Graphic Cards Need Your Help! FPS Drops & Stuttering on High-End PC

saumilsingh · May 3, 2018

Yea, for noticeable stuttering at lowest settings and resolutions, initiate an RMA request.

I assume you already tried different drivers and installing the gpu in another pc.

saumilsingh · May 4, 2018

Knower said:
NVIDIA Control Panel:
- Set Max Pre-Rendered Frames to "1"

Set that to 4 not 1.

1 is for ideal scenarios where you aren't experiencing any stutters whatsoever.
In your case however, having the cpu buffer 4 frames might smooth out the stutters.

It will introduce some input lag, but worth a try.

Knower · May 6, 2018

saumilsingh said:
Set that to 4 not 1.

1 is for ideal scenarios where you aren't experiencing any stutters whatsoever.
In your case however, having the cpu buffer 4 frames might smooth out the stutters.

It will introduce some input lag, but worth a try.

Have already tried. Really no positive changes. =(

Knower · May 6, 2018

saumilsingh said:
Set that to 4 not 1.

UPDATE 5

I've already done all the necessary tests in new Windows 10 1803 (17134.1) Build. There are no performance improvements even with new "Ultimate Performance" power plan.

UEFI Main Settings:
- BIOS 1301 update
- "Sync All Cores" at [47]
- XMP at 3,200 MHz
- PCIE3_4 and M.2_2 slots at X4 speed
- Custom fans curve and disabled unnecessary EXT FANS
- Disabled SpeedShift/SpeedStep, C-states, Spread Spectrum, Fast Boot and ASUS MultiCore Enhancement

Windows 10 1803 global Google Drive folder with all results:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VI-D62fRZ2AfNZ2NZqKtFXAEoM5tibdJ

MSI Afterburner Hardware Monitor games logs: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1z_EPdYovV_swrAm3El-gRJ87RZtrXvq3

Windows and other settings: https://drive.google.com/open?id=14a6vfGqZhDp6z6V-CFoBdpHR161pXKy8

All diagnostic info including GPUView Merged.etl trace file, MSINFO32 and Speccy snapshot: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1h3oCMaw5_odOSO1972Tqn6_RwYZz6vy3

If you can or know how to correctly analyze all the data, please, help me find the culprit of these frametime spikes and stuttering. Thank you a lot!

TheGreatOne · May 7, 2018

Have you tried making a thread about it on r/nvidia?
Maybe they can help you better.
Keep it small with tldr on top and all troubleshooting steps that you performed on bottom.
People don't read long posts on that site so include tldr.

Knower · May 7, 2018

TheGreatOne said:
Have you tried making a thread about it on r/nvidia?
Maybe they can help you better.
Keep it small with tldr on top and all troubleshooting steps that you performed on bottom.
People don't read long posts on that site so include tldr.

Yeah, I've created thread on GeForce forum & case in NVIDIA support. Waiting for response.

TLDR for lazy people, bad news that they don't want to read & help. =(

nRiTeCh · May 7, 2018

Coz there's already way too much similar discussions happening there and in reality nobody cares to run through those boring logs. Except if it's windows or developer forums.

Tip- post logs only when asked.
Peeps are more interested into pics and graphic than text and scripts.

And just coz its nvidia dont expect any magic answers from them. Its anyways a general forum after all but yeah you might get sensible replies as guys there mostly use all latest stuff.

Post your nvidia thread link here. I seldom use nvidia forum only when m stuck with some gaming or graphics issues.

saumilsingh · May 7, 2018

If you are positive you aren't simply overanalyzing random fps dips and that what you experience is actual noticeable stutter during gameplay, then save time and request an RMA.

No amount of tweaking will fix actual stuttering. Not all gpus are created equal, sometimes a gimp unit gets through the production line.
A crucial fault anywhere on the circuit board on an otherwise 'functional' gpu can disrupt the flow of electrons and induce stutters.

Other than obvious user-errors (active AV programs or forgot to connect the PCI-E power cable type stuff), a perfect end-user product doesn't require this much work. Slotting the card and installing drivers is all one needs to do.
While you have tried not only different drivers but even OS's.

9/10 odds the unit is faulty. RMA it.

If you do make a thread on Nvidia, post direct image thumbnail links. Opening those huge png's you shared on Google is a hassle.

Also try keeping Chrome browser open in the b/g while playing games. That seems to fix stutters for a whole lot of people. Something to do with keeping the gpu forced in peak power mode.

nRiTeCh · May 8, 2018

Weird. How does chrome browser helps in gaming? In fact browser these days eat 1gb ram for no reason.

If pciex power ain't plugged in you straightway get power error during bios post screen to connect power connectors to the gpu. And system booting doesnt proceed further.

Op has tried all tweaking and troubleshooting steps so rma looks last resort. Still lets see whats in store on nvidia forums.

As for rma op needs to give strong reason for replacement as low fps wont be considered at all.

Knower · May 8, 2018

saumilsingh said:
If you are positive you aren't simply overanalyzing random fps dips and that what you experience is actual noticeable stutter during gameplay, then save time and request an RMA.

No amount of tweaking will fix actual stuttering. Not all gpus are created equal, sometimes a gimp unit gets through the production line.
A crucial fault anywhere on the circuit board on an otherwise 'functional' gpu can disrupt the flow of electrons and induce stutters.

Other than obvious user-errors (active AV programs or forgot to connect the PCI-E power cable type stuff), a perfect end-user product doesn't require this much work. Slotting the card and installing drivers is all one needs to do.
While you have tried not only different drivers but even OS's.

9/10 odds the unit is faulty. RMA it.

If you do make a thread on Nvidia, post direct image thumbnail links. Opening those huge png's you shared on Google is a hassle.

Also try keeping Chrome browser open in the b/g while playing games. That seems to fix stutters for a whole lot of people. Something to do with keeping the gpu forced in peak power mode.

Hell. Why do you think that Chrome in the background helps in games performance? It's just a browser which consumes HW resources and can only AFFECT performance, not helpful at all.

If you want to keep GPU always at top speed it's far better to use EVGA K-boost feature what I gonna try.

nRiTeCh said:
Weird. How does chrome browser helps in gaming? In fact browser these days eat 1gb ram for no reason.

If pciex power ain't plugged in you straightway get power error during bios post screen to connect power connectors to the gpu. And system booting doesnt proceed further.

Op has tried all tweaking and troubleshooting steps so rma looks last resort. Still lets see whats in store on nvidia forums.

As for rma op needs to give strong reason for replacement as low fps wont be considered at all.

Yeah, Chrome in the background it's ridiculous thing.

My GPU eats power from two separate 8-pin cables. No issues there.

RMA it's the last one shot in this case. I should tell that maybe VRAM can't constantly handle huge load that causes stuttering.

saumilsingh · May 8, 2018

Heh, don't ask me. Keeping Chrome running is a proven fix for the stutters many people experience in some of the more buggy games (DX:HR Director's Cut being one).

Running your browser in the b/g doesn't hurt performance one bit, modern OS's can easily juggle multiple gigs of memory among multiple apps.
I have ~10 tabs open at any given time and never shut down my browser even while gaming. And I doubt I am the only one who does this, I believe this is pretty normal for most PC users nowadays.

Back on topic; low framerates and more importantly stuttering is a valid reason for RMA. It's a 1080ti and not some budget gpu.
Don't feed them any dubious claims like 'VRAM can't handle huge loads', just present your problem as it is, it's a genuine case.

nRiTeCh · May 9, 2018

I have ff opened all time with 7-8 tabs which all eat 4gigs and gaming on it wont affect at all as i have 18gb ram.
But i always prefer running clean. So be it gaming or watching movies i close all things and watch afresh.
Still will try the trick if ever any games stutter henceforth.

Knower · May 9, 2018

saumilsingh said:
Heh, don't ask me. Keeping Chrome running is a proven fix for the stutters many people experience in some of the more buggy games (DX:HR Director's Cut being one).

Running your browser in the b/g doesn't hurt performance one bit, modern OS's can easily juggle multiple gigs of memory among multiple apps.
I have ~10 tabs open at any given time and never shut down my browser even while gaming. And I doubt I am the only one who does this, I believe this is pretty normal for most PC users nowadays.

Back on topic; low framerates and more importantly stuttering is a valid reason for RMA. It's a 1080ti and not some budget gpu.
Don't feed them any dubious claims like 'VRAM can't handle huge loads', just present your problem as it is, it's a genuine case.

nRiTeCh said:
I have ff opened all time with 7-8 tabs which all eat 4gigs and gaming on it wont affect at all as i have 18gb ram.
But i always prefer running clean. So be it gaming or watching movies i close all things and watch afresh.
Still will try the trick if ever any games stutter henceforth.

I finally recorded all HM logs in CS GO & Fortnite, also have retested all other games with older & beta NVIDIA drivers (385.69, 385.12 BETA & 382.53).

Bad news:
1. There are no noticeable improvements in eliminating stutter using any other drivers. GTA 5, TW3 and PUBG (for e.g. only).
2. There are SOME annoying spikes in Fortnite BR but they're not so frequent.
HM Logs:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ULxP2IRVD-esOUIESc9gHVo5FOlXGIn-

Good news:
1. There are NO frametime spikes in CS:GO offline battle WITHOUT any bots. But there're noticeable in Community Servers even with low ping, maybe, it's server or player amount related. Don't know what's wrong with online CS playing. Tried Steam version and pirated one, no changes in performance.
HM Logs:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BaoQVGbbNPg1awHhGfvD6YzFcqbmrIrM

2. NVIDIA driver 385.69 (Sep, 2017) helps a bit to reduce spikes in GTA 5 and PUBG. Frametime graph is more smooth. Maybe it's random event and driver isn't related to this temporary frametime "smoothness". You can compare logs with different drivers and make conclusion am I right or not.
PUBG HM Logs with 397.31 driver:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NN8FuX05oKRXXWyoE-0wLsG10hJDUgho
PUBG HM Logs with 385.69 driver:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gQlE3ZD6UFfhcJrSmocx1FUyUqs-EgdX

Questions:
1. What do you think about all these tests?
2. Can NVIDIA drivers be the only one culprit by following the new results? Or it's more game related?
3. What another working fixes should I try to make a workaround if it's game related?

P.S.
I play GTA 5 single player only, not multiplayer.

nRiTeCh · May 9, 2018

For game related issues refer to gta forum or patch game to latest fixes.
What replies you got on nvidia btw.

Knower · May 9, 2018

nRiTeCh said:
For game related issues refer to gta forum or patch game to latest fixes.
What replies you got on nvidia btw.

No replies from Nvidia, they do nothing as well.

saumilsingh · May 11, 2018

Can you upload some 720p @ 60fps videos of what you deem stuttery gameplay on Youtube?
Upload 2 samples of 60 seconds each, one with vsync enabled and one with vsync disabled.

Use Shadowplay and make sure the framerate counter is also recorded.

That would present a better picture of what's going on than graphs and logs which most people ignore.

Knower · Jun 28, 2018

mach9 said:
Before you did any of this.. What was the process you followed for installation? Also did you do a proper stress test for maybe at least 24hrs if not 12 to ensure your config is stable? Typically I install the OS clean with only the latest updates to all drivers including chipset. I then stress test it. Then I check for the latest BIOS if any for the mobo, if there is I install it then stress test again. Finally I get down to OC if and only if I feel the need for it, if I do.. again stress test for reliability.

I avoid tweaking/OC the cpu or GFX through any of the manufacturer softwares as they tend to run in the background consuming processes and precious resources. GeForce experience crap is another annoyance that constantly checks and monitors for it's gameplay interface.

I also disable Google drive and any other syncing software plus configure the antivirus for gaming mode. Syncing softwares I've found are notorious for constantly checking for connectivity and syncs in the background.

Stuttering can usually be due to something accessing the memory or the drive interrupting the buffer for the game.. if not the CPU being throttled or heating playing a role but there most likely to cause a BSOD crash. I take it you installed Windows on the SSD and the game on the HDD? If so for some cases the HDD is the bottleneck depending on the specific game if I'm not wrong.

vishalrao said:
IINM also check if the HPET timer setting in BIOS and/or Windows and switch it on or off to see if that makes any difference.

saumilsingh said:
If you are positive you aren't simply overanalyzing random fps dips and that what you experience is actual noticeable stutter during gameplay, then save time and request an RMA.

No amount of tweaking will fix actual stuttering. Not all gpus are created equal, sometimes a gimp unit gets through the production line.
A crucial fault anywhere on the circuit board on an otherwise 'functional' gpu can disrupt the flow of electrons and induce stutters.

Other than obvious user-errors (active AV programs or forgot to connect the PCI-E power cable type stuff), a perfect end-user product doesn't require this much work. Slotting the card and installing drivers is all one needs to do.
While you have tried not only different drivers but even OS's.

9/10 odds the unit is faulty. RMA it.

If you do make a thread on Nvidia, post direct image thumbnail links. Opening those huge png's you shared on Google is a hassle.

Also try keeping Chrome browser open in the b/g while playing games. That seems to fix stutters for a whole lot of people. Something to do with keeping the gpu forced in peak power mode.

saumilsingh said:
Heh, don't ask me. Keeping Chrome running is a proven fix for the stutters many people experience in some of the more buggy games (DX:HR Director's Cut being one).

Running your browser in the b/g doesn't hurt performance one bit, modern OS's can easily juggle multiple gigs of memory among multiple apps.
I have ~10 tabs open at any given time and never shut down my browser even while gaming. And I doubt I am the only one who does this, I believe this is pretty normal for most PC users nowadays.

Back on topic; low framerates and more importantly stuttering is a valid reason for RMA. It's a 1080ti and not some budget gpu.
Don't feed them any dubious claims like 'VRAM can't handle huge loads', just present your problem as it is, it's a genuine case.

nRiTeCh said:
For game related issues refer to gta forum or patch game to latest fixes.
What replies you got on nvidia btw.

saumilsingh said:
Can you upload some 720p @ 60fps videos of what you deem stuttery gameplay on Youtube?
Upload 2 samples of 60 seconds each, one with vsync enabled and one with vsync disabled.

Use Shadowplay and make sure the framerate counter is also recorded.

That would present a better picture of what's going on than graphs and logs which most people ignore.

Hi community,

How are you there with your rig? Any issues in games (frame time spikes, FPS drops, stuttering)? Any improvements in PUBG performance?

Well, I want to ask you something about 'msconfig' OS Settings:
1. Should I set maximum amount of CPUs (physical & logical)? AFAIK with default settings (unchecked "Number of processors:" field) Windows try to use maximum possible amount of processors, but will I improve performance (at least barely) with manual "12 CPUs" setting?
2. Especially, should I enable PCI Lock (disabled by default) in BOOT Advanced Options? I found some unconfirmed info on the Internet that somebody had CPU frequency misalignment (e.g. 2.28 GHz instead of default basic 2.3 GHz). Any helpful advices here?

Screenshot: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fR1LXzbG1CvcR8iHcyPBlRiUPbIrMFmh

Thank you for attention!

nRiTeCh · Jun 28, 2018

Don't do anything as nothings required to change there. It will only degrade further.

Knower · Jul 10, 2018

nRiTeCh said:
Don't do anything as nothings required to change there. It will only degrade further.

I've finally received the long awaited "deep tech" reply from NVIDIA support:

Hello [customer_name],
I am sorry for not providing an update. Our driver team is still working on this but the fix is targeted for now with our next driver branch. For now I suggest disabling power monitoring when gaming to avoid FPS drops/stutter.

Best Regards,
Manuel
NVIDIA Customer Care

NVIDIA Knowledge Base -
http://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/list/track/
NVIDIA GeForce Community Forums -
https://forums.geforce.com
NVIDIA Find Us Online -
http://www.nvidia.com/object/nv_fuo.html

So, do you think that NVIDIA said the truth about frame time spikes & stuttering issue?