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GPU/CPU Racing While PC Client minimized

GrimFuzzyLogic
GrimFuzzyLogic
Soul Shriven
While the Windows client is minimized and off screen, it will peg my video card to ~99%, wasting power and producing excessive heat, if the game client is sitting at the login screen while minimized. If I maximize the game client, the load on my GPU becomes normal.

After a bit of testing, it looks like the game client is vsynced to 60 FPS when it is displayed on screen, but the 60 FPS limitation does not exist when the game is minimized off screen and no longer displayed.

The login screen is also very easy to render so the virtual FPS goes up (over ~1000 FPS) until the GPU is maxed and the CPU runs very high at that time as well. This is probably not good for the life of my GPU given how often I've played and left the game running in the background but I hope that it helps others who may be experiencing this as well.

I first noticed this when my CPU and GPU fans would activate at their highest speeds for an extended period of time. I didn't think much about it until the room started getting hot with the recent heat wave here.

Note: I only have a Geforce GTX 1660 Ti because I haven't been able to get an RTX 3000 series online yet, but I bet newer GPUs would chew through this and waste even more power and heat than I.

I hope this helps others.
  • ZOS_Bill
    ZOS_Bill
    admin
    @GrimFuzzyLogic

    Do you have multithread rendering enabled in ESO when the CPU usage is spiking to 99%?
    The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited - ZeniMax Online Studios
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  • ixthUA
    ixthUA
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Some games limit loading speed to fps, so driver fps lock (if you have it enabled) and game fps lock will try to detect "loading times" and disable fps limit. This detecting does not work properly of course, so certain scenarios (like character select, or any scene with light graphics) will be considered as "loading times" and load CPU/GPU to 100%.
    You can use a working fps limiter such as rivatuner statistics server (freeware), it will lock fps at all times and can be configured per game.
    Edited by ixthUA on 3 September 2021 02:28
  • sean.plackerb14_ESO
    sean.plackerb14_ESO
    ✭✭✭✭
    This seems to be a issue with the new multithreaded rendering feature. When turned on GPU usage will spike and stay at 99 percent when you either alt tab out of the game if in fullscreen mode, or minimize the game when in windowed mode. Only way I've found it does not happen is to set the game to windowed and keep it maximized. Also just to let ZOS know, bringing up the Windows Gamebar (WinKey+G or xbox button on controller) causes the same thing.

    Other than that I've been thrilled with the results of this feature. I get a locked 60 FPS now and finally no more FPS drops in major cities or big PVP battles.
    Edited by sean.plackerb14_ESO on 6 September 2021 05:56
    @sean8102 - Carlore - Daggerfall Covenant
  • macsmooth
    macsmooth
    ✭✭✭✭
    If you have Nvidia gpu take a look at "Background Application Max Framerate" in the Nvidia Control Panel 3D application section it maybe your issue, I don’t know what AMDs version will be
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