Poor results following a system reset
Poor results following a system reset
So I recently cleared my PC because I began experiencing stutters while playing games. Once it started running again, I loaded my most played titles first—CSGO and Valorant. Valorant ran smoothly, while World of Warcraft also worked well. CSGO didn’t perform as expected. When joining a CSGO DM or match, I often face a few minutes of heavy stutters before they improve, becoming almost nonexistent within ten minutes. This leaves me with only 15 minutes of gameplay that’s quite frustrating. Not worth mentioning is the significant drop in FPS from 200-350 to around 80-180 after the reset. To be honest, my PC isn’t as fast as before; it overheats and now runs at a lower frame rate than before the reset. The specs are: CPU I7 7700K, GPU 1080, MOBO Z170, RAM 16GB 3000MHz, Windows 10. I’ve updated all known drivers, removed overlays from apps like Discord and Xbox, switched to a high-performance power plan, reinstalled CSGO multiple times. Despite these efforts, my CSGO still struggles with low FPS and annoying stutters, which is especially bothersome given my 240Hz monitor. I think the solution is right in front of me, but unfortunately they’re closed—can someone help me get them open?
Eh, I think this might not fully capture the situation. Surely keeping the latest driver versions shown on the motherboard page matters, but claiming "if everything functions then the BIOS isn't the problem" isn't quite right.
Many systems seem to work but still face issues that only become fixable with an updated BIOS version that tackles those specific problems.
Any issue on a system that otherwise runs smoothly could stem from BIOS limitations—such as lack of compatibility, performance bottlenecks, or missing code.
Ensure your motherboard is equipped with the latest BIOS version. Updating can resolve many issues, even when newer releases don’t explicitly mention graphics card or hardware compatibility improvements. They typically don’t detail every modification in their announcements.
Visit the official product page for your motherboard on the manufacturer’s site. Download and apply the most recent driver updates for the chipset, storage controllers, audio, and network adapters. Avoid skipping newer drivers simply because they seem unrelated to your problem; updated drivers can significantly impact all connected devices. A new driver release usually has a valid reason, just like BIOS updates. For chipset drivers, choose the version from the manufacturer if it’s newer than what the developer lists for your chipset (Intel or AMD). Conversely, if Intel or AMD lists a newer chipset driver than what’s available on the motherboard page, select that one. Always opt for the latest chipset driver and stick to those offered by the motherboard maker, AMD, or Intel.
If you have additional hardware not covered by the motherboard drivers, check the support page for that component and install any newer drivers it may offer.
Verify your memory is operating at the advertised speed within the BIOS. You might need to configure it under XMP profiles. Confirm the memory is placed in the correct slots and that dual-channel operation is active—use tools like CPU-Z to check the Memory and SPD sections. For modern dual-channel boards, ensure your sticks are installed in A2 (DDR4_1) or B2 (DDR4_2), positioned as the second and fourth slots from the CPU edge (excluding boards with only two slots). With dual channels, this is straightforward; for single-slot boards, install in A1 or DDR4_1.
Lastly, prioritize a clean installation of your graphics card drivers. Even if you believe you already have the newest drivers, performing a fresh install often yields better results than merely updating existing ones. If you’ve ever installed both Nvidia and AMD cards, run DDU twice: once for the previous driver set (Nvidia or AMD) and again for the current drivers (AMD or Nvidia). This ensures compatibility across all your hardware.
For Windows, a clean install can be highly beneficial. If you haven’t done one before, or if you’ve upgraded from an older OS version to Windows 10 or undergone multiple major updates, consider a fresh installation. If you’re using a Windows build from a previous system and didn’t perform a clean install after setup, it’s almost certain you’ll need to start over.
So I'm either really confused or ASUS is the ones who are, since it seems hard to find drivers for my BIOS.
Z170 PRO GAMING mobo doesn't have any drivers available for BIOS.
I tried a clean install but nothing happened.
I activated my XMP profile, but it didn't work and my memory stayed normal as expected in the BIOS settings.
Still no success so far :S — my computer feels like it's made of wood.
they refer to drivers for BIOS, which supply a BIOS version tailored to your specific hardware. These aren't available for it; the correct ones are for Windows and similar systems. The site is currently unavailable for me.
if all systems are functioning properly, the BIOS problem isn't the cause. You only require the motherboard and chipset drivers from them for Windows installation.
I'm still puzzled about why my CSGO is behaving this way after the PC wipe and fresh Windows setup. Yes, the graphics drivers are updated.