F5F Stay Refreshed Software PC Gaming Are games stuttering due to software issues rather than hardware limitations?

Are games stuttering due to software issues rather than hardware limitations?

Are games stuttering due to software issues rather than hardware limitations?

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peppergirl123
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09-28-2017, 01:54 AM
#1
So this is my first forum message—please forgive any mistakes I might have made. I checked around for similar problems online, but didn’t find a solution that matched what I was experiencing.
In short, I’ve been using a gaming laptop for two years until it suddenly stopped functioning. Since then, I’ve gathered some spare parts from around my home and friends’ places and assembled the following setup (this might assist someone in identifying any errors I may have made, hence I’m sharing this order of things):
- Adata 256GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD as the operating system drive
- 1TB 2.5 inch HDD (brand unknown, likely a 7200rpm model) from my laptop
- EVGA GTX 970 Superclocked ACX 2.0 from an older configuration
- Intel Core I5-6500 (base 3.2ghz)
- 12Gb DDR4 2133mhz RAM
- Biostar TB250-BTC Pro V6.0 motherboard
- Thermal Take 650W PSU
- A few high-end CPU air coolers
- Windows 10

These specifications should handle 1080/60 at high or ultra settings, mostly without trouble.
However, after assembling this build, I’ve noticed frequent stuttering while playing games capped at 60fps. It rarely drops below that, but occasionally freezes for a brief moment—usually during intense gunfire scenes. This issue didn’t occur on my previous setup with the older components (970, i5-4460, 8GB DDR3, 600W PSU, stock cooler). In contrast, my current build performs much better in ultra mode across all games.
Given these differences, I’m curious why this stuttering is happening now. The Nvidia drivers are up to date, and other related software seems functional. Even after swapping the Pentium G4560 for the newer i5-6500, performance remained stable. I’ve turned off the Windows Game Bar and the in-game Nvidia overlay, which reduced freezes before. Now, when they’re enabled, freezes last longer—sometimes up to 4 seconds instead of the usual 0.5–1 second.
I’m not sure if I need to update the drivers or if a thermal fix is necessary, since temperatures stay within safe limits (CPU max 45°C, GPU 60°C). Playing Fortnite for two hours at high settings caused constant freezing in my old build, but with this setup it handled it fine.
I’ve also considered formatting the OS drive or resetting settings after the swap, but nothing changed much.
Please let me know if this helps.
Thanks
Edit: Recently uninstalled all Nvidia drivers and tried a different one without prior experience; the issue continues.
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P
peppergirl123
09-28-2017, 01:54 AM #1

So this is my first forum message—please forgive any mistakes I might have made. I checked around for similar problems online, but didn’t find a solution that matched what I was experiencing.
In short, I’ve been using a gaming laptop for two years until it suddenly stopped functioning. Since then, I’ve gathered some spare parts from around my home and friends’ places and assembled the following setup (this might assist someone in identifying any errors I may have made, hence I’m sharing this order of things):
- Adata 256GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD as the operating system drive
- 1TB 2.5 inch HDD (brand unknown, likely a 7200rpm model) from my laptop
- EVGA GTX 970 Superclocked ACX 2.0 from an older configuration
- Intel Core I5-6500 (base 3.2ghz)
- 12Gb DDR4 2133mhz RAM
- Biostar TB250-BTC Pro V6.0 motherboard
- Thermal Take 650W PSU
- A few high-end CPU air coolers
- Windows 10

These specifications should handle 1080/60 at high or ultra settings, mostly without trouble.
However, after assembling this build, I’ve noticed frequent stuttering while playing games capped at 60fps. It rarely drops below that, but occasionally freezes for a brief moment—usually during intense gunfire scenes. This issue didn’t occur on my previous setup with the older components (970, i5-4460, 8GB DDR3, 600W PSU, stock cooler). In contrast, my current build performs much better in ultra mode across all games.
Given these differences, I’m curious why this stuttering is happening now. The Nvidia drivers are up to date, and other related software seems functional. Even after swapping the Pentium G4560 for the newer i5-6500, performance remained stable. I’ve turned off the Windows Game Bar and the in-game Nvidia overlay, which reduced freezes before. Now, when they’re enabled, freezes last longer—sometimes up to 4 seconds instead of the usual 0.5–1 second.
I’m not sure if I need to update the drivers or if a thermal fix is necessary, since temperatures stay within safe limits (CPU max 45°C, GPU 60°C). Playing Fortnite for two hours at high settings caused constant freezing in my old build, but with this setup it handled it fine.
I’ve also considered formatting the OS drive or resetting settings after the swap, but nothing changed much.
Please let me know if this helps.
Thanks
Edit: Recently uninstalled all Nvidia drivers and tried a different one without prior experience; the issue continues.

Reply
Reply