Gaming - Some Games Stutter, Others Don't

[SaintIsaiah]

I built my system back in January and older games that I should be able to play fine at max quality (because Skyrim has almost all settings maxed and running fine) are stuttering during dialogue and looking around quickly with the mouse. I thought possibly that maybe the games were having issues so I uninstalled and reinstalled them with no change. I've also reinstalled Windows 7 twice (the latest time with it on an SSD) and disabling crossfire, even switching the primary card with no change. If any of you can provide some insight that would be very appreciated. Below are my system specs along with the games that do and don't run acceptably.

All games are running on one monitor @ 1920x1080 with max settings

Games That Run Fine
-------------------------
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Counter-Strike: Source
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Dead Island
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead 2
Max Payne 3 (FXAA instead of MSAA)
Team Fortress 2
Star Wars: The Old Republic

Games That Experience Stuttering (As Described Above)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Fallout 3
Fallout: New Vegas
Portal 2
Dead Space
Dead Space 2


System Specs
-----------------
-ASUS Crosshair V Formula (BIOS Version 1402)
-AMD FX-8150 8-Core Processor (3.6Ghz Stock currently - 35º Idle / 49º Full load)
-Corsair H60 Liquid CPU Cooler
-4x4GB Kingston HyperX 1600Mhz RAM (all modules individually passed with memtest on 5 passes on 07/26/12)
-2x(crossfire) - XFX Radeon HD 6870 [1GB Model]
-OCZ Vertex Plus 240GB SSD SATA II (Windows 7 and work programs/documents only)
-Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB HDD (All Games and Non-Work files

 

[DeusAres]

Do you have all the latest drivers installed for your GPU(s)?

 

[SaintIsaiah]

Do you have all the latest drivers installed for your GPU(s)?

I have tried both the latest stable drivers (12.6) and the beta (12.7) directly from AMD's site, no change unfortunately

 

[DeusAres]

And you say it still happens even with crossfire disabled?

What PSU are you using? Wattage? Efficiency?

 

[SaintIsaiah]

And you say it still happens even with crossfire disabled?

What PSU are you using? Wattage? Efficiency?

Yes, it happens even with crossfire disabled. I've even tried swapping the primary card to see if the card was bad.

The PSu I'm using is a Diablotek PHD 750W. Got it in January new with the other parts. Here is a product page url for it since I'm not sure what you mean by the "efficiency" of it. Hopefully that answers the question?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817822010

 

[DeusAres]

Hm, sadly, the PSU might be your problem here...and then again might not.

Diablotek PSUs are terrible. They aren't 80+ certified...meaning you're getting well below 80% efficiency. This translates into less as well as not as consistent power flow. You may not be getting consistent wattage to your GPUs.

I'd recommend this PSU...

SeaSonic M12II 750 SS-750AM 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151107

If the psu isn't the problem, then perhaps the CPU is hindering the GPUs' performance. That would be my last guess. If neither of these are the issue, then I'm not entirely sure.

Hope this helps!

 

[SaintIsaiah]

Hm, sadly, the PSU might be your problem here...and then again might not.

Diablotek PSUs are terrible. They aren't 80+ certified...meaning you're getting well below 80% efficiency. This translates into less as well as not as consistent power flow. You may not be getting consistent wattage to your GPUs.

I'd recommend this PSU...

SeaSonic M12II 750 SS-750AM 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151107

If the psu isn't the problem, then perhaps the CPU is hindering the GPUs' performance. That would be my last guess. If neither of these are the issue, then I'm not entirely sure.

Hope this helps!

I had a feeling the PSU might be the issue. The only reason I bought it was because it was $30 new for a 750W, and I though sure, why not, although I should've known better when I saw the reviews. Considering that other games like Skyrim work great, I'd tend to rule out the CPU hindering on the GPU. I like the SeaSonic PSU you linked, but I think I want to up the wattage, because I really want to overclock this bad boy and have an excuse to get the H100 for the CPU (I'm aiming for quiet as well because of roommates). What would you recommend for a 1200/1250W PSU and is there a better quiet cooling solution other than the H100 that doesn't kill me financially?

 

[DeusAres]

I had a feeling the PSU might be the issue. The only reason I bought it was because it was $30 new for a 750W, and I though sure, why not, although I should've known better when I saw the reviews. Considering that other games like Skyrim work great, I'd tend to rule out the CPU hindering on the GPU. I like the SeaSonic PSU you linked, but I think I want to up the wattage, because I really want to overclock this bad boy and have an excuse to get the H100 for the CPU (I'm aiming for quiet as well because of roommates). What would you recommend for a 1200/1250W PSU and is there a better quiet cooling solution other than the H100 that doesn't kill me financially?

The 750w seasonic psu I recommended is more than enough for crossfire and overclocking...as well as a few other upgrades such as storage drives and what not. If you want a better cooling solution, look into the Hyper 212 Evo

The H100s' pumps and fans are actually extremely noisy and whiny. If you want a better air cooler than the hyper 212, you could try this one...although it's quite a bit more expensive Noctua NH-D14

The noctua is the better performer and surprisingly quieter. The hyper 212 will perform exceptionally well and isn't much louder than the noctua. Quite possibly the best bang for the buck cooler on the market today.

 

[SaintIsaiah]

The 750w seasonic psu I recommended is more than enough for crossfire and overclocking...as well as a few other upgrades such as storage drives and what not. If you want a better cooling solution, look into the Hyper 212 Evo

The H100s' pumps and fans are actually extremely noisy and whiny. If you want a better air cooler than the hyper 212, you could try this one...although it's quite a bit more expensive Noctua NH-D14

The noctua is the better performer and surprisingly quieter. The hyper 212 will perform exceptionally well and isn't much louder than the noctua. Quite possibly the best bang for the buck cooler on the market today.

If the SeaSonic should handle it, then I'll give it a try. Seems like a decent price for a much better PSU. Regarding the cooler, since my H60 is getting temp readings of 35º Idle / 49º Full load (only marginally higher when I had the CPU overclocked to 4.2Ghz) and the fact that it isn't really noisy, should I just stick with that or pick up the Noctua (I like the idea of the extra fan and the price isn't really high)?

On the subject of upgrading these parts, I'd like to get some more room inside, so I was pondering getting a full ATX case (currently have the CM Storm Enforcer). What are your thoughts on the CM HAF-932?

I have rated your reply earlier about the PSU as the best answer. Sorry to take so long to do so, this is my first time on a Q&A type of site.

 

[SaintIsaiah]

Best answer selected by SaintIsaiah.

 

[DeusAres]

The noctua actually performs on par with the H100. I'd personally just stick with what you have. Sounds like it's performing really well.

For the case, I'd recommend a super mid tower case. No need for a full tower. The HAF 932 would be an excellent option, though.

I'd go with this...
COOLER MASTER HAF 922

Or this...
Antec Eleven Hundred

If you go with the Antec, you'll want to grab an extra 7 120mm case fans. It only comes with two exhaust fans (120mm and 200mm). Keep in mind, the top 200mm fan has blue LEDs. I'd recommend these case fans...
COOLER MASTER R4-L2S-122B-GP 120mm

 

[DeusAres]

Don't worry about the best answer stuff, lol. It just acts as motivation to give people advice. These ranks and awards mean nothing.

I typically just enjoy helping people with their build. I'm hoping to get mine soon. Just waiting to get the cash, lol.

 

[SaintIsaiah]

Don't worry about the best answer stuff, lol. It just acts as motivation to give people advice. These ranks and awards mean nothing.

I typically just enjoy helping people with their build. I'm hoping to get mine soon. Just waiting to get the cash, lol.

Heh, I wouldn't have most of this stuff if it weren't for my boss giving me a decent bonus. I just looked at the HAF 922 and the case is cool without a doubt, but it's about the same dimensions and layout of my CM Storm Enforcer. Same thing with the Antec Eleven Hundred

The biggest issue I'm having right now with the case is that the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131735 has right angle SATA slots (which are nice because it will help with a super long 7900 card that I'll be getting in the future not obstructing them) that are about a half inch from the 3.5" drive bays. Meaning that I have to squeeze the cables in there and they have some pressure against them, which I fear could lead to the SATA ports being damaged.

Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I just don't want a $200+ Mobo being FUBARed. Is there a good Super mid-ATX case that has a longer length so there's at least an inch or more between the SATA ports and the drive bays? Preferably with USB 3.0 ports on the front. Also something else I forgot to add in the previous post: The 2nd HD 6870 is only about 2 inches from the PSU. Should I then consider the Full ATX route to provide more space?

 

[DeusAres]

In that case, go with the HAF 932 you were considering. Or the NZXT SWITCH 810 White. It also comes in black. I just prefer the white version.

 

[SaintIsaiah]

In that case, go with the HAF 932 you were considering. Or the NZXT SWITCH 810 White. It also comes in black. I just prefer the white version.

I prefer the black myself lol. But GOOD GOD that case is so cool! I'm definitely getting that one, great recommend!

 

[DeusAres]

Awesome! Good luck!

 

[bigmike1]

Do you have all the latest drivers installed for your GPU(s)?

dont ask such a stupid question. stutter usually isnt video card related despite its a video issue. for me i think its a motherboard issue or a bad pci slot. generally newer drivers dont give much fps boost anyways so i use older ones. its more compatible and less issues.

 

[DeusAres]

Do you have all the latest drivers installed for your GPU(s)?

dont ask such a stupid question. stutter usually isnt video card related despite its a video issue. for me i think its a motherboard issue or a bad pci slot. generally newer drivers dont give much fps boost anyways so i use older ones. its more compatible and less issues.

This thread is nearly a year old. Get over yourself.