Question 9700k stuttering in games: hardware issue?

[Spiralzebra]

I have what I’d think is a fairly beefy PC with an i7 9700k, a 2080, 16 GB 3200mhz RAM, 2 SATA SSDs, connected to a 1440p 144hz monitor. However, while playing Assassin's Creed: Origins, I frequently experience micro-freezes lasting anywhere from 2-3 seconds in Alexandria and other cities like Memphis, where my processor is pretty much constantly pegged at 100% usage. This only happens with an unlocked framerate, if I limit it to 60 in-game it has no issues. What I want to know is what is causing this. Is it my processor reaching 100% usage? Or is there something else wrong with my system? I have a laptop with an i7 8750h, a 2070, 32GB 2666mhz RAM an nvme SSD, and a 1080p 144hz monitor and I don’t experience these issues in big cities, which is strange considering it is a significantly less powerful system. I have also played Odyssey and the same thing happens in large areas when the processor hits 100% usage. However, my laptop's processor also hits 100% usage in Odyssey but doesn't stutter/freeze like my desktop, so I'm starting to worry something is wrong with my PC, or maybe I messed up when building it. Does anyone know what could be causing this? Is it the lack of hyperthreading in the 9700k or something more serious? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[PC Tailor]

What are your individual CPU core usages and temperatures under load?
What is your GPU temperature under load?
What is your PSU make and model?
Are you overclocking at all?
Do you have latest BIOS installed?
Have you checked resource monitor to see what else is using background resource?

Running this benchmark won't find the problem per se, but might give us an indication if there is anything obviously wrong. But I will also await the answers to the above my friend.

 

[Spiralzebra]

What are your individual CPU core usages and temperatures under load?
What is your GPU temperature under load?
What is your PSU make and model?
Are you overclocking at all?
Do you have latest BIOS installed?
Have you checked resource monitor to see what else is using background resource?

Running this benchmark won't find the problem per se, but might give us an indication if there is anything obviously wrong. But I will also await the answers to the above my friend.

Under load while playing Origins they're all at around the same percentage, so 50% in the world itself and anywhere from 95% to 100% in Alexandria/other large cities. At 4.9ghz turbo boost temps never exceed 62 C.

GPU temps never exceed 75 C

I have a Corsair HX850i

No overclocking

Z390 Aorus Ultra, BIOS it had out of the box

I've checked task manager, not resource manager, but everything that was running was 1% or less cpu usage save for the game itself.

I can't run that benchmark atm since I'm travelling, but will as soon as I get home.

Also my laptop is an Asus ROG Strix Scar II - GL504GW, if that helps.

 

[PC Tailor]

Z390 Aorus Ultra, BIOS it had out of the box

Depending on how outdated it is (if it is), a BIOS update may help.

I've checked task manager, not resource manager, but everything that was running was 1% or less cpu usage save for the game itself.

Cumulatively all of the minute CPU usage could stack up though. And resource monitor should give a deeper view of the matter.

Is your RAM single or dual channel and XMP enabled?
Have you recently performed SSD trims and run virus/malware scans to eliminate the obvious?

Equally is this a problem that has always happened or recently started occurring?

 

[Spiralzebra]

Depending on how outdated it is (if it is), a BIOS update may help.


Cumulatively all of the minute CPU usage could stack up though. And resource monitor should give a deeper view of the matter.

Is your RAM single or dual channel and XMP enabled?
Have you recently performed SSD trims and run virus/malware scans to eliminate the obvious?

Equally is this a problem that has always happened or recently started occurring?

Dual channel RAM, XMPed to 3200mhz

No viruses I'm definitely certain of that, and idk what SSD trims are.

I only built my PC like 4 weeks ago, but the only game this heavy stuttering has happened with is ACO. However, when I was playing other games, there would be instances where right after loading into the world, there would be a significant stutter, and then gameplay would continue normally for hours on end perfectly smoothly. These were all other AC titles: Unity, Syndicate.

 

[PC Tailor]

No viruses I'm definitely certain of that, and idk what SSD trims are.

It's the counter to a HDDs defrag. You can trim an SSD through the defrag windows app.
How full are your SSDs?
It could quite well be this is normal behaviour if it stutters for a moment then carries on normally.
Are all your drivers up to date including GPU drivers?

I also read some reports that ACO does have some issues with stuttering, potentially changing your windows settings to high performance and also verify you don't have V-sync enabled in NVIDIA Control Panel and in game.

 

[Spiralzebra]

It's the counter to a HDDs defrag. You can trim an SSD through the defrag windows app.
How full are your SSDs?
It could quite well be this is normal behaviour if it stutters for a moment then carries on normally.
Are all your drivers up to date including GPU drivers?

I also read some reports that ACO does have some issues with stuttering, potentially changing your windows settings to high performance and also verify you don't have V-sync enabled in NVIDIA Control Panel and in game.

I downloaded AC:O on a 1TB SSD, it's nowhere near full.

However, now that you mention SSD, I had an instance where the game was loading an area for 5 minutes before I gave up and restarted. There was also an instance where right after loading an area the game crashed, but not the pc. None of this has happened on my laptop and I have no clue what is causing this behavior.

 

[PC Tailor]

What SSD is it and you may want to run HD Sentinel just to verify there is nothing obviously wrong with it.
Also if your CPU usage is hitting 100% - as I have said previously, checking what background applications are all running cumulatively may be beneficial.
It may also be worthy just checking voltages on your PSU rails under load - again just to make sure nothing obvious is going wrong.

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

bump

there is absolutely no need to "bump" in here.
Especially when you are the original poster looking for an answer to a question.

Now as stated, when you get the opportunity, you may want to run HD Sentinal, and the benchmark as well as checking resource monitor for any other heavy usages from other processes in your PC.

Updating the BIOS may help, but there is not guarantee. But it wouldn't hurt to try it.

After you've updated the BIOS to no avail, and checked everything else and aren't coming across any issues, then we will start looking further into the problem.

But we will all wait until you get home and can verify these things.

 

[mdd1963]

If the game is installed to a 2nd SSD, perhaps there is a bit of corruption...

flatten that SSD, or, remove game, temp install a new SSD, (different SATA data cable and port just to rule those things out in one fell swoop) ,fresh install of game on alternate storage...

Then we at least known that is/was likely not the storage you had the game on... (Kingston SSDs had some issues of freezes, hitches, stutters, etc., whereas Crucial/Samsung remain largely popular for a good reason...

 

[Spiralzebra]

If the game is installed to a 2nd SSD, perhaps there is a bit of corruption...

flatten that SSD, or, remove game, temp install a new SSD, (different SATA data cable and port just to rule those things out in one fell swoop) ,fresh install of game on alternate storage...

Then we at least known that is/was likely not the storage you had the game on... (Kingston SSDs had some issues of freezes, hitches, stutters, etc., whereas Crucial/Samsung remain largely popular for a good reason...

Will check the SSD, I have 2 950 Evos, 512 and 1TB (OS drive)

 

[M.AGamer]

I have what I’d think is a fairly beefy PC with an i7 9700k, a 2080, 16 GB 3200mhz RAM, 2 SATA SSDs, connected to a 1440p 144hz monitor. However, while playing Assassin's Creed: Origins, I frequently experience micro-freezes lasting anywhere from 2-3 seconds in Alexandria and other cities like Memphis, where my processor is pretty much constantly pegged at 100% usage. This only happens with an unlocked framerate, if I limit it to 60 in-game it has no issues. What I want to know is what is causing this. Is it my processor reaching 100% usage? Or is there something else wrong with my system? I have a laptop with an i7 8750h, a 2070, 32GB 2666mhz RAM an nvme SSD, and a 1080p 144hz monitor and I don’t experience these issues in big cities, which is strange considering it is a significantly less powerful system. I have also played Odyssey and the same thing happens in large areas when the processor hits 100% usage. However, my laptop's processor also hits 100% usage in Odyssey but doesn't stutter/freeze like my desktop, so I'm starting to worry something is wrong with my PC, or maybe I messed up when building it. Does anyone know what could be causing this? Is it the lack of hyperthreading in the 9700k or something more serious? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Try repairing your game from origin.