I've experienced stuttering on my PC for four years.
I've experienced stuttering on my PC for four years.
Hi guys,
First of all, i fell into this damn swamp 4 years ago. When i assembled the first system, i had R5 3600, R7 265 and B450M and 16 GB RAM. I remember i didn't have any problems when i first assembled it, i was enjoying it. Then, after months passed, these stuttering started to sprout. Basically, it was stuttering like a momentary stutter while scrolling while browsing websites in the browser, and then it started to spread to games. Then i upgraded to an RX 570 GPU and the same thing happened with it, even when windows first booted up, the mouse cursor would stutter like crazy on it, etc. I'll explain step by step what I'm going through now.
Then i switched to an RX 5500XT GPU, and the problems continued in the same manner. I thought it must be due to the AMD graphics card, so i reached the point where i started ignoring it. After the GPU, i also changed the motherboard and case. I upgraded from an MSI B450M Pro M.2 Max motherboard to the Mortar Max model, thinking maybe something would change, but nothing changed. It was still the same, as if nothing had changed. My power supply was an old model, a Gigabyte PSU that was about 6-7 years old at that time. I found a good deal on a Corsair CV650 PSU and installed it, but of course, nothing changed again. So far, i have changed a ton of parts, and nothing has changed. And there's more, keep reading.
After all of this, seeing that nothing was fixed, i began to think the problem might be with the CPU, so i upgraded from the R5 3600 to the R5 5600, even though i used two R5 5600s, one of which burned out, but i won’t go into those details. When i upgraded to the R5 5600, the motherboard was also changed, going from the Mortar Max to the Tomahawk Max 2, and once again, nothing changed everything continued as before. In fact, there was even a new issue with the mouse cursor stuttering. It stutters in games, while scrolling pages on websites, and occasionally in windows as well. When browsing through apps like Discord, Steam, etc., stuttering occurs, and in Steam, it was particularly noticeable with significant drops. Despite all these changes, none of this has been fixed.
We continue. The CPU was changed, the motherboard was changed, the PSU was changed, the case was changed, the GPU was changed, yet no improvement. I thought maybe the problem was with the RAM, because that was the only part i hadn’t changed. So, i swapped my Crucial 2x8 3000 MHz CL15 RAM for Corsair 2x16 3600 MHz CL16 RAM—basically upgrading from 16GB to 32GB. Again, no change, nothing was fixed.
At this point, i thought maybe it's cursed AMD and their drivers, so i started looking for a second-hand NVIDIA GPU and switched to an RTX 2080. After switching to the 2080, most of the drops in games were fixed, but they didn’t completely disappear. Even after switching to NVIDIA, 90% of the problems remain, and none of them have been resolved.
We’re still at it. The motherboard was changed again, and this time i switched to one of the best B550s, the ASUS ROG STRIX B550F Gaming. I also changed the case and PSU once more, switching from the Corsair CV650 to a High Power 800W Gold PSU. Yet, no improvement, of course, despite all these changes. I’ve also changed storage multiple times, but none of these solved the issue.
Finally, with another excuse, i swapped the CPU again and ended up with the R7 5700X3D, but once again, there was no significant change. All these changes have only cost me money, and although there were performance improvements, this damned 4-year-old problem still hasn’t been fixed. What do I need to do?
I’m about to pack up and switch to console; my psychology is ruined. Why should there be stuttering with such high-end parts? There shouldn’t even be a hint of stuttering in this damn system, but no. I’ve been using it this way for 4 years, pulling my hair out, but now i’m at my breaking point. I’ve tried everything, no method, part, or change has been left untried. Every possible Windows update has been installed, and there have been tons of driver updates in between, but none of these have fixed the issue. Some forums suggest that even the electrical installation could be affecting it, but i can't understand how the electrical installation could affect the system. In this time, even peripheral components have been changed, and now i’m so desperate that i’m willing to consider anything.
I’ve written all this in great detail, and i know there are thousands of people experiencing the same issue. I am one of those people, and i want to make it clear that changing parts won’t necessarily solve everything.
At this point, the only unchanged part is the AM4 platform. Should i be saying there’s some curse with the platform, but many people are using it without issues? Is there some setting in the BIOS i need to tweak? I don’t really understand this stuff, but i’d be really grateful if someone who actually knows could give me advice because, in the past 4 years, i’ve tried every method. Please don’t suggest basic things like MPO fix or DDU, i beg you. By the way, there are no temperature issues in the system, just to clarify.
The current state of my system:
R7 5700X3D CPU
ASUS ROG STRIX B550F Gaming motherboard
ASUS Dual RTX 2080 GPU
Corsair Vengeance RGB RT 32GB 3600 MHz CL16 RAM
Phanteks Eclipse P360A case
High Power 800W +80 Gold PSU
Kingston KC3000 1TB, PNY CS3030 250GB, SanDisk Ultra 3D 500GB, Samsung M3 500GB storage
What kind of monitor and synchronization are you using?
Are the mouse movements smooth or do you think they’re caused by graphics problems rather than the mouse failing to send signals?
Is the same storage drive consistently used throughout?
And do you have any of those motherboards I’ve been searching for, specifically a B450 with an updated BIOS?
Monitor: SAMSUNG LC24F396FHMXUF
Temperatures are within normal range. CPU operates at 65-70 degrees.
The GPU stays below 75, which shouldn’t cause issues, especially since problems arise even when idle.
I maintain the system regularly and there’s minimal dust buildup.
I use a wired mouse to avoid interference.
Storage type differs; I encountered similar issues before. Windows was installed on them.
Sorry, I don’t have another motherboard.
I notice your display is a 1080/60 with Free Sync. I don't see a clear scenario where static or just watching a video would cause issues. On the other hand, my previous Acer model ran at 1080/75 and seemed to degrade quickly unless paired with an AMD graphics card, whether integrated or discrete. It performed well with AMD and Display Port, but I experienced shimmering and tearing in its case. Do you have another monitor you'd like to test? Family TVs are also an option.
I own two televisions at home, but using both didn't make a noticeable difference.
I have to admit a certain level of head scratching over here as well. Technically, this isn't even the same build so it makes no sense why the issue would follow along for all those hardware changes.
Not sure what to suggest at this point.
I will include some thoughts and recommendations.
Some discussions mention that the electrical setup might be influencing the issue, but I’m unsure how exactly it could be affecting the system.
There are various possibilities...
From what I see across the four years, the electrical system has remained consistent.
Could you share your country’s voltage level for the electrical system? How stable is the power supply in your area? What is the typical voltage range?
Have you considered using a UPS? Was it previously tested?
Were there any inspections of the electrical system at your home, apartment, or neighborhood?
Are there nearby industrial sites, military bases, airports, or other large electricity consumers such as elevators?
Electrical and circuit issues can behave unpredictably, especially if they’re not well-designed, installed, or maintained.
Incorrect or missing grounding can lead to confusing problems. Instead of a "stutter," it might feel like a "flutter."
Search for information on "ground loops" and draw a simple diagram of your home’s electrical setup.
Make sure all devices are connected—both to the main power supply and to one another.
Include every cable, wire, and connection, including audio, video, network, etc.
There might be hidden connections or faults that aren’t obvious. An experienced electrician with proper testing tools could uncover these.
After all this assessment, I recommend moving the entire system to another location—ideally far enough away from your home so it receives power from a different part of the grid.
Besides the standard components you usually add after setting up Windows—such as chipset, audio, network, and graphics—are there any additional utilities or software you might consider installing? Things like motherboard tools, peripheral applications, NZXT cam, Discord, etc. Please remember all the typical installations you would normally do after a fresh install. Have you tried running your computer after installing just the basics as described? I’d also appreciate seeing screenshots of the startup programs in Task Manager, especially the CPU and memory columns sorted from highest to lowest, along with the CpuZ SPD and memory sections. If any drive is being reused with existing files or hardware changes, a Malwarebytes scan might be useful to check for any potential threats.
Did you update all your peripherals at once? It might be any type of hardware and looks consistent, so only things that were regularly used would make sense. Does this issue occur in safe mode? That would eliminate drivers and non-Windows apps from the cause.
I understand all else, but I’m unsure about the OS and its installation details.