Help needed with 59 fps stutter when playing a vsync locked, 60fps game .

[Mike0409]

How do I beef my refresh rate up to 70hz? Its natively 1680x1050 60hz unless you mean that I should try dropping my res?

Under display properties you should have a Settings tab, there should be a Monitor tab in there and Refresh rate will be under that. (Id attach some screenies but I'm at work.)

 

[JrRacinFan]

Under display properties you should have a Settings tab, there should be a Monitor tab in there and Refresh rate will be under that. (Id attach some screenies but I'm at work.)

Have to make sure the monitor properly supports that refresh rate or could do damage the panel.

 

[Mike0409]

Have to make sure the monitor properly supports that refresh rate or could do damage the panel.

Should be OK. As long as he doesn't uncheck the "Hide Modes that this monitor cant display"

 

[LifeOnMars]

I can say for NFS:HP I have the exactly same issue. Playing with 60FPS almost whole game thru, but getting 59FPS dips and kinda stalls fluidity of game. I was wondering if better GFX card would solve this problem. I also tried D3DOverrider and triple buffer and got somehow same result.

I remember going from 8800GTS to HD5850 card and while playing Burnout Paradise Ultimate I got similar FPS dips as now in NFS:HP. 8800GTS was fluid eg. constant 60FPS in Burnout. Those games are both made by Criterion.

Burnout Paradise stays at 60fps solid for me

Mike - I can't go above 60hz on my monitor, it goes all jumpy stuttery if I try unless its at a lower res which just looks blurry as hell.

 

[JrRacinFan]

Next chance you get LoM, we're going to have to do a TeamViewer session. I'll check over things see if there's anything that I see could be a potential cause.

 

[LifeOnMars]

Next chance you get LoM, we're going to have to do a TeamViewer session. I'll check over things see if there's anything that I see could be a potential cause.

What's TeamViewer? That sounds interesting

EDIT - Oh remote access huh (quickly hides his prOn)

 

[LifeOnMars]

OK, A few things from different games I have noticed which may help you in diagnosing what is wrong -

World Of Warcraft -

Mouse & Keyboard

I have the map key customised to one of my side mouse buttons, when I press it the game will stutter/skip for a second. If I keep opening the map/closing the map continuous stutter. Flying on a mount/walking into new areas. Stutter - HARD DRIVE ACCESS??

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare (Offline) and Modern Warfare 2 (Offline) -

Mouse & Keyboard

Vsync Off - No stutter but momentary load stutter/frameskip when a scene is about to happen.
Vsync on - Stutter pretty much throughout but almost like frame skipping, especially if I pan across NPC's

James Bond Bloodstone -

Vsync locked 59fps stutter every now and again, very similar to NFSHP and FIFA 11. Vysnc off shows ridiculous framerates which never go near 60fps let alone 59. I use the Xbox 360 controller for this game and notice the effect more when moving the camera vertically either up or down.

Naild -

Vsync locked 59fps/60fps stutter. Only occasional and random but very off putting. I use the Xbox 360 controller for this one too.

Dead Space -

Xbox 360 controller

Vsync locked 59fps/60fps stutter. Exactly like Nail'd, random but occasional and very off putting.

Divinity 2 -

Mouse & Keyboard

I have to lock this at 40fps to control horrendous stutter. At all other framerates it's a positively epileptic experience.

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[LifeOnMars]

Here's a gif to show the stutter I'm experiencing -

[/IMG]

 

[Mussels]

i dont think the gif worked

 

[LifeOnMars]

OK should be sorted now Can you see it's almost like frameskip?

 

[Mussels]

yes i can see it now. doesnt help me solve it, however.

 

[cdawall]

can you try with vsync turned off and see if the issue goes away?

 

[erocker]

I'm wondering if it system related and not GPU related. Almost sounds like it could be a slight memory issue to me. Try upping the voltage on your RAM and the CPU/NB a couple bumps and see if the issue changes at all.

*In your specs you list your 1.65v RAM at 1.6v. That will be a problem on an AMD rig as they usually require more voltage than stock.

 

[LifeOnMars]

can you try with vsync turned off and see if the issue goes away?

With vysnc off I have the same stutter but with tearing

Erocker - I did have my memory at 1.65v for a long time and had the same issues, shouldn't really have to go up to 1.7 should I?

I seem to be seeing alot of 460 related stutter threads all over the place, some people have no issues, some have loads. I'm considering asking Gigabyte to replace with an ATI equivalent card, what would that be exactly?

 

[erocker]

With vysnc off I have the same stutter but with tearing

Erocker - I did have my memory at 1.65v for a long time and had the same issues, shouldn't really have to go up to 1.7 should I?

I seem to be seeing alot of 460 related stutter threads all over the place, some people have no issues, some have loads. I'm considering asking Gigabyte to replace with an ATI equivalent card, what would that be exactly?

You may need 1.7v. It's very common that an AMD system needs this. Same with the CPU/NB (Internal Memory Controller) voltage. You're right though, it could very well just be the card. My 460 stuttered on me but I thought it was due to 768mb of memory on it at 1920x1200. Maybe I was wrong? I would at least try bumping up the voltage on those two things before getting a different card. I suppose a 6870 is the ATi equivalent of your 460.

 

[LifeOnMars]

You may need 1.7v. It's very common that an AMD system needs this. Same with the CPU/NB (Internal Memory Controller) voltage. You're right though, it could very well just be the card. My 460 stuttered on me but I thought it was due to 768mb of memory on it at 1920x1200. Maybe I was wrong? I would at least try bumping up the voltage on those two things before getting a different card. I suppose a 6870 is the ATi equivalent of your 460.

Interesting, thanks. I'm going to run @ 1.7 for the memory. My CPU/NB is only at 2600 @1.35v, that should be enough shouldn't it?

I'm giving the card until Friday, if my problems are not resolved by then I have a Gigabyte returns depot near me so I will be swapping for an alternative card.

 

[LifeOnMars]

Here's an update.

I've been running my ram now at 6-7-6 1T 1333Mhz @1.7v and have seen improvement!!

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare no longer seems to have those stuttery pauses, only very brief autosave pauses (Is That Normal?)

My question is, are there any ways with altering the memory timings/hard drives to improve those saving pauses?

I have also heard it mentioned that AMD systems benefit more from running lower latencies....why is this?

And finally, I have seen much talk over at Guru 3D about disabling HPET to reduce/get rid of stutter on the 4XX series Nvidia cards for some people. I don't have this option in my bios and I'm wondering if there is a way I can try this out as I'm still getting the same stuttery gameplay in most of my other games?

 

[erocker]

Here's an update.

I've been running my ram now at 6-7-6 1T 1333Mhz @1.7v and have seen improvement!!

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare no longer seems to have those stuttery pauses, only very brief autosave pauses (Is That Normal?)

My question is, are there any ways with altering the memory timings/hard drives to improve those saving pauses?

I have also heard it mentioned that AMD systems benefit more from running lower latencies....why is this?

And finally, I have seen much talk over at Guru 3D about disabling HPET to reduce/get rid of stutter on the 4XX series Nvidia cards for some people. I don't have this option in my bios and I'm wondering if there is a way I can try this out as I'm still getting the same stuttery gameplay in most of my other games?

Bump up your CPU voltage and CPU/NB voltage and try again.

 

[LifeOnMars]

Bump up your CPU voltage and CPU/NB voltage and try again.

OK I'm going for 1.4v on the CPU/NB and 1.4v load on the CPU, probably too extreme considering I have run stability tests but I'm willing to try to save the hassle of returning/blaming the graphics card.

Any thoughts on my other questions e?

 

[erocker]

The memory controller in AMD's chips are the reason. However they are designed, they work better with lower latency over higher frequencies. I think a good thing for you to try is reseting your CMOS and try running everything stock. Setup your RAM how the manufacturer wants it setup. If these games have no stutter after this, it's definitely an instability on your OC somewhere.

 

[LifeOnMars]

Well it seems we have a winner. The RAM!!

I ran my CPU@ 3.2Ghz stock with turbo disabled but with 1.35v
CPU/NB@1.3v 2000/2000
and set the RAM to 7/8/7 2T 1600MHz 1.7v

Ran through the "Crew Expendable" level on COD MW.

Result - All sorts of weird stuttering, pauses and massive frame drops.

Restarted and set the RAM to auto, keeping everything else the same. Checked via CPUz and it was running at 9/9/9 24/40 1T. Then ran through the same level again.

Result - Slight autosave pause but no stuttering and no massive frame drops.

I bought the RAM as it had good latencies for its 1600MHz speed, was on the QVL and had reviews that stated it was overclockable and kept cool. Looks like I may have got duds.

Anyways, gonna try a few more games and see how it goes. What would you do? Return it? If so any recommended native AMD ram suggestions are very much welcomed



EDIT - Just tried Dead Space, now getting frame skip (as in the gif I posted) and stutter even at 9/9/9 24/40 1T

 

[LifeOnMars]

So today I decided to take it apart, have a little clean of everything and reassemble, then work on my settings.

I now have the CPU 4Ghz @ 1.43v, NB 2.6 @ 1.35v(CPU/NB) and running the memory at 1414Mhz 6/7/6 1T and very pleased to say everything is running very smoothly so somewhere along the line, something was either not connected properly/too dusty or something was set incorrectly in the bios that I had missed.

Happy camper now.

Thank you to everyone who contributed, getting back to what I love best now - playing games and browsing TPU

 

[erocker]

Glad it's all sorted!