I built this PC in 2022, and games such as Marvel Rivals, Fortnite, and Valorant have become so laggy that they freeze on a single frame and are completely unresponsive. The problem is much worse than ordinary network lag. I have already tried using Ethernet, updating drivers, changing game-related settings, installing a latency tool, and repairing a monitor. My university's internet connection seems fine, so I don't think Wi-Fi is the main issue. The PC has a Ryzen 7 5800X, RTX 3060, 32GB of DDR4 RAM with XMP enabled, a 500GB WD SN770 NVMe SSD, an additional unbranded 5TB drive, and an EVGA 700 GD power supply. The games used to run, although they were sometimes laggy. What should I check to find the cause?
4 Answers
If the issue is actually network-related, check latency and packet loss separately from frame rate. However, freezing on one frame can also indicate a graphics or system problem, so compare the game’s FPS with its network ping. Also review recently installed programs, since background software can throttle performance or interfere with games.
Use hardware benchmarks and monitoring tools instead of relying only on games to diagnose the system. Check CPU and GPU temperatures, frequencies, utilization, RAM speed, and whether the SSD is nearly full. An SSD can slow down considerably when it has very little free space, and benchmark results may help show whether the problem is the GPU, CPU, storage, or memory.
Try completely removing and reinstalling the NVIDIA driver with Display Driver Uninstaller, then test again. If that does not help, reset the BIOS/CMOS and leave XMP disabled while troubleshooting. You can also reseat the graphics card and RAM. A clean Windows reinstall should be a last resort after backing up important files.
First confirm that your monitor cable is plugged into the RTX 3060 rather than the motherboard’s video output. Since the computer used to run these games, monitor temperatures, clock speeds, and usage while a game is open. Overheating, a failing cooler, dried thermal paste, or throttling could explain a sudden performance drop. Malware or unwanted background software is another possibility.
I’ll check whether Windows is running an Insider or preview build too, then test with XMP disabled and reinstall the graphics driver cleanly.