AMD Radeon 7950: Skyrim stuttering with no drop in framerate

[AxiomPoetica]

Here are my system specs, in relevant part:

Intel Core i3-2120 3.3 ghz w/ Hyper 212+ Cooler (Stand-in until Ivy Bridge)
XFX Radeon R7950 Double-D @ 1000/1425
16 gb (4x4) Corsair Vengeance @ 1600
Crucial m4 128gb SSD
MSI Z68A-GD65(G3) MB
Corsair TX850M PSU

I am suffering seemingly intractable stuttering/jankiness in Skyrim. The problem's parameters are as follows:

- Only appears to affect first-person perspective. In 3rd-person, everything appears smooth, even on Ultra.
- It is most severe when using a bow in first-person. When I nock an arrow and attempt to aim, the bow/arrow will "jank" disturbingly on movement, especially on the vertical axis.
- When I "zoom" with Eagle Eye and Steady Hand, the zoom will feel slow and uneven.
- Also stutters or halts a bit when I am moving quickly in first person, especially when turning or spinning in place.
- The problems appear unresponsive to graphics quality. They occur even at the lowest graphics settings.
- FRAPS says my framerates on Ultra are solidly between 55-60 FPS out in the open, slowing to 30-40 FPS in town. On High, they hover around 60 FPS everywhere. There is no corresponding drop in FRAPS framerate when I experience the stuttering issues.
- GPU temp never climbs above 65. CPU temp never climbs north of 50.
- Occurs with both mouse and XBox 360 controller.


I have reviews other threads on this and other forums re: stuttering, and specifically re: Radeon cards.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/332356-33-6970-stutters-skyrim
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/115099-13-skyrim-stuttering-firstperson-view

I have tried every fix I can find (turned off Mouse Accelleration in both Skyrimprefs and Windows, run in Windowed mode, etc.), to no effect. I have toyed with shadows and completely turned off anti-aliasing, etc., all to no effect.

I am inclined to think this is an AMD driver issue, but other people seem to be able to run the game smoothly on 6000-series cards. Could it be my processor? I realize it's the most likely bottleneck, but CPU-Z shows it running no higher than 80% even on ultra settings.

Anyone have any ideas?

If I can't fix this problem, I am going to go back to playing Skyrim on my 360, where visuals aren't as rich, but movement is buttery (and immersively) smooth, return the card, and wait for Ivy Bridge and Kepler to roll out in a couple months. If anyone thinks that is the right option either way, please feel free to chime in.

 

[wolfram23]

Try installing the game on an HDD. If the problem goes away, it's likely a firmware issue with your SSD. I've seen numerous stuttering issues from people with SSD's in the past on other games.

Man, that would suck if my Force Series GT has an issue causing the stutter. Ugh! It's been great for everything else though, I'm pretty sure one of the 3 possible fixes I posted will do it. Hopefully...

 

[PaperBoy]

minimizes outta the game then go back into the game.

 

[bystander]

Man, that would suck if my Force Series GT has an issue causing the stutter. Ugh! It's been great for everything else though, I'm pretty sure one of the 3 possible fixes I posted will do it. Hopefully...

Because SSD's are still rather new, they do have a fair amount of bugs in the firmware, not that they are bad, I love mine. It just means we have to watch for updates more than HDD users.

 

[PaperBoy]

Because SSD's are still rather new, they do have a fair amount of bugs in the firmware, not that they are bad, I love mine. It just means we have to watch for updates more than HDD users.

LOL man I am glade I dont have to be bother with a HDD updated WTF MUHAHAHAHAHA loooOOOOOLLLLLLLLL Noobs and there overpriced new junk I let them test it out work out the bugs for me then when price drops I pick it up like a BOSS !

 

[Warmacblu]

Cap your framerate to 60 and you'll likely notice less stuttering.

 

[PaperBoy]

Cap your framerate to 60 and you'll likely notice less stuttering.

Capped @ 60fps slid and there is no micro stuttering anymore if there was before.Thats what noobs dont understand about SLI and micro stuttering when it is capped @ 60fps like is should be for max quality anyways there is not issues.

 

[wolfram23]

LOL man I am glade I dont have to be bother with a HDD updated WTF MUHAHAHAHAHA loooOOOOOLLLLLLLLL Noobs and there overpriced new junk I let them test it out work out the bugs for me then when price drops I pick it up like a BOSS !

Are you 12?

I'm proudly running an Intel X25-M 80gb and a Corsair Force Series GT 120gb. There are no issues, only pure speed.

There have been issues with specific models/firmware, but a very small amount of research would tell you which ones ahead of a purchase.

Capped @ 60fps slid and there is no micro stuttering anymore if there was before.Thats what noobs dont understand about SLI and micro stuttering when it is capped @ 60fps like is should be for max quality anyways there is not issues.

That's not right.

The stutter in Skyrim is not the same as SLI/CF micro stutter, and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with FPS being TOO HIGH. It has to do with a frame taking too long to render, meaning lower FPS. More specifically it's when 1 gpu is rendering frames at a different speed than gpu 2.

 

[PaperBoy]

Are you 12?

I'm proudly running an Intel X25-M 80gb and a Corsair Force Series GT 120gb. There are no issues, only pure speed.

There have been issues with specific models/firmware, but a very small amount of research would tell you which ones ahead of a purchase.

Capped @ 60fps slid and there is no micro stuttering anymore if there was before.Thats what noobs dont understand about SLI and micro stuttering when it is capped @ 60fps like is should be for max quality anyways there is not issues.

That's not right.

The stutter in Skyrim is not the same as SLI/CF micro stutter, and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with FPS being TOO HIGH. It has to do with a frame taking too long to render, meaning lower FPS. More specifically it's when 1 gpu is rendering frames at a different speed than gpu 2.

Well by rights you should be mad if you dolled out that kinda cash so Windows could load 30sec faster me I just leave Windows on all the time and save the now what is it $120 for 120gb SSD.

 

[bystander]

Well by rights you should be mad if you dolled out that kinda cash so Windows could load 30sec faster me I just leave Windows on all the time and save the now what is it $120 for 120gb SSD.

SSD's do more than just improve boot up speed, though that is pretty darn nice. It improves loading up programs and games, saves and new zones too. The only problem I have these days with my SSD is when I go load up Skyrim, it loads so fast I don't get to read the tips.

It's very nice imo.

 

[PaperBoy]

SSD's do more than just improve boot up speed, though that is pretty darn nice. It improves loading up programs and games, saves and new zones too. The only problem I have these days with my SSD is when I go load up Skyrim, it loads so fast I don't get to read the tips.

It's very nice imo.

I have same problem in Skyrim load screen I cant inspect the statues and read the tips loads to facts on some old used Seagate and Samsung and WD HDDs in RIAD 0 and windows boots to desktop in 45sec

 

[bystander]

I have same problem in Skyrim load screen I cant inspect the statues and read the tips loads to facts on some old used Seagate and Samsung and WD HDDs in RIAD 0 and windows boots to desktop in 45sec

I'm not knocking using your setup, although I chose not to go that route due to the horror stories I've heard about Raid 0, and also the fact it's still considerably slower than a good SSD, even with Raptors.

 

[PaperBoy]

I'm not knocking using your setup, although I chose not to go that route due to the horror stories I've heard about Raid 0, and also the fact it's still considerably slower than a good SSD, even with Raptors.

LOL RAID 0 is as solid now in days as the motherboard you use and it's now idiot proof pretty well however back in the day I never touched RAID cause you needed to rely on a jankey third party controller etc.

 

[wolfram23]

I also have RAID 0 7200rpm HDDs... they're not even remotely close to the same speed.

Everything loads faster with an SSD. It literally changes the feel of the PC. No matter what hardware you're running, could be an i7 3960k on an Asus RoG mobo, but no matter what adding an SSD will speed it up.

Kid, seriously, quite saying "lol" like you know something we don't. Trust me, you don't know. Not saying your performance isn't good, RAID 0 is sweet. But it's just not in the same league as an SSD. For you to knock it without any first hand experience is... well, let's call it a "no no". Especially around these parts, where the PC Hardware nerds roam.

 

[PaperBoy]

I also have RAID 0 7200rpm HDDs... they're not even remotely close to the same speed.

Everything loads faster with an SSD. It literally changes the feel of the PC. No matter what hardware you're running, could be an i7 3960k on an Asus RoG mobo, but no matter what adding an SSD will speed it up.

Kid, seriously, quite saying "lol" like you know something we don't. Trust me, you don't know. Not saying your performance isn't good, RAID 0 is sweet. But it's just not in the same league as an SSD. For you to knock it without any first hand experience is... well, let's call it a "no no". Especially around these parts, where the PC Hardware nerds roam.

LOL whats saying I never used an SSD in my rig in the past whats saying that I dont care if Windows takes 2sec more to boot up. PS Apps open instant enough on RAID 0 now enough with the MANTRA"S LOL

 

[bystander]

LOL RAID 0 is as solid now in days as the motherboard you use and it's now idiot proof pretty well however back in the day I never touched RAID cause you needed to rely on a jankey third party controller etc.

Maybe it's not horribly unsafe, it's just that every review of it, even recent ones here on Tom's hardware, they always warn that RAID 0 fails occasionally. It just didn't seem worth it.

 

[PaperBoy]

Maybe it's not horribly unsafe, it's just that every review of it, even recent ones here on Tom's hardware, they always warn that RAID 0 fails occasionally. It just didn't seem worth it.

HDDs fail weather or not they are in a RAID array and what they are trying to say is that in RAID 0 you take a risk cause if one drive poops out you lose all you stored info but the drives that did not fail can still be used again just as well as before. They are being fickle about it and airing on the side of noob friendliness and caution but RAID is fine and real easy to set up and is about as safe as any WD or Seagate etc HDD gets. PS to put it more clear they always warn that HDDs fail on occasion but that would have happened anyway that's not RAIDs fault and I have had great luck I have never had a HDD die on me without due cause.

 

[bystander]

HDDs fail weather or not they are in a RAID array and what they are trying to say is that in RAID 0 you take a risk cause if one drive poops out you lose all you stored info but the drives that did not fail can still be used again just as well as before. They are being fickle about it and airing on the side of noob friendliness and caution but RAID is fine and real easy to set up and is about as safe as any WD or Seagate etc HDD gets.

In light of all the reviews and benchmarks I saw, this wasn't a matter of SSD vs HDD RAID0, it was more of a choice of 2 small SSD's or 1 bigger one for me. SSD's are more reasonably priced these days. I'll also take the word of the professional over yours.

 

[jessterman21]

The 79xx series is still suffering driver compatibility issues in various games, especially in CF....then again, Skyrim has had issue with NVidia too......I expect these will shake out in the coming weeks but there's always the possibility that "Revision A" hardware has a bugaboo in it.......it took a while for the P8P67 SATA bug to shake out which is the reason I like to stay off the bleeding edge and wait till Revision B or C hits the streets.

+1

With PC gaming, it's really best to wait a year for everything.

New GPUs come out, wait a year, and the driver issues will all be sorted, and there'll be a driver-based performance boost in most games.

New game comes out, wait a year, and all the bugs will be fixed.

Not to mention, the prices will have dropped 30-75% for both hardware and software. And everything will have extensive reviews. That's why I recently settled on the IceQ X version of the HD 6870, haven't had a whiff of a driver issue, and got it 40% off its release price.

I'm also REALLY looking forward to Mass Effect 3, but I know I won't get it until next spring. And I'll get it for $20-30.

Patience, young Padawans.

 

[PaperBoy]

In light of all the reviews and benchmarks I saw, this wasn't a matter of SSD vs HDD RAID0, it was more of a choice of 2 small SSD's or 1 bigger one for me. SSD's are more reasonably priced these days. I'll also take the word of the professional over yours.

For the price of a 120gb SSD you can get 2TB HDD LOL and whats saying I am not a pro bud.

 

[wolfram23]

For the price of a 120gb SSD you can get 2TB HDD LOL and whats saying I am not a pro bud.

The bolded parts are a good indicator. As is the complete lack of grammar. You sound very uneducated... like maybe you're in junior high or high school. I guess that's why you need to choose between an SSD or a 2TB HDD instead of getting both.

 

[Computer guy]

The bolded parts are a good indicator. As is the complete lack of grammar. You sound very uneducated... like maybe you're in junior high or high school. I guess that's why you need to choose between an SSD or a 2TB HDD instead of getting both.

Nope I choose 4TB HDD moron and that's the best you can do is insult grammar weak.

 

[wolfram23]

Nope I choose 4TB HDD moron and that's the best you can do is insult grammar weak.

Apparently you got banned and had to make a new account? Maybe that should be a lesson about your terribly immature behavior. These forums are easily one of the few highly active ones around where people are typically helpful and nice, so people like you really stand out. Wouldn't be surprised if you're a 4chan tween...

Anyway, I'm out of this thread. OP: I hope my tips helped at all. I played a touch last night with the AA turned off in game and set through CCC, and it seemed quite a bit smoother. Although, I also dropped the ugridstoload from 7 to 5 (5 is Ultra default) so that might have helped haha.

 

[Computer guy]

Apparently you got banned and had to make a new account? Maybe that should be a lesson about your terribly immature behavior. These forums are easily one of the few highly active ones around where people are typically helpful and nice, so people like you really stand out. Wouldn't be surprised if you're a 4chan tween...

Anyway, I'm out of this thread. OP: I hope my tips helped at all. I played a touch last night with the AA turned off in game and set through CCC, and it seemed quite a bit smoother. Although, I also dropped the ugridstoload from 7 to 5 (5 is Ultra default) so that might have helped haha.

Thanx for representing TH community so accurately bud.

 

[sheletal]

Back to the OP's original issue, I just thought that I would add that I am seeing the same issues in skyrim.

It only seems to happen to me inside houses/buildings (possibly caves).

I have a quad core AMD 965 oc'd to 3.7ghz so we know cpu isn't his problem.

4gb of ddr3 memory pushed to 1600mhz

XFX Double D 7950

I know I'm tardy to the party but I just thought I would add my info.

 

[Deafhawk36]

The solution to this problem for me was to cap the fps at 59fps using MSI afterburners OSD fps limiter. I would guess since you have an ATI card you should possibly still be able to install the MSI afterburner. Install MSI afterburner and go to C:\Program Files (x86)\MSI Afterburner\Bundle\OSDServer and click on RTSS.exe. It will open and create an icon in your system tray. Open it. Once there add TESV.exe to the list of applications by clicking the plus in the bottom left corner and navigating to its location in steamapps/common/skyrim folder. Then once added select it, click on the wrench, and limit the fps to 59. You shouldn't need the overlay and you can launch skyrim from steam, just make sure you have this application open/minimized and hopefully this will fix the stuttering that we are experiencing.

There are also other programs out there that limit the fps such as DXtory, and I've also read that Nvidia users have an option in there GPU control panel that can limit fps. Hope that helps for other options to fix this issue.

As for why this helps, I believe that when skyrim is able to run at maximum fps on ATI cards, instances with low render demand such as when you are looking up or down or at a wall or in an enclosed space, the driver or game wants to or is trying to push the game higher then the capped 60fps, as would be possible with a low render distance, and thus it is causing the inconsistent stuttering and what seams like an fps fluctuation even though one is not present. I feel like this could easily be fixed in a patch or driver update but whether that sees the light of day, we will never know. Hope this works or helps, it has so far worked for me lemme know if things turned out well