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Why Do Games Stutter on High-End PCs? Causes & How to Fix It

Elite hardware is not error-free but can escape the matrix

8 min. read

Published onMay 21, 2024

published onMay 21, 2024

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It should be a no-brainer that investing in top-tier hardware should give you a pass when it comes to most game issues but even high-end PCs experience some stutter occasionally.

However, this doesn’t mean that your hardware is faulty, you just need to know the right buttons to push to achieve an immersive gaming experience that is stutter-free.

Why is my PC suddenly stuttering in games?

Why is my PC suddenly stuttering in games?

  1. Storage bottlenecks

You may have the space requirements to install a game but as you play a game, your game file size also grows. This includes any addition of mods or supporting software to enhance your game.

Within no time, your 1TB storage solution won’t seem so big anymore. So if you’ve been wonderingwhy games are major storage space consumers, here is your answer.

It therefore becomes slow because of the time taken to access files because of their size. Slow load times can impact game performance and cause some stuttering as your system can’t fetch data quickly enough.

  1. Limited graphics card

Although your PC may be a high-end one, most of them come with an integrated GPU. They’re not bad for everyday tasks but if you’re gaming, you’ll need a strong contender for this position. Most modern games have high graphic demands so an integrated GPU may struggle with performance.

Further, your integrated GPU is competing with your CPU for RAM so sharing of resources may leave your games with insufficient resources hence the stuttering.

  1. Inadequate cooling

If you don’t have a proper cooling system, your GPU shifts its performance to stop your PC from overheating instead of rendering graphics. Without prioritizing its main tasks during gameplay, your games are bound to experience a lot of stuttering.

Coolers don’t come cheap so if yours has given out,consider getting a second-hand AIO cooler. It’s more affordable and will revolutionize how you cool your PC.

Other causes of stuttering include overdue system maintenance and games not meeting system requirements.

What can I do to fix game stuttering on my high-end PC?

What can I do to fix game stuttering on my high-end PC?

  1. Update your graphics driver

  2. Upgrade graphic performance settings

  3. Use a dedicated GPU

  4. Enable hardware acceleration

  5. Enable V-Sync

5.1 Nvidia graphics

5.2 AMD graphics

  1. Adjust your power plan settings

  2. Run Disk Cleanup

  3. Scan for HDD errors

  4. Scan for viruses

  5. Scan for System File errors

  1. Enable Game Mode

  2. Enable the Steam Overlay

  3. Verify the integrity of the game files

  4. Reinstall the problematic game in compatibility mode

Additional considerations to prevent stuttering

Ultimately, if you already have good hardware and theperfect OS for gaming, the rest is really up to you. All you have to do is play with some settings tooptimize your PC for gaming.

For individualgame-stuttering cases like CS:GO, check out our detailed article for quick fixes.

You may need to upgrade some components like your processor after some time especially if you want to maintain agood gaming speed. Still, as long as you’ve got agood gaming laptop, everything else usually falls into place.

Have you had the challenges of game stuttering on your high-end PC? What was the root cause of the issue and how did you handle it? We’d like to get your experience on this so leave your comments down below.

More about the topics:gaming

Claire Moraa

Windows Software Expert

Claire has a knack for solving problems and improving the quality of life for those around her. She’s driven by rationality, curiosity, and simplicity, and always eager to learn more about Microsoft’s products. With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11, errors, and software.

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Claire Moraa

Windows Software Expert

With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11 errors.