Question PC choppy/stuttering gameplay

[L0gical9]

I have been experiencing this choppy and stuttery gameplay in all of my games for over a year now and I cannot fix it. I have tried everything I could think of or find on the internet. It's similar to screen tearing, but not... at the same time. This choppiness is making me simply not want to play games anymore because of how bad it is, and I am upset because I spent a lot of money on my pc's (yes the same thing is happening on both). Both pc's used to be just fine an I dont know how they both came to be like this. I have tried fresh installing windows, changing graphics settings, GPUs, monitors, ram, etc. I posted a video as an example of what is happening. I would appreciate any help as I have not been able to solve this issue forever now. Video: PC stuttering

PC Specs:
Intel i7-8700k
Asus ROG Strix z390-e
EVGA GTX 1080ti
32gb G.Skill RAM
1tb NVME ssd
2tb sata ssd
512gb sata ssd
EVGA 850w PSU

 

[Metal Messiah.]

First off, kindly provide full PC specs, including the PSU's model number. Are you using a FRESH copy of Windows OS ? What about GPU drivers ? Tried a clean re-install ?

Complete system specs should ALWAYS be accompanied with any driver, hardware, or performance question. Do not post DXDiag reports as they contain a TON of useless information. Posting a DxDiag in place of a System Spec List tends to ward off potential members from helping you.

Please supply the following system details/information. No need to provide each and every detail though, only relevant to your issue at hand. This is just for reference:

(Complete System Specs)
-CPU make and model# (clock speed/voltage, type of cooler, and "Core" temperature @ idle and load)
-Motherboard make & model# (include Bios version if graphics card is not recognized or you are having stability issues)
-RAM (amount, clock speed, model#/link of kit, configuration)
-Graphics card(s) make and model# (clock speed, voltage if modified, Driver version and GPU temp both @ idle and load)
-Power supply make,model#, "AND" age (note if using 110V or 220V A/C input)
-HDD/SSD configuration (ie: Raid setup/ back up/ OS drive/etc..)
-Case/Chasis make,model# (fan make, model#, and configuration if having thermal issues)
-Operating System (If using Windows note Framework and service pack version)
-Monitor make, model#, and resolution (If model# is unknown list resolution and refresh rate)

*If the unit is a "laptop" or "All-in-one" system you must note the make and model# of the unit. Be sure you are ALWAYS using the OEM/manufacturer's Driver updates for the unit.

*If "Crashing":
-Note the nature of the "crash" in detail, as there are several definitions for the word "crash".

*If "performance" related issue:
-Note the "exact" point in which the performance reduction occurred (ie: After Windows update, After Bios update, After Driver update, After thermal system shutdown, After Hardware change/upgrade etc...)

*For diagnostic purposes please disable the following:
-Any/all Antivirus/ Anti-malware software
-Any/all OSD monitoring software

 

[L0gical9]

First off, kindly provide full PC specs, including the PSU's model number. Are you using a FRESH copy of Windows OS ? What about GPU drivers ? Tried a clean re-install ?

Complete system specs should ALWAYS be accompanied with any driver, hardware, or performance question. Do not post DXDiag reports as they contain a TON of useless information. Posting a DxDiag in place of a System Spec List tends to ward off potential members from helping you.

Please supply the following system details/information. No need to provide each and every detail though, only relevant to your issue at hand. This is just for reference:

(Complete System Specs)
-CPU make and model# (clock speed/voltage, type of cooler, and "Core" temperature @ idle and load)
-Motherboard make & model# (include Bios version if graphics card is not recognized or you are having stability issues)
-RAM (amount, clock speed, model#/link of kit, configuration)
-Graphics card(s) make and model# (clock speed, voltage if modified, Driver version and GPU temp both @ idle and load)
-Power supply make,model#, "AND" age (note if using 110V or 220V A/C input)
-HDD/SSD configuration (ie: Raid setup/ back up/ OS drive/etc..)
-Case/Chasis make,model# (fan make, model#, and configuration if having thermal issues)
-Operating System (If using Windows note Framework and service pack version)
-Monitor make, model#, and resolution (If model# is unknown list resolution and refresh rate)

*If the unit is a "laptop" or "All-in-one" system you must note the make and model# of the unit. Be sure you are ALWAYS using the OEM/manufacturer's Driver updates for the unit.

*If "Crashing":
-Note the nature of the "crash" in detail, as there are several definitions for the word "crash".

*If "performance" related issue:
-Note the "exact" point in which the performance reduction occurred (ie: After Windows update, After Bios update, After Driver update, After thermal system shutdown, After Hardware change/upgrade etc...)

*For diagnostic purposes please disable the following:
-Any/all Antivirus/ Anti-malware software
-Any/all OSD monitoring software

More detailed specs are:

Intel i7-8700k 3.7ghz (XMP enabled, problem persisted even when i turned off XMP), default voltage in bios
Noctua Cooler with fan
EVGA GTX 1080ti SC2 @factory speeds
Asus ROG Strix z390e
G.Skill tridentz 32gb ram 3200 (I bought two identical 16g kits): https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820232476?Item=N82E16820232476
PSU is EVGA Supernova 850 G3 (About 3 years old): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LY4OJYJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1
Monitor: Alienware AW2518H 240hz (Problem persists on other monitors so I believe this rules out a monitor problem, also tried new DP cables)
Windows 10 Home
Samsung 1tb nvme SSD with two sata ssds (Windows is installed on the main nvme ssd)


Please keep in mind that this issue occurs at factory settings AS WELL as when I had my CPU overclocked. Didnt seem to make a difference. I also tried a different psu and no change. I have tried fresh windows 10 install a few times now and has not changed anything. When I fresh installed windows obviously I got fresh drivers and still no change. I have also messed around with basically every combo of gsnyc, vsync, capping fps (which seems to help if I cap it at 120 but doesnt technically fix the problem.)

 

[Metal Messiah.]

I have a feeling that some software, app, or some background process might be causing this behavior. It could be any app/software/firmware version, be it any motherboard utility, or a mouse and/or networking software.

I wouldn't also rule out any GPU utility/app as well, be it EVGA PrecisionX, ASUS GPU Tweak, MSI AB etc., just as an example.

I doubt this is a hardware related issue since you have already tried few things. Have you also tried installing the games on a different or new HDD/SSD ? Btw, what all PC games are exhibiting this choppy behavior ?

 

[XANtheman]

More detailed specs are:

Intel i7-8700k 3.7ghz (XMP enabled, problem persisted even when i turned off XMP), default voltage in bios
Noctua Cooler with fan
EVGA GTX 1080ti SC2 @factory speeds
Asus ROG Strix z390e
G.Skill tridentz 32gb ram 3200 (I bought two identical 16g kits): https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820232476?Item=N82E16820232476
PSU is EVGA Supernova 850 G3 (About 3 years old): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LY4OJYJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1
Monitor: Alienware AW2518H 240hz (Problem persists on other monitors so I believe this rules out a monitor problem, also tried new DP cables)
Windows 10 Home
Samsung 1tb nvme SSD with two sata ssds (Windows is installed on the main nvme ssd)


Please keep in mind that this issue occurs at factory settings AS WELL as when I had my CPU overclocked. Didnt seem to make a difference. I also tried a different psu and no change. I have tried fresh windows 10 install a few times now and has not changed anything. When I fresh installed windows obviously I got fresh drivers and still no change. I have also messed around with basically every combo of gsnyc, vsync, capping fps (which seems to help if I cap it at 120 but doesnt technically fix the problem.)

I solved exact same issue by making sure that i updated to latest chipset and gpu drivers. Actually as windows keep updating , it requires newer version drivers.

 

[L0gical9]

I have a feeling that some software, app, or some background process might be causing this behavior. It could be any app/software/firmware version, be it any motherboard utility, or a mouse and/or networking software.

I wouldn't also rule out any GPU utility/app as well, be it EVGA PrecisionX, ASUS GPU Tweak, MSI AB etc., just as an example.

I doubt this is a hardware related issue since you have already tried few things. Have you also tried installing the games on a different or new HDD/SSD ? Btw, what all PC games are exhibiting this choppy behavior ?

So I have actually tried to rule out a background process issue one of the times that I fresh installed windows from a bootable usb installer. Once installed, all I did was get drivers and download csgo to see if it performed the same with no extra stuff on my pc, problem still persisted unfortunately... I also made sure I did not install the Asus armoury crate utility to see if that was it and it didnt help. I do use MSI afterburner for the rivatuner overlay now but this was also not installed at the time I tried all this.

I have tried a new ssd since I bought another one since all this started to happen, but same stuff. I have 3 ssd's in my system now and games all run the same choppy/stuttery on either one.

All games I play are having this "choppy" behavior. Some are worse than others but they all do it to some extent, no matter which platform or launcher they are from too (steam, blizzard, epic games, etc). Have you watched the video I linked in original post? It shows what is happening, as I dont know if choppy or stuttery would really be a good way to describe it. It's like screen tearing but not normal screen tearing. The video is while playing Valorant with fps capped at 60 just to clearly show what is happening in a "slower motion" so to say, because the same choppiness occurs at higher fps that I normally play at, just happens faster on the screen obviously.

One thing that I thought might be a problem was a chipset driver because after researching on the internet, apparently the Intel Management Engine thing that my mobo manufacture gives me for my "chipset" driver is not actually a driver? But I also read that windows installs the chipset driver automatically with the windows updates. Either way, I have tried multiple fresh windows installs to experiment with this: 1) just doing the windows update for chipset driver. 2) using Intel management engine as chipset driver. and 3) installing intel INF files from intel, which also apparently is a "driver" and does get rid of the yellow exclamation in device manager.

Obviously I got the newest driver from Nvidia each time for graphics, as this is much more straight forward.

All of these methods and im still stuck lol.

 

[L0gical9]

I solved exact same issue by making sure that i updated to latest chipset and gpu drivers. Actually as windows keep updating , it requires newer version drivers.

I have tried getting fresh GPU driver and like I said in my reply to Metal Messiah, I have tried 3 different methods of getting a chipset driver, tried intel management engine, Intel INF files, and also tried just using windows updates for the chipset driver (according to the internet, windows updates will install Intel chipset drivers for you).

 

[XANtheman]

I have tried getting fresh GPU driver and like I said in my reply to Metal Messiah, I have tried 3 different methods of getting a chipset driver, tried intel management engine, Intel INF files, and also tried just using windows updates for the chipset driver (according to the internet, windows updates will install Intel chipset drivers for you).

First reinstall windows since you have messed up all your settings. Remove your computer access to internet till you install chipset drivers.Uncheck the device installation from advanced system settings under System in windows setting to make sure that windows does not install the chipset drivers. I recommend you to first get the chipset driver from here-
https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...ne-driver-for-windows-8-1-and-windows-10.html
Install the latest chipset driver from the link i gave you. Uninstall any utility that came with the motherboard and install latest GPU driver from Nvidia's website.

Second you can try using 16gb RAM instead of 32 if first option doesn't work for you.

 

[ThraxInDistress]

This is purely a software issue from my experience. Trace all the apps that has connection to video output and uninstall them for the time being.

Also Try to update windows to the latest version, and reinstall your Nvidia drivers, but use the Studio Drivers not the game ready drivers.

Though before all of that, I know this next bit might not be common, but reinstall windows, but not as windows 10. Go for Windows 11, chances are that should change the behavior and the overall drivers that will be on the system.

I hope it helps, i know its not as detailed, but you have reached the last resort page. Good luck!

 

[L0gical9]

First reinstall windows since you have messed up all your settings. Remove your computer access to internet till you install chipset drivers.Uncheck the device installation from advanced system settings under System in windows setting to make sure that windows does not install the chipset drivers. I recommend you to first get the chipset driver from here-
https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...ne-driver-for-windows-8-1-and-windows-10.html
Install the latest chipset driver from the link i gave you. Uninstall any utility that came with the motherboard and install latest GPU driver from Nvidia's website.

Second you can try using 16gb RAM instead of 32 if first option doesn't work for you.

I didnt mess up all my settings i did all these things on a fresh install each and every time to trial and error. I have also tried using the driver you are linking to. I have also gotten fresh nvidia driver like 100 times.

 

[drivinfast247]

I didnt mess up all my settings i did all these things on a fresh install each and every time to trial and error. I have also tried using the driver you are linking to. I have also gotten fresh nvidia driver like 100 times.

I watched the video. Turn on vsync or make sure your monitor uses Gsync/Freesync.

 

[L0gical9]

I watched the video. Turn on vsync or make sure your monitor uses Gsync/Freesync.

Bruh you think I havent tried that...............................................