Stuttering
Stuttering
Hi all, six months ago I posted a request on this forum. Once the PC was put together, Apex worked perfectly, but after a few seconds it would stutter and then recover. After adjusting the voltage, the issue disappeared, though performance dropped noticeably—especially noticeable for a game costing around $1,600. I tolerated it for a while. Then I tried Arc Raiders; the slowdown was more severe there, sometimes causing micro-stutters even after undervolting. Removing the undervolt helped, but the problem persisted. After waking the PC from sleep, the screen would freeze for 10–15 seconds before showing again. This blackout happened multiple times. I reinstalled drivers cleanly using DDU, hoping it would fix things, but the stuttering returned. I then checked everything on software side—BIOS, Windows settings, reinstallation, drivers, chipset, BIOS updates—but nothing resolved it. I suspect there’s a deeper issue, possibly with the CPU, SSD, or power supply, though I’m dismissing the PSU. I’m considering swapping the GPU, CPU, and SSD, maybe switching to Nvidia or even moving to an Intel platform since this machine has been frustrating me for too long. Before making any changes, I wanted to explore other options. Key points: stuttering only in online games, not my usual performance, PC can run smoothly briefly, but not consistently. Build link: https://it.pcpartpicker.com/list/wXC8cx
It appears thermal throttling might be occurring. Verify CPU and GPU temperatures along with their clock speeds using tools like HWiNFO64 or MSI Afterburner OSD. This issue could be related to TDR, as Windows may reset the GPU driver. Review the Event Viewer logs in Windows for any entries. Restart your PC if this happens to restore normal performance. Also confirm that both CPU and GPU clock speeds are increasing without triggering hard throttling.
Hi @xAcid9, I followed your advice. I looked at the clock speed of both CPU and GPU, and here’s what I observed: Arc riders – low graphics performance with some high moments: CPU temperature stays below 61°C, average usage around 82%, GPU temperature hovers near 47°C with about 75% usage. GPU frequency is fluctuating a lot: it swings from 3329 to 3041 MHz, then 2802 to 3130 MHz (in combat), 2816 to 2634 MHz, 2531 to 3155 MHz, and then back down to 3130 to 2816 MHz. As soon as I start the game, it runs smoothly with the GPU around 3320 MHz. When performance drops, the GPU frequency decreases. There are periods when it feels stable at about 2444 MHz, but the game isn’t smooth. Other times, it jumps between 3320 and 3041 MHz or 2145 to 1930 MHz, causing micro-lag. During combat, the numbers gradually decrease—for example, from 2816 to 2634 then to 2531 MHz. I believe keeping the GPU at around 3320 MHz or higher would help avoid these issues. Apex: Here, the GPU frequency is lower than in Arc Riders, which might explain the less smooth gameplay. CPU usage is between 47° and 40%, with a stable 5450 MHz for the GPU. Average around 2800 MHz, but it varies a lot during fights—dropping from 2785 to 1833 MHz. When stuttering happens, the frequency drops from 1825 to 1465 MHz, and FPS falls from 165 to 158. In short, I see that when there’s stuttering or poor performance, the frequencies drop. If you can make sure each game has a steady and reliable frequency, it should prevent these problems. Any thoughts? Thanks ahead.