First off, my hardware:
Intel i7 7700
NVidia GTX 1080
16 GB Memory
Gigabyte Z270-Gaming K3
1TB magnetic drive

The problem:
GPU runs @40% resulting in very poor FPS in games like Dragon QUEST XI and Final Fantasy XV. I USED MSI Afterburner to test this. However, I TRIED Furmark benchmark and it does HIT 97%, somehow.
Also, I don't know whether related or not, while booting up the system, the dark pre-BIOS screen lingers for 3-4 minutes.

What I have tried so far:
Checked the CPU using burn-in - clean.
Checked the storage using CrystalDiskMark - clean.
Checked CPU temp - max about 80° Celsius. I also renewed the thermal compound.

Please tell me if I can provide more info.You don't mention what "very poor framerate" means, but that GPU usage would be normal based on the GPU requirements for those games.By "very poor framerate" I mean ~30-40 @1080p/highest. Here you can see I can expect ~140 FPS https://www.techpowerup.com/review/dragon-quest-xi-benchmark-performance-test/4.htmlJust wondering, do you have LATEST drivers for your hardware? Newer drivers may help with improving computer performance.Quote from: 2x3i5x on September 10, 2019, 06:22:24 PM

Just wondering, do you have latest drivers for your hardware? Newer drivers may help with improving computer performance.