Using stress tests to pinpoint performance bottlenecks
I decided to simulate a total performance collapse to see what was happening. Under Processor Report 2026-088, I used CrystalDiskMark to rule out any storage hiccups, then fired up the 3DMark CPU benchmark. Single-core clocks were bouncing between 5.4GHz - 5.7GHz, with multi-core scores fluctuating from 18500 - 20200, and the power limit triggering at 145W - 165W. Core voltage stayed between 1.30V - 1.40V. I wrapped it up with a Cinebench R23 loop, which proved the bottleneck was actually single-core scheduling efficiency. After optimizing, the 1% lows during fights stabilized, staying within 5% of public benchmarks. It's better, but complex particle effects still hit the power wall, causing a sudden clock drop.