Is low GPU usage bad? How to fix low GPU usage? How to operate at its maximum capacity for a better gaming experience? If you are suffering from this tricky problem now, you can follow the instruction of this tutorial on MiniTool Website and have a try.
Why Does GPU Usage Drop?
As is known to all, GPU matters a lot in gaming. It is a dedicated graphics rendering hardware that reduces the load of CPU. Without GPU, CPU will endure a large amount of load and the computer performance will be unstable, too. The higher usage GPU is, the better performance your graphics card will have.
However, what if there is low GPU usage in certain games? What should you do in that condition? Don’t be frustrated. This essay will provide you with several fixes to increase GPU usage. Have a try!
How to Fix Low GPU Usage?
Fix 1: Reinstall the Graphics Driver
It is very likely that your CPU driver is unmatched with GPU, that is, an outdated CPU driver matches powerful graphics. In this case, you can remove the current driver and install the latest version of a graphics card driver.
Step 1. Type device manager in the search bar and tap on Enter.
Step 2. Click on Display adapters.
Step 3. Right-click on your graphics card driver and select Uninstall device.
Step 4. Check Delete the driver software for this device and click Uninstall again.
Step 5. Reboot your computer, and the system will automatically install a new one for you.
Fix 2: Disable Third-Party Background Apps
Disabling third-party software in the background can exclude the interference of other programs thus it might also be efficient for fixing low GPU usage in games.
Step 1. Type msconfig in the search bar to run System Configuration.
Step 2. In the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services and click Disable all.
Step 3. Move to Startup and choose Open Task Manager.
Step 4. In the Startup interface of Task Manager, right-click the programs and select Disable one by one.
Fix 3: Install the Patches on Time and Optimize the Game Settings.
The game manufacturer always releases some patches at regular time to improve some functional bugs. A few unexpected problems occur when some new games come out, so you need to install corresponding patches released by game companies.
If GPU usage drops to 0 after that operation, you can try to optimize the game features manually.
Step 1. Go to the Settings of the game and click on Display Settings.
Step 2. Set your gaming mode as Windowed mode or Windowed borderless.
Step 3. Now, you can set the graphics according to the capacity, build and other features of your GPU.
Fix 4: Update Chipset Drivers
An outdated chipset driver might also be the culprit of low GPU usage, so you need to update it in time. To figure out how to fix low GPU usage in this way, here’s how to update chipset drivers:
Step 1. Type system information in the search bar and hit Enter.
Step 2. In the poppingup window, look for BaseBoard Product. Your motherboard model is next to it, please copy it in text.
Step 3. Go to AMD’s or Internet’s website (depending on your CPU).
Step 4. Paste your motherboard model and press Enter.
Step 5. Download and install the drivers.
Fix 5: Change In-game Settings
If the methods above don’t work, you can disable all CPU-depending graphical utilities hence enabling those of GPU to fix low GPU usage in games.
To avoid CPU burden when running on high or ultra graphics settings, it is highly recommended to disable VSync and Antialiasing.
To make GPU work more rather than CPU overload, you can also increase resolution, details and enable Future Frame Rendering.
Fix 6: Avoid CPU Overheating
If you have a powerful graphics card but an outdated CPU, your CPU likely obstructs your GPU. With an unmatched CPU, your computer may easily reach a high temperature thus reducing the performance of GPU.
In this case, you need to change the thermal paste. If it doesn’t work, you can ramp up the fan speed or check the settings of the CPU cooler.
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Fix 7: Decrease the Clock Rate
Increasing the clock rate may enhance the performance of system but in the long run, this action can damage your GPU.
You had better not increase it for a long time. To do so:
Step 1. Access the BIOS setup utilities from the Windows Startup screen.
Step 2. Press F9 to restore Factory Default.
Step 3. Save the changes and restart.
Fix 8: Reinstall the Game
If none of the methods works properly, you can try reinstalling the game. It is probably struggling but the wait is worth. After reinstalling it, you may enjoy the best games without errors.
Step 1. Open Settings.
Step 2. Scroll down to locate Apps.
Step 3. In Apps & features, you can see a list of software. Find the game and click it.
Step 4. Choose Uninstall.
Step 5. Once the uninstalling is done, go to the manufacturer’s website and download the game.
Fix 9: Disable All Power-preserving Modes
If you still wonder how to fix 0 GPU usage, power-preserving modes are also one of the most viable ways to address low GPU usage.
Step 1. Press Win + R to launch the Run dialog.
Step 2. Paste powercfg.cpl in the box and hit Enter to open Power Options.
Step 3. Choose High performance and confirm this change. Disabling all power-preserving modes means turning off system and motherboard settings that are related to less power consumption.
Fix 10: Reinstall Windows.
How to fix low GPU usage in other manners? The last resort is to reset Windows because the system might be wrong. To normalize your GPU performance, you should try:
Step 1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
Step 2. Click on Update & Security.
Step 3. In the Recovery tab, choose Get started under Reset this PC.
Step 4. According to your need, choose Remove everything or Keep my files.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Aurelie is a passionate soul who always enjoys researching & writing articles and solutions to help others. Her posts mainly cover topics related to games, data backup & recovery, file sync and so on. Apart from writing, her primary interests include reading novels and poems, travelling and listening to country music.