F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop You're experiencing stutters and frame rate drops after upgrading your GPU. Let's figure out why.

You're experiencing stutters and frame rate drops after upgrading your GPU. Let's figure out why.

You're experiencing stutters and frame rate drops after upgrading your GPU. Let's figure out why.

N
nexusRawr
Member
198
02-24-2021, 04:55 PM
#1
i7-11700k
16GB 3000mhz
4070s (upgraded from GTX 1080)
750W 80+ Gold PSU
NOTE: I exclusively play at 1080p 60fps.
Up to now, I've experimented with Cyberpunk and RDR2 using the highest settings, with GPU Util between 60-70%. In both titles, stutters and frame drops appear in demanding sections—like near Vik's clinic in Cyberpunk and in Saint Denis for RDR2.
I also observed these frame drops occur when my RAM usage in the game hits 10.3 GB or more. In Task Manager, it shows 11.3GB available.
Interesting fact: I tried the same game with Mount and Blade Bannerlord, which I also ran on my GTX 1080. With the 1080, I didn’t see stutters, but FPS dropped to around 40 in the mid range, and GPU Util stayed near 100%. With the 4070s, I faced similar problems—still GPU Util at 60-70% and occasional stutters.
For every game I've played, achieving 60fps consistently required using DLSS, though I don’t like it much because it makes the visuals blurry.
Actions I’ve taken so far in hopes of fixing this (none worked):
- Remove old GPU drivers and install fresh ones.
- Update MOBO bios.
- Update Windows.
For RDR2, I adjusted res. scale to 1.5x of 1080p to improve clarity, which pushed GPU Util up to 78% max.
SOLVED: Nvidia Reflex was responsible for unstable frame times in RDR2, leading to stutters. In fact, any Nvidia-related software seems to trigger these issues for me. I also tried Elden Ring with ray-tracing, but it caused instability despite my PC’s capability.
N
nexusRawr
02-24-2021, 04:55 PM #1

i7-11700k
16GB 3000mhz
4070s (upgraded from GTX 1080)
750W 80+ Gold PSU
NOTE: I exclusively play at 1080p 60fps.
Up to now, I've experimented with Cyberpunk and RDR2 using the highest settings, with GPU Util between 60-70%. In both titles, stutters and frame drops appear in demanding sections—like near Vik's clinic in Cyberpunk and in Saint Denis for RDR2.
I also observed these frame drops occur when my RAM usage in the game hits 10.3 GB or more. In Task Manager, it shows 11.3GB available.
Interesting fact: I tried the same game with Mount and Blade Bannerlord, which I also ran on my GTX 1080. With the 1080, I didn’t see stutters, but FPS dropped to around 40 in the mid range, and GPU Util stayed near 100%. With the 4070s, I faced similar problems—still GPU Util at 60-70% and occasional stutters.
For every game I've played, achieving 60fps consistently required using DLSS, though I don’t like it much because it makes the visuals blurry.
Actions I’ve taken so far in hopes of fixing this (none worked):
- Remove old GPU drivers and install fresh ones.
- Update MOBO bios.
- Update Windows.
For RDR2, I adjusted res. scale to 1.5x of 1080p to improve clarity, which pushed GPU Util up to 78% max.
SOLVED: Nvidia Reflex was responsible for unstable frame times in RDR2, leading to stutters. In fact, any Nvidia-related software seems to trigger these issues for me. I also tried Elden Ring with ray-tracing, but it caused instability despite my PC’s capability.

M
MasalaBros
Member
120
02-28-2021, 09:24 AM
#2
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
750W is the stated power rating of the device. Could you tell me its brand and model as well as its age?
4070s (upgraded from GTX 1080)
+
Remove the old GPU drivers and install fresh ones.
Would you like more details on this process?
Update MOBO bios.
Did you reset the CMOS after confirming the BIOS update was applied?
M
MasalaBros
02-28-2021, 09:24 AM #2

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
750W is the stated power rating of the device. Could you tell me its brand and model as well as its age?
4070s (upgraded from GTX 1080)
+
Remove the old GPU drivers and install fresh ones.
Would you like more details on this process?
Update MOBO bios.
Did you reset the CMOS after confirming the BIOS update was applied?

Z
Zoe783
Member
180
03-02-2021, 12:27 AM
#3
Thank you for the welcome!
To address your questions:
My PSU is the EVGA G3 Supernova, which I purchased in August 2017, I think.
I didn’t actually delete and reinstall the drivers myself; the shop that sold the GPU offered to install and set everything up for free.
Also, I did not clear the CMOS after flashing the BIOS.
Z
Zoe783
03-02-2021, 12:27 AM #3

Thank you for the welcome!
To address your questions:
My PSU is the EVGA G3 Supernova, which I purchased in August 2017, I think.
I didn’t actually delete and reinstall the drivers myself; the shop that sold the GPU offered to install and set everything up for free.
Also, I did not clear the CMOS after flashing the BIOS.