Question Is my GPU causing the stutters that I get while gaming ?

[Nikzogg]

So first of all, I have tried everything and nothing seems to fix my stutters while gaming. It's usually under half a second and is more noticeable in more demanding games. Even though the gameplay is is smooth overall with high FPS, I get stutters. I believe the issue is most likely my GPU since I don't have a spare one to test. Temperatures also look normal so it shouldn't be the issue.

The stuttering started about 3 weeks ago seemingly out of nowhere. Didn't change any game settings, didn't update BIOS version, didn't update drivers, didn't change any hardware and didn't change any gpu settings.

What I have tried:
- The usual settings in Windows and device manager
- Completely fresh install of Windows
- Upgraded my CPU
- Changed my PSU
- Tried 3 different sets of ram
- Reset bios settings and removed CMOS battery
- Removed overclock from GPU
- Tried older GPU drivers from before the stuttering started
- Used DDU to remove GPU drivers and downloaded the latest ones
- Updated BIOS

My specs:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (upgraded from R7 3700X)
GPU: ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3070 TI
MOBO: ASUS ROG STRIX B550-E Gaming
RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance RGB PRO 32gb 3600mhz (Also tried Corsair Vengeance LPX 16gb 3200mhz and GSkill Trident Z NEO 32gb 3600mhz)
PSU: CORSAIR RM750 (Also tried Fractal Design Integra M 750W

I'm losing my mind since I just cant find the culprit. I have been thinking about RMA-ing the GPU since it it still under warranty, but I'm still not 100% sure it is the culprit. If anyone knows anything that can help, please comment! Thank you for reading.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Hey there,

When you cleared CMOS, did you only take the battery out?

Follow the instructions here to reset by the CLRTC method: https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1040820/. Test again. What bios is actually running? Older ones have a stuttering bug. You should be on at least AGESA 1.2.0.7

 

[Nikzogg]

Hey there,

When you cleared CMOS, did you only take the battery out?

Follow the instructions here to reset by the CLRTC method: https://www.asus.com/support/faq/1040820/. Test again. What bios is actually running? Older ones have a stuttering bug. You should be on at least AGESA 1.2.0.7

My BIOS version is 3607 and I updated it a few days ago. What is AGESA?
Edit: ASUS Website says that AGESA version is 1.2.0.Ca.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

My BIOS version is 3607 and I updated it a few days ago. What is AGESA?
Edit: ASUS Website says that AGESA version is 1.2.0.Ca.

That's the latest. Anything above 2803 is good to go.

What monitor do you have?

 

[Nikzogg]

That's the latest. Anything above 2803 is good to go.

What monitor do you have?

I have 2 monitors, ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM (main monitor) and Ozone DSP24 PRO

 

[CelicaGT]

Are you using gsync? And do you have vsync on in NCP?

 

[Nikzogg]

Are you using gsync? And do you have vsync on in NCP?

Yes, using gsync and no vsync on

 

[CelicaGT]

Yes, using gsync and no vsync on

Vsync should be on under NCP settings, off in game settings, this will only kick in when your framerate exceeds your monitors refresh rate. Exceeding the monitors refresh rate causes Gsync to shut of, and can introduce stutter or tearing. It's also recommended to turn Low Latency on within NCP at the Ultra setting (This can be game dependant, or use the games settings) as this should cap the framerate a few fps below the refresh rate, to eliminate stutters. Alternatively you can do this manually by setting a framerate limit within the NCP at 3fps below your monitors refresh rate. All this can be done under the Global Settings tab, or Program settings tab. Best to experiment game by game before locking down in Global settings, some games don't respond as others do. Crystal Tools (FFXIV) is a notorious example of a game engine that does what it wants sometimes..

You can try what I've shown here, but a better recommendation is to check out these guys:

G-SYNC 101

Many G-SYNC input lag tests & graphs -- on a 240Hz eSports monitor -- via 2 months of testing via high speed video!

blurbusters.com

Blur Busters gives a better breakdown of the settings and what they do. I've had to experiment a bit with some games that don't respect the NCP settings. It's a long article but suggested reading when it comes to stutters/tearing with Gsync.

(Edit:To add) Under the Display menu in NCP, turn on "G-sync Compatible indicator". This will place a small G-sync logo in the top right of your screen within game, to indicate when G-sync is actually on. You should also monitor you framerate with whichever third party tool you prefer, to see if your stutter coinsides with any particular event such as high CPU load etc, or see if it exceeds your refresh rate as discussed.

 

[Nikzogg]

Vsync should be on under NCP settings, off in game settings, this will only kick in when your framerate exceeds your monitors refresh rate. Exceeding the monitors refresh rate causes Gsync to shut of, and can introduce stutter or tearing. It's also recommended to turn Low Latency on within NCP at the Ultra setting (This can be game dependant, or use the games settings) as this should cap the framerate a few fps below the refresh rate, to eliminate stutters. Alternatively you can do this manually by setting a framerate limit within the NCP at 3fps below your monitors refresh rate. All this can be done under the Global Settings tab, or Program settings tab. Best to experiment game by game before locking down in Global settings, some games don't respond as others do. Crystal Tools (FFXIV) is a notorious example of a game engine that does what it wants sometimes..

You can try what I've shown here, but a better recommendation is to check out these guys:

G-SYNC 101

Many G-SYNC input lag tests & graphs -- on a 240Hz eSports monitor -- via 2 months of testing via high speed video!

blurbusters.com

Blur Busters gives a better breakdown of the settings and what they do. I've had to experiment a bit with some games that don't respect the NCP settings. It's a long article but suggested reading when it comes to stutters/tearing with Gsync.

(Edit:To add) Under the Display menu in NCP, turn on "G-sync Compatible indicator". This will place a small G-sync logo in the top right of your screen within game, to indicate when G-sync is actually on. You should also monitor you framerate with whichever third party tool you prefer, to see if your stutter coinsides with any particular event such as high CPU load etc, or see if it exceeds your refresh rate as discussed.

Alright, put your settings in and will test them and report back.

 

[Nikzogg]

Vsync should be on under NCP settings, off in game settings, this will only kick in when your framerate exceeds your monitors refresh rate. Exceeding the monitors refresh rate causes Gsync to shut of, and can introduce stutter or tearing. It's also recommended to turn Low Latency on within NCP at the Ultra setting (This can be game dependant, or use the games settings) as this should cap the framerate a few fps below the refresh rate, to eliminate stutters. Alternatively you can do this manually by setting a framerate limit within the NCP at 3fps below your monitors refresh rate. All this can be done under the Global Settings tab, or Program settings tab. Best to experiment game by game before locking down in Global settings, some games don't respond as others do. Crystal Tools (FFXIV) is a notorious example of a game engine that does what it wants sometimes..

You can try what I've shown here, but a better recommendation is to check out these guys:

G-SYNC 101

Many G-SYNC input lag tests & graphs -- on a 240Hz eSports monitor -- via 2 months of testing via high speed video!

blurbusters.com

Blur Busters gives a better breakdown of the settings and what they do. I've had to experiment a bit with some games that don't respect the NCP settings. It's a long article but suggested reading when it comes to stutters/tearing with Gsync.

(Edit:To add) Under the Display menu in NCP, turn on "G-sync Compatible indicator". This will place a small G-sync logo in the top right of your screen within game, to indicate when G-sync is actually on. You should also monitor you framerate with whichever third party tool you prefer, to see if your stutter coinsides with any particular event such as high CPU load etc, or see if it exceeds your refresh rate as discussed.

Also, I've been having trouble with the monitors sometimes when I turn on or restart the pc. Sometimes the asus logo and bios will be on the wrong screen, and sometimes a monitor will have wrong resolution and I have to turn it off and on to fix it. Also my 2nd screen sometimes doesn't get a signal when restarting the pc. Any idea what could be causing those?

 

[CelicaGT]

Also, I've been having trouble with the monitors sometimes when I turn on or restart the pc. Sometimes the asus logo and bios will be on the wrong screen, and sometimes a monitor will have wrong resolution and I have to turn it off and on to fix it. Also my 2nd screen sometimes doesn't get a signal when restarting the pc. Any idea what could be causing those?

Are you sure your cables are in good condition? Are they plugged in all the way? Second display losing signal is normal, all mine do this as well. Also ensure your on monitor settings are correct, or at least default for now to aid diagnosis. G-sync should be enabled on the monitor, of course.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Vsync should be on under NCP settings, off in game settings, this will only kick in when your framerate exceeds your monitors refresh rate. Exceeding the monitors refresh rate causes Gsync to shut of, and can introduce stutter or tearing. It's also recommended to turn Low Latency on within NCP at the Ultra setting (This can be game dependant, or use the games settings) as this should cap the framerate a few fps below the refresh rate, to eliminate stutters. Alternatively you can do this manually by setting a framerate limit within the NCP at 3fps below your monitors refresh rate. All this can be done under the Global Settings tab, or Program settings tab. Best to experiment game by game before locking down in Global settings, some games don't respond as others do. Crystal Tools (FFXIV) is a notorious example of a game engine that does what it wants sometimes..

You can try what I've shown here, but a better recommendation is to check out these guys:

G-SYNC 101

Many G-SYNC input lag tests & graphs -- on a 240Hz eSports monitor -- via 2 months of testing via high speed video!

blurbusters.com

Blur Busters gives a better breakdown of the settings and what they do. I've had to experiment a bit with some games that don't respect the NCP settings. It's a long article but suggested reading when it comes to stutters/tearing with Gsync.

(Edit:To add) Under the Display menu in NCP, turn on "G-sync Compatible indicator". This will place a small G-sync logo in the top right of your screen within game, to indicate when G-sync is actually on. You should also monitor you framerate with whichever third party tool you prefer, to see if your stutter coinsides with any particular event such as high CPU load etc, or see if it exceeds your refresh rate as discussed.

Good answers. I'd agree with this.

 

[Nikzogg]

Update: Tried playing with the settings you suggested, but it didn't help.

Here is a video of me playing Snowrunner

View: https://youtu.be/7Cj4jGkiGBw

Very noticeable in 0.12 and 0.40

 

[Nikzogg]

Vsync should be on under NCP settings, off in game settings, this will only kick in when your framerate exceeds your monitors refresh rate. Exceeding the monitors refresh rate causes Gsync to shut of, and can introduce stutter or tearing. It's also recommended to turn Low Latency on within NCP at the Ultra setting (This can be game dependant, or use the games settings) as this should cap the framerate a few fps below the refresh rate, to eliminate stutters. Alternatively you can do this manually by setting a framerate limit within the NCP at 3fps below your monitors refresh rate. All this can be done under the Global Settings tab, or Program settings tab. Best to experiment game by game before locking down in Global settings, some games don't respond as others do. Crystal Tools (FFXIV) is a notorious example of a game engine that does what it wants sometimes..

You can try what I've shown here, but a better recommendation is to check out these guys:

G-SYNC 101

Many G-SYNC input lag tests & graphs -- on a 240Hz eSports monitor -- via 2 months of testing via high speed video!

blurbusters.com

Blur Busters gives a better breakdown of the settings and what they do. I've had to experiment a bit with some games that don't respect the NCP settings. It's a long article but suggested reading when it comes to stutters/tearing with Gsync.

(Edit:To add) Under the Display menu in NCP, turn on "G-sync Compatible indicator". This will place a small G-sync logo in the top right of your screen within game, to indicate when G-sync is actually on. You should also monitor you framerate with whichever third party tool you prefer, to see if your stutter coinsides with any particular event such as high CPU load etc, or see if it exceeds your refresh rate as discussed.

Another thing I noticed is that whenever I get those freezes, my gpu coil whine stops for the duration of the freeze. Not sure if this is important though.

 

[CelicaGT]

Another thing I noticed is that whenever I get those freezes, my gpu coil whine stops for the duration of the freeze. Not sure if this is important though.

That may indicate a drop in GPU load, using whichever tools you like (I use Afterburner and Ryzen Master) see if any drops in GPU utilization coincide with a spike in CPU usage. Note that you are looking for ANY single core spiking, not all core use. Keep in mind some frame drops ARE normal, the frequency of which depends on your system and how many background tasks you have running. Very few games run perfectly all the time, it all comes down to what you will accept as immersion breaking and how far you will go to reduce it. I always try to keep a minimum of software running while gaming but still see the odd hitch here and there.

 

[Nikzogg]

That may indicate a drop in GPU load, using whichever tools you like (I use Afterburner and Ryzen Master) see if any drops in GPU utilization coincide with a spike in CPU usage. Note that you are looking for ANY single core spiking, not all core use. Keep in mind some frame drops ARE normal, the frequency of which depends on your system and how many background tasks you have running. Very few games run perfectly all the time, it all comes down to what you will accept as immersion breaking and how far you will go to reduce it. I always try to keep a minimum of software running while gaming but still see the odd hitch here and there.

Downloaded afterburner, I noticed that my during a freeze my GPU usage dropped from 86 to 17 and from 100 to 1. At the same time every CPU from 1-16 dropped too. The freezes/hitches also started seemingly out of nowhere, everything was fine roughly 3 weeks ago.

 

[CelicaGT]

Downloaded afterburner, I noticed that my during a freeze my GPU usage dropped from 86 to 17 and from 100 to 1. At the same time every CPU from 1-16 dropped too. The freezes/hitches also started seemingly out of nowhere, everything was fine roughly 3 weeks ago.

Watching your video, looks like the stutter occurs during a quick pan, and again when the "Engine Stalled" banner appears? If this is the case it -may- be caused by storage. Game assets are generally moved from slow storage (SSD/HDD) to RAM, to CPU/GPU. If the game calls for a certain asset (Texture or otherwise) and the storage device is either busy or slow (HDD) you can see these kinds of system wide stutters where both CPU and GPU utilization drop. These can be hard to pin down for certain, but they are also rather common, depending on the game. A potential solution is ensuring the storage device isn't too full, and that nothing else is heavily thrashing it (Antivirus software or other kinds of optimization software). Storage device activity can be viewed via the Task Manager under the performance tab. Note that this is a -potential- cause. Like anything else these things can be hard to narrow down. In "always online" games a poor internet connection can cause a similar effect. Gaming is not just CPU and GPU. The entire memory and storage system and the busses used by them also need to be considered.

 

[Nikzogg]

Watching your video, looks like the stutter occurs during a quick pan, and again when the "Engine Stalled" banner appears? If this is the case it -may- be caused by storage. Game assets are generally moved from slow storage (SSD/HDD) to RAM, to CPU/GPU. If the game calls for a certain asset (Texture or otherwise) and the storage device is either busy or slow (HDD) you can see these kinds of system wide stutters where both CPU and GPU utilization drop. These can be hard to pin down for certain, but they are also rather common, depending on the game. A potential solution is ensuring the storage device isn't too full, and that nothing else is heavily thrashing it (Antivirus software or other kinds of optimization software). Storage device activity can be viewed via the Task Manager under the performance tab. Note that this is a -potential- cause. Like anything else these things can be hard to narrow down. In "always online" games a poor internet connection can cause a similar effect. Gaming is not just CPU and GPU. The entire memory and storage system and the busses used by them also need to be considered.

I watched the utilization of my drives while playing The Finals, and all of them stayed at 0% or raised slightly. I've also noticed that the stutters occur mostly when moving the camera in games, and i've also noticed some kind of stutter rarely when scrolling Discord, for example. I will try changing my drives' SATA cables too. The drives I have are Seagate BarraCuda SSD ZA500CM10002, Samsung SSD 970 EVO 1TB, KINGSTON SA400S37240G. All my games are loaded in my Samsung EVO, but I tried to run a game which was loaded in my Barracuda ssd and it still stuttered.

 

[CelicaGT]

I watched the utilization of my drives while playing The Finals, and all of them stayed at 0% or raised slightly

Do you have much running in the background? Any third party antivirus or things like that. I'm just scratching my head thinking about other causes. I have several games that do similar things as well, but they're either in early access or it's a known issue.

 

[Nikzogg]

Do you have much running in the background? Any third party antivirus or things like that. I'm just scratching my head thinking about other causes. I have several games that do similar things as well, but they're either in early access or it's a known issue.

The only antivirus I have is Windows defender. I tried running different games right after redownloading windows, so I only had the game active. Recently I've tried with Discord, Spotify and Youtube open and closed but still freezes. I've tried with Razer Synapse and Armoury Crate programs stopped too but no dice. I just tried different ram seatings and modules, in slots 1 and 3, then slots 2 and 4, then one stick at a time and still stutters. Is there any possibility that something in the motherboard has broken?

 

[CelicaGT]

The only antivirus I have is Windows defender. I tried running different games right after redownloading windows, so I only had the game active. Recently I've tried with Discord, Spotify and Youtube open and closed but still freezes. I've tried with Razer Synapse and Armoury Crate programs stopped too but no dice. I just tried different ram seatings and modules, in slots 1 and 3, then slots 2 and 4, then one stick at a time and still stutters. Is there any possibility that something in the motherboard has broken?

Unlikely, but nothing is impossible. Do you have the latest AMD chipset drivers? I doubt it's the issue but there is a new release that's about a month old. Another thing to do is run HWInfo and check PCIe mode, RAM speed etc. There are some PCIe lane distribution compromises on B550 that could be at play such as your GPU being stuck in X8 mode. That's kind of an outlier, and usually presents as low GPU utilization under heavy load, not stuttering. Doesn't hurt to check though.

 

[Nikzogg]

Unlikely, but nothing is impossible. Do you have the latest AMD chipset drivers? I doubt it's the issue but there is a new release that's about a month old. Another thing to do is run HWInfo and check PCIe mode, RAM speed etc. There are some PCIe lane distribution compromises on B550 that could be at play such as your GPU being stuck in X8 mode. That's kind of an outlier, and usually presents as low GPU utilization under heavy load, not stuttering. Doesn't hurt to check though.

Just downloaded the newest chipset drivers a few days ago. I also have HWinfo64 but I have no idea what I’m supposed to look for haha. Currently at work so I’ll check those when I can!

 

[CelicaGT]

Just downloaded the newest chipset drivers a few days ago. I also have HWinfo64 but I have no idea what I’m supposed to look for haha. Currently at work so I’ll check those when I can!

Make sure your RAM is in dual channel, that its speeds match the spec. The GPU should show "PCIe v4.0 x16 (16.0 GT/s) @ x16 (5.0 GT/s)".
This is all under the System Summary. Post a screenshot if possible as my system is specced very similar to yours so we can make some comparisons. I'm also hoping some other posters will weigh in with their experience with issues such as these.

 

[Nikzogg]

Make sure your RAM is in dual channel, that its speeds match the spec. The GPU should show "PCIe v4.0 x16 (16.0 GT/s) @ x16 (5.0 GT/s)".
This is all under the System Summary. Post a screenshot if possible as my system is specced very similar to yours so we can make some comparisons. I'm also hoping some other posters will weigh in with their experience with issues such as these.

My ram is dual channel, but I also tried the other 2 slots. I also have DOCP enabled so it should be correct.

 

[Nikzogg]

Make sure your RAM is in dual channel, that its speeds match the spec. The GPU should show "PCIe v4.0 x16 (16.0 GT/s) @ x16 (5.0 GT/s)".
This is all under the System Summary. Post a screenshot if possible as my system is specced very similar to yours so we can make some comparisons. I'm also hoping some other posters will weigh in with their experience with issues such as these.

Here is the screenshot of HWinfo

I also checked the memory tab and it shows that both memory modules' speed is 1600MHz (DDR4-3200 / PC4-25600) Should it be 3200MHz because I have DDR4-3200 selected in BIOS? (Currently using Corsair Vengeance LPX ram) Also, if there is anything else you need a picture of, just ask!