Extreme lag spikes make gameplay unplayable, causing sudden pauses lasting seconds in titles like Overwatch.
Extreme lag spikes make gameplay unplayable, causing sudden pauses lasting seconds in titles like Overwatch.
Hey everyone. I’m trying to figure out why my PC keeps experiencing severe lag spikes. This issue began about a month ago, even though I’ve had this system for years without any problems. While Overwatch is the worst, other games also show noticeable slowdowns. I notice my PC freezes for short bursts—sometimes seconds at a time—which becomes worse over time and then improves. For instance, in Overwatch, I might see these intense lag spikes lasting around 30 minutes, after which it runs smoothly. I’ve attached an example of the lag I experience. My setup details are: GPU – GTX 1070, CPU – i7 4790k, RAM – 16GB at 2133MHz, Motherboard – Asus Maximus VII Ranger, PSU – EVGA Super Nova NEX750B, power supply – 750W, resolution – 2560x1440p.
I don’t think the problem is related to storage; I installed Overwatch on three drives and all had the same issue.
It might still point to an HDD problem. Your video at 1:55 shows a significant lag spike. At the same moment, Task Manager displays your HDD usage as 100%. Such patterns could signal a failing hard drive. Use a tool such as HWInfo to check your HDD health.
I'll download HWInfo and give it a try. Also noteworthy was the significant lag spike at 1:55 which made my HDD usage reach 100%. That's the drive I use for storage, not for gaming, but it holds 2TB of video files—especially gaming content—that keeps growing. It's not completely full; I'm currently using 2.26TB out of a 3.63TB capacity. Thanks for your assistance.