POE2 : Is it normal for a 4090 Matrix GPU to have high usage on medium settings?

I’m curious about everyone’s GPU usage. When I launched the game after starting the server, it said it couldn’t detect the graphics driver. I’m using a 4090 Matrix and play the game on medium graphics settings. I remember the usage was only around 50–70% at first. However, starting a few days ago, every time I launch the game, it goes fullscreen automatically, and all settings are switched to maximum.

I use a 42-inch monitor, which I typically use for work at home, but when gaming, I prefer to play in windowed mode. Recently, I noticed that my GPU power usage has been running at a constant 99% load. Although my GPU temperature is only around 60°C, my PC feels like a heater—warmer than an actual radiator. It’s winter, and I’m still sweating in a T-shirt while gaming.

Despite using medium settings for graphics and shadows, if the game runs for a long time, it eventually crashes and exits. I asked a friend who uses a 4070, and he said his GPU load is only around 70–80% when playing in 4K. For my setup, I have to turn down all the graphics, ray tracing, and shadow settings to the lowest just to manage the heat.

That is actually what you want. Your friend has a CPU bottleneck, that's why his usage is so low. Your GPU should be sitting at 95-100% utilization, everything else means wasted GPU power.

Edit: Fact is, PoE 2 is a CPU-slurper for some reason. I'm CPU-bottlenecked with a 4080 in 4k maxed settings. Sitting at 50% GPU utilization in town, 85% in a cave with no combat. That should not be happening. The 7600X3D is not exactly weak.

I have the problem since today that my 4090 with a 7800x3D in the login screen is getting steadily warmer. 28 degrees in the desktop, to 65 degrees when I start PoE2 and then, when I wait in the login, constantly up to 80 degrees