Question PC is stuttering and I can't pinpoint the cause ?

[Hootla1]

It started a few months back when I'd be watching YouTube videos and I noticed the audio was very staticy/stuttery every few seconds.

I thought my headset was faulty (As it was a few years old) so I got a new one.

Upon receiving the new headset my audio was still stuttering. I ruled out the headset being the problem as I connected to my work laptop and the issue didn't occur there.

I thought maybe the front USB panel that I connected it to might be an issue so I connected via the rear USB ports and still had the same problem.

I tried updating every sound driver as that seemed to be the #1 tip online but nothing. As well as making sure the Hz were on the correct setting.

I thought the issue may be with my sound card until recent when I am now playing Rocket League, the game is stuttering along with the audio.

I typically have the game running with Chrome playing YouTube music in the background, I have been doing this for years with no problem.

It does seem to be a little worse if I have had the PC running all day which makes me think it's clearly a hardware error.

However I monitored my temps and all seems reasonable. My CPU sits at around 70C when gaming + YouTube and my GPU will be around the same (65-75C).

My Ram maxes out at around 40% utilisation and my hard drives sit at 50% space free and 90% space free.

I thought maybe re-applying the coolant to the CPU (As I haven't done it for a couple years) and getting a non-stock cooler and I still have the default one (And back when I used to play CoD 6 months ago my CPU would get to around 90-95C)

Motherboard: X670 Aorus Elite AX
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6800
RAM: Corsair Vengance DDR5 32GB 5600MHz

If anyone can help me it would be so greatly appreciated.

 

[Ralston18]

PSU: make, model, wattage, age, condition (original to build, new, refurbished, used)?

Disk drive(s): make, model,capacity, how full?

Use Task Manager and Resource Monitor to observe system performance. Use both tools but only one tool at at time in order to observe what happens (or stops happening) when the stutters occur.

You can also use Reliability History/Monitor and Event Viewer to look for error codes, warnings, or even informational events being captured just before or at the time of the stutters.

You can also run the built in Windows troubleshooters. The troubleshooters may find and fix something.

Also try "dism" and "sfc /scannow".

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-dism-command-line-utility-repair-windows-10-image

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-use-sfc-scannow-to-repair-windows-system-files-2626161

Either one or both may find and fix something.

 

[Hootla1]

Hey Ralston thanks for taking the time to reply.

PSU: EVGA Supernova 850W G6 - 19 months old, bought brand new.

Disk drives: Samsung SSD 850 Evo 274/464 GB free, Crucial BX 500 SSD 812/931 GB free

Played a game with task manager resource and it's GPU 16%, Memory 44%, CPU 5%

Nothing to report in reliability monitor.

No issues on Windows troubleshooters.

No problems found in DISM. SFC Found problems, but after fixing and restarting unfortunately the stuttering still happens. Again noticeably it's very mild at the start and gets slightly worse after a couple of minutes or so.

 

[Ralston18]

One thing to consider is that the stuttering may be heat related.

But not in the sense that some component temperatures go out of spec or continually flucuates.

More related to some expansion/contraction within the case and components. As the case warms something expands. That can work in two ways: 1) the expansion tightens something up and the problem stops or starts, and 2) the expansion presses on something that, in turn, affects a connection is some manner. Pushes things apart or together.

Case, I/O panel, or just an audio pin/plug.

Keep that in mind as you play and observe system performance and when the stuttering begins or changes.

Leave the side panel off to help keep the system cooler. Watch where the fans are blowing/directing air. Any cables "downwind"? Try briefly disabling each case fan one at a time. Any differences?

= = = =

Take a closer, inside look.

Power down, unplug, open the case. Verify by sight and feel that all connectors, cards, RAM, jumpers, and case connections are fully and firmly in place.

Use a bright flashling to look for signs of damage: bare conductor showing, melting, browned or blackened components, swollen components, cracks, corrossion, loose or missing screws, pinched or kinked cables. Check slots and ports for debris. Check plugs and pins for damage.

= = = =

Another tool to use is Process Explorer. Takes a bit more effort but the objective is the same. Try to discover something that changes when the stuttering changes.

Process Explorer (Microsoft, free):

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

Seems to be one of those problems that will require methodical testing and careful observation.

Configure the system to be as simple as possible. Ideally to some state where there is no stuttering.

Then add things back one at a time allowing time between changes. Hopefully you will find something that obviously causes the stuttering to begin again.

 

[Hootla1]

One thing to consider is that the stuttering may be heat related.

But not in the sense that some component temperatures go out of spec or continually flucuates.

More related to some expansion/contraction within the case and components. As the case warms something expands. That can work in two ways: 1) the expansion tightens something up and the problem stops or starts, and 2) the expansion presses on something that, in turn, affects a connection is some manner. Pushes things apart or together.

Case, I/O panel, or just an audio pin/plug.

Keep that in mind as you play and observe system performance and when the stuttering begins or changes.

Leave the side panel off to help keep the system cooler. Watch where the fans are blowing/directing air. Any cables "downwind"? Try briefly disabling each case fan one at a time. Any differences?

= = = =

Take a closer, inside look.

Power down, unplug, open the case. Verify by sight and feel that all connectors, cards, RAM, jumpers, and case connections are fully and firmly in place.

Use a bright flashling to look for signs of damage: bare conductor showing, melting, browned or blackened components, swollen components, cracks, corrossion, loose or missing screws, pinched or kinked cables. Check slots and ports for debris. Check plugs and pins for damage.

= = = =

Another tool to use is Process Explorer. Takes a bit more effort but the objective is the same. Try to discover something that changes when the stuttering changes.

Process Explorer (Microsoft, free):

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

Seems to be one of those problems that will require methodical testing and careful observation.

Configure the system to be as simple as possible. Ideally to some state where there is no stuttering.

Then add things back one at a time allowing time between changes. Hopefully you will find something that obviously causes the stuttering to begin again.

Hey man thanks for your help.

It ended up being a network problem, just thought I'd let you know in case you need to help others in the future