling to understand what's going on then. Boggles the mind really.

Yeah, I agree a screenshot of the memory section would be helpful. I've got 56MB reserved for hardware.

**edyzmedieval** · 04-17-2018, 22:04

I have 120 MB reserved for memory.

On idle, in use is 3.1 GB and 4.8 GB is available. As I type right now, this is what Task Manager is telling me. Just 3 Chrome tabs open and nothing more.

Cached - 3.5 GB
Committed total - 14.9 GB (probably including HDD?)

**Husar** · 04-18-2018, 02:40

Originally Posted by edyzmedieval

I have 120 MB reserved for memory.

On idle, in use is 3.1 GB and 4.8 GB is available. As I type right now, this is what Task Manager is telling me. Just 3 Chrome tabs open and nothing more.

Cached - 3.5 GB
Committed total - 14.9 GB (probably including HDD?)

That sounds like your 8GB are pretty much available, don't see why they should be a bottleneck unless the games do actually use 80%+ of it.

The guy in this video runs Attila on a much weaker CPU, so I'm not sure why your fasdter one should cause problems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l62dLDDbMA

he's also using the MSI Afterburner overlay to see how the game uses his hardware. It's quite useful I guess, but I was hesitant to mention it because I found the UI terrible and didn't like having to manually download upgrades every month or so. You can probably find some guides for it I guess. It can show you how much RAM you're using and to what extent your CPU and GPU are used, etc. while you're playing the game.

Alternatively you can alt-tab to the task manager and leave it open in the background while you play, perhaps you find a component that is at 100% when the lagging happens. If the alt-tabbing is very slow and sluggish, then you may indeed be lacking in RAM.