System specs:
OS: Windows 11 Pro
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700 X
RAM: 16GB DDR4
GPU: RX 6650 XT
Driver/Adrenaline: 24.5.1 (May 8, WHQL)
This started randomly happening, initially with Helldivers 2 when I noticed excessive heat coming from my PC case. I check Task Manager; GPU is floating between 96 to 100% utilization. Drop to lowest settings, restart, same. Tried forcing DX11 via Steam launch options, doesn't load. Try different titles like Deep Rock Galactic, which is usually not a high utilization game, same. 100% usage. So, I try a very "easy on the GPU" game... Difficult Game of Climbing. Lowest settings, 100% GPU utilization.
So, I try a what I felt was a 2D game, Hades 2... Launch, max settings, GPU never goes over 37%. No idea why it's specific to 3D accelerate
The steps I have taken were many, suffice to say I nuked my entire Windows 11 installation (ie: deleted the partitions), full re-install, re-seated almost all connections/components (ie: GPU, RAM). Didn't do anything to the CPU since, well it works. Before I did that, updated my motherboards firmware to latest version as I couldn't load Windows 11 before because the old version of the BIOS either didn't have, or had an outdated version of TPM (Trusted Platform Management). BIOS settings at default. Windows 11 had a version of the drivers it downloaded. I updated them to the version above, installed in "normal" mode, had not done anything in safe mode.
I'm lost.
EDIT: I loaded into Safe Mode, re-installed the AMD drivers (minimal installation), rebooted. Ithen tried a DirectX 9c game (Dishonored), usage peaked at ~ 50% utilization. I then tried a DirectX 10 game (BioShock Infinite), at the lowest, 100% utilization. In game, Ultra settings forces DirectX 11, 100% utilization.
I'm totally lost at this stage. If ANYONE has a suggestion beyond what I tried, I'm all for it. As it stands, any game published after 2013 risks cooking my GPU.
