Stutter in every game, at my wits end

[kraM1t]

Hey guys I'm new here, I've tried Reddit/Nvidia forums but got nowhere, I'm literally going out of my mind.

 

So first off my specs:

 

i5 2500K @ stock

Asus 970 @ stock

8GB Corsair DDR3 1333MHz

Gigabyte Z68A-D3-B3

Corsair RM 650watt PSU

BenQ XL2411Z @ 144hz

Samsung EVO 850 250GB SSD

Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM HDD

 

So here's the problem, every game now stutters randomly and constantly, every few seconds.

 

I was previously running a GTX 560 but it started artifacting after 4 years so I went ahead and got a GTX 970 a month after being offline.

I noticed immediately when I started to play CSGO that it was stuttering and jittering, not smooth at all.

I haven't touched the PC since the day it shutdown because of the artifacting.

 

So here's where it gets WTF. My brother has a similar rig to me and has it in the same room.

 

i5 3570 @ stock

Gigabyte GTX 660 @ stock

8GB Corsair DDR3 1600MHz

Gigabyte Z77-D3H

Corsair TX 650watt v2.0 PSU

BenQ XL2411Z @ 144hz

Samsung EVO 850 250GB SSD

Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM HDD

 

His PC was perfectly smooth playing it, as it's always been.

So I thought it was the 970 causing it, I put his 660 into my system expecting it to work perfectly as it did in his PC, but nope, still stuttering.

Put the 660 back into his PC, then he also got the stutter... WTF

So I tried the 970 in his PC and it also stuttered.

 

Shortly after that his 660 started driver crashing and eventually just broke and wouldn't accept any Nvidia driver, if you tried it'd just black screen.

So he has RMA'd it and got a refund and is currently waiting to buy a new GPU.

 

CPU and GPU temps never break 65c on both PC's

 

Anyway I've replaced the 970 3 times now, I've had an MSI one and 2x Asus Strix ones.

I've replaced my motherboard.

I've updated BIOS

I've replaced my PSU.

I've bought an SSD to make sure it wasn't the HDD.

I've put my sisters old 9600GT into both PC's

I've reformatted to Windows 7 x64, 8 x64 and 8.1 x64 and tried numerous chipset/realtek/standard windows drivers.

Tried installing no windows updates

Tried installed ALL windows updates

Tried reinstalling all my games

Tried unparking CPU cores

Tried turning off Speedstep, C1E etc states in BIOS

Tried a Different PSU power lead

Tried Memtest for 8 hours and RAM came back with no errors

Tried single stick of RAM in different slots

Tried Unplugging mouse and keyboard and playing with a controller to rule them out

Tried Diagnostic startup with nothing running

Tried running an extension cord from downstairs power socket and plugging the PSU straight into that

Tried old nvidia drivers and new

 

The only thing in the whole PC I've not replaced is the CPU, but I'm getting no BSODs, crashes or anything. Also.. why would my brothers PC start exhibiting the same stutter, both CPU's cannot be dying at the same time surely? Windows performance is unaffected, super fast boots, everything is speedy and quick just like it used to be.

 

Games that stutter:

CSGO

TF2

GTA V

Sleeping Dogs only while driving

Dirt Rally

Batman Arkham City (HEAVY STUTTER EVERY SECOND)

 

Games that don't stutter:

CSS

CS 1.6

Battlefield Hardline

WWE 2K15 (dev locked 60FPS)

3DMark benchmarks all run smooth with no hitching/stuttering

 

 

My brother is afraid to buy a new GPU because he wants a 960 or 970 but I know he'll get the same problems and he doesn't want an AMD GPU, but I have no one else I know who PC games to try an AMD GPU. Both our PC's have been working 100% perfect up until a few weeks ago.

 

Guys any suggestions at all will be welcome, I've been at this now for over 3 weeks and feel like slamming my head against the wall.

[NicekillBG]

dying hdd?

I dont think its the gpu's problem , and hey amd isnt bad

[kraM1t]

dying hdd?

I dont think its the gpu's problem , and hey amd isnt bad

 

I unplugged the HDD and tested with just SSD and vice versa

 

And no AMD isn't bad, he just doesn't want to wait till the Fury series as the 290X is getting on a bit

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

So the GTX660 developed the same problem as soon as it had been in your PC?  That would make me suspect either the motherboard or PSU is killing the card(s).

[Maldorhan]

Put the 660 back into his PC, then he also got the stutter... WTF

 

This part is REALLY weird. 

 

If it was ok BEFORE on his rig, then problems on your PC, and then problems on his too when you put it back, I see only 3 explanations

 

1) Your game(s), the one(s) you tried on BOTH computers, not just on yours (just CS:GO ?), might have glitches because of the driver version on both PC, if its the same one obviously, (EDIT) but apparently you checked that already, or with whatever mods or dirty install if you used the same.

 

2) High temperature in the room (since both are in the same one) that makes both cards overheating

 

3) (that would be REALLY weird though) would be your motherboard damaging the card through the PCI Express slot (cause of the motherboard itself or the PSU), I mean it would be very weird but then again what else could it be, except coincidence, if it worked well before and did the same artifact as the previous one after you put it in your rig

 

Try it with another clean installed game on his computer, update the drivers, check the temperature

[NicekillBG]

I unplugged the HDD and tested with just SSD and vice versa

 

And no AMD isn't bad, he just doesn't want to wait till the Fury series as the 290X is getting on a bit

 

Hmm then lets leave the pc alone , the monitor> Replace the cable or try another monitor , and your brother DOES not have the same problem or?

[NicekillBG]

So the GTX660 developed the same problem as soon as it had been in your PC?  That would make me suspect either the motherboard or PSU is killing the card(s).

Anyway I've replaced the 970 3 times now, I've had an MSI one and 2x Asus Strix ones.

I've replaced my motherboard.

I've updated BIOS

I've replaced my PSU.

I've bought an SSD to make sure it wasn't the HDD.

I've reformatted to Windows 7 x64, 8 x64 and 8.1 x64 and tried numerous chipset/realtek/standard windows drivers.

Tried installing no windows updates

Tried installed ALL windows updates

Tried reinstalling all my games

Tried a Different PSU power lead

Tried Memtest for 8 hours and RAM came back with no errors

Tried single stick of RAM in different slots

Tried Unplugging mouse and keyboard and playing with a controller to rule them out

Tried Diagnostic startup with nothing running

Tried running an extension cord from downstairs power socket and plugging the PSU straight into that

Tried old nvidia drivers and new

[GameWizard]

is the monitor the problem?

[Maldorhan]

Then high temperature in the room or coincidence...

[kraM1t]

This part is REALLY weird. 

 

If it was ok BEFORE on his rig, then problems on your PC, and then problems on his too when you put it back, I see only 3 explanations

 

1) Your game(s), the one(s) you tried on BOTH computers, not just on yours (just CS:GO ?), might have glitches because of the driver version on both PC, if its the same one obviously, (EDIT) but apparently you checked that already, or with whatever mods or dirty install if you used the same.

 

2) High temperature in the room (since both are in the same one) that makes both cards overheating

 

3) (that would be REALLY weird though) would be your motherboard damaging the card through the PCI Express slot (cause of the motherboard itself or the PSU), I mean it would be very weird but then again what else could it be, except coincidence, if it worked well before and did the same artifact as the previous one after you put it in your rig

 

Try it with another clean installed game on his computer, update the drivers, check the temperature

 

I thought it was the mobo/PSU too killing the GPU's.. but then I replaced them.. and it still happened.

Temps are below 65c for GPU and CPU.

I tried multiple drivers on both PC's with 9600GT, 660 and 970.. also tried a new DVI cable to rule that out

 

Why does 3DMark and other certain games run perfectly with no stutter? IT MAKES NO SENSE LOL

 

I also replaced the 970 and never put it into my old mobo, I then ordered an MSI mobo, waited for that to come, then put the 970 into that thinking it'd 100% fix the problem, nope.

[Nergale]

Have you tried adjusting your energy saving options?

 

Sometimes a balanced profile leads to a low power state of either CPU or GPU.

[kraM1t]

 

GPU is @ 60c because it's 0% fan until it reaches 65c (Asus Strix)

[kraM1t]

Have you tried adjusting your energy saving options?

 

Sometimes a balanced profile leads to a low power state of either CPU or GPU.

 

Hey sorry yeah forgot to mention, I tried this already.

Also tried turning off the PCI-E Link power saving

[simo292a]

I thought it was the mobo/PSU too killing the GPU's.. but then I replaced them.. and it still happened.

Temps are below 65c for GPU and CPU.

I tried multiple drivers on both PC's with 9600GT, 660 and 970.. also tried a new DVI cable to rule that out

 

Why does 3DMark and other certain games run perfectly with no stutter? IT MAKES NO SENSE LOL

 

I also replaced the 970 and never put it into my old mobo, I then ordered an MSI mobo, waited for that to come, then put the 970 into that thinking it'd 100% fix the problem, nope.

Well maybe your gpu was already damaged by the first motherboard or psu?

[kraM1t]

Well maybe your gpu was already damaged by the first motherboard or psu?

 

I tried a BRAND NEW 970 straight from Amazon into a BRAND NEW motherboard with a BRAND NEW PSU, neither of any of them had been turned on or put into a PC previously

 

This is why I'm so confused

[NicekillBG]

I tried a BRAND NEW 970 straight from Amazon into a BRAND NEW motherboard with a BRAND NEW PSU, neither of any of them had been turned on or put into a PC previously

 

This is why I'm so confused

Dude is the monitor the problem switch the cables

[kraM1t]

I switched the cables, I also tried my brothers monitor.. if the monitor was the problem benchmarks wouldn't run completely smooth

 

I just ran GTA 5 on lowest settings and recorded it, managed to capture the stutter @ 60fps

 

I was pulling 120-170fps while recording this, so there should of been no stutter whatsoever... I'll post the video when it's uploaded

[kraM1t]

Here's the graphs from the little video I made, it's still uploading, will post soon

 

 

 

I notice CPU and GPU usage drops on every spike...

[kraM1t]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h9_9JlB4k4&feature=youtu.be

 

Keep in mind the video adds motion blur so it smooths out a lot of the smaller stutters inbetween, also remember to watch in 60fps

 

I've noticed in GTA, if I lock the FPS to 120, 75 or 60 using Rivatuner.. the stutter almost completely disappears.

I've also noticed if I uncap it and the CPU reaches 100% on any core it does a huge stutter..

 

gonna test CSGO with Rivatuner..

[Maldorhan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h9_9JlB4k4&feature=youtu.be

 

Keep in mind the video adds motion blur so it smooths out a lot of the smaller stutters inbetween, also remember to watch in 60fps

 

I've noticed in GTA, if I lock the FPS to 120, 75 or 60 using Rivatuner.. the stutter almost completely disappears.

I've also noticed if I uncap it and the CPU reaches 100% on any core it does a huge stutter..

 

gonna test CSGO with Rivatuner..

 

From my experience it doesn't look like a video card problem, it might be though but I was wondering, have you really tried with another boot drive too (I mean your OS drive) ? I read that you replaced the HDD with a SSD already, but I talk about the OS drive, not necessarily your game storage drive, not sure of which one you changed.

 

I already saw that kind of "effect" because of a corrupted drive (boot drive) or also because of some IRQ conflict (a long while ago though)

 

EDIT : that is only possible if you used the same OS drive on both of the computers, if you didnt, well I really dont know what else it could be

[kraM1t]

 

From my experience it doesn't look like a video card problem, it might be though but I was wondering, have you really tried with another boot drive too (I mean your OS drive) ? I read that you replaced the HDD with a SSD already, but I talk about the OS drive, not necessarily your game storage drive, not sure of which one you changed.

 

I already saw that kind of "effect" because of a corrupted drive (boot drive) or also because of some IRQ conflict. 

 

 

 

Hey, yes I've installed Windows 2 times on the HDD and 3 times on the SSD now, with 1 disconnected, both connected etc etc

 

anymore ideas?

[Maldorhan]

 

Hey, yes I've installed Windows 2 times on the HDD and 3 times on the SSD now, with 1 disconnected, both connected etc etc

 

anymore ideas?

 

 

Wow... Well that is really weird, you've already tried pretty much everything, replaced every single hardware parts, installs and drivers...

[Maldorhan]

Thinking about it, but again, that would be crazy,

 

The only thing you didn't/couldn't replace is the power source, like any power strip, UPS maybe, for some reason that could eventually mess with the motherboard and stuff randomly, for exemple when you use more power demanding games

[kraM1t]

I did try a different power strip and routed it down to a main socket downstairs and plugged it directly into the PSU, but it still performed the same as using the strip I have plugged in, in here, my bedroom.

 

I'm so confused..

 

I do really appreciate all the replies guys

[Maldorhan]

Oh