stuttering games

[qbnb]

from a post in a different forum:
i realize this problem has been around for a while, so please bare with me.
i've had this computer for a couple months now. the problem seemed to start when i switched out my video card. previously i had been running an ati x700pro, which seemed to do the trick. when i upgraded to an ati x1800xl my games seemed to start this stuttering nonsense. every couple of seconds and only for a split second my framerate drops from the high 100's to a red number (too fast to see); this creates a very annoying skipping or stuttering effect. so far it's most noticable in half life 2, but it effects other games aswell.
now, i think i've tried everything, but i'm still looking for some suggestions. i have:
made sure to use all current and up to date drivers
switched memory slots
tried everything at both overclocked and stock speeds
updated my bios
tried a different video card (7800 gtx)
reinstalled windows xp pro (a couple of times)
disabled onboard sound
disabled sound hardware acceleration
disabled sound within the game
modified memory timings
run most benchmark programs available (prime95 and memtest stable)
played with voltages
removed all extra applications from hogging up resources
used the "mat_forcemanagedtextureintohardware 0" command in hl2

please, does anyone have any other ideas? i really don't want to rma this entire computer.

 

[Tu13erhead]

Only other thing I can think of is try disabling Write Combining.

Right-click desktop > Properties > Settings tab > Advanced > Troubleshooting tab > un-check Enable Write Combining > Hit OK and reboot.

That fixed my stuttering issues, though it was with a 6800GT and nf3 chipset.

 

[qbnb]

Originally posted by: Tu13erhead
Only other thing I can think of is try disabling Write Combining.

Right-click desktop > Properties > Settings tab > Advanced > Troubleshooting tab > un-check Enable Write Combining > Hit OK and reboot.

That fixed my stuttering issues, though it was with a 6800GT and nf3 chipset.

tried that, unfortunatly it didn't help.

 

[qbnb]

update, i just installed a ocz powerstream 520w psu and i'm still having problems, so that's not it. any other ideas?

 

[qbnb]

more news...
i disabled antivirus. nothing.
i disabled the pagefile. nothing.

 

[qbnb]

going to try installing some different ram, and perhaps a different processor (if i must). thanks for all the help so far.

 

[qbnb]

neither helped... anyone?

 

[Fern]

I dunno man. Use the term "stuttering" with the search function above. Search video, software & tech support.

Might try disabling "fast writes" if you have not already done so. Is there an Aperature setting for PCIe? Might check it too.

Anywho, consider this a free bump & Good Luck

Fern

 

[KyleY]

Did you ever find a resolution to this issue? I'm having about the same issue (stuttering in games with otherwise great frame rates - also in videos and DVD) using the same motherboard. It seems like a software issue to me, but maybe not - especially if you've done windows XP reinstalls (assuming you formatted and didn't just do a repair). TIA,
--Kyle

 

[funboy6942]

At times when you swap cards this will happen. It has happend to me and there are 3 things you can try.

1. Uninstall or remove everything ATI through the controll pannel/add remove. Make sure to download the very newest driver from ATI even if you have it alread. It may be a currupt download so to be on the safe side dl it again and replace it. Once you got rid of everything ATI and restarted the computer and the boxes poped up saying it found new hardware leave the boxes alone and do nothing with them and re-install the drivers with the new ATI download. If this doesnt take care of the problem move to step 2.

2. Reinstall xp through windows. Stick your xp cd in the drive and select install XP. Select upgrade but dont select download from the internet. This will go ahead and reinstall xp without lossing anything you have on the hdd already. After this is done and it didnt work move to step 3.

3. This is what should be done any time you install a new graphics card which is a reformat and redo the hdd. This will flush out any driver/registry issues you may be having and will 99% take care of the stuttering problem. Its not the card, its not your computer hardware. 99% of the time its crap left over from the other card in the registry or who knows where causing the problem. Anytime I swap out cards EVEN if they are made by the same maker this is what I do. If not at some point what is happening to you will happen down the road if you dont do this and I have learned my lesson enough times to be prepaired when swaping cards to back up the system while it is being shipped so when its here im ready to flush and fill the hdd with the new card installed.