Richard Pedersen said
Hi Versed,

I can't answer any of your questions, but I can say this-- I noticed a huge improvement in Skyrim FPS by disabling Vsynch. It won't hurt to try and you won't be any worse off if it doesn't work for you.

In the pursuit of a simple method of exposing a CPU vs GPU bottleneck, a while back I wrote an article discussing the subject. Here's the link: https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-determine-gpu-vs-cpu-bottlenecks-and-possible-solutions/

I hope this helps you out a bit. I know it can be frustrating.

Let me know how it goes for you,
Richard  

thanks for the quick reply, Richard! I actually read that article because a friend recommended it to me which lead me to this forum. From what your article says, it sounds like a CPU bottleneck over GPU. It just doesn't make much sense to me on how my processor is bottlenecking whenever it's one of the better ones out there for gaming. I don't know, i'm completely stumped at this point and I'm just trying to get any input I can.

Richard Pedersen said
Hi Versed,
I am only throwing ideas out there you understand, but an often overlooked component in computer systems is the power supply. Is it getting long in the tooth? Is it able to supply all your components with a steady, reliable source of power? Just something to think about.
Another option is stepping into the risky world of overclocking. I don't suggest this to the faint of heart or to those with a small budget. As long as you are very careful, have adequate cooling, and a stable power supply, things should be all right. Just take it slow-- very slow. Baby steps.
It can be confusing. You would think a game like Skyrim would be GPU-intensive but have never experienced that myself. On the other hand, you would Civilization V would challenge the CPU, but in my experience the GPU seems the most taxed in my system playing that game. Peculiar, indeed.
By searching the internet for systems similar to yours, you may find some answers from people experiencing the same troubles. In the computer world, it is just about guaranteed that if you are having a problem, then others are, too.
I wish I had all the answers, but mainly I have guesses. If you find a proper solution to your dilemma, I would certainly like to hear about it.
Thanks,
Richard  

my power supply is a little over 1 year old. I'm not 100% sure if it's causing the issue, but I'm trying to do everything in my power to find that out. I'll be looking over more things in the next couple of days, but I wont have as much time due to classes starting back up on Tuesday. I've tried OC my CPU, but it didn't really fix the issue. I didn't want to throw it over 4.0GHz, but I could put it up to 4.4 if I really wanted to. It currently sits at 3.5 and goes up to a boost of 3.8 depending on what i'm doing. I have searched around a little bit with people who have similar components, but I haven't found much. I'll just have to do some more digging, but I'll definitely let you know if I figure out what's going on with it.