Issues with stuttering in FPS games across high-end systems
Issues with stuttering in FPS games across high-end systems
I recently assembled a gaming desktop built with high performance in mind, but it's currently experiencing stuttering every 4 to 7 seconds whenever the frame rate drops from 60fps to 30-45 frames per second for about half a second before returning to full speed.
Details:
(Specs list on NewEgg)
OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
CPU: Intel i7 8700k (stock 3.7GHz, boosted to 4.7GHz)
GPUs: 2 x Asus ROG Strix GTX 1080 (SLI enabled, bridge present)
RAM: 4 x 8Gb Corsair Vengeance @3000MHz (total 32Gb)
PSU: Corsair RM1000x
Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus X Hero (WiFi - AC)
Cooling: Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 240 AIO CPU Liquid Cooler*
Storage: SanDisk Ultra 3D 1Tb SSD
*note: The cooler was included with the case; if you believe it's inadequate, let me know right away and I can assist in finding a better option
What I've attempted so far:
■ Updating drivers
■ Deinstalling and reinstalling drivers
■ Updating BIOS
■ Running with half the RAM (dual-channel mode)
■ Resetting OC settings via BIOS and Intel XTU
■ Disabling Windows 10's gamebar features
Additional observations:
This issue occurs in nearly every game, and typically the CPU utilization stays at 65% or higher, while the GPU usage ranges between 35-60% each GPU, depending on scene activity. The primary concern I have is that prior to overclocking my CPU, everything functioned flawlessly at full settings, so I'm uncertain if this could be an unintended consequence. Before anyone recommends reverting to default configurations, I've tried numerous fixes. I never adjusted the core speed settings individually; instead, I used Intel's XTU to adjust the CPU ratio to 47x or set all cores to a uniform multiplier in the BIOS. (I kept the cache speed at 44x, as most preset OC configurations had it.) I've also reviewed many forums and found that most solutions either failed or didn't resolve the problem. I'm seeking a more comprehensive review if this is critical.)
Feel free to ask further questions for troubleshooting support. This situation is concerning because I've only been using the machine for under three weeks, and problems are already emerging.
The GPU handles the main workload in games, so minor tweaks to your CPU cache are unlikely to noticeably impact frame rate. Sli is known for stuttering, which is why Nvidia no longer supports it. It remains a challenging issue for developers. I suggest adjusting one card, using Msi afterburner, and overclocking your single clock. My setup has 100% core voltage, 120% power limit, 92°C temperature cap, 215 core clock, and 650 memory clock. A semi-aggressive fan speed within your sound tolerance should boost FPS significantly from one card.
I'm not going to mark this as solved just yet, but I might have addressed the issue. There were two things I overlooked: disabling Windows Defender's Real Time scanning and adjusting Asus Aura software settings that affect lighting based on processor load. I thought turning both off or setting the lights to a static color would help eliminate stuttering. If this resolves the problem and the frame rate issue disappears for a few days, I'll turn Aura back on again and mark it solved.
Turning off live scanning in Windows Defender appeared to resolve the issue. I added Bitdefender free to prevent Windows Defender from auto-starting, but I’ll keep this update if the problem goes away.
I found the answer; besides disabling Windows Defender Live Scan, turning off the gamebar, and all the other things I did—like running a memtest—I’m 99.96% confident I solved my issue. It was related to my CPU Cache ratio. All clock speeds were in a 46x-50x range, but I kept my cache speed unchanged until I grasped it better. After some research, it looked like the cache speed mismatch was creating an artificial bottleneck that wasn’t visible in system metrics since it was inside the cache. Now everything runs smoothly at 5.0GHz CPU (50x) and 4.8GHz Cache (48x).
The GPU handles the main workload in games, so minor tweaks to your CPU cache likely won’t noticeably change your frame rate. Sli is known for stuttering, which is why Nvidia stopped supporting it. It’s generally a mess for developers now. I think if you adjust one card, try using MSI Afterburner and push your single clock overclocked—my setup has 100% core voltage, 120% power limit, 92°C temp cap, 215 core clock, and 650 memory clock. Set a moderately aggressive fan speed within your sound limits, and you’ll see significant FPS improvements from one card.