Yes, a malfunctioning motherboard can lead to frame drops in games due to instability or hardware issues.
Yes, a malfunctioning motherboard can lead to frame drops in games due to instability or hardware issues.
Hello everyone, I’ve been experiencing occasional frame drops in games such as Fortnite and Valorant. I’ve replaced nearly all components except the motherboard. My system is an MSI Z490a Pro that hasn’t been used in over a year, but I’ve updated everything else. I have an MSI GAMING Z TRIO RTX 3080 with 12GB RAM at factory speeds, an i9 10900k also at factory speed, and 32GB of DDR3 memory overclocked to 2800MHz. Windows 10 and 11 have been reinstalled multiple times without any changes. There’s no overheating issue, and aside from the occasional blue screen, I don’t see other problems. With my setup, I shouldn’t be seeing such drastic frame rate drops in Fortnite at 200fps to 10fps. Could it be the motherboard? It’s had several graphics cards installed and removed recently. Thank you for any advice you can offer.
I agree – there were times when FPS dropped in games because the 3V CMOS battery was failing.
Your RAM performs quite poorly on this system. It might handle everyday tasks, but it's terrible for gaming, especially with a powerful CPU/GPU. Aim for 3200+ for better results, and 3600-4000+ will be ideal. 2400-2666 is quite bad for games (particularly with an RTX3080), and 2800Mhz doesn't significantly help. This also explains why you won't notice much improvement when switching GPUs and why FPS drops sharply.
It's a 2800 MHz RAM, which isn't significantly slower than 3200MHz. It's definitely not terrible or unbalanced.
Speed isn't the sole consideration; it's just one element among many... Auto timings are usually set at 2800Mhz, even though XMP 2400-2666 configurations aren't necessarily low latency. RAM performance varies across games due to different priorities for latency and bandwidth. The key point is that a slow 2800Mhz setup will significantly impact performance compared to a GPU like the RTX3080, especially on weaker hardware such as a GTX1650 or RX570. Faster RAM with reduced delays lets the CPU work more efficiently, while mismatched configurations can worsen CPU bottlenecks. The goal isn't to intimidate, but to address the actual performance limits. A stock i9 10900K with balanced RAM (3200-3600) and reasonable latencies can handle RTX3080 in most titles, though it may struggle in many. High-frequency GPUs face more challenges when paired with RAM that limits FPS/Data throughput. Good RAM isn't a dealbreaker for lower frame rates, but it becomes critical when scaling high FPS demands across threads.
I recently purchased another set of the 2666mhz kit about a month ago. I’m not able to afford an upgrade at the moment. At least this one was a PNY gaming kit. I suspect the issue isn’t with that, since I also faced problems running with a 16GB 2666mhz setup, a GTX 1060 with 3GB RAM, and an i5 10400.
Well games and their performance metrics tend to be most influenced by typical applications when both slow RAM and average timing are considered alongside slower memory speeds. Gaming load variations persist consistently, even during fluctuating workloads; the usual usage remains significantly higher per CPU thread compared to idle apps that experience similar bursts.
Your PC and yours have no direct connection... Even when using identical hardware in the same room, exact matching is impossible due to differences. There are also variations from settings applied after Windows installation and other factors involved. You should mainly compare your setup with its own configuration.