Computer Newbie- Performance Issues

Hey guys, I've been having trouble running games well on rig for some time now... And recently, My computer has really been slowing down in terms of performance. I've been having trouble with this for a couple months now, and due in part to me being lazy I'm just now searching up answers for my problems.

I got my rig a little over a year ago, and here's its specs:

-I7 4930k 3.4ghz(Unlocked CPU) six core processor
-Asus Rampage IV extreme X79 motherboard
-16gb DDR3 2400 MHz Corsair Vengeance Pro Ram
- 250gb samsung 840 EVO SSD
-1tB seagate hard drive
-NVIDIA Geforce GTX 780 3gb video card

So, the problem is, with most games I play, the frame rate will dip dramatically the moment a big event starts happening... A frame rate dip is to be expected in these events, but I wouldn't expect something so dramatic( from 80 FPS-15 fps). Especially from a rig with components like these. I'm a newbie in terms of tech, and I really want to start using my computer to play more games. However, I get frustrated when my games aren't performing the way I KNOW they can with components like those. I've messed with graphical settings and turned them to low, but the frame rate issue persists. If anyone has any helpful advice to send my way, or point me in a direction that I can get info on these problems, I'd be very grateful!

first of all, clean up your pc and internet cache (CC Cleaner), disable unnecessary startup programs/apps, and limit all background programs running when your playing. 

you can use the command prompt to check/fix system errors by typing cmd into the search box, right click the app and run as admin.  once there type, sfc /scannow and hit enter.  it will take a several minutes to check/fix system errors if there are any. 

now, if it's a hardware upgrade issue, please run a cpu and gpu monitoring program (task manager can do for cpu) while playing in the scenarios you described having the issues with.  if you see your cpu with a consistent 70%+load and your gpu with a much lower load that means you are cpu bottlenecked and need a cpu upgrade.  if you are seeing your gpu at/near full load you need a gpu upgrade.  overclocking the cpu can give you some headroom as well, so that your gpu isn't waiting on your cpu to issue commands. 

it seems to me you're really experiencing problems in multi-player.  it's kind of odd with your additional cores/threads that you would be experiencing that kind of drastic slow down in performance, especially in cpu-bound situations like multi-player typically presents.  a lot of the performance problems in the situations you describe are server side and game side, meaning it's got nothing to do with your hardware.  still, i suspect that your gpu is the bottleneck. 

what resolution and how many monitors are you gaming on?  what refresh rate?  are you running with V-sync on?  what games?  did you always have these issues, if not it could be a patch or driver issue.     

If this were a new machine, I would venture a guess at the monitor being plugged into the mobo rather than the gpu... but to have this develop over time?

Do you clean the machine, physically and electronically?

If I've learned anything here it's that SSDs never get defragged... never.

Use CCleaner to rid the machine of extraneous files, empty the caches, etc.

Your HDMI should be plugged into the card below the exhaust fan, not next to it.

From http://www.pcworld.com/article/2047513/fragging-wonderful-the-truth-about-defragging-your-ssd.html?page=2

Originally posted by PCWorld From my limited tests, I’m firmly convinced that the tiny difference that even the best SSD defragger makes is not worth reducing the life span of your SSD. Add another voice to the chorus that’s singing “Don’t defrag your SSD.”

Edited by Snaike - 02 Oct 2015 at 1:15am

Like Snaike suggested, make sure you're plugged in to correct port.   Most motherboards have an hdmi port nestled near the usb and audio connections. Thats not what you want.   Drop down to below rear fan to video card. There might be plastic caps covering the ports.

Check cpu and video card temps under load.   HWMonitor is goid to use.   Temps in the 70's, even low 80's, is ok. Processors throttle back when they get too hot.   

Let us know.