Hi Siavash7 — welcome. Short answer: Windows 11 itself (DWM, driver/WDDM changes, scheduler, overlays and default settings) plus driver or OS settings can change how the GPU is used and how “GPU time” is reported, so it’s common to see higher reported GPU time after moving from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Let’s narrow it down and fix it.
A few quick questions before we dive in:
- Did you upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 or do a fresh install?
- How are you measuring “GPU time” (MSI Afterburner/RTSS, Task Manager, PresentMon, NVIDIA FrameView, etc.)?
- Are your NVIDIA drivers the same version on both systems, or did you update them after switching?
- Is Rainbow Six Siege running in exclusive fullscreen or borderless/windowed?
Troubleshooting checklist (do these one at a time, testing R6 after each change):
1) Check measurement method
- Why: some tools report GPU time differently under Windows 11 (timing source/WDDM differences).
- Action: use the same tool you used on Windows 10 (or use PresentMon / MSI Afterburner) to compare. Note the tool and exact metric.
2) Update / clean-install GPU drivers
- Why: driver changes often explain performance/time differences.
- Action: Use DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) in Safe Mode to remove drivers, then install the latest NVIDIA driver (clean install). Test again.
3) Toggle Hardware‑accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS)
- Why: HAGS (Windows 10/11 feature) can reduce CPU overhead but may change GPU timings or increase latency for some games/drivers.
- Action: Settings > System > Display > Graphics > toggle “Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling” off if it’s on (or on if it’s off) and reboot. Test both states.
4) Switch fullscreen mode
- Why: borderless windowed goes through the Desktop Window Manager (DWM) and can increase GPU time; exclusive fullscreen is usually lower overhead.
- Action: In Rainbow Six Siege set the game to exclusive/fullscreen and test. If you were using exclusive before and now using borderless, that could explain the change.
5) Disable overlays and recording
- Why: overlays (Xbox Game Bar, NVIDIA ShadowPlay/GeForce Experience, Discord, Steam, RivaTuner) add GPU work.
- Action: Turn off Xbox Game Bar (Settings > Gaming), disable NVIDIA overlay in Geforce Experience, disable in‑game overlays. Test.
6) Power & NVIDIA settings
- Action: Windows power: set to “High performance” or “Best performance” (Control Panel or Settings > Power & battery).
- NVIDIA Control Panel: Manage 3D settings → Power management mode = “Prefer maximum performance”; low latency = “On” or “Ultra” for testing. Set preferred GPU for the game to your RTX 2060 in Windows Graphics settings.
7) Background tasks / antivirus
- Why: background processes can steal GPU/CPU time or wake frequently.
- Action: Close non-essential apps, disable background recording, pause antivirus temporarily and test.
8) V-Sync / Variable Refresh / Display Hz
- Why: Sync and VRR can change GPU frame submission and measured GPU time.
- Action: Temporarily set monitor to its native refresh and try disabling V-Sync/VRR to see effect. Compare results.
9) Reproduce and collect data
- If the issue persists, gather:
- GPU driver version and Windows build (run winver).
- Screenshot of Task Manager Performance while gaming (GPU engine usage).
- An MSI Afterburner / RTSS frame-time/GPU time log or a PresentMon capture for a 60–120 second run.
Send these and I’ll analyze.
Why this can happen (short technical explanation)
- Windows 11’s DWM, scheduler and WDDM/driver changes alter how frames are composed and presented. Borderless/windowed frames go through the compositor, and HAGS / driver scheduling can shift work between CPU and GPU or change timestamping. Drivers may also route work differently in W11 leading to increased reported “GPU time” even if perceived FPS/latency is similar — or it can be real extra work (overlays, new background services, telemetry, different power defaults).
If you want, start with these two high-value tests now:
1) Launch R6 in exclusive fullscreen, disable overlays, set NVIDIA power to max performance, and test.
2) Toggle HAGS (off → reboot) and test again.
Tell me:
- Results of those two tests and which GPU-time tool you use. I’ll suggest the next precise step or analyze any logs you upload.
