Troubleshooting Low GPU Usage with the RTX 3080: A Comprehensive Guide

Update: Check the end of this post for the latest information.

Upon recently acquiring my EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 GPU, I was eager to test its performance. Unfortunately, my experiences have been frustrating, characterized by consistently low GPU usage across a variety of games. I want to share my setup, test results, and seek advice on possible solutions.

System Specifications

CPU: Ryzen 3600
GPU: RTX 3080 FTW3
RAM: 16GB 3600MHz
PSU: Corsair RM750x
Storage: NVMe SSD and SATA SSDs

I play games on a 1440p/144Hz monitor, but despite this capable hardware, the GPU usage doesn’t seem to reflect the expected performance. So far, only Control and Monster Hunter World have utilized the GPU fully, hovering around 99% usage. During my testing, I noted the following GPU performances across different titles:

Horizon: Zero Dawn: 60-70%
Jedi: Fallen Order: 50%
Witcher 3: 50-60% (70% in wilderness areas)
Baldur’s Gate 3: 78%
GTA V: 55-90%
Sea of Thieves: 75%
Red Dead Redemption 2: 70-90%
Assassin’s Creed Origins: 75-95%

The numbers are underwhelming; for instance, in Jedi: Fallen Order, I’m only seeing 70-85 FPS in enclosed sections, significantly lower than the expected 140 FPS+ found in benchmarks. My previous RTX 2070 Super was able to match these figures, which makes the performance of the 3080 seem questionable.

Benchmark Insights

Interestingly, benchmarks in Furmark show expected results: Time Spy scores 17,456, Fire Strike Ultra scores 10,729, and Port Royal at 11,144, all maintaining a 99% GPU load throughout. Despite these results, my gaming experience remains unsatisfactory.