Son of the Forest's Low GPU and CPU Usage Problem Solution

Many players encounter low GPU and CPU usage problems on Windows 10/11 systems. This article will explore the causes of the problem and provide 8 feasible solutions.

"Son of the Forest" is a survival horror game developed by Endnight Games and released by Newnight on February 23, 2023. Since its release, the game has attracted a large number of players.

However, this game also has some problems on the PC side, such as low frame rate, multiplayer game failure to save progress, game failure to start, and low GPU and CPU usage. These issues have been heatedly discussed in various communities. Here is a real example from the Steam community:

"Sons of the Forest" has low GPU and CPU utilization. There is no difference between low picture quality and ultra-high picture quality in terms of performance. CPU and GPU utilization remain at 50-60% while walking in the forest. I tried manually updating DLSS to the latest version, but the result did not change. This may be a problem that developers need to pay attention to.

Tip: If you encounter insufficient disk space after installing "Son of the Forest", please don't worry. The MiniTool Partition Wizard can help you solve these problems by upgrading to a larger SSD, expanding game partitions, fixing hard drive errors, and more.

Reasons for "Son of the Forest" Low GPU and CPU Usage

What causes the low GPU utilization rate of "Son of the Forest"? After investigating a large number of user reports, we found that Sons of the Forest low CPU/GPU issues are often associated with problematic device drivers.

Another common reason is CPU and GPU bottlenecks. If you are using a graphics card or CPU with good performance, you may also encounter the problem that Son of the Forest is not fully utilizing the GPU/CPU. In addition, outdated GPU drivers, corrupt game files, third-party software interference, and incorrect game settings can also cause this error.

How to fix the low GPU and CPU usage problem of "Son of the Forest"

How to fix the problem of "Son of the Forest" underutilizing GPU/CPU on Windows 10/11 system? Before trying the following main approach, we recommend that you perform the following quick fix:

• Restart the computer and close all unnecessary background tasks.
• Check that your computer meets the minimum system requirements for the game.
• Install all necessary Microsoft Visual C packages and DirectX runtime libraries.
• Enable high performance mode for your graphics card.
• Uninstall any GPU and CPU tuning programs as well as game acceleration programs.
• Disable overlay display.

Method 1: Run the game as an administrator

To avoid low GPU usage in Sons of the Forest, you can try running the game with administrator privileges. The method is as follows:

Step 1. Right-click the SonsOfTheForest.exe file and select Properties .

Step 2. In the Properties window, navigate to the Compatibility tab and then select the Run this program as administrator check box.

Step 3. Then click Apply and then click OK to save the changes. Additionally, you can repeat the same steps to run Steam as an administrator.

Method 2: Update your GPU and CPU drivers

One of the common reasons for low CPU usage in Sons of the Forest is related to outdated device drivers. You can follow the simple guide below to update your GPU and CPU drivers.

Step 1. Right-click the Start button in the lower left corner of the screen and select Device Manager .

Step 2. Expand the Show Adapters section, right-click the graphics card driver, and select the Update Driver option.

Step 3. In the pop-up window, you can automatically or manually update the GPU drivers as needed. After selecting the method, follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update.

Step 4. Expand the Processor category, right-click the CPU driver you want to update, and select Update Driver . Then follow the same steps to update the CPU driver.

Once done, restart the game and check if the low GPU usage issue of Sons of the Forest is resolved. If the problem persists, you can try reinstalling or rolling back the driver.

Method 3: Change the game's graphics preferences

To fix the problem that Son of the Forest is not fully using the GPU, you can try changing the game's graphics preferences.

Step 1. Press the Windows I key to open the settings window and select System > Display .

Step 2. Scroll down the right sidebar and click Graphics Settings . On Windows 11, select Graphics from the right panel.

Step 3. Select the desktop app from the drop-down menu in the Graphics Performance Preferences section and click Browse . In the pop-up window, select Sons Of The Forest or Steam and click Add .

Step 4. Click Options , and then select High Performance in the Graphics Preferences window, and then click Save .

After that, the low GPU usage problem of "Son of the Forest" should disappear. If the problem persists, please keep trying other methods.

Method 4: Enable game mode

Some users have reported that Sons of the Forest's low CPU utilization can be solved by enabling game mode. Worth a try. To do this, you can open the Settings window, select Game Mode/Game from the left panel, and switch the switch in Game Mode.

Method 5: Adjust in-game settings

Sometimes, the low CPU usage problem of Sons of the Forest can be caused by incorrect in-game settings. In this case, you can follow the steps below to adjust the in-game settings.

Step 1. Launch "Sons of the Forest" and select options in the bottom menu.

Step 2. Go to the Display tab, disable the vertical synchronization option, and set the maximum FPS option to Maximum . Then click Apply .

Step 3. Navigate to the Graphics tab, set the Quality Preset to Ultra High , enable DLSS , and click Apply . After saving, you can restart the game and check if the low GPU usage problem of Sons of the Forest has gone away.

Method 6: Repair game files

Additionally, we recommend that you verify the integrity of game files on Steam. If the game files are corrupted or lost, you may experience low GPU and CPU issues in Sons of the Forest.

Step 1. Launch your Steam client and navigate to the Library tab.

Step 2. Right-click Sons Of The Forest in the left panel and select Properties .

Step 3. In the Properties window, navigate to the Local Files section and click the Verify Game File Integrity option.

Method 7: Use a discrete graphics card

Compared with integrated graphics cards, independent graphics cards have better and more stable graphics performance. Therefore, if possible, it is recommended that you use a discrete graphics card instead of an integrated graphics card. Additionally, you can refer to the following guide to upgrade your GPU and CPU.

How to install a graphics card on your computer? Please refer to the guide!

How to upgrade motherboard and CPU without reinstalling Windows

Method 8: Wait for the game to optimize

Some users have reported that the problem of "Son of the Forest" low GPU usage can only be solved by optimization. Since this game is newly released, some performance issues need to be solved and optimized. You can try all of the above to solve the problem. If the problem persists, you may need to be patient for the game to release the next update.

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