RX 480 GPU usage spikes and stuttering / micro freezes in some games.

[sean2109]

I own an RX 480 Sapphire 8GB and I experience stuttering similar to micro freezes in most GPU intensive games such as GTA V and Titanfall 2. I checked the graphs on MSI afterburner and noticed huge fluctuations from 100% to 0 in the GPU usage section. I have previously messed around with the settings in AMD's Global Wattman however I completely reset all settings and I am still experiencing these stutters, even with GPU temps ant pretty much constant 80 degrees C. My friend owns the 4GB version of the card and does not experience these issues. Am I doing something wrong? Thanks.

SPECS:
AMD RX 480 8GB
i5 6600k @3.5ghz
Gigabyte z170x g3
16GB DDR4 3000mhz
Corsair CX750
240GB SSD

 

[Multipack]

What's your CPU usage at the time? I cant see how a 6600k would bottleneck an RX 480.

Sometimes after an OC failure or clock issues the system sometimes needs to be restarted to get the GPU back to stock settings but am assuming you have done that.

 

[TCobra]

When do the stutters appear? Constantly or only after a certain amount of game time?

 

[sean2109]

When do the stutters appear? Constantly or only after a certain amount of game time?

I'd say on average a large stutter every 30 seconds or so and smaller stutters inbetween. The stuttering gets more frequent in graphically challenging situations. However it is never constant to the point that it is unplayable.

 

[sean2109]

What's your CPU usage at the time? I cant see how a 6600k would bottleneck an RX 480.

Sometimes after an OC failure or clock issues the system sometimes needs to be restarted to get the GPU back to stock settings but am assuming you have done that.

I'll run more tests...

 

[Multipack]

What's your CPU usage at the time? I cant see how a 6600k would bottleneck an RX 480.

Sometimes after an OC failure or clock issues the system sometimes needs to be restarted to get the GPU back to stock settings but am assuming you have done that.

I'll run more tests...

Are you getting drops in the GPU power graph at the same time?

 

[TCobra]

When do the stutters appear? Constantly or only after a certain amount of game time?

I'd say on average a large stutter every 30 seconds or so and smaller stutters inbetween. The stuttering gets more frequent in graphically challenging situations. However it is never constant to the point that it is unplayable.

Make a list of programs you have running. Every program, even those running minimized in the background.

 

[sean2109]

What's your CPU usage at the time? I cant see how a 6600k would bottleneck an RX 480.

Sometimes after an OC failure or clock issues the system sometimes needs to be restarted to get the GPU back to stock settings but am assuming you have done that.

I'll run more tests...

Are you getting drops in the GPU power graph at the same time?

After more tests I noticed that when I experience these frame drops and mini freezes, other graphs such as "FB usage" and "Power, W" also drop significantly from their original pattern. Does this mean the corsair power supply is the problem?

 

[Multipack]

It depends. If it's overheating and down-throttling then the power usage is naturally going to drop too. Its definitely a sign that something is making the card slow down tho, and is obviously the reason for these issues.

 

[sean2109]

It depends. If it's overheating and down-throttling then the power usage is naturally going to drop too. Its definitely a sign that something is making the card slow down tho, and is obviously the reason for these issues.

I've been checking temps regularly and my CPU temps sometimes hits the 75 - 80 degrees C range. Could that be causing the issue? I have a stock cooler whereas everyone else I play with has some sort of advanced CPU cooler. Is there a chance that investing in a water cooler would fix the issue?? Thanks for the help so far.

 

[Multipack]

The i5 6600k doesnt come with a stock cooler? Did you build the system yourself? And yes that CPU temp is too high really, and even if your CPU load is at 100% thats too hot.

Can you save a log file of the graphs and post it? Might be easier to see from the stats.

 

[sean2109]

The i5 6600k doesnt come with a stock cooler? Did you build the system yourself? And yes that CPU temp is too high really, and even if your CPU load is at 100% thats too hot.

Can you save a log file of the graphs and post it? Might be easier to see from the stats.

I just read something to do with Realtek Audio causing video and audio stuttering especially when gaming. I have these drivers on my PC even though i'm using a Corsair Void Wireless. Do I need these drivers? And could they be causing the issue? Next time I play a game I will find out how to save a log file and include it.

 

[Multipack]

Yeah Realtek has got a pretty bad rep and I have seen it being blamed for lots of things but have never had any issue with it myself. I doubt it'd make that much difference though.

 

[sean2109]

Yeah Realtek has got a pretty bad rep and I have seen it being blamed for lots of things but have never had any issue with it myself. I doubt it'd make that much difference though.

Just an observation I've made. The stuttering / FPS drops seem to happen when loading in new areas. For example, walking into someones house on GTA V or dropping into the map on Titanfall 2. Not sure if this means anything as I said just an observation. I don't think there's anything wrong with my storage as some of my games are on my SSD and some on my HDD. All of these games stutter. I will uninstall games and move them around just to be certain.

 

[Multipack]

Out of interest, does enabling/disabling v-sync make a difference? Or using a higher custom frame scaling setting in GTA settings?

 

[sean2109]

Out of interest, does enabling/disabling v-sync make a difference? Or using a higher custom frame scaling setting in GTA settings?

OK I played Titanfall 2 for a couple of games with vsync set at first to dynamic and then I later changed it to double buffered. Although it felt smoother, I still experienced stutters and sudden FPS drops when playing. I will mess around with GTA V for a while.

 

[Multipack]

V-Sync can cause stuttering as your GPU buffers frames to help match the refresh rate of your monitor. Its basically the alternative to screen tear. Stuttering can also happen when the RAM is overloaded. It'd be good to see a few usage stats. Can you save an Afterburner log ?

 

[sean2109]

V-Sync can cause stuttering as your GPU buffers frames to help match the refresh rate of your monitor. Its basically the alternative to screen tear. Stuttering can also happen when the RAM is overloaded. It'd be good to see a few usage stats. Can you save an Afterburner log ?

I've saved a log but how do I get it to you?
In the lg the graphs "FB usage" and CPU usage" are very unstable where as the GPU usage was unusually stable. I could feel the stutters in game however it wasn't the most severe. Next time I experience severe stuttering I will save another log.

 

[Multipack]

Just upload it somewhere like Goog;e Drive or Dropbox or someting. The fact the GPU is stable suggests that nothing else is a problem, because the GPU usage would be dropping if other things were bottlenecking it. If it runs at 100% consistently then thats what is holding you back probably.

 

[Chink411]

I own an RX 480 Sapphire 8GB and I experience stuttering similar to micro freezes in most GPU intensive games such as GTA V and Titanfall 2. I checked the graphs on MSI afterburner and noticed huge fluctuations from 100% to 0 in the GPU usage section. I have previously messed around with the settings in AMD's Global Wattman however I completely reset all settings and I am still experiencing these stutters, even with GPU temps ant pretty much constant 80 degrees C. My friend owns the 4GB version of the card and does not experience these issues. Am I doing something wrong? Thanks.

SPECS:
AMD RX 480 8GB
i5 6600k @3.5ghz
Gigabyte z170x g3
16GB DDR4 3000mhz
Corsair CX750
240GB SSD

Do you have Windows 10? If so,disable DVR in the Xbox app,if u you don't have a xbox account u will need to make one to disable it in the settings. Did u do a clean GPU driver install with the Display Driver Utility? Its availeble on http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html

I recommend u go buy a better CPU cooler if your CPU hits 80°C (it can stand that but its not good for the longlivety) If the GPU gets 80°C thats also not so good,try using MSI Afterburner to set a Custom FanCurve..so it will keep cooling instead of waiting things to heat up.

 

[sean2109]

Just upload it somewhere like Goog;e Drive or Dropbox or someting. The fact the GPU is stable suggests that nothing else is a problem, because the GPU usage would be dropping if other things were bottlenecking it. If it runs at 100% consistently then thats what is holding you back probably.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_xCbUR3XL-5NHZaVmxhUFI2NDA/view?usp=sharing

The most recent log was a consistent game of Black Ops 3 with no tabbing out. There are other logs on there as well however I tabbed out in some of them, That's obviously where the usage drops to 0.

 

[Multipack]

Basically you have quite a severe bottleneck going on with the CPU. It's at or around 100% on all four cores a lot of the time in some of those graphs, and that is causing the stutters and frame lags. I'd definitely suggest trying to OC your CPU a little. It should help.

 

[sean2109]

Basically you have quite a severe bottleneck going on with the CPU. It's at or around 100% on all four cores a lot of the time in some of those graphs, and that is causing the stutters and frame lags. I'd definitely suggest trying to OC your CPU a little. It should help.

OK, strange I thought my CPU was powerful enough as it is. I'm investing in a corsair liquid cooler soon so I will definitely be overclocking then. Thanks for the continued support.

 

[Multipack]

I am surprised that the 6600k is bottlenecking a 480 too tbh, but the stats are there. Anyone wishing to see them can load the HML file in Afterburner and see for themselves. You will probably get better results with even a mild OC.

 

[bystander]

While the CPU may be bottlenecking, it might not be because of the clocks you have it set to, but maybe it's not running at those clocks due to throttling, or maybe another program is stealing its time.