Play games eats all my CPU!

adamantinespork · 27 Jul 2016

Whenever I play a game in Windows 10 all of my available CPU is used by them (and the game stutters awfully making it unplayable).
I have tested this with a variety of games, and all of them are ones which in no way should take this much cpu usage.
I did not have this problem in windows 8.1, the problem arose when I updated to windows 10.

I have the feeling this is something related to a graphics driver, but movies work fine.

BrandonR188 · 27 Jul 2016

listing your specs would be a good start, not really much to go off on without that.. have you checked your temps to clear out overheating?

adamantinespork · 27 Jul 2016

CPU specs according to the System information app is "Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3210M CPU @ 2.50GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)"

Everything worked fine before upgrading.

Computer is not any hotter than it was before upgrading.
I upgraded around a day or so ago. I last succesfuly used those games on that date, but before upgrading.

As an aside note: How do you check temperature though?

RubberDucky · 27 Jul 2016

adamantinespork said:

CPU specs according to the System information app is "Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3210M CPU @ 2.50GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)"

Everything worked fine before upgrading.

Computer is not any hotter than it was before upgrading.
I upgraded around a day or so ago. I last succesfuly used those games on that date, but before upgrading.

As an aside note: How do you check temperature though?

Install CPUID HWMonitor from here >>> HWMONITOR | Softwares | CPUID

Once you install that, run it, and then minimize the applications and then play game. After that, exit the game, take a snapshot of CPUID HWMonitor temperatures, and post it here.

swarfega · 27 Jul 2016

Also install Speccy to get the real hardware specifications.

But from the specs you have provided, it rather looks like your machine is under-powered.

lopedoggie · 27 Jul 2016

Your system is overloaded with that processor. Upgrade PC with newer hardware and especially the CPU to a 4 core real, minimum at least in the 3.0 to 3.5 Ghz range or higher if you can afford it. The latest CPUs should also be 64 bit capable for your needs. Onboard graphics vs Graphics discrete cards will work on the CPU loading and cause it operate to the maximum for high processing intensive gaming. Just saying. Use a temp monitor program for your system. If their is a temp sensor on your mobo it will show the respective temps in the monitor software. Try this freebee: Open Hardware Monitor - Core temp, fan speed and voltages in a free software gadget

RubberDucky · 27 Jul 2016

What games are you playing?

adamantinespork · 27 Jul 2016

swarfega said:

Also install Speccy to get the real hardware specifications.

But from the specs you have provided, it rather looks like your machine is under-powered.

lopedoggie said:

Your system is overloaded with that processor. Upgrade PC with newer hardware and especially the CPU to a 4 core real, minimum at least in the 3.0 to 3.5 Ghz range or higher if you can afford it. The latest CPUs should also be 64 bit capable for your needs. Onboard graphics vs Graphics discrete cards will work on the CPU loading and cause it operate to the maximum for high processing intensive gaming. Just saying. Use a temp monitor program for your system. If their is a temp sensor on your mobo it will show the respective temps in the monitor software. Try this freebee: Open Hardware Monitor - Core temp, fan speed and voltages in a free software gadget

I use a laptop.
It can't be because my computer isn't powerful enough to run the games.

This is because literally the day before I updated to windows 10 all these games worked perfectly (while I was using windows 8.1), and immediately on upgrading (to windows 10) they started using all the CPU and the games started stuttering.

This problem occurred on a variety of games including ones that my system specs are well above what was needed to run them.

The problem is not hardware related.
It has something to with the change between windows 8.1 and windows 10.

RubberDucky said:

What games are you playing?

I have tried it on a variety of games.
Problem occurs on all of them, and is identical.

I have tried:
Dota 2.
Killing Floor.
Race the Sun.
You Have to win the game.

Note that the last 2 games are indie games, with very mild hardware requirements.
By all means my computer should be able to run them.

I also tried another game (one that would probably work on laptops from 10 years ago):
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup (Tiles)

While it didn't stutter it the graphics were all messed up and it ate more cpu than normal (not all of it).
I didn't have this problem with the text only version of the game (one that runs in a terminal) , so this seems to indicate that the problem is because of something graphics related.

aramil · 28 Jul 2016

you have not posted up a speccy so still not sure about what is in your laptop.

EG:

Have you installed the correct graphics drivers for your laptop? (intel/nvdia/amd)?
Have you reinstalled these games after the upgrade? (sometimes software does not like running smoothly after an os swap without a reinstall, to check for depenencies (vis c+.....)etc)

Without knowing the actual specs it's a little hard to point you in the right direction for drivers etc.

How where your temps in HWmonitor?

assuming you are gaming on the intergrated hd4000 from intel, driver: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25977/Intel-Graphics-Driver-for-Windows-10-and-Windows-7-8-1-15-33-?product=81499