Question Persistent Micro-Stutter in Multiple Games (Days Gone, MW2019, Callisto) Despite High FPS – Need Advice
Question Persistent Micro-Stutter in Multiple Games (Days Gone, MW2019, Callisto) Despite High FPS – Need Advice
Hello everyone, I’m looking for assistance in identifying a micro-stuttering problem that seems to occur across several games. I’ve already checked nearly every possible configuration.
My system specifications are as follows:
CPU: Intel i9-10900X
GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3080
RAM: 32 GB DDR4
Storage: 1TB SSD (Windows + apps) and 2TB NVMe WD Blue SN5000 (games and recordings)
Operating System: Windows 10
Monitors:
- MSI G2712F – 27'', 1080p, 180Hz, Adaptive Sync / FreeSync Premium
- Dell U2412M – 24'', 60Hz (secondary)
The issue is clear: even at high frame rates (100–180 FPS), I experience very brief micro-stutters (1–3ms pauses) in certain scenes—especially during:
- Days Gone (rain, vegetation, cutscenes, streaming transitions)
- Modern Warfare 2019... similar problems persist despite testing all settings
The stutter appears consistently at the same location in Days Gone.
I’ve tried everything I can think of so far:
1. Disabled Adaptive Sync on MSI → still stutters
2. Enabled Adaptive Sync + G-Sync → still stutters
3. Completely disabled G-Sync → still stutters
4. Turned off secondary 60Hz monitor → still stutters
5. Used “Show only on 1” in Windows to fully disable secondary → still stutters
Other adjustments:
- NVIDIA settings: V-Sync off, Low Latency Mode ON, Max Perf, Threaded Optimization ON, Texture Filtering High Quality, Shader Cache 10GB, no MFAA/FXAA
- Windows: HAGS OFF, Game Bar OFF, no overlays, no background processes overloading CPU, Power plan set to High Performance
- In-game: Render Scale 100%, High/Ultra settings, reduced volumetrics, shadows, terrain, disabled DLSS, only TAA, no V-Sync
- ShadowPlay: Tested with Overlay OFF and without recording → still stutters
FPS stays high even when the stutter happens. The “hitch” is extremely short but noticeable—like a 1-frame pause. It occurs in multiple games, not linked to GPU usage or temperatures. In Days Gone, it consistently appears right after a cutscene during rain.
I’ve consulted others with similar configurations or experience with these titles, and no one has reported the same issue. Any suggestions from people facing comparable setups would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Same tale... it might be that Windows 10 is the problem. Because it says there are no more updates for this build, and I should move to 11... I don’t recall having these problems a year ago when I set up this machine.
Use Task Manager, Resource Monitor, Performance Monitor, and Process Explorer (Microsoft, free) to track system performance during gaming.
Open each tool window and arrange it so all information is visible and clear.
Start the game and play normally, observing any shifts in behavior when microstutters appear.
The goal is to identify which system resources are being consumed, how much, and precisely which processes are using them during stutters.
It may require some experimentation to understand everything, especially since changes happen quickly and briefly.
Graphical displays can be most useful if spikes become obvious when the microstutters happen.
Stuttering results from a brief shortage of a vital component.
Common causes include CPU strain.
High-priority tasks may interfere.
Check monitors, antivirus software, graphics and printer update tools.
Malware from social media apps or Discord could be involved.
Any significant hardware issues will halt the game until fixed.
Resource manager or memory tab data shows fault frequency.
The stutter occurs simultaneously—examine concurrent processes.
A delayed module load might stem from retry attempts on a fragile NAND chip in the SSD.
Your processor runs on Windows 11.
Thread director updates are frequent; Windows 11 may assist.
For a quick test, run the cpu-Z benchmark:
https://valid.x86.fr/bench/itgf3d
3 tests, everything closed, I scored 530, 531 and 523. After switching to Google Chrome with three tabs, performance dropped in each test to between 480 and 490. Upgrading to Windows 11 didn’t fix the problem. When playing the scene in Days Gone with the memory tab open, micro stutter happened without any hard errors. It’s frustrating because it occurs across all settings—ultra mode, 150 fps, 95-110 fps. I limited it to 90 fps via NVIDIA control panel, but the stutter persisted, dropping from 90 to 88. Trying 75 fps improved slightly, reaching 73 during stutters. Running at 60 fps helped a bit, but still occasional drops to 58-59, with two frames lost and micro stutters visible. The stutter is minor but disrupts immersion; it’s noticeable if you notice. I even turned off the NVIDIA overlay and it still occurred.