Furthermore, it helps you to watch videos and play games with better graphics. But any problem with the GPU can affect the graphics quality of the system. Here in this article, I will explain how to increase GPU usage and how to increase the performance of your GPU. Lower GPU usage will lead to low FPS during games and low-quality videos also. This happens when the GPU unit of the computer is not working efficiently. In this case, you have to select the best-recommended settings. But sometimes, even with the recommended setting, you will face some problems. Thus, you will not enjoy the best graphics while gaming. So here in this article, you will find the best ways of increasing GPU usage.
Why Your GPU Usage Is Low? – The Cause
There are many causes of lower GPU usage in computers. The main cause for poor GPU performance is related to the video driver. If your Video driver is not up to date, then your GPU usage will be very low. And you will experience a hitch and stop condition during gaming. Furthermore, excessive overheating of graphics cards also affects GPU usage. This only happens when the fans of the graphics card are not functioning properly. In simple words, if the fans of the graphics card are not running at the optimum speed, your GPU will overheat. While overheating, the graphic card doesn’t get enough air for its heatsink. Therefore, it becomes a big cause of poor GPU performance. Here I have listed some more reasons for low GPU usage:
GPU Bottleneck VRM overheating Problem with games Power supply issues Scalable Link Interference problems (SLI)
How To Increase GPU Usage In 2023?
It’s the 21st century, and we’ve seen a massive rise in GPU technology over the years. But, the rise in technology and increasing GPU sales across the globe have given way to problems related to low GPU usage. Here’s how to increase GPU usage in 2023. More guides:
Graphics Card Not Detected? – Fix It With These Solutions! How To Fix Screen Tearing In 2021 – (Easy Solutions) How To Fix GPU Fans Not Spinning? – (Updated 2023) What Is GPU Scaling In 2021? – Everything You Need To Know!
#1 – Update Graphics Card drivers
Graphics card drivers are mostly responsible for the optimal performance of GPUs. However, using the latest drivers won’t always increase GPU usage. In some cases, the GPU usage will become lower. In this scenario, you have to select the best video driver for your GPU. In most cases, installing the best driver which sits well with the requirements of your GPU can solve your problem. Updating the driver brings you the latest features and control panels. You can use your card’s manufacturer’s client or website to update to the latest Graphics Drivers, Nvidia users can use the GeForce Experience and AMD users can use the Radeon Adrenalin Software to get to the latest versions. As you know that features are the main objectives for the GPU companies like Nvidia, AMD, and Intel. Therefore, installing a new driver can bring you the newest features, and you can get the best out of your GPU. However, sometimes it may be difficult to find the drivers and then download them. Apart from that, the installation also becomes difficult for new users. Installing a driver updating tool will help you in this regard. This tool will automatically install the drivers for your computers with the best-suited requirements.
#2 – CPU Bottleneck
CPU bottleneck only happens when the processor of the CPU is not fast enough for the transferring and processing of data. This also happens when the speed of the data transfer from the CPU is topped. The main cause of the CPU bottleneck is a slow processor. However, poor graphics are also a big cause of the CPU bottleneck. You will face this problem when you are running CPU-dependent games. There are games that have higher FPS even with lower resolutions. That’s why whenever you are playing CPU-dependent games, you should run them on a high-end processor and card. But you can still fix this problem without upgrading the processor and card in the following ways. Firstly, you have to decrease the resolution of the game. When you adjust the resolution to a lower setting, then the GPU will get more time to process data. Secondly, you have to stop the unnecessary processes that are running in the background. By doing this, you will decrease the chances of your CPU running into a bottleneck. You will then get high FPS in a game. Furthermore, you have to overclock the Ram of the computer. Ram is connected with the CPU and is responsible for the speed of processing data. By overclocking the Ram, you can boost the FPS. Some more ways for decreasing the bottleneck problems of a CPU are:
CPU Overclocking By lowering the settings of CPU dependent games By balancing the processing loads of CPU and GPU.
#3 – GPU Overheating
Current graphics cards are meant to be pushed to their limits, they can even go on for hours at 100% usage but still, the Overheating issue is fairly common not because of the Games or Softwares you are using it happens when the GPU is unable to cool itself. The main cause for this can be the fans are not spinning, now some aftermarket cards come with a physical button on them which will decide how to fans will behave when the GPU is running. Some vendors like Asus have a button that switches to Performance Mode and the Quiet Mode now the prior will make sure your GPU stays at a minimal temp but the Quiet Mode will kick in when the card is under some hefty load if your graphics card is Overheating try using the Performance Mode. Another very common culprit is the dirt that got stuck in our cards or broken fans, make sure you audit your GPU fans after a month or two, (also clean your PC once a month as well) Overclocking can also be a culprit because overclocking too much also decreases your graphic cards overall lifespan.
#4 – Bitcoin Virus/ Malware
A bitcoin virus is a special type of virus that impacts the CPU and GPU of your system and decreases its performance. According to a research team known as jellyfish, the malware can be run on a GPU. In reality, the malware runs on the central processing unit. But in this research, they prove the running of malware on GPUs. The antivirus of a computer constantly scans the hard drive and memory of the computer. But it is unable to scan some hard to detect viruses. And it doesn’t execute the malware which is present in the GPUs. In this case, the GPU doesn’t work efficiently, and its performance gets lower. If you want to get rid of the Bitcoin virus, you have to install a useful antivirus that also scans the computer, unlike other normal antivirus software. Download Malwarebytes and install it. This will help your GPU get a break from the Bitcoin virus, and the GPU will regain its normal functioning.
#5 – Power Management Settings
This is the most important step for increasing GPU usage. To run the GPU with maximum performance, you should choose the best power management settings. However, first, you have to differentiate between the normal performance and the best performance. To run the GPU for the best performance, choose a good power supply for it. Moreover, there are also more options like Adaptive settings. In this type, the power management will be adjusted with the card automatically. Furthermore, a preferred maximum performance option is also available with some graphic cards. With this option, you will get the best out of your card, and you can enjoy games with higher FPS. But in this special mode, the power consumption will be high as compared to optimal power mode. You will find different settings for different cards for selecting the best power modes. But here, I have explained a general method for choosing the performance modes for cards in a computer.
Right Click on the desktop (anywhere) Click the Graphic card control panel On the left side, click on the 3d settings Choose the Global settings option Then click on the Power management mode for a particular card you are using.
#6 – Disable SMT
This is another step for increasing the usage of GPUs. In this step, you have to disable the SMT to obtain the maximum performance from the GPU. When you disable the SMT, you gain a rise of 1% to 10% in the FPS of your gameplay. But it depends on the games you are playing. If you are playing games like starcraft 2, they probably will not get any improvement after disabling SMT. However, if you disable SMT for Honor, then you will have a 4% improvement in the FPS of the game. Note: Disabling the SMT might get you in more issues (It is Recommended Not To Disable SMT), also you have to do this in BIOS, making any changes to BIOS can be harmful to the PC as well. Furthermore, playing games like Projects Cars 2 also gives you higher performance when you disable SMT. In simple words, it gives a better performance in most of the games. It increases the performance of the GPU. Now, if you want to disable the SMT options, It can vary from Motherboard manufacturer because every board maker has its own set of settings in BIOS. This is how you generally find the SMT option in BIOS:
Boot into the BIOS menu Go to the System Utilities or Configuration Then you need to head to BIOS/Platform Configuration (RBSU) Now select the Processor Options Now you will finally see the SMT option here
#7 – Disable HPET
If you want to improve the FPS of your gameplay, then disabling HPET settings can improve your FPS. HPET causes flickering problems in the gameplay. And this only happens when you do not run a less demanding game on a high-powered GPU. Disabling the HPET of the GPU assists you in multiple ways. Firstly, it removes the micro-blinking and screen scattering which you will face during games. Apart from that, it will also increase the FPS of the gameplay by a little amount. After disabling HPET, you will get a rise of up to 4 FPS in the gameplay. Disabling HPET can solve your problem in some cases if your gameplay has some blinking problems. If the flickering and lagging are higher, then Disabling HPET will not be of much help. You can disable the HPETs with many methods. I have listed one of them here. Using the Device Manager:
Search the Device Manager in the windows search bar Now click on the System Devices Next find the option named as “High Precision Event Timer” then click it After that click on the Action from the top options and click Disable
#8 – Tweak In-Game Settings
The video settings of the game are another useful way to increase the FPS of your gameplay. A lot of games automatically select the best setting for themselves as you start the game. But if you want to balance the performance of your graphics card and the quality, then you have to go deep into settings to balance it. A lot of users turn on all the options in the settings. As a result, the performance of GPUs becomes very low. Therefore, you have to select the best recommended settings for a particular game. The first thing that matters the most in the settings and which contributes mainly to the gameplay is resolution. You have to select the best resolution for your game. The resolution of the game simply means the viewable area of a game. The lower the resolution of the game, the better will be the GPU performance and vice versa. Furthermore, you have to check the Vertical sync of your game and Anti-Aliasing also.
#9 – Patch Affected Games
This problem is commonly faced by the users of Windows 10. The latest Windows 10 patches are disturbing the quality of the games. Due to this patch, the game is bugging and lagging. The performance of the GPU is almost ruined after updating the Windows. Furthermore, a lot of users are facing sudden FPS drops during gaming. However, the gamers also suffer from crashes of BSOD multiple times. It does not stop here; these patches are also responsible for the color spectrum of LCDs. And the bad thing is that the graphics card of Nvidia, AMD are both facing this problem from the latest patches. Even the new graphic cards of Intel are suffering from this problem. According to a Dutch computer website, the problem is due to the two new versions of Windows 10, kB5001337 and kB5001330. Furthermore, the company suggests that to avoid the lag problem, you must revert the updates of Windows 10. The only solution to avoid such a problem is to not update the Windows. If you have updated, then revert to the older version. A lot of games are facing bug problems here I have listed some of them:
Red Dead Redemption 2 Call of Duty: Warzone Doom Eternal
#10 – Disable Third-Party Apps Working In The Background
If other apps are running in the background, then the GPU usage will become lower. Because the processor runs multiple programs at one time. And Ram also is involved in running multiple programs. So, in this case, you will get a lower FPS than normal during the game. But you can regain the better FPS for your game if you close the background apps. This is the easiest step to increase GPU usage in a few moments. You have to close the apps that are running in the background when you are playing. Make sure that your processor is only doing a single task at a time. Furthermore, any extension with the game can also affect the frame rate per second. So you have to remove extensions from the games also. And you have to close down all the programs when you are going to play. To explain it further, I would like to give you an example of GTA 5. If you run GTA 5 along with the apps running in the background, then fps will be lower than when you run it alone without running the other programs in the background like wallpaper engine.
#11 – Enable XMP On BIOS/UEFI
Enabling the Xmp in the bios can also increase the GPU usage of the computer. If you don’t enable the XMP, then the ram will run at the standard speed. And you cannot get a higher clocking speed which is responsible for increasing the GPU usage. Enabling XMP doesn’t impact the Ram life. A lot of users think that enabling XMP can damage their Ram. But in reality, this is wrong. Therefore, it becomes an effective step for increasing GPU disk usage. On the other hand, in some rare cases, it damages the CPU specifications. In simple words, enabling XMP increases the speed of overclocking of the Ram. And as a result, the data is processed at a faster speed. As a result, you will get a little increase in the Fps of a game. If you want to enable XMP in a shorter time, then follow these steps.
Restart the PC Enter into Bios Then navigate to the tweaker section( press F7) Click the XMP option below the Overclock Tuner Then choose a profile for XMP Then Exit the Tweaker section Press F10 to save the settings Restart the PC to run the XMP
#12 – Graphics Card VRM Overheating
This is another big cause of GPU low-performance problems. All the latest graphics cards come equipped with a temperature sensor. With these sensors, you can check the temperature of the VRM. The optimum temperature for a VRM ranges between 65 centigrade to 85 centigrade. If you’re running your graphic card at this temperature, then you’re in the safe zone. However, a lot of graphics cards have no temperature sensors. And it becomes difficult for users to know the temperature status of a card. But if your game or video is lagging or flickering, then overheating can be the cause. In such cases, check the temperature of the graphic card physically by opening the PC during gaming. Even and only if your game has Fps problems. The overheating mainly occurs if the fans of the card are not properly working. In this case, the heatsinks of the card don’t get enough air to maintain the temperature. As a result, the temperature of the processor increases, and you get a bad experience during the game.
#13 – SLI/ Crossfire Issue
If you have used the graphics card for a long time, then you’ll be aware of both of these technologies. The AMD company uses Crossfire technology while its competitor Nvidia uses SLI technology (Scalable Link interference). Both of these technologies approach the multi GPU systems. But both of them never solved their boasting issues. Crossfire was stopped in 2017, while SLI was replaced by NVLINK. Furthermore, both these technologies have different methods of work. One of them uses AFR (alternate frame rendering), while the other one works on SFR (split frame rendering). Both of them divide the old GPU in different ways. However, the brighter side of both these was suppressed by the current day graphics card. The crossfire’s biggest problem arises when somebody is playing on a borderless window mode. In simple words, you have to avoid borderless mode to get a better Fps and smooth gameplay. But in the end, both of these multi GPUs are stopped by the manufacturers.
#14 – PSU Problem And The Fix
A PSU (power supply unit) is equipment that receives alternating current from the source. And then convert the current into DC for computer components. The power supply is different for different devices. Some may have an output of up to 65 watts, while some will have up to 1000 watts. When this equipment doesn’t work properly, then your computer will face power problems. There are multiple signs of PSU problems. In some cases, strong noises may be emitted from the computer. Sometimes the computer will turn on for some time and then automatically it will stop. And thus, the GPU will not get enough power to run with maximum performance. Furthermore, the graphics card of the current day world requires a lot of power. Therefore the PSU problems have a bigger impact on the graphics card. The PSU can cause problems due to its lifespan, dirt, and ventilation problems. These are the main causes of PSU problems. First of all, you have to ensure that there is no dust inside the unit. You can use a thick filter inside the unit to save it from dust. The second thing is that you must ensure the proper functioning of the CPU fans. If they are not working properly, then due to overheating, your computer will face PSU problems.
#15 – Defragment The Hard Disk
This step is also more assistive to users to increase GPU usage. By defragging the hard disk, you can speed up the gameplay. And you can get a nice fps during a game because defragging the hard drive forces the game to run on a single space. In normal conditions, the game runs in different spaces, which also decreases the speed. When you defrag a hard drive, then the games run in a single continuous space. As a result, the speed of the game and its FPS increases gradually. To get a better experience, you must defrag the hard drive once a month. It will boost the performance of the computer and will give you better graphics. But if you are facing bugs and lags problems all over time, then you should defrag the hard drive daily. You can defragment the disk by the following steps:
First, type “Defragment And Optimize Drives” in windows search bar Next select the drive that you wish to defrag and click on Analyze After the Analysing is done you will see the Defragment Disk button click on it and you are done
#16 – Improve The Airflow
Another effective way to increase GPU usage. If you install a graphics card in the CPU by yourself, then you will know that the card has its fans. These fans’ works to supply fresh air to the heat sink. When the fans get dirty, they don’t supply enough air to the heat sink. And when the fans are not properly functioning, then the airflow decreases. As a result, due to the excessive heating of the card, you will have a laggy experience while gaming. This is the most common cause of low GPU usage. Now, if you want to provide good airflow to the heat sink of a card. Then you have to ensure that the fans are properly working. And there is no excessive dust on the fan. However, you can also install more fans on the slots that are empty on the PC. This will increase the airflow to the card. Furthermore, if your CPU has vents, then you must place an exhaust fan there. This will remove the hot air from the graphic card. For the intake of air, you must use those fans which don’t have a filter because they will provide a better airflow. Moreover, closing apps in the background is also much more effective in the use of GPUs. All of the above methods are effective in increasing the GPU. The more you follow the methods, the more FPS you will get during a game.
#1 – Can you increase the GPU usage?
Yes, you can increase the GPU usage of the computer in many ways. Some of them are
Decrease the Resolution of the Game Use an up-to-date Video driver By increasing the overclocking speed of the Ram By Disabling the SMT By Disabling HPET By maintaining the optimum temperature of your Graphic card Enabling XMP in BIOS
#2 – Why is my GPU usage so Low?
Your GPU usage may be low due to multiple reasons. Like if your graphics are overheated too much due to the low speed of the fans. And you are not using the best video driver, which is recommended for the graphic card. Furthermore, the low speed of VRM can also lead to the low usage of GPU. The low overclocking speed of RAM also decreases the usage of GPU.
#3 – Is 100% GPU usage bad?
No, it is normal to use a GPU at 100%. Because the manufacturers design the GPU to run with the usage of 100%. However, if it’s not running at 100%, then your GPU will have some problems. So 100% GPU usage is a normal case. And it will also mean that your GPU will raise the Fps much higher than expected.
#4 – Is 40 GPU usage bad?
Yes, it is bad if your GPU usage is 40%. This also means that your CPU has a bottleneck at some point. Due to which the data is capped at some point, and thus the GPU usage has become very low.
#5 – Can the bottleneck damage the GPU?
No, bottlenecking cannot damage the GPU. If the temperature of the GPU is normal, then you don’t have to worry about the damage. But if the temperature of the GPU increases, then the bottleneck will damage the GPU. Furthermore, in this case, it can also decrease the lifespan of a GPU.
#6 – How do I increase the warzone GPU usage?
You can use the GPU with the following steps
Install the latest graphics driver on your computer Install the compatible windows update according to the graphic card requirements Change to High-Performance settings in the control panel Run the warzone at optimal settings.
#7 – How do I force GPU usage?
You can force the GPU higher manually by following the below steps.
Select the app and right-click Click on the Run with graphics processor Click on the High-performance card in sub-options.
All of the above steps better tell you how to increase GPU disk usage.
#8 – What increases GPU usage?
A lot of factors can increase GPU usage. Like disabling V-sync and lowering the resolution. However, if the GPU is not running at full speed also means that it is normal.
#9 – What GPU temperature is safe?
The optimum temperature for running a GPU ranges between 65 to 85 degrees. However, you must note that variation can occur depending on the type of weather. In summer, the GPU temperature can even cross 100 degrees.
