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#11
The Windows 10 installation without the GTX connected completed before I could finish breakfast. Of course, once I connect the GTX, the clean install slows to a crawl. However, I found the issue.
There is a digital switch on my mobo which determines which is processing graphics, the CPU or GPU. It was set to auto-detect, which to me means "auto-detect if there is a GPU connected and route graphics processing accordingly." Linux can handle that perfectly, and toggle the switch to use the GPU on its own, unlike Windows, which couldn't figure that out. After toggling the switch to use the CPU if there is nothing connected, Windows worked flawlessly. I am now playing Star Citizen across 7ft of display and lounging easy. Thank you all for your help.
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3;
Problem: 100% CPU utilization while GPU connected, causing severe instability and making everything slow in Windows;
Resolution: Access motherboard's BIOS > Advanced BIOS Features > Onboard VGA > Select: "Enable If No Ext PEG."
Result: Play games using the Cryengine 3 on Windows, until it is released on Linux.