RX 6800 performance drops in CS2 – FPS fall from 200 to ~60, GPU usage keeps decreasing

Investigating Performance Decline of RX 6800 in Counter-Strike 2: An In-Depth Analysis

In recent gaming experiences, particularly with Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), some users have observed noticeable performance issues when utilizing AMD’s RX 6800 graphics card. These problems include a significant decrease in frame rates over the duration of gameplay sessions, alongside a decline in GPU utilization. This article explores these issues, potential causes, and suggested troubleshooting steps.

Reported Symptoms and Observations

One affected user reports running an AMD RX 6800 graphics card paired with a Ryzen 7 5800X CPU, both operating at stock settings. The core symptoms include:

An initial high frame rate exceeding 200 FPS at match start.
A gradual decrease in FPS to approximately 60 FPS by the end of a game.
Simultaneously, GPU usage diminishes progressively after a few minutes of gameplay.
Restarting the game temporarily restores higher frame rates, but the issue reoccurs during subsequent matches.

Importantly, temperatures for both CPU and GPU remain within normal ranges during gameplay, indicating that thermal throttling is unlikely the cause. Additionally, driver software has been kept up to date, and common display synchronization settings such as V-Sync and G-Sync have been tested without resolution.

Potential Causes and Considerations

This pattern suggests possible underlying issues related to software or hardware interactions:

Software Bugs or Engine-Related Problems: Since CS2 is a relatively new title, it may contain unaddressed engine bugs affecting performance stability, particularly with specific hardware configurations.
Memory Management or Driver Compatibility: The decreasing GPU utilization hints at possible issues with memory handling or driver conflicts that might cause the graphics driver to limit GPU activity over time.
Resource Allocation or Process Management: System resource conflicts, background processes, or outdated support software could influence game performance.

Recommended Troubleshooting Steps

To diagnose and potentially resolve this issue, users are advised to undertake the following:

Check for Game Updates: Ensure that CS2 is running the latest version, as developers often release patches addressing performance issues.
Update Graphics Drivers: Confirm that you are using the newest AMD drivers, as these often include optimizations and bug fixes for recent titles.
Monitor Background Applications: Close unnecessary applications that might interfere with game performance or system resources.
Adjust In-Game Settings: Lower graphics settings to reduce