Fix: COD Modern Warfare 2 Not Using 100% GPU and CPU
The new era of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II has been released, which offers players an improved first-person shooter gameplay experience. Meanwhile, fans...
Subodh Gupta
Last updated on December 12, 2023
Subodh Gupta
Author
Subodh loves to write content whether it may be tech-related or other. After writing on tech blog for a year, he becomes passionate about it. He loves playing games and listening to music. Apart from blogging, he is addictive to the gaming PC builds and smartphone leaks.
The new era of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II has been released, which offers players an improved first-person shooter gameplay experience. Meanwhile, fans can’t stop comparing the MWII and MW2 (2019) though they’re different in every aspect. However, several players seem to have some issues with the new Modern Warfare II gaming due to crashes, glitches, lags, etc. Some reports claim that COD Modern Warfare 2 is Not Using GPU or CPU at 100%. It happens due to the lower system resources on the machine.
Well, if you’re also one of the victims of such an issue, then follow this troubleshooting guide to fix it. The chances are high that such an issue can appear on the Windows system for several reasons. Mostly issues with the PC compatibility, outdated graphics driver, outdated system software, outdated game version, issues with the installed game files, issues with the graphics card, overclocked CPU or GPU, unnecessary background running tasks, overlay apps, etc. can trouble you a lot.
Fix: COD Modern Warfare 2 Not Using 100% GPU and CPU
Sometimes even issues with the 100% usage pattern of the CPU and GPU or RAM can also cause too many conflicts apart from the incorrect in-game graphics settings. It becomes one of the most common issues these days that you can’t deal with or understand initially. It’s also worth recommending using the Nvidia GeForce App for v516.59 or v522.25 drivers to minimize the stability issues with the Call of Duty MWII until the new patch update arrives.
We've noticed some stability issues with the latest NVIDIA drivers 526.47 on Call of Duty #MWII. For now we'd suggest you keep the 516.59, or 522.25 drivers.
Once the issue starts appearing to you, a couple of possible workarounds mentioned below can easily resolve the problem. So, without wasting any more time, let’s jump into it.
Run the game app file on your PC as administrator access to allow the User Account Control (UAC) access to the system. Sometimes, your system requires UAC access permission to run a quite important program. By following the steps below, you’ll have to allow the admin access for once, and it won’t ask you for the same again. To do so:
Go to the installed Call of Duty: MWII game directory.
Right-click on the game application file on your PC.
Click on Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.
Click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to enable it.
Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
Finally, run the game to check for the issue.
Please Note: If you’re using the Steam or Battle.net client on the PC, then perform the same steps for the respective launcher to grant the admin access.
2. Use a Dedicated Graphics Card
Using the dedicated graphics card on the PC is highly recommended to run graphics-intensive games like COD MWII smoothly. It’ll reduce game stutters, lags, and frame drops apart from GPU not using 100% issues. If you don’t know which settings to adjust, follow the steps below.
For Nvidia GPU:
Right-click on the blank desktop screen > Open Nvidia Control Panel.
Go to 3D Settings > Click on Manage 3D Settings.
Open Program Settings > Select Call of Duty: MWII from the list.
Select the Preferred graphics processor for this programfrom the list.
Once done, you can see it as High-Performance Nvidia Processor.
Make sure to save changes and reboot the PC.
For AMD GPU:
Right-click on the blank desktop screen > Open AMD Radeon Settings.
Head over to Additional Settings > Go to Preferences.
Click on Power > Click on Switchable Graphics Application Settings.
Select Call of Duty: MWII from the list.
If the game is not visible, select Add Application to include the game.
Once done, select High Performance from Graphics Settings.
Finally, reboot the PC to apply changes.
3. Update GPU Drivers
An outdated or corrupted graphics card driver can trigger multiple game or system performance issues while running programs. It’s highly recommended to check the graphics driver update. To do so:
Press the Win+X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
Click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on Display adapters.
Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re currently using.
Click on Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
If the latest update is available, it’ll automatically download & install the latest version.
Once done, restart the computer to apply changes immediately.
Alternatively, you can manually download the latest graphics driver version and install it on the PC via the official website. Download the graphics driver file respective to your graphics card model and manufacturer. Nvidia graphics card users can update the GeForce Experience app via the Nvidia official site and AMD graphics card users can visit the AMD website for the same. At the same time, Intel graphics users can visit here.
Sometimes turning off the fullscreen optimizations by the Windows system for your specific game application file should fix the compatibility issues for some PCs. Though it comes disabled by default, you should cross-check it to ensure that the fullscreen optimization isn’t enabled. To do this:
Open the Steam client > Click on Library.
Right-click on Call of Duty: MWII > Click on Manage.
Click on Browse local files > Head over to the Call of Duty: MWII installed folder.
Right-click on CallofDutyModernWarfareII.exe > Click on Properties.
Go to the Compatibility tab > Ensure to click on Disable fullscreen optimizations to checkmark it.
Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
5. Close Background Running Tasks
Unnecessary background running tasks or programs can eat up a lot of system resources like CPU or Memory usage literally reducing system performance. Hence, the startup crashing, lagging, and not loading issues appear quite often. Simply, close all the unnecessary background running tasks completely. To do this:
Press the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys to open up Task Manager.
Now, click on the Processes tab > Click to select tasks that are unnecessarily running in the background and consuming enough system resources.
Click on End Task to close them one by one.
Once done, restart your system.
6. Use the Best Performance Power Plan
It’s also highly recommended to change the power plan on the computer because the Windows system basically uses the Balanced power plan by default. But it reduces performance which can be improved by changing the power plan. Keep in mind that the performance plan can consume higher power. To do so:
Press the Win+R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Type Control Panel in the field and click on OK from the search result to open it.
Now, search for Power Options (Power & battery) and open it.
Click on Best Performance > Reboot your PC to save changes immediately.
7. Tweak In-Game Graphics Settings
You can also change the in-game graphics settings to check whether the problem is still appearing. Some in-game graphics settings may help you play the game better and achieve a higher framerates count. Just head over to the COD Modern Warfare II graphics settings menu and then follow the settings or tweaks below to check for the issue.
Display Adaptor: Select your graphics card
Screen Refresh Rate: Refresh rate of your monitor
Display Resolution: Native resolution of the monitor
Dynamic Resolution: Off
Aspect Ratio: Automatic
V-Sync (Gameplay): Off
V-Sync (Menus): Off
Display Gamma: 2.2 (sRGB)
Brightness: 55
Focused Mode: Off
High Dynamic Range (HDR): Off
Quality Presets: Recommended
Render Resolution: 100
Fidelity CAS: On
AMD Fideltity CAS Strength: 75
Anti-Aliasing: SMAA T2X
Nearby Level of Detail: High
Texture Resolution: Medium
Texture Filter Anisotropic: Low
Particle Quality: High
Bullet Impacts & Sprays: On
Shader Quality: Low
Tessellation: Nearby Only
On-Demand Texture Streaming: On
Streaming Quality: Low
Shadow Map Resolution: Low
Spot Shadow Quality: Low
Cache Spot Shadows: On
Cashe Sun Shadows: On
Particle Lighting: Normal
Ambient Occlusion: Off
SSR: Off
NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency: On + Boost
Depth of Field: Off
World Motion Blur: Off
Weapon Motion Blur: Off
Film Grain: 0.00
Field of View: 110
ADS Field of View: Affected
Weapon Field of View: Wide
3rd Person Field of View: 80
Vehicle Field of View: Default
1st Person Camera Movement: 100
3rd Person Camera Movement: 100
8. Verify and Repair Game Files
Sometimes corrupted or missing game files on the PC may trigger some issues with the game launching or running smoothly. Make sure to verify the game files and repair them via the Steam or Battle.net client by following the steps below:
For Steam:
Open the Steam client on the PC and log into the account > Head over to Library.
Right-click on the COD Modern Warfare II game from the left pane.
Click on Properties > Click on the Local Files tab.
Then click on Verify Integrity of game files…
Now, wait for the process to complete, and close the Steam client.
Finally, restart the PC to apply changes.
For Battle.net:
Open the Battle.net client on your PC.
Click on the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II game.
Now, click on OPTIONS (Gear icon) > Click on Scan and Repair.
Choose Begin Scan and wait for the process to complete.
Once done, close the Battle.net launcher, and restart your PC.
9. Update COD Modern Warfare II
In some scenarios, it’s always a better idea to update the game version because an outdated game patch version can trigger several potential issues on the gaming device that leads to crashes, lags, stutters, CPU/GPU-related issues, and more. To do so:
For Steam:
Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
Click on COD Modern Warfare II from the list of installed games on the left pane.
Now, the client will automatically search for the available update.
If there is an update available, you’ll see the Update option > Just click on it.
Wait for a couple of minutes or so until the game update completes. [Depends on the storage space and internet connectivity]
Once done, make sure to close the Steam client.
Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes, and launch the COD Modern Warfare 2 game again.
For Battle.net:
Open the Battle.net (Blizzard) launcher.
Click on the Blizzard logo from the top left corner.
Go to Settings > Click on Game Install/Update.
Click on Apply latest updates and download future patch data for recently played games to enable it.
Now, click on Done to save changes > Restart the Battle.net launcher to apply changes.
It should automatically update the game to the available version.
If in case, your chipset drivers are outdated on the PC then such issues might appear a lot. It’s always a better idea to check for updates and fix the low CPU usage or even not using the CPU while playing games. To do so:
Press the Win+X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
Click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on System devices.
Right-click on the active chipset device from the list.
Click on Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
If there is the latest update available, it’ll automatically download & install the latest version.
Once done, restart the computer to apply changes immediately.
Alternatively, you can directly visit the official chipset manufacturer’s website and grab the latest version of the processor model based on its architecture (64-bit). You can check the links below.
Sometimes a couple of applications may come with an additional overlay app that basically helps the streamers or gamers a lot. However, these overlay apps can eventually conflict with the game files to run smoothly and may cause several issues like FPS drops, black screen issues, lags, glitches, etc. You should try disabling the overlay apps manually before launching the game again to cross-check whether the crashing issue has been fixed or not. To do so:
Disable Discord Overlay:
Launch the Discord app > Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
Select Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
Click on the Games tab > Select COD Modern Warfare II.
Finally, turn off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.
Disable Xbox Game Bar:
Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the Game bar option.
Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay:
Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Head over to Settings.
Click on the General tab > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
Finally, restart the PC to apply changes and launch the game again.
Some other overlay apps can cause trouble for you, something as MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, etc. You should turn them off as well.
12. Turn Off Antivirus Protection
You can also try turning off the Windows Defender option on your PC to ensure no antivirus software is blocking the game files to run properly.
Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
Click on Update & Security > Click on Windows Security from the left pane.
Now, click on the Open Windows Security button.
Go to Virus & threat protection > Click on Manage settings.
Next, you’ll need to turn off the Real-time protection toggle.
If prompted, click on Yes to proceed further.
If in case, you’re using any other antivirus program on your PC, then make sure to turn it off.
13. Perform a Clean Boot
Multiple users claimed that performing a clean boot on the PC fixed the system boot-up issue because some apps or tasks start initially. These tasks run all the time and consume a lot of system resources. You should follow the steps below to do so:
Press the Win+R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Type msconfig and hit Enter to open System Configuration.
Go to Services > Click on Hide all Microsoft services to enable it.
Now, click on Disable all so that rest of the services gets turned off.
Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
Next, go to Startup > Click on Open Task Manager.
Click on the Startup tab > Ensure to select the specific task with a higher startup impact.
Now, click on Disable to turn it off.
Please Note: Do the same steps for each program with a higher startup impact except for the audio or graphics service.
Finally, make sure to restart your computer to apply changes.
14. Restore Default to Overclocked CPU or GPU
Sometimes overclocked CPU or GPU on the PC might cause conflicts with the other hardware which may trigger a bottleneck issue. It’s better to temporarily disable or restore the overclocked CPU/GPU to the factory default so that you can check out the potential reason behind the crashing issue. Multiple tools are available online to adjust overclocked CPU or GPU on the PC such as MSI Afterburner, Riva Tuner, AMD Ryzen Master, EVGA Precision X, etc.
15. Reinstall COD Modern Warfare 2
If none of the methods worked for you, try reinstalling the COD Modern Warfare 2 game on the PC to check if that helps you to fix the not using 100% GPU and CPU error.
For Steam:
Open the Steam client on your PC.
Go to Library > Right-click on COD Modern Warfare 2.
Select Uninstall > Click on Delete to confirm.
Wait for the uninstallation process to complete > Exit the Steam client.
Now, open the File Explorer application > Copy-paste C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common on the address bar and hit Enter to search for the location.
Go to the COD Modern Warfare 2 folder > Delete the folder completely.
Reboot the PC to apply changes > Open Steam Store and Reinstall the COD Modern Warfare 2 game again. [Obviously, this may take enough time but you should try it out]
For Battle.net:
Open the Battle.net desktop app > Select the COD MWII game icon you want to uninstall.
Select the drop-down menu next to the play button > Select Uninstall.
Once done, reboot the PC to apply changes.
Finally, open the Battle.net client > Select Install for the COD Modern Warfare II game.
Wait for the game to install completely and then restart the PC.
That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For additional queries, you can comment below.
