Addressing Extreme Stuttering in Red Dead Redemption 2 and Doom Eternal: Troubleshooting Tips and Solutions
Experiencing sudden and severe performance issues such as stuttering during gameplay can be incredibly frustrating, especially when they occur unexpectedly and impact your gaming experience. This article aims to help gamers troubleshoot and resolve extreme stuttering issues observed during playing titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) and Doom Eternal. We will explore potential causes, diagnostic strategies, and effective solutions to restore smooth gameplay.
Understanding the Problem
Many gamers have reported instances where their games suddenly begin to stutter violently, experiencing frame drops from high frame rates (over 120 FPS) to near unplayable levels (as low as 0.9 FPS). Such issues can stem from various factors, including hardware malfunctions, driver issues, improper configurations, or background processes interfering with game performance.
In one particular case, a gamer noted that upon launching Red Dead Redemption 2—and by extension possibly affecting other demanding titles—both the GPU’s core clock and memory clock were pegged at their lowest settings. Additionally, the system’s fps counter revealed extreme fluctuations, initiating as high as 120+ FPS and crashing down to barely a flicker, with the voltage limit also restricted to a minimal setting.
Diagnostic Steps and Observations
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Monitoring Performance Metrics:
Using tools like MSI Afterburner, the user observed the GPU’s core and memory clocks maxing out at their lowest possible levels during gameplay, indicating the GPU might be downclocking or throttling severely. -
Frame Rate Fluctuations:
The fps readings fluctuated dramatically, pointing toward instability in the system’s ability to sustain consistent rendering performance. -
Background Processes:
Standard troubleshooting included turning off background applications, yet the problem persisted, suggesting a deeper issue. -
Virus and Malware Scanning:
Multiple scans with Windows Defender and Malwarebytes were performed to rule out malware interference affecting system stability.
Potential Causes
- Thermal Throttling: Overheating components can cause the GPU or CPU to reduce clock speeds drastically to prevent damage.
- Power Supply Issues: An inadequate or failing power supply may restrict power delivery, impacting performance.
- Driver Problems: Corrupt or outdated graphics drivers can cause performance anomalies.
- Hardware Failures: GPU or RAM problems can lead to system instability.
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