Question Stuttering and lagging on second monitor only ?

[TomM98]

I've had an issue for a while where if I try to play games on my second monitor, it stutters / lags but the FPS doesn't drop in in the actual game. I always assumed this was an issue with the game and looked for solutions based off that. However, I recently tried playing it on my main monitor just for a change and there is zero stuttering or lagging, so this led me to believe it was an issue with my second monitor.

However, I then tried unplugging my main monitor completely and used my second monitor on it's own and it runs games completely fine?

So now I'm at a loss for what could be the issue. I've also tried switching the "main display" from the display settings so that my second monitor is the main monitor, still the same issue. Does anyone have any suggestions please?

Thanks in advance

 

[helpstar]

update bios and gpu driver
is the resolution and refresh rate identical between both monitors?
replace video cable
which hardware are you using?

 

[TomM98]

update bios and gpu driver
is the resolution and refresh rate identical between both monitors?
replace video cable
which hardware are you using?

Thanks for response

Will try updating bios, GPU driver is already up to date.
Resolution and refresh rate are exactly the same yes (1920 x 1080 at 144 hz)

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 8-Core Processor
32gb RAM
NVIDIA RTX 4070 TI

 

[TomM98]

That’s a really interesting issue and it definitely sounds like a multi-monitor configuration problem rather than a hardware or game-specific one. A couple of things you might want to check:

1. Refresh Rate Mismatch -If your two monitors have different refresh rates (e.g. 144Hz vs 60Hz), it can sometimes cause stuttering on the secondary display. Try matching them temporarily to see if it resolves the issue.
2. GPU Output Ports – Make sure both monitors are connected to the same GPU (not one on the motherboard and one on the GPU). Also, try switching the ports (HDMI/DP) to see if the stuttering follows the port.
3. Graphics Driver Settings – In the NVIDIA/AMD control panel, check if “Preferred refresh rate” or V-Sync settings are being forced differently across displays.
4. Hardware Acceleration Conflicts – Some apps (like browsers or overlays) running on the secondary monitor can cause microstutters in games. Try disabling overlays or closing background apps to test.

1. They are both set at 144hz
2. Both connected to GPU, tried switching ports and it's the same unfortunately
3. Have checked these and they aren't
4. Have tried closing all background apps completely