F5F Stay Refreshed Software PC Gaming The Witcher 3 is experiencing random five-second freezes.

The Witcher 3 is experiencing random five-second freezes.

The Witcher 3 is experiencing random five-second freezes.

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Shadowsuns
Member
228
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM
#1
I contacted CDprojekred regarding this issue and they attributed it to my dual-core Pentium G3258. The Witcher 3 requires a more powerful CPU; prior to update 1.08, users were successfully running the game on dual-core CPUs. Now, it randomly freezes for 5 seconds (more prevalent in city areas). Upgrading my entire system to an AMD Ryzen CPU will take time, so what alternative solutions are available to improve The Witcher 3’s performance? Does anyone else experience this issue on dual-core CPUs? My CPU is overclocked to 4GHz.

The following troubleshooting steps were attempted without success: updating GPU drivers, increasing GPU power (without overclocking), lowering game settings (using a combination of low and mid settings), and utilizing the BES battle encoder (which worsened performance). Adjusting the CPU ring ratio to match CPU frequency also proved ineffective. What measures can be taken to eliminate the random 5-second freezes? If no solution exists, I will await an AMD Ryzen CPU.
S
Shadowsuns
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM #1

I contacted CDprojekred regarding this issue and they attributed it to my dual-core Pentium G3258. The Witcher 3 requires a more powerful CPU; prior to update 1.08, users were successfully running the game on dual-core CPUs. Now, it randomly freezes for 5 seconds (more prevalent in city areas). Upgrading my entire system to an AMD Ryzen CPU will take time, so what alternative solutions are available to improve The Witcher 3’s performance? Does anyone else experience this issue on dual-core CPUs? My CPU is overclocked to 4GHz.

The following troubleshooting steps were attempted without success: updating GPU drivers, increasing GPU power (without overclocking), lowering game settings (using a combination of low and mid settings), and utilizing the BES battle encoder (which worsened performance). Adjusting the CPU ring ratio to match CPU frequency also proved ineffective. What measures can be taken to eliminate the random 5-second freezes? If no solution exists, I will await an AMD Ryzen CPU.

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ItsUnleashed
Junior Member
15
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM
#2
Open world games of that type typically place greater demands on the CPU. Adjusting settings such as background characters can assist. Attempt these adjustments if not previously done: Disable Ambient Occlusion, set the graphics preset to Medium, deactivate Anti-Aliasing, and reduce Texture Quality.
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ItsUnleashed
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM #2

Open world games of that type typically place greater demands on the CPU. Adjusting settings such as background characters can assist. Attempt these adjustments if not previously done: Disable Ambient Occlusion, set the graphics preset to Medium, deactivate Anti-Aliasing, and reduce Texture Quality.

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LoLPandaMC
Junior Member
7
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM
#3
If you’re sure this started with the update and they told you that you need a better CPU I’m afraid you can’t really do anything except maybe lowering all CPU-bound graphical settings to minimum to see if it helps. I think you’d have to wait to get the Ryzen.
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LoLPandaMC
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM #3

If you’re sure this started with the update and they told you that you need a better CPU I’m afraid you can’t really do anything except maybe lowering all CPU-bound graphical settings to minimum to see if it helps. I think you’d have to wait to get the Ryzen.

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IrfanMT
Junior Member
21
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM
#4
Grass density, water quality, and number of background characters.
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IrfanMT
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM #4

Grass density, water quality, and number of background characters.

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Aerogel
Member
79
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM
#5
Open world games of that type typically place greater demands on the CPU. Adjusting settings such as background characters can assist. Attempt these adjustments if you have not yet done so: disable Ambient Occlusion, set the graphics preset to Medium, deactivate Anti-Aliasing, and reduce Texture Quality.
A
Aerogel
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM #5

Open world games of that type typically place greater demands on the CPU. Adjusting settings such as background characters can assist. Attempt these adjustments if you have not yet done so: disable Ambient Occlusion, set the graphics preset to Medium, deactivate Anti-Aliasing, and reduce Texture Quality.

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carolinagirl26
Junior Member
5
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM
#6
It likely indicates a CPU bottleneck; however, to confirm, use a monitoring program with graphs, observe any spikes, and check for related changes such as reduced RAM utilization.
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carolinagirl26
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM #6

It likely indicates a CPU bottleneck; however, to confirm, use a monitoring program with graphs, observe any spikes, and check for related changes such as reduced RAM utilization.

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Charliemc909
Posting Freak
898
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM
#7
It provided some relief, but the problem persists. I will await receipt of my Ryzen CPU. This indicates a significant CPU bottleneck. RAM and GPU utilization appear normal. The game is not fully utilizing the CPU; The Witcher 3 reaches a maximum of 70% CPU usage, whereas other demanding games achieve 90-100% CPU usage.
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Charliemc909
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM #7

It provided some relief, but the problem persists. I will await receipt of my Ryzen CPU. This indicates a significant CPU bottleneck. RAM and GPU utilization appear normal. The game is not fully utilizing the CPU; The Witcher 3 reaches a maximum of 70% CPU usage, whereas other demanding games achieve 90-100% CPU usage.

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Perolinas333
Junior Member
13
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM
#8
If utilization reaches 70%, the GPU is likely the bottleneck; the component reaching 100% utilization is the limiting factor. Disable Hairworks if enabled, as this causes a significant performance drain.
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Perolinas333
04-22-2025, 12:43 PM #8

If utilization reaches 70%, the GPU is likely the bottleneck; the component reaching 100% utilization is the limiting factor. Disable Hairworks if enabled, as this causes a significant performance drain.