How Can I Fix Frequent FPS Dips and Stuttering in My Games?

Which games show the problem, and what resolution are you playing at? The type of dip matters too—brief microstutters can have different causes from a half-second hitch every few seconds. The RX 5600 XT’s 6GB of VRAM can also be limiting in newer games, especially with high-resolution textures. Try lowering texture quality and watching VRAM usage.

Check the graphics card’s temperatures and fan behavior under load. If the card is overheating, it may reduce its clock speed and cause repeated dips. If the fans no longer ramp up or the card is unusually loud, clean the cooler and verify that it is getting adequate airflow.

The 500W Thermaltake Smart power supply is a very low-end unit. It may not be the direct cause, but I would replace it with a reputable, higher-quality model before installing a more powerful GPU. If you upgrade the graphics card, budget for the PSU at the same time.

Start by monitoring GPU temperature, GPU usage, CPU usage, clock speeds, VRAM usage, and frame times while the stutter happens. A GPU sitting around 90–100% usage usually means the game is GPU-bound, while low GPU usage combined with a heavily loaded CPU points toward a CPU limitation. You can also try resetting or clearing the shader cache.

Make sure the games are installed on the NVMe drive if possible and check whether the SATA SSD is nearly full or showing health issues. Storage can contribute to asset-streaming hitches, although it’s less likely to be the main cause of stuttering in every game than temperatures, VRAM limits, drivers, or shader compilation.