Micro-stuttering during gaming?
Micro-stuttering during gaming?
Hello, this is my initial contribution here, and I've seen a lot of helpful suggestions.
Over the past few months, I've experienced minor stuttering in games, which wasn't obvious at first.
I mainly play Final Fantasy XIV.
But it becomes very clear on Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous and GTA V.
I've tried Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk, though they run smoothly without noticeable stutter.
However, I notice significant performance drops in those titles.
I don’t feel much impact when playing FFXIV. At this stage, I think this game is best suited for Final Fantasy XIV.
My system specifications are:
- Two 16-core Corsair Venance 5600 MHz processors
- Asus Crosshair X670E graphics card
- ASRock 6900 XT OC Phantom Gaming motherboard
- AMD Ryzen 9 7900X processor
- ROG Thor 1200W Platinum power supply
- A ROG Ryujin 2 for CPU cooling.
I previously used the 6900X in a past build, but it began to fail due to insufficient support. The case came with support, though it ultimately didn’t work—likely a user error.
While the game is still playable, it’s quite frustrating and difficult to manage, especially since I assembled much of this setup on a tight budget after losing funds at the worst possible moment.
Additionally, my RAM no longer functions properly at 5600 MHz; I had to lower it to 4800 MHz previously. The system would freeze if I tried 5600 again.
I’ve experienced frequent crashes and restarts resolved by rebooting, but micro-stutters persist. Until I shut down and the process restarted (reinstalling Windows fixed this), it remained an issue.
I've attempted:
- A fresh Windows installation
- Using default BIOS settings
- Running with IGPU (not ideal, as most games would suffer)
- Trying to run things with default drivers
I’ve avoided touching any hardware, as I tend to be a bit clumsy with tech.
I've also updated the BIOS to the latest version.
Temperatures are stable if I monitor them closely, as in my previous system the cooler failed and caused CPU damage.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, and I’m open to sharing more details if needed.
I’m prepared to replace components if necessary, but there’s always that worry about potential failure.
Fortunately, everything is covered under warranty except the PSU and GPU.
Thank you.
Did the stutters occur before or after you had to lower the RAM speed? Since RAM problems often precede stutters, or possibly due to GPU driver issues (particularly with Radeon), my first choice would be replacing the RAM, as it supports XMP settings. However, if your motherboard is nearing completion, it might be more cost-effective to replace the RAM first. But if you're unsure, starting with new RAM would be safer.
They arrived earlier. I was experiencing kernel32.dll errors from Windows a lot, which made things very chaotic, so I reinstalled Windows along with the stutters. The motherboard is around three months old, so I can't tell if it's failing yet. Unless it's broken, it might still be okay to return it and get a replacement. New RAM and GPU are on the list. Based on the improved vendors list, my current RAM isn't there, but the ones I want are. I wasn't using XMP or EXPO, just setting the MHz manually. I'm not sure if that's causing any problems since I didn't change any voltage timings much. Thank you very much for your help.
Manual OC often needs timing adjustments too, to ensure RAM OC remains stable. You might also consider boosting the voltage. Additional solutions could involve updating or installing older GPU drivers. However, newer drivers can sometimes cause problems. If nothing changes in software and sudden stutters appear, the problem likely lies with hardware. After a full Windows reinstall, whether it was a repair or clean install matters—formatting the drive and starting fresh might help. Also, when a new Windows version is installed, it usually tries to update automatically. Such updates can sometimes disrupt things. For other programs, testing in Safe Mode can be useful. But be cautious, as GPU drivers won’t run in Safe Mode. Instead, using built-in display drivers may work. Still, it’s worth a shot. If stutters persist even in Safe Mode, the issue probably involves the Windows kernel or hardware itself.
So the RAM issue seems to be an error from my side. Makes sense, right?
It was a full fresh reinstall that deleted all partitions and installed Windows on the drive.
I don’t see any stutters when using Windows programs. I’ll check by watching videos now.
They told me to use the latest drivers, so I’ll try installing a few more before I have access to my PC.
It was suggested to disable freesync DDU drivers and reinstall them, keeping freesync off, and also consider previous GPU drivers at the same time to see if that helps.
Sorry if my details aren’t clear—I’m not sure exactly when this started, so I’m sorry for any confusion.
Thanks for the advice!
Freesync helps reduce screen tearing and stuttering by aligning the frames per second between the game and the monitor. You might want to try Adaptive Sync; it seems most effective. Vsync performs poorly, while G-sync needs a compatible Nvidia GPU and a monitor that supports it. This aspect is crucial because it clarifies what could have gone wrong. Not remembering this detail is normal, so we often resort to trying various solutions until we find a solution that works.
Stutters typically appear inside games and are usually minor. However, personal preference plays a big role in deciding whether these stutters are tolerable. If the issues occur within the operating system, the problem is likely more serious from both software and hardware perspectives.
In about 80% of cases, increasing RAM or boosting its frequency resolves the stuttering in games. That’s why I recommend upgrading your RAM as the first step.
Updating GPU drivers is another possibility. While using an Nvidia GPU is preferable, I’ve noticed more problems with Radeon GPUs compared to Nvidia ones. Most Radeon driver issues lead to high-end GPUs frequently exceeding 200 FPS, yet still causing stutters due to architecture or driver limitations.
Setting a FPS cap can also be an option. For example, if your monitor supports 144 Hz, limit the in-game FPS to 120. This prevents the GPU from running at full speed constantly and can help eliminate stutters.
My recommendations for RAM in Ryzen 7000 series systems are to avoid XMP settings, opting instead for AMD EXPO. I experienced crashes when trying to run XMP above 4800, but stability improved once I switched to EXPO RAM at 6000.
Here are some updates on this. After getting home, I disabled all of AMD's built-in settings and turned off freesync. At least some games seem to have stabilized. I still need to do more testing, but I believe the problem has been significantly reduced. Thanks a lot for your advice—I'll keep it in mind while I spend some time this weekend tinkering. I watched a short video upon returning and it didn’t stutter on my PC. It looks like we should just wait and see how things develop. Regarding the GPU, I’m considering switching to TeamGreen. All the issues with my components have left a bad impression. I might also try Intel next. If the PC is working and stable enough, buying new parts now doesn’t seem necessary. I’ll need to save up for that. Thanks again!
It's definitely something to consider. I'll keep this in mind when planning the next build. Not that I care about the overall outcome, as long as everything functions correctly.