CPU usage dips during gameplay (3570k)

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Parish_Rane

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 21, 2009
Messages
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I just setup my system, Sabertooth Z77 + 3570k. While gaming, SC2/DOTA2/CSS, the CPU usage will suddenly drop from about 80% to 40% then come back but it stutters the game pretty heavily. Everything is set stock. I have stock cooling and am waiting to OC until I get a better cooling solution. Any thoughts?

(Also, I have a PCI communications device with no drivers in Device Manager for some reason)

Thank you
 
Parish_Rane said:
(Also, I have a PCI communications device with no drivers in Device Manager for some reason)
Click to expand...
To me, that sounds like you are missing some sort of chipset / controller driver. I would go download driver files from Asus and make sure that everything got taken care of. I suppose it is possible that the "PCI communications device" might be your PCI / PCI-e bus controller. I could imagine that would cause some issues when gaming.

I recently put together an Asus P8Z77-V pro + 3570K and I was actually taken aback by the sheer number of separate driver files that I had to deal with. Some of them were for stuff that I have no plans of using (e.g. wifi). I wish there was just one driver pack that would install everything for the board.
 
Intel Management Engine took care of that last PCI problem. But it's still tweaking out during a gaming session.

EDIT: I can turn off EIST but would rather leave it on. Or is there another way to let the CPU turbo/underclock itself while turning EIST off?
 
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I can turn off EIST, but I like that my CPU underclocks when not using it for gaming. I can
 
So it's only when gaming that you have this problem? It doesn't do the same thing when running other primarily CPU intensive applications? If that's the case, then perhaps a video driver issue?
 
Video driver may be it I guess... I am running 12.4 currently.

EDIT: Apparently I downloaded 11.5? I am updating to 12.4 now. Hopefully this resolves the issue.

RESOLVED:
a) PCI Simple Communications Device on Sabertooth Z77 drivers were missing. Drivers were Intel Management Engine.
b) CPU usage dropping in games and FPS stuttering was resolved by updating from 11.5 Catalyst to 12.4 and by moving my Steam/Blizzard files from my 5400RPM drive to the 7200RPM drive. The reinstall had changed my drive letters and out of habit I still installed to F which was previously the 7200 gaming drive but now was the 5400. Always check those details.

Thank you all.
 
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