Solved Extreme stuttering while playing certain games

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Cyrak

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Jun 3, 2024
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Video of the stuttering with task manager open:
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(the same issue happens in full screen and borderless. I only have it in windowed mode to show the task manager)

I've been having a very annoying issue where certain games, a majority of them, are having extreme stuttering issues while playing. Example games are Lords of the Fallen and Enshrouded. While running these games, my GPU sits at 100% utilization and my CPU is nowhere near 100%. vram doesn't seem to be an issue according to task manager. PC has been taken apart and cleaned very recently, temps are in normal ranges, and I have tried a few google solutions that have not worked (such as reinstalling my graphics drive using DDU).
PC Specs:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/qWRHmD
My bios version is z390 Aorus Ultra F9
PSU was purchased in 2020

Cinebench benchmarks seemed fairly normal except for GPU. I believe the GPU benchmark was around 11000

Let me know if any other information is needed.
 
Let’s show all the hardware and software on the PC.

Download Speccy by Piriform.
In Speccy, click File > Publish Snapshot > Copy to Clipboard > Close.
Paste that link into your post. Is Speccy safe?

Download GetSystemInfo by Kaspersky.
In GSI, click Start. (takes about 10mins)
It makes a ZIP file on your desktop, drag that to their GSI Parser site.
Once analysed, paste the newly created URL into your post.

Download MiniToolBox by Farbar.
In MTB, tick List Installed Programs, click Go then close the program.
A file MTB.txt is created in the same folder, attach that to your post.

Still using the Thermaltake ToughPower Grand power supply unit?
 
Bruce said:
Let’s show all the hardware and software on the PC.

Download Speccy by Piriform.
In Speccy, click File > Publish Snapshot > Copy to Clipboard > Close.
Paste that link into your post. Is Speccy safe?

Download GetSystemInfo by Kaspersky.
In GSI, click Start. (takes about 10mins)
It makes a ZIP file on your desktop, drag that to their GSI Parser site.
Once analysed, paste the newly created URL into your post.

Download MiniToolBox by Farbar.
In MTB, tick List Installed Programs, click Go then close the program.
A file MTB.txt is created in the same folder, attach that to your post.

Still using the Thermaltake ToughPower Grand power supply unit?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. I've downloaded and completed all of the stuff that you asked from me, but they post my IP address which doesn't seem safe (specifically Speccy and GetSystemInfo). Is there something I'm missing here? Of course I'd be happy to post them if I'm just being paranoid.
Also yes I am still using the Thermaltake ToughPower Grand power supply unit
 
Did you read the Is Speccy Safe article? (y)

One IP address listed is your LAN address, that is, your network in your house, so unless someone gets access to your house, they can't access your LAN IP. And if they get in your house, you have bigger issues than that! :)

The WAN IP shown is already in the public space so is nothing new to anyone you cared to look it up from your ISP.

In short, there are two types of IP addresses, one faces inwards and is your local address on your network, the other faces outwards and is what the world sees, as allocated to you by your ISP.
 
Bruce said:
Did you read the Is Speccy Safe article? (y)

One IP address listed is your LAN address, that is, your network in your house, so unless someone gets access to your house, they can't access your LAN IP. And if they get in your house, you have bigger issues than that! :)

The WAN IP shown is already in the public space so is nothing new to anyone you cared to look it up from your ISP.

In short, there are two types of IP addresses, one faces inwards and is your local address on your network, the other faces outwards and is what the world sees, as allocated to you by your ISP.
Click to expand...
Thanks for clearing that up for me!
Here is everything you requested:
Speccy: https://speccy.piriform.com/results/vDOpEKYrmM6ApRW2DyDBXQG
GetSystemInfo: https://www.getsysteminfo.com/report/53a7e66bf19cc2d9e6be1ef0dd2639a5
MTB: Attached
 
From the Speccy report;
  • C:\ is down to 7% free space.
  • SMART values on C:\ show a temp exceeded event, check the innards for dust build up. Clean the case vents, fan blades and heatsinks.
  • B:\ is down to 3% free.
  • Disconnect F:\, D:\, B:\ and see if that helps.
  • Your current BIOS is F9, they are up to F11, with F10 addressing major vulnerabilities and being strongly encouraged to get.
  • Have you tried turning off XMP mode in BIOS?
  • You have used Driver Easy, uninstall it. These types of driver update programs are complete crap, usually causing more harm than help.
  • Have you tried using one one monitor for a while?

Some cleanup ideas;
  • Get WizTree to find out where the space has gone.
  • CCleaner or Glary Disk Cleaner or the inbuilt cleanmgr command can reclaim a lot of space.
    Note: when running CCleaner, only run the Custom Clean, not the Health Check, or Registry clean, or Driver Updater features.
    Also, when installing, be sure to check all pre-selected options carefully and not simply allow it to use default suggestions. It may offer to install AVG Anti-virus, there is no need for this.
    It will also add a Smart Cleaning process to Windows Startup and a couple of tasks to Task Scheduler – these can be disabled from within CCleaner.
  • ShutUp10 by O&O Software can stop a lot of telemetry items.
From GSI;
  • What's with the HOSTS file entries for docker.internal, and who is on the IP of 192.168.1.11?
 
Bruce said:
From the Speccy report;
  • C:\ is down to 7% free space.
  • SMART values on C:\ show a temp exceeded event, check the innards for dust build up. Clean the case vents, fan blades and heatsinks.
  • B:\ is down to 3% free.
  • Disconnect F:\, D:\, B:\ and see if that helps.
  • Your current BIOS is F9, they are up to F11, with F10 addressing major vulnerabilities and being strongly encouraged to get.
  • Have you tried turning off XMP mode in BIOS?
  • You have used Driver Easy, uninstall it. These types of driver update programs are complete crap, usually causing more harm than help.
  • Have you tried using one one monitor for a while?

Some cleanup ideas;
  • Get WizTree to find out where the space has gone.
  • CCleaner or Glary Disk Cleaner or the inbuilt cleanmgr command can reclaim a lot of space.
    Note: when running CCleaner, only run the Custom Clean, not the Health Check, or Registry clean, or Driver Updater features.
    Also, when installing, be sure to check all pre-selected options carefully and not simply allow it to use default suggestions. It may offer to install AVG Anti-virus, there is no need for this.
    It will also add a Smart Cleaning process to Windows Startup and a couple of tasks to Task Scheduler – these can be disabled from within CCleaner.
  • ShutUp10 by O&O Software can stop a lot of telemetry items.
From GSI;
  • What's with the HOSTS file entries for docker.internal, and who is on the IP of 192.168.1.11?
Click to expand...
Thanks for all of the proposed solutions.
I took some time to update my BIOS to F11.
I got WizTree and deleted a bunch of files to free up some space on my C and B drives, both are in a much healthier state.
I used CC cleaner to run the Custom Clean and downloaded ShutUp10 and configured it.
I do not currently have XMP on in BIOS, which I checked after updating to F11.
I uninstalled Driver Easy and have been using one monitor for a couple hours now.
This means that I have followed all steps except disconnecting my other drives, which I will do tomorrow when I have adequate time to open my PC and mess around with things.
I also completely took apart and cleaned my PC a couple months ago, but I will do it again when I disconnect my other drivers.
After all of those steps, I booted up Lords of the Fallen again to check and there was no difference. Do you have any other suggestions for me to try either while I have my PC open tomorrow or before then?
Oh and I have no idea what the docker.internal is or what it could be. I really don't know what any of that means despite the fact that I was able to find it in GSI.
 
Sadly, none of my suggestions may end up helping your stuttering, but it's the low hanging fruit that needs to be addressed first.

As to your modified HOSTS file, whatever device has an IP address of 192.168.1.1 is having it's traffic redirected. If you don't know what it is for, you may want to delete that entry from the HOSTS file.
A program like HostsXpert can help you there.

Also go to www.speedtest.net and show your bandwidth values for us.
Wouldn't hurt to also log into your modem and get the line attenuation and Signal to Noise ratio values. And while in there, try and find the list of connected devices and see if 192.168.1.11 shows up.
 
Bruce said:
Sadly, none of my suggestions may end up helping your stuttering, but it's the low hanging fruit that needs to be addressed first.

As to your modified HOSTS file, whatever device has an IP address of 192.168.1.1 is having it's traffic redirected. If you don't know what it is for, you may want to delete that entry from the HOSTS file.
A program like HostsXpert can help you there.

Also go to www.speedtest.net and show your bandwidth values for us.
Wouldn't hurt to also log into your modem and get the line attenuation and Signal to Noise ratio values. And while in there, try and find the list of connected devices and see if 192.168.1.11 shows up.
Click to expand...
Sorry for not responding for so long. I tried disconnecting my HDD and SSD and cleaning up the inside of my PC again. It didn't seem to make a difference unfortunately.

I also looked at some of the IP addresses of devices on my network and found the IP address in question. I am not sure what the device is because all it says in "Amazon" with a bunch of alphanumeric characters. Could it be something like my WiFi extender?

I have attached the speed test to this comment.
Screenshot 2024-06-07 024112.png

I thought of something today. Could these issues be caused by upgrading to windows 11 from 10? I upgraded last year I believe and had issues with the upgrade. Namely the program that checks if I can upgrade or not was telling me I met all of the requirements, but still wasn't letting me upgrade. I believe that I went onto windows' website and manually upgraded instead.
 
I'd certainly be removing that docker.internal entry from the HOSTS file.
It can always be added again if something stops working.

With the Amazon thing, any chance you have/had one of those "Hello Alexa" devices?
The bunch of alphanumeric characters at the end would be the MAC address, so something like 192.168.1.11E412BC sort of thing, with the E412BC being the last six digits of a MAC address, so on a sticker on one of your network connected devices you should see something like xx:xx:xx:E4:12:BC

Again, unlikely to be a reason for the stuttering, nor would be the Win10 to 11 upgrade - unless you have a driver version that needs an update to Win11 that has better support than the current Win10 version that may still be in use.

Your web speeds are excellent, so that should also not be a reason.
It could be the game server.

Did you get a chance to log into the modem and chase down the line attenuation number and the signal to noise ratio value?
At the very least, reboot the modem.
 
Okay I used HostXpert to delete the docker in the HOSTS file. I do have an alexa device. I will check the MAC to see if it matches. I actually have a few in my house, so I guess it could be any of them.

Unfortunately, I don't know how to find those two statistics you are looking for ("line attenuation number" and "signal noise ratio value"). I have an xr1000, would you be able to point me in the right direction? I did reset my modem/router by unplugging the power for 10 minutes.

What would be a good way for me to check if I need to update certain drivers? Or is that something I would see in Windows Update?
 
In a browser, type in 192.168.1.1 which is your modems address.
It'll ask for a login username/password - if you haven't changed them, they should be on a sticker on the modem somewhere.

I'm assuming the XR1000 is a Newtgear Nighthawk?

This is totally winging it, but you should then be in the modem's config menu, they used to call it Netgear Genie, and there should be two tabs - Basic and Advanced.
Go to Advanced, Administration, Router Status.
Then, either on Show Stats or Connection Status, you should see your ISP connection figures, and you are looking for something similar to Line Attenuation (this is your distance from your exchange, low dB is good, something like <30dB) and Signal to Noise Ratio (this is how noisy your line is, high dB is good, >20dB)

But these values could be under Maintenance as well, all depends on what config menu the modem has.

As to drivers, best left to Windows Updates.
GPU drivers are the exception to that.
 
Yes it is a Netgear Nighthawk. I searched high and low, but I couldn't find then terms that you were looking for. Here are the statistics that could maybe be what you were looking for?
bandwidth.png
Internet Stats.png
 
Do you know if your were in the Nighthawk's config menu or your modems?
What is the make/model of the modem?
Your modem plugs into the WAN port of the Nighthawk, it should be the modem that has the IP address of 192.168.1.1
If 192.168.1.1 is the Nighthawk, you'll need to plug a PC directly into the modem to get its IP address.

While waiting for that, let's get some other eyes on this; @PeterOz @xrobwx71 @georgeks @Pyro
 
I suggest using this tool to regain privacy and turn off unneeded settings.


https://github.com/builtbybel/Winpilot/releases/download/2024.6.1/Winpilot.zip


Find the best DNS server for your machine.

How to find the best DNS server for my computer.

In this tutorial we will find and apply the best DNS server for your computer. First thing is to download DNS benchmark from here. Once you have downloaded the program, save it to your desktop. Right click and run as admin. Click Name Servers...
pchelpforum.net pchelpforum.net

Download DDU follow all directions to remove the Nvidia drivers.
Re-install Nvidia drivers with this tool, NVCleaninstall. Uncheck everything except the drivers.

Use Kill Em All -- This will close all non windows programs and running processes non essential to your computer. Note: This will close your browser, so save anything if needed prior to running. Use this tool after following the steps above, use this tool prior to starting your game, see how it goes.

Also there is this tool, which can increase performance.
 
Malnutrition said:
I suggest using this tool to regain privacy and turn off unneeded settings.


https://github.com/builtbybel/Winpilot/releases/download/2024.6.1/Winpilot.zip


Find the best DNS server for your machine.

How to find the best DNS server for my computer.

In this tutorial we will find and apply the best DNS server for your computer. First thing is to download DNS benchmark from here. Once you have downloaded the program, save it to your desktop. Right click and run as admin. Click Name Servers...
pchelpforum.net pchelpforum.net

Download DDU follow all directions to remove the Nvidia drivers.
Re-install Nvidia drivers with this tool, NVCleaninstall. Uncheck everything except the drivers.

Use Kill Em All -- This will close all non windows programs and running processes non essential to your computer. Note: This will close your browser, so save anything if needed prior to running. Use this tool after following the steps above, use this tool prior to starting your game, see how it goes.

Also there is this tool, which can increase performance.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply!

I had already used DDU before I came to this forum in order to remove and reinstall my drivers. I downloaded the Nvidia update before using DDU, then booted up without any internet connection to ensure that nothing interfered with the reinstallation.

I tried Kill Em All and Quick Cpu just now and they did not seem to make any difference for this particular game.

Some more context: This does not happen with all games, I am still able to play games like World of Warcraft, Elden Ring, Dark and Darker, Diablo 4, and Baldur's Gate. With Elden Ring, I do have an issue where my screen will freeze for about a second very infrequently, maybe once or twice an hour.

Games that I have noticed this in and are unplayable/borderline unplayable are Lords of the Fallen, Enshrouded, and some areas in Another Crab's Treasure. In Lords of the Fallen, my frames are absolutely perfect when I am standing still, even if there are a bunch of object/enemies on my screen, but once I start panning my camera, my game will begin to stutter like the video shown.

If all of these software solutions are not working, I wonder if some of my hardware could be dying. Possibly something with my graphics card since there are times when my monitors will all go black for a second and then immediately come back. Not as if they were turned off, just like they lost the input for a split second.

Hopefully some of this information is helpful. I am not sure what is necessary information and what is completely useless.
I also get a slew of Event Viewer warnings/errors when my computer is on, so I am not sure if linking that would be helpful.

Thanks again for the help.
 
Bruce said:
Any chance you can get hold of a another GPU temporarily to test the theory your GPU may be faulty?
Click to expand...
I actually may be able to. It will take a few days most likely, but I can borrow someone else's to test it out. I will work on doing that
 
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