GPU doesn't go idle after I logged out of MSFS

Hello, I noticed this after 1-hour flight with MSFS today. After turning off MSFS completely, the GPU continues to work in the same state. The fans are running at the same rate and the GPU does not go into the idle state. I have tested it in other games (NBA2K23, DCS World, Uncharted) and there is no problem like this, but only after logging out of MSFS, the GPU does not go into an idle state and does not turn off its fans. The video card is 60 degrees constant and consumes about 120 Watts and shows the Memory section as full. It does not go into the IDLE state closing the fans. GPU memory remains full. I found the solution temporarily by restarting. When I reboot, this situation is resolved, but I don’t know what the root cause is. Is this a software bug or should we look for a different cause?

Windows 11 Version 22H2 ( OS Build 22621.755)
Ge Force Driver Version ( 526.47 )

~System~
Asus TUF Gaming X670E Plus Wifi
AMD Ryzen7 7700X
Kingston DDR5 6000 Mhz 2X16 - 32 Gb
Evga RTX3090
~

You have Nvidia power management mode on Performance at the global tab ?
With this option the clock speed is always max even when the PC is not doing anything.

if you set it globally, you wont downclock for 2nd applications and power savings. I just do it manually for every game in their own profiles.

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Thank you for the reply. Performance mode is NORMAL at the global tab. At the program settings of MSFS I will try to change the Power Management Mode from “Max Performance” to " Normal" then I will try again.

**Update ~ **

After I changed the Program Settings of Nvidia power management mode of MSFS from “Max Performance” to " Normal". It fixed.

Everything is stable now.

2 Likes

I had this too. Weirdly around the same time, also on Win 11, and the last driver, 526.47. I went as far as a DDU, which reset my power management anyway. Was only for MSFS as well, so maybe some weird thing with the latest driver update? The timing is suspect…

Either way, that is the solution^…going back to normal power management.

Well colour me amazed!

I have been searching the web for info on why, after I upgraded from my Radeon 6800XT to an Asus TUF OC 4090, my GPU would not return to idle when I shut down MSFS and after the GPU cooled down, with the fans stuck at 30% and the GPU clock stuck at 2 MHz, even with the card’s power usage at idle. I could not find a solution anywhere and nothing suspicious was showing in task manager or the nVidia GPU Activity app. And yet here it is on the MSFS forums, DUH.

It only happens with MSFS and this is the solution. I just set power management mode to normal for MSFS, tried a decent flight, shut down and the problem is fixed.

Thanks so much guys, this was doing my head in! :grinning:

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The latest hotfix drivers fix it too in fact it’s in the list of fixes.

Edit: Actually the drivers fix it, what you folks have is a work around.

may be better choice is, to set it back to the default for all applications. I never understand why users change settings and not exactly understand what that setting really do, there is a reason why the default is not at “max” ( see description of that parameter ) :slight_smile: ( by the way, similar this 'High performance" mode )

Again it’s the driver set not the setting. Changing this is a workaround.

This is my PC on prefer maximum performance and the latest drivers that specifically mentions it is to fix this issue in the notes from nVidia, green lines are start stop MSFS

xcvbj

while running…

I know which “fix” you mean :wink:

But I mentioned, that users should not play with settings if they not know whats going on in background. And in special these Max-Perf setting is absolutly not necessary to set. It seems, users with have manually changed that setting, getting randomly now that problem :wink:

Why speak of it like a mystery and something to fear?

Maximum Performance

Updated 01/18/2022 06:38 PM

Setting “Power management mode” from Adaptive to Maximum Performance


Setting Power management mode from “Adaptive” to “Maximum Performance” can improve performance in certain applications when the GPU is throttling the clock speeds incorrectly resulting in low fps. To change this setting, with your mouse, right-click over the Windows desktop and select “NVIDIA Control Panel” → from the NVIDIA Control Panel, select the “Manage 3D settings” from the left column → click on the Power management mode drop down box and select “Prefer Maximum Performance”. Click over the “Apply” button at the bottom of the panel to apply the changes.

https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3130/~/setting-power-management-mode-from-adaptive-to-maximum-performance

1 Like

and know now the users about the side-effects ? whats happens then with the GPU if users set this to max ? did they know that its never clock-down ( e.g. important for memory temps ) ? and have users checked whether this “can be” is really needed and not only followed an advise from a “youtube guru” ? “Can be” is not a reason for playing with that settings.
If nvidia think that the default for that setting should not be “Optimal power” , instead it should be “max power” , why they not do it ? → ah yes, because of the negative side effects.