What could be causing your games to stutter with such low frame rates?
What could be causing your games to stutter with such low frame rates?
Hello everyone, I've been using my pre-built PC with a second-hand MSI GTX 1660 Ti Ventus XS for more than a year without any problems. I recently replaced the thermal pads and paste on my GPU because I observed a sudden temperature rise.
Since then, I've experienced strange stutters in every game, no matter the setting—high, medium, low, or even at 720p resolution. I own a standard office monitor, the HP EliteDisplay E231 60Hz, but I didn’t notice these issues when I first set up my PC. My CPU and GPU temperatures consistently stay below 70°C under full load. I play on an HDD, but moved Arkham Knight and GTAV to my OS SSD without any improvement. I also cap my FPS at 60FPS using RTSS. To be clear, I always keep an eye on my hardware and never saw a sudden drop in wattage, usage, voltage, or clock speed during those stutters.
Here are screenshots of Arkham Knight and GTAV taken with CapFrameX:
The Arkham Knight comparison was made before I enabled high priority for the .exe file in Task Manager.
My system specs are:
GPU: MSI GTX 1660 Ti Ventus XS
CPU: Ryzen 5 4500
HDD: 1TB Baracuda
SSD: 250 Zicron Sata
RAM: Kingston Fury (2x8Gb) 3200Mhz
MB: MSI B450m Pro VDH-MAX
PSU: Micronics Classic II 700w 80+ Silver
What I've tried:
- Enabling and disabling XMP profile
- Undervolting CPU and GPU
- Using DDU to uninstall GPU driver
- Disabling fTPM
- Turning off Windows Defender
- Disabling HPET
- Updating MB BIOS, GPU driver, and CPU chipset
- Removing keyboard and mouse, using a gamepad
- Taking off the case front USB from the motherboard (read online it might help)
- Reattaching GPU and CPU
- Setting game priorities to High in Task Manager
- Activating Ultimate Performance in power management
- Reinstalling Windows 10 and removing bloatware with Christ Titus Tool
I’m really struggling, I considered swapping the GPU and CPU at a local shop, but that’s not an option. I really need your help.
so you think it's just a coincidence that this started directly after you manipulated the innards of the card?
this is a pretty low end unit.
even if it isn't a contributor to the issue(s) you're facing, i would replace it asap.
It wasn’t the first instance I repaste my GPU, but it was the second because I replaced the thermal pads with new ones—they were damp and causing oil around the PCB. After swapping them, the stuttering returned, yet when the GPU reached full load at 70°C, the hot spot temperature climbed to about 85°C.
I would disassemble the GPU and "REDO" because it occurred after modifying the pads and paste.
Completed two instances after the stuttering occurred. Possible issues with the GPU include reduced clock speeds or abrupt 0% utilization. Need guidance on what to investigate further.