Hey everyone, I recently built a PC for my friend using some leftover parts and a few new ones. After he tested games like Call of Duty: Warzone and Helldivers 2, he experienced severe stuttering—his FPS initially hovered around 120, but then dropped dramatically to as low as 9 FPS for a few seconds. I've checked that the parts I used were working fine just a couple of months ago. The stuttering seems to occur only during gaming sessions. Here are the steps I've already taken:
- Ran the 3DMark Steel Nomad test, which scored around 4,900 without stuttering.
- Freshly installed Windows 11.
- Decreased the GPU power limit to 80% using MSI Afterburner.
- Wiped and reinstalled Nvidia drivers, trying out three different versions.
- Toggled Resize Bar on and off.
To give you more context, my specs are:
- Intel Core i9 11900k (brand new)
- Biostar Z490 GTA EVO (open box, no signs of previous use)
- 32GB Kingston Fury DDR4 3200MHz (used from my own setup)
- 2 Kingston NV2 1TB M.2 (brand new)
- Zotac RTX 3080ti (also from my own setup)
- NZXT C850 80+ Gold PSU (brand new)
From what I have seen, CPU temps look good, and GPU temps range from 40-60°C during gameplay. One strange thing happened: when the stuttering occurs, a voltage regulator in his room clicks (but the PC is directly plugged into the wall). Any advice on what to check next would be really appreciated!
2 Answers
It sounds like you might have missed some settings. If you're using an Xbox controller, that could be causing stuttering. Check out the optimization guide I linked—follow steps 1-7 and 9-12 closely, and once you optimize everything, keep an eye on temperatures. If it still stutters, revisit step 17. Good luck!
That stuttering might stem from an overheating issue. The i9 11900K is notorious for running hot. First off, check your cooling setup. If you're using a Deepcool AK500 cooler with Arctic MX5 paste, ensure it's properly seated. You might also want to try undervolting the CPU if you haven't done that yet. It'll help with temps for sure!
My friend did undervolt it already, but I appreciate the tip!
Got it! I'll check the guide and see if anything there helps.