Question Why does my PC stutter every 4-5 seconds?

[Hades2001]

Help me, guys! I get constant stutterings in games and it drives me nuts! Every 4-5 seconds my frames drop and I think it's the CPU. I tried to attach a pic here https://ibb.co/6gGNRDj . Are these values normal?? I mean all the cores used for a game that is not demanding?

My PC is pretty good i7 10700, 32 GB RAM, nVidia 4600ti, Kinston SSD 1TB. Please, help!

 

[Hades2001]

More info on my PC here https://postimg.cc/K4YkKkXz

 

[Zerk2012]

Help me, guys! I get constant stutterings in games and it drives me nuts! Every 4-5 seconds my frames drop and I think it's the CPU. I tried to attach a pic here https://ibb.co/6gGNRDj . Are these values normal?? I mean all the cores used for a game that is not demanding?

My PC is pretty good i7 10700, 32 GB RAM, nVidia 4600ti, Kinston SSD 1TB. Please, help!

Download OCCT and open it and look at the cores clock speed without running any of the stress test.

Not sure what the graph was in in first pick but the 2nd one just showed all the cores idling like they should.

Edit run the CPU test in OCCT what are the CPU temps.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Hey there,

Are all your system drivers up to date? What bios are you running? You can check this with CPU-z.

Which games have you got the issue with? I can't see very much from the pics.

Have you tried uninstalling the GPU driver with DDU, and then reinstalling it?

When running the game, alt-tab out of the game and check task manager and under the 'Processes' tab check what is using the CPU the most.

 

[Zerk2012]

More info on my PC here https://postimg.cc/K4YkKkXz

From that you got a really poor motherboard that was in no way made for a 10700.

 

[Zerk2012]

Hey there,

Are all your system drivers up to date? What bios are you running? You can check this with CPU-z.

Which games have you got the issue with? I can't see very much from the pics.

Have you tried uninstalling the GPU driver with DDU, and then reinstalling it?

When running the game, alt-tab out of the game and check task manager and under the 'Processes' tab check what is using the CPU the most.

Look at his motherboard and probably using the stock cooler. From his first post it looks like the CPU is over 60C just at 2.1 idle speed.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/H410M-S2H-rev-1x#kf

 

[Hades2001]

Look at his motherboard and probably using the stock cooler. From his first post it looks like the CPU is over 60C just at 2.1 idle speed.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/H410M-S2H-rev-1x#kf

I am not THAT noob. I have a BeQuiet cooler on CPU.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Look at his motherboard and probably using the stock cooler. From his first post it looks like the CPU is over 60C just at 2.1 idle speed.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/H410M-S2H-rev-1x#kf

That very well may be. Yes, I get that the board has weak power phases, prob just 4+2, which is not exactly the most robust. Yeah, it's also possible that the CPU isn't boosting very high, which could cause some stuttering. But we don't know the cooling yet.

With that said, we don't know exactly if the CPU is throttling, and for what reason.

Some easy kills from a troubleshooting software point of view are as suggested above.

 

[Zerk2012]

I am not THAT noob. I have a BeQuiet cooler on CPU.

Run the CPU test in OCCT what are the temperatures and boost speed.

 

[Hades2001]

Download OCCT and open it and look at the cores clock speed without running any of the stress test.

Not sure what the graph was in in first pick but the 2nd one just showed all the cores idling like they should.

Edit run the CPU test in OCCT what are the CPU temps.

https://ibb.co/VTRT3Ff

 

[Hades2001]

Run the CPU test in OCCT what are the temperatures and boost speed.

https://ibb.co/mHTRd06 This is the stability test.

 

[Hades2001]

Hey there,

Are all your system drivers up to date? What bios are you running? You can check this with CPU-z.

Which games have you got the issue with? I can't see very much from the pics.

Have you tried uninstalling the GPU driver with DDU, and then reinstalling it?

When running the game, alt-tab out of the game and check task manager and under the 'Processes' tab check what is using the CPU the most.

The drivers are ok, I guess. The BIOS version is F6 11/23/2021. The game is called The Sandbox. It is not a very good optimised game but I tested it with a laptop (12700 + nVidia3600) and it works fine. I opened Task Manager and CPU usage while running the game is between 50-80 %.

 

[uWebb429]

@Hades2001
The 10700 non K CPU has a 65W TDP power rating. Your motherboard at default settings has set the long term PL1 turbo power limit to 65W. MSI Afterburner is showing constant throttling. Speccy is showing the CPU running at a ridiculous 21658 MHz with a BCLK (bus) speed of 470.8 MHz. Both values are completely impossible. I would not recommend using software that is completely out to lunch.

If you want to run your CPU at the Intel spec, leave it as is. It will throttle and perform terrible. Games will stutter. If you want maximum and consistent performance, I would start by increasing both the PL1 and PL2 turbo power limits in the BIOS up to 150W.

Try running ThrottleStop 9.6

ThrottleStop 9.6 Download

ThrottleStop is a small application designed to monitor for and correct the three main types of CPU throttling that are being used on many lapto

www.techpowerup.com

Post screenshots of the FIVR and TPL windows so I can see what adjustments are available to you. Some motherboards lock a lot of settings. Check the MMIO Lock box at the top right of the TPL window.

Open the Limit Reasons window while running a simple test like Cinebench. Watch for any boxes lighting up red under the CORE column which would indicate throttling. The main screen of ThrottleStop will give you an accurate look at the speed your CPU is running at. MSI Afterburner flip flopping back and forth between 800 MHz and max MHz is not an accurate indication of actual CPU speed. It shows there is a throttling problem but it does not tell you why.

Having the Windows safety feature core isolation memory integrity enabled can also cause in game stuttering. If you are an advanced computer user that is smart enough not to open shady .exe files, I would disable this.

Turn on the ThrottleStop Log File option before playing a game. It will provide you with an accurate look at what your CPU is really doing. When done testing, copy and paste the log file data to

www.pastebin.com

 

[Hades2001]

@Hades2001
The 10700 non K CPU has a 65W TDP power rating. Your motherboard at default settings has set the long term PL1 turbo power limit to 65W. MSI Afterburner is showing constant throttling. Speccy is showing the CPU running at a ridiculous 21658 MHz with a BCLK (bus) speed of 470.8 MHz. Both values are completely impossible. I would not recommend using software that is completely out to lunch.

If you want to run your CPU at the Intel spec, leave it as is. It will throttle and perform terrible. Games will stutter. If you want maximum and consistent performance, I would start by increasing both the PL1 and PL2 turbo power limits in the BIOS up to 150W.

Try running ThrottleStop 9.6

ThrottleStop 9.6 Download

ThrottleStop is a small application designed to monitor for and correct the three main types of CPU throttling that are being used on many lapto

www.techpowerup.com

Post screenshots of the FIVR and TPL windows so I can see what adjustments are available to you. Some motherboards lock a lot of settings. Check the MMIO Lock box at the top right of the TPL window.

Open the Limit Reasons window while running a simple test like Cinebench. Watch for any boxes lighting up red under the CORE column which would indicate throttling. The main screen of ThrottleStop will give you an accurate look at the speed your CPU is running at. MSI Afterburner flip flopping back and forth between 800 MHz and max MHz is not an accurate indication of actual CPU speed. It shows there is a throttling problem but it does not tell you why.

Having the Windows safety feature core isolation memory integrity enabled can also cause in game stuttering. If you are an advanced computer user that is smart enough not to open shady .exe files, I would disable this.

Turn on the ThrottleStop Log File option before playing a game. It will provide you with an accurate look at what your CPU is really doing. When done testing, copy and paste the log file data to

www.pastebin.com

First of all I want to say thank you for all the detailed responses. You, guys, are great!

Increasing both the PL1 and PL2 turbo power limits in the BIOS up to 150W isn't dangerous? From what I learned, my motherboard is entry-level, so will it support this?

Turning OFF Memory Isolation didn't seem to improve things.

Here are the screenshots and pastebin you asked:
https://ibb.co/Prg799w

Screenshot-2024-07-11-194540 hosted at ImgBB

Image Screenshot-2024-07-11-194540 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

https://ibb.co/HndPzfb

https://pastebin.com/Yr8HVqXb

 

[uWebb429]

Turning OFF Memory Isolation didn't seem to improve things.

You also have to turn off anything that depends on virtualization.

https://beebom.com/how-disable-virtualization-based-security-vbs-windows-11/

After you do this, exit ThrottleStop, delete the ThrottleStop.INI configuration file, reboot and post an updated FIVR screenshot.

Run msinfo. It will tell you if virtualization based security is enabled or not. If this is still enabled, post a screenshot of the Windows Features window.

The log file you posted shows constant bouts of BD PROCHOT throttling. This appears to be the main problem. When this happens, the CPU speed instantly drops from 4600 MHz down to 800 MHz, usually for less than a second. When playing a game when this happens the FPS will also drop like a rock but should quickly recover. If you want to try to fix this you need to clear the BD PROCHOT box on the main screen of ThrottleStop.

Properly functioning and properly designed computers do not constantly use bursts of BD PROCHOT throttling like your computer is doing. This is happening when the CPU temperature is only at 50°C to 60°C so it does not appear to be temperature related. No one in a forum can guarantee you that your computer will be safe if you decide to disable BD PROCHOT. If you decide to disable BD PROCHOT and play a game, you have to be willing to assume the risk of any damage to your computer. Your computer will probably be just fine. It might even run better than it ever has. I have no idea why your motherboard is using this throttling method, especially at such low temperatures. It could be a cheap sensor on the motherboard that has failed or it could just be bad design.

When you posted your screenshot, were you in the middle of a game or were you doing something else? When idle at the desktop with only ThrottleStop open, the average C0% is usually at 1.0% or less. If it is way higher than this, check the Task Manager Details tab to see what is running in the background. Too much crap running in the background, using up CPU cycles, will interfere with smooth game play.

For comparison, here is how my computer looks when idle. The C0% data is very low for all cores and threads.

Increasing both the PL1 and PL2 turbo power limits in the BIOS up to 150W isn't dangerous?

The PL2 power limit is already set to 224W. Setting both power limits to 150W like I recommended should actually be less dangerous. Peak power consumption will be less, not more. For the game you are playing, my power limit recommendation should not make any significant difference. The main problem is BD PROCHOT throttling, not power limit throttling.

 

[Zerk2012]

BD PROCHOT can also be caused by Vram temps.

 

[uWebb429]

ThrottleStop will report VR TEMP when the voltage regulators are overheating. The CPU is only at 53C in the screenshot so it seems more like a bad sensor. ThrottleStop will report VR CURRENT if the voltage regulators cannot deliver enough current to the CPU.

I would roll the dice and try with BD PROCHOT disabled. No one has ever reported a melt down when testing with BD PROCHOT disabled.

 

[Hades2001]

You also have to turn off anything that depends on virtualization.

https://beebom.com/how-disable-virtualization-based-security-vbs-windows-11/

After you do this, exit ThrottleStop, delete the ThrottleStop.INI configuration file, reboot and post an updated FIVR screenshot.

Run msinfo. It will tell you if virtualization based security is enabled or not. If this is still enabled, post a screenshot of the Windows Features window.

The log file you posted shows constant bouts of BD PROCHOT throttling. This appears to be the main problem. When this happens, the CPU speed instantly drops from 4600 MHz down to 800 MHz, usually for less than a second. When playing a game when this happens the FPS will also drop like a rock but should quickly recover. If you want to try to fix this you need to clear the BD PROCHOT box on the main screen of ThrottleStop.

Properly functioning and properly designed computers do not constantly use bursts of BD PROCHOT throttling like your computer is doing. This is happening when the CPU temperature is only at 50°C to 60°C so it does not appear to be temperature related. No one in a forum can guarantee you that your computer will be safe if you decide to disable BD PROCHOT. If you decide to disable BD PROCHOT and play a game, you have to be willing to assume the risk of any damage to your computer. Your computer will probably be just fine. It might even run better than it ever has. I have no idea why your motherboard is using this throttling method, especially at such low temperatures. It could be a cheap sensor on the motherboard that has failed or it could just be bad design.

When you posted your screenshot, were you in the middle of a game or were you doing something else? When idle at the desktop with only ThrottleStop open, the average C0% is usually at 1.0% or less. If it is way higher than this, check the Task Manager Details tab to see what is running in the background. Too much crap running in the background, using up CPU cycles, will interfere with smooth game play.

For comparison, here is how my computer looks when idle. The C0% data is very low for all cores and threads.

The PL2 power limit is already set to 224W. Setting both power limits to 150W like I recommended should actually be less dangerous. Peak power consumption will be less, not more. For the game you are playing, my power limit recommendation should not make any significant difference. The main problem is BD PROCHOT throttling, not power limit throttling.

After some testing, BD PROCHOT seems to be the problem. I cleared BD PROCHOT box and ran the game. The game ran smoothly without those staggerings but... after 8-10 minutes the computer shut down. I tried this several time, enabling and disabling BD PROCHOT and I got the same results with PROCHOT enabled.

Uhmm, I don't know where I can set the PL2 to 150.... Can you help me with that? Then I will try to run some tests again.

 

[Hades2001]

These are some temperatures during a CPU test. That graph doesn't look good...
https://postimg.cc/cKX9jp5K

 

[uWebb429]

That graph doesn't look good...

When a CPU is throttling, the CPU MHz can be changing hundreds of times per second. An OCCT graph is not going to be able to track that rapidly changing data very accurately.

To access the turbo power limits when using ThrottleStop, open the TPL window, clear the Disable Controls box and you can set the PL1 and PL2 power limits to whatever values you like.

It looks like your board is junk. Either poor design or some component on the board has failed. You can either look for a replacement motherboard if you can find one at a decent price or you might be better off selling your CPU and buying a newer 13th Gen CPU and motherboard combination. 13th and 14th Gen performance is similar so look for a good deal on a 13th Gen replacement.

Edit - Your CPU temperatures look fine.

 

[Hades2001]

When a CPU is throttling, the CPU MHz can be changing hundreds of times per second. An OCCT graph is not going to be able to track that rapidly changing data very accurately.

To access the turbo power limits when using ThrottleStop, open the TPL window, clear the Disable Controls box and you can set the PL1 and PL2 power limits to whatever values you like.

It looks like your board is junk. Either poor design or some component on the board has failed. You can either look for a replacement motherboard if you can find one at a decent price or you might be better off selling your CPU and buying a newer 13th Gen CPU and motherboard combination. 13th and 14th Gen performance is similar so look for a good deal on a 13th Gen replacement.

Edit - Your CPU temperatures look fine.

Is this ok? I set both PL values to 150.
https://postimg.cc/sQnBpLZY

I can't afford to change my PC for now but I have learned my lesson: next time I will try a balanced configuration, maybe with an Asus or MSI motherboard.

 

[uWebb429]

Is this ok?

Check the MMIO Lock box in the top right corner of the TPL window.

The Intel OEM cooler provides air flow to the voltage regulators near the CPU socket. Most aftermarket coolers do not. If you can direct air flow from a small fan towards the voltage regulators, that might help.

 

[Hades2001]

Check the MMIO Lock box in the top right corner of the TPL window.

The Intel OEM cooler provides air flow to the voltage regulators near the CPU socket. Most aftermarket coolers do not. If you can direct air flow from a small fan towards the voltage regulators, that might help.

Thanks for everything!