Frame skipping in most games

[Goebbels]

I get frame skipping, or stuttering, in most of my games, and it's driving me crazy. It's like whenever I'm moving in the game there's a minifreeze every second, even though the framerate is a solid constant 60fps. If you don't know what I mean, here's a video that shows it:

(The video isn't mine but I get the exact same phenomenon)
Quick answers to some of the generic questions:
* Yes all my drivers are up to date.
* Yes all the temps are fine.
* It's not a PSU problem, because I replaced the PSU with a good quality $170 more expensive one and it didn't make any difference.

PC specifications:
CPU: i5-2500
GPU: ASUS GTX 580 direct cu II
RAM: APACER 8GB 1333Mhz in dual channel mode
PSU: Thermaltake toughpower 850W
Mobo: intel dh67cl

Please I've been looking everywhere for an answer for 3 months now, and still nothing. I can't even play street cleaner simulator without this annoying frame skipping.

 

[hood6558]

I assume you used Asus GPU Tweak during game play to monitor frame rate and clocks, and that everything looks good. It's possible the card itself has a problem, but more likely its a bottleneck somewhere. Have you tried unplugging everything that's not absolutely required (other PCI/PCIe cards, drives, USB peripherals). Could also be a weird driver issue (some other hardware's driver conflicting with the 580's driver). A bad stick of RAM could also cause this. Did the problem arise after a hardware change 3 months ago? Was it working fine before with all the same hardware? You may want to consider a clean install of Windows (time-consuming but if you can't play games you should have plenty of time on your hands).

 

[Goebbels]

* I use Fraps to monitor framerates. I use MSI afterburner to monitor everything else about the GPU. I also use CPU-z and GPU-z.
* What should I unplug? The only thing I see as unnecessary is the DVD drive.
* Well I don't know how to know if it's a driver issue, how do I go about this? Which drivers should I uninstall?
* I've tried Swapping the two sticks of RAM(I have 2 4GB sticks), and I put them in every possible slot, then tried to work with each one alone while the other was not connected. Nothing changed. So if there's a problem with the RAM then both sticks must be faulty. That's still possible but unlikely.
*The problem has existed since I first bought the computer, which was approximately 3 months ago.
* I've already reinstalled windows about 5 times, once even with a different version than my current one. It made no difference.

 

[dividebyzero]

First things first, is it just games that are lagging, or are you experiencing slightly longer load times with other applications?
If this is the case, make sure that the harddives SATA cables are well seated (both power and data). If you have a spare SATA data cable I would also try that- it isn't uncommon for these cables to deteriorate (some aren't the best quality either, especially some of the rigid variety). Apart from this, it could be:
RAM issue as hood6558 intimated ( bad RAM would also make other apps lag in loading and saving). In post #2 in this thread you'll find the relevant links and "how to" for testing RAM ( Memtest86+ 4.2 is now current). The other program I refer to is MemSet which you need not concern yourself with unless you want to find out detailed info about your RAM.

Graphics card issue.
1.Make sure the two PCI-E power cables are well seated in the cards power plugs. If these are fine...
2.The latest stable Nvidia driver for the GTX 580 is 306.02 beta (I'm running the same and it is rock solid) Windows 7/Vista 64-bit (If you're using 32-bit OS then use Windows 7/Vista 32-bit). Run and note any difference, if there is none...
3.Try downclocking both the core and memory using the Asus software (set for say ~700 core 1400 shaders, 900 (3600 effective) memory and save the profile), and see if the problem lessens then the card's voltage regulation may be the culprit.

See how you get on with these. If the problem persists we can at least rule out these causes and maybe narrow down the problem.

 

[Goebbels]

K. I'll get right on it.

 

[Goebbels]

How do I run Memtest86+? Do I download the zip file, copy ALL the extracted files to a CD then boot from the CD?
And when I try to run MemSet it says: "ERROR! NOT FOR THIS CHIPSET!"

 

[dividebyzero]

How do I run Memtest86+? Do I download the zip file, copy ALL the extracted files to a CD then boot from the CD?

Yes. Memtest is a DOS utility, so download the ISO, unzip, make a bootable CD or DVD (use your burning software or dl ImgBurn), or a USB flash drive if your board supports booting from from one - in which case use the "Auto-installer for USB key" download. Then -this is a cut n paste from another thread:

Reboot and select CD (or USB) as your first bootable drive
-Reboot.
-Memtest will load and test the module. Each pass takes around 10-15min to complete for 1Gb, run 7-10 passes minimum. Tests 2 and 5 within the pass are most likely to find errors and you can order loops of these tests in the options.
-Stop the test when you're happy that the RAM is stable, reboot back to BIOS
-Remove CD/USB, reset boot order, save changes, reboot.

Here's a short introduction and instruction with screenshot

You may decide that it's not worth the gain, or decide that it's a good introduction into getting a closer understanding of the system.
I would advise as a matter of course that anyone adding RAM, and/or altering timings, follow a thorough testing and stability regime.
Memtest is not 100% effective in catching bad timings or RAM as it doesn't take into account the whole system running under load where small voltage changes in northbridge (MCH) and RAM can influence stability, but it will ensure that the RAM is theoretically capable of running at it's new timings and the RAM is error free.

And when I try to run MemSet it says: "ERROR! NOT FOR THIS CHIPSET!"

No great loss. MemSet is a very useful tool for fine tuning RAM timings, but since it has the ability to change timings in the BIOS in real time it can be hazardous to the novice user if any values are changed. As a reporting tool it is fine, but you can find the major timings of the RAM on the memory tab of CPU-Z

 

[Goebbels]

Okay I swapped the SATA cable of the HDD with that of the DVD drive. And I made sure they are very well seated. It made no difference.
I ran Memtest86, but only for 2 passes, which took about 4 hours alone, so 7-10 minimum passes wasn't really an option if I want to finish it in this lifetime. No errors were reported.

Graphics card:
1- I swapped and replaced the PCI-E cables in every way I could think of. And made sure they are all well seated.
2- I downloaded the latest beta driver and installed it.
3- I lowered the core clock to 700 and then to 400, and also lowered the memory clock.
None of the above made a difference.

What now?

 

[Goebbels]

I just ran test #2 for 20 passes (took a few minutes) and test #5 for 10 passes (took ten times longer than test #2). No errors were reported.

And I can't know if my load times are too long, since I have nothing to compare them with.

 

[dividebyzero]

The next order of business would be to play one of the affected games while having GPU-Z running in the backround.
Open GPU-Z, click on the Sensors tab, and check the box "Log to file"- you'll be given the option of saving the text file to a location. Crank up a game and play through- you might want to make a note of any major lag (how many minutes in to the gameplay). Once you've got a representative sample, check the log and note any discrepencies -if there are any.

At this point you're probably looking at an RMA/warranty replacement. All the latest 302/306 series of drivers are solid with the 580, so the other possible culprit is a hardware fault with the card. Heavy amperage fluctuation (from the GPU-Z log) could indicate a voltage regulation problem (if you're certain that your PSU is fine), as could a spiking local GPU temperature. Note the GPU and memory usage pattern.

EDIT: The load times were just an additional factor in working out whether you had a faulty SATA cable. Since you've swapped them, with no change, then I think we can rule that out. Troubleshooting is just the art of narrowing down the underlying cause. I tend to prefer to rule out the easiest to check and most common causes first.

 

[Goebbels]

Okay here's the log while playing a heavily stuttering game:

Date , GPU Core Clock [MHz] , GPU Memory Clock [MHz] , GPU Shader Clock [MHz] , GPU Temperature [°C] , Fan Speed (%) [%] , Fan Speed (RPM) [RPM] , Memory Used [MB] , GPU Load [%] , Memory Controller Load [%] , Video Engine Load [%] , VDDC [V] ,

2012-09-12 00:37:36 , 50.6 , 67.5 , 101.0 , 36.0 , 15 , 1140 , 86 , 6 , 6 , 0 , 0.9630 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:37 , 50.6 , 67.5 , 101.0 , 36.0 , 15 , 1110 , 86 , 2 , 3 , 0 , 0.9630 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:38 , 50.6 , 67.5 , 101.0 , 36.0 , 15 , 1140 , 86 , 1 , 3 , 0 , 0.9630 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:39 , 50.6 , 67.5 , 101.0 , 36.0 , 15 , 1140 , 86 , 0 , 3 , 0 , 0.9630 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:40 , 50.6 , 67.5 , 101.0 , 36.0 , 15 , 1110 , 86 , 0 , 3 , 0 , 0.9630 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:41 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 37.0 , 15 , 1140 , 322 , 5 , 1 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:42 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 38.0 , 16 , 1140 , 322 , 2 , 2 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:43 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 38.0 , 16 , 1140 , 322 , 2 , 2 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:44 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 38.0 , 16 , 1140 , 322 , 2 , 2 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:45 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 38.0 , 16 , 1140 , 322 , 1 , 1 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:46 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 38.0 , 16 , 1140 , 322 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:47 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 38.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:48 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 38.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:49 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 38.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:50 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 39.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:51 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 39.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:52 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 39.0 , 16 , 1170 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:53 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 39.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:54 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 39.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:55 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 39.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:56 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 39.0 , 16 , 1170 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:57 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 39.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:58 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 39.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:37:59 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 39.0 , 16 , 1170 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:00 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 39.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:01 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 40.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:02 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 40.0 , 16 , 1170 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:03 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 40.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:04 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 40.0 , 16 , 1170 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:05 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 40.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:06 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 40.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:07 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 40.0 , 16 , 1170 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:08 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 40.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:09 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 40.0 , 16 , 1170 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:10 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 40.0 , 16 , 1170 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:11 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 40.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:12 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 40.0 , 16 , 1170 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:13 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 41.0 , 16 , 1140 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:14 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 41.0 , 16 , 1170 , 316 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:15 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 41.0 , 17 , 1140 , 595 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:16 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 41.0 , 17 , 1170 , 608 , 1 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:17 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 41.0 , 17 , 1170 , 608 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:18 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 42.0 , 17 , 1140 , 767 , 35 , 10 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:19 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 42.0 , 17 , 1170 , 766 , 28 , 10 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:20 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 43.0 , 18 , 1170 , 766 , 41 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:22 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 43.0 , 18 , 1170 , 766 , 40 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:23 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 43.0 , 18 , 1170 , 766 , 40 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:24 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 44.0 , 18 , 1170 , 760 , 41 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:25 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 44.0 , 18 , 1170 , 761 , 40 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:26 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 44.0 , 18 , 1200 , 767 , 39 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:27 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 43.0 , 18 , 1170 , 777 , 28 , 10 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:28 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 44.0 , 18 , 1170 , 784 , 22 , 8 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:29 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 44.0 , 18 , 1200 , 784 , 47 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:30 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 45.0 , 18 , 1170 , 784 , 47 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:31 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 45.0 , 18 , 1200 , 784 , 49 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:32 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 45.0 , 18 , 1170 , 785 , 48 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:33 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 45.0 , 18 , 1200 , 785 , 45 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:34 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 44.0 , 18 , 1170 , 795 , 19 , 7 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:35 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 45.0 , 18 , 1200 , 795 , 24 , 10 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:36 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 45.0 , 18 , 1200 , 789 , 34 , 13 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:37 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 45.0 , 18 , 1170 , 792 , 36 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:38 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 45.0 , 19 , 1200 , 800 , 37 , 14 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:39 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 45.0 , 19 , 1170 , 803 , 30 , 12 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:40 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 46.0 , 19 , 1200 , 801 , 37 , 14 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:41 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 46.0 , 19 , 1200 , 804 , 40 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:42 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 46.0 , 19 , 1200 , 803 , 35 , 14 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:43 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 46.0 , 19 , 1200 , 802 , 36 , 14 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:44 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 46.0 , 19 , 1170 , 801 , 37 , 14 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:45 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 45.0 , 19 , 1200 , 806 , 34 , 13 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:46 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 46.0 , 19 , 1200 , 808 , 43 , 16 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:47 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 46.0 , 19 , 1200 , 810 , 38 , 14 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:48 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 46.0 , 19 , 1200 , 819 , 41 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:49 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 47.0 , 19 , 1200 , 815 , 41 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:50 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 47.0 , 19 , 1200 , 815 , 44 , 16 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:51 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 47.0 , 19 , 1200 , 815 , 41 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:52 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 47.0 , 19 , 1230 , 837 , 47 , 17 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:53 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 47.0 , 19 , 1200 , 839 , 41 , 16 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:54 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 48.0 , 19 , 1200 , 849 , 53 , 21 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:55 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 48.0 , 19 , 1200 , 845 , 37 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:56 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 48.0 , 19 , 1200 , 846 , 36 , 14 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:57 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 48.0 , 19 , 1230 , 848 , 53 , 21 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:58 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 48.0 , 19 , 1200 , 848 , 52 , 21 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:38:59 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 48.0 , 20 , 1200 , 848 , 54 , 22 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:00 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 48.0 , 20 , 1230 , 848 , 54 , 22 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:01 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 48.0 , 20 , 1200 , 849 , 28 , 11 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:02 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 48.0 , 20 , 1230 , 850 , 55 , 21 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:03 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 49.0 , 20 , 1200 , 852 , 46 , 17 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:04 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 49.0 , 20 , 1230 , 851 , 42 , 16 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:05 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 49.0 , 20 , 1200 , 862 , 43 , 16 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:06 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 49.0 , 20 , 1230 , 865 , 46 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:07 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 49.0 , 20 , 1230 , 864 , 54 , 22 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:08 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 49.0 , 20 , 1200 , 864 , 55 , 22 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:09 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 49.0 , 20 , 1230 , 861 , 50 , 20 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:10 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1230 , 865 , 54 , 21 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:11 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 49.0 , 20 , 1230 , 865 , 53 , 21 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:12 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 49.0 , 20 , 1230 , 864 , 50 , 20 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:13 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1200 , 863 , 52 , 21 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:14 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1230 , 863 , 51 , 21 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:15 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1230 , 861 , 51 , 21 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:16 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1230 , 860 , 50 , 20 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:17 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1230 , 860 , 51 , 20 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:18 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1230 , 860 , 48 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:19 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1230 , 858 , 47 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:20 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1230 , 863 , 50 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:21 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1230 , 863 , 48 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:22 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 21 , 1230 , 861 , 46 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:23 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1230 , 858 , 40 , 17 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:24 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 21 , 1230 , 859 , 41 , 17 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:25 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 21 , 1260 , 856 , 44 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:26 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1230 , 856 , 44 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:27 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 856 , 44 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:28 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 855 , 44 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:29 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 865 , 44 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:30 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 861 , 45 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:31 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 857 , 44 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:32 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 857 , 46 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:33 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 857 , 47 , 20 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:35 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 857 , 44 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:36 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1260 , 858 , 45 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:37 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 858 , 45 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:38 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1260 , 857 , 44 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:39 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 856 , 34 , 14 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:40 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 856 , 44 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:41 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1260 , 860 , 43 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:42 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 862 , 46 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:43 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 864 , 45 , 18 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:44 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 52.0 , 21 , 1260 , 866 , 38 , 16 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:45 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 52.0 , 21 , 1230 , 865 , 48 , 19 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:46 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1260 , 867 , 39 , 16 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:47 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 868 , 38 , 16 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:48 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 52.0 , 21 , 1230 , 868 , 40 , 17 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:49 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 52.0 , 21 , 1260 , 876 , 35 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:50 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 51.0 , 21 , 1230 , 876 , 35 , 15 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:51 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1260 , 105 , 6 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

2012-09-12 00:39:52 , 877.5 , 1055.5 , 1756.0 , 50.0 , 20 , 1230 , 87 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 1.0380 ,

There's no reading of the current though, just the core voltage which is constantly at 1.038V in and out of the game.

Man I can't just return the video card. It's probably the only GTX 580 in the country. The guy who sold me the PC had to wait 4 weeks after ordering it for it to arrive, plus I'm not so sure it even has a warranty, since he's so much cheaper than other sellers(he doesn't even include VAT). This card cost about $600, which is relatively cheap when considering that what costs $300 in the US costs $1000 here. Could the PSU still be a problem even after replacement? The present one is 80 Plus certified with a bronze rating.

 

[dividebyzero]

From the log, you had large drops in activity at 38:34, 38:38-39 and 38:55-56. Was the gaming run through consistant (I.e. no lapses in action or camera movement) during those periods? If not then it points to either a power delivery problem or you have an (or more than one) intensive programs running in the backround.
Other causes could be CPU throttling (you can check this with the Resource Manager in Windows or CPU-Z), or a failing harddrive- although you would encounter problems in other apps as well if this were the case.
I presume that you are running the game fullscreen (as opposed to windowed), and that you have "single display performance mode" enabled in the Nvidia control panel ( Open Nvidia CP > Manage 3D Settings> Multi-display/mixed-GPU-acceleration> single display performance mode in the drop down menu.

As for the PSU. Open GPU-Z and have it running on the sensors tab. Open a game, play until the lagging starts, quickly alt+tab and check the 12V graph for fluctuation:

...and as for warranty. All Asus graphics cards carry a three year global warranty based on the serial number/production date. If the seller wont honour a return ( trading law differs between counties), then contact Asus directly. Asus can be a bit hit-and-miss on communication so be prepared.

 

[Goebbels]

Yes I was moving around during the entire game. The stuttering only happens when doing actions, moving the camera, etc.
I changed to single display performance mode, no difference.
And for some reason I don't have the 12V reading or the VDDC Current reading, so I can't tell if they're bad or not. Is there some other way to test if the PSU is stable?

How do I check for CPU throttling? Task Manager just gives some vague graphs and I don't know how to log anything with CPU-z.
Maybe it is the harddrive, I tested 72MB/s when copying from a file, its model is a WDC WD10EARX.
I really think I should exhaust all options before returning the GPU.

 

[dividebyzero]

Harddrive checking you can use WD's Data Lifeguard utility. WD's Green harddrives aren't the best hdd's for gaming (slower access read/write than the Caviar Black, Blue and RE).
CPU throtting, you're looking for drops in CPU usage and number of processes working in the backround during gaming (and their memory usage). Have the task manager on screen and alt+tab out of the game to check.
The lack of 12V monitoring is the head scratcher. Other off the shelf software that measures input voltage is EVGA's E-Leet (an overview here, although if you dl from EVGA you'll need to register), and Speedfan. The DirectCU's controller may not support current or voltage monitoring, which leaves you needing a multimeter (or a trip to a local electrician) or a second known good PSU.

 

[Goebbels]

Okay after a few hours of testing with WD Data Lifeguard, it said everything with the HDD was fine.
And I tried monitoring with Speedfan, but it just gives the same single number reading for the 12V just like Intel Desktop Utilities, it doesn't give a graph or a log so I can know the how the voltage varied while I was playing. But I did try the game in windowed mode and as far as I could see the voltage stayed 12.32V.
I still don't know how to look for CPU throttling, the graph Bill Gates gave me is impossible to understand.
I'm sure there's still some stuff I could try, like maybe changing some BIOS options, or tweaking some settings with the Nvidia Control panel. What should I try?

 

[dividebyzero]

Did you check for any resource hog programs running in the backround ? If you run the task manager while gaming you should be able to alt+tab and check where your resources are being allocated. You should also be able to check CPU core usage for sudden spikes/dips.

BIOS settings wont do anything for your problem. There is very little in the mobo's BIOS that affects the PCI-E bus/graphics card.
Likewise, I don't think the Nvidia CP will offer up any tweaking that will alleviate the problem. The only other software check would be to see if you are running out of frame buffer (video memory capacity), which can be easily checked using MSI Afterburner- reaching close to your 1536MB vRAM will stall out the frame rendering and cause frame drops. I'd consider this unlikely as a game you have just fired up, even with large texture packs, shouldn't run into vRAM saturation so quickly...not with 1.5GB at any rate.

 

[Goebbels]

Okay, I recorded task manager with one game, Street Cleaner Simulator(which stutters heavily just like all of them), for some reason the game was (according to speedfan) using between 50% and 80% of the CPU? Is this a little too much when using an i5-2500? Since considering an i5-2500 has 4 cores and is clocked at 3.3Ghz, and the most CPU intensive games in the world don't use more than 2 CPU cores max(even the ones that claim they use 4 cores), so has street cleaner simulator broken the barrier and revolutionized the games industry? Or can this have something to do with stuttering?
Here is screenshot of task manager during the game:
http://postimage.org/image/oxl0phxip/
I also checked to see if any other processes where running during the game, the game was using all the CPU by itself, and when I closed it CPU usage went back down to 0%.

 

[dividebyzero]

Okay, I recorded task manager with one game, Street Cleaner Simulator

Really? There's a game called Street Cleaner Simulator ?

(which stutters heavily just like all of them), for some reason the game was (according to speedfan) using between 50% and 80% of the CPU? Is this a little too much when using an i5-2500?

Who knows? I'm still trying to get my head around the initial concept....hopefully the series gets expanded into Newspaper Delivery Simulator, Panhandler Simulator and Supermarket Shopping Simulator!

Since considering an i5-2500 has 4 cores and is clocked at 3.3Ghz, and the most CPU intensive games in the world don't use more than 2 CPU cores max(even the ones that claim they use 4 cores)

That's actually a false assumption. Here's GTA4 on a hexcore Intel i7 3960X...

so has street cleaner simulator broken the barrier and revolutionized the games industry?

I wouldn't hold your breath on that one.

Or can this have something to do with stuttering?

I'd check the Street Cleaner Simulator forum (if there is such a thing) for CPU usage issues. I presume you play more mainstream games as well, and these also exhibit stuttering. If this is so, then the CPU usage on one game probably isn't indicative. You might want to check out the CPU usage on a single-threaded game.Your task manager is also showing 74 active processes- that seems like a greater than normal number even if you have software running for peripherals (Logitech/Razer keyboard/mouse etc)
You still need to check graphics vRAM usage. Some games are intensive for different components (CPU, GPU, RAM, vRAM, HDD) and in many combinations. When I constructed a mental picture of your (or anyones) game library and likely gaming scenario's, Street Cleaner Simulator wouldn't have figured in my first 100,000 guesses...so there could be driver issues involved or the game could be thrashing the vRAM. I also assumed that you were playing at 1920x1080 or lower. Is this the case? Playing at a larger resolution (2560x1440 +) will definitely put a toll on the vRAM.

I'm still leaning towards a card fault, unless you have a particularly heavy backround program running. I presume you've checked the machine for malware/viruses?

 

[Goebbels]

I just tried another heavily stuttering game, Crysis. CPU usage kept hovering between 35% and 65%. So I guess that's an okay usage for crysis?
And unfortunately I can't find anything about Street Cleaner Simulator issues on the internet.

I used to play games like street cleaner simulator on my laptop, my favorite was Hard Trucker, I enjoyed them a lot. Don't mind the reviews, it can be a very addicting, if only it didn't stutter all the time!

Among the two dozen games I have, the only games that don't stutter are Hitman Blood Money and Dead Space 1. What should I do now? Is there really no other option that returning the Graphics card?

 

[Goebbels]

Maybe I should enable the onboard graphics to see if the problem is from the GPU? Problem is I don't know how to install the drivers for it, whenever I try to install the driver downloaded from the motherboard website, I get the error "This computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software."
The motherboard is Intel DH67CL

 

[dividebyzero]

So what was the vRAM usage like?
Have you thoroughly scanned the machine for malware/viruses?
Screen resolution ? If 1920x1080/1200 then what level of antialiasing and eye candy are you using? Are you deviating from the default settings determined by the game engines?

When you tried to install the driver;
Did you remove the GTX 580 from the PCI-E x16 slot ? (You probably need to)
Then connect the monitor to the relevent video out on the motherboard (HDMI or DVI-I) and then install the driver (a generic driver should be included in the OS by default in any case) ?
Download from here ?

 

[Goebbels]

According to MSI afterburner VRAM usage in Crysis steadily increases from 800 to 1200 and then above(it didn't stop at 1200 by itself, I stopped the game there after half an hour of gameplay). It's a strange thing I don't understand why the used VRAM keeps increasing while the game progresses, you can see the same thing with the Street Cleaner Simulator GPU-z log in post #11, the VRAM used keeps on increasing steadily from 767 MB till 876 MB which is when I quit the game.
I did a virus check, nothing came up.
I play at 1600x900 which is my monitor's max resolution, and I always try to max out the settings if I can (including AA). Default settings for a game are almost always low or medium so I can't leave them unchanged.

Okay I'm going to remove the GPU and see if the onboard graphics work.

 

[dividebyzero]

OK, I presume the stutter started well before you started getting close to the frame buffer limit. If so, you can safely rule that out.
RAM and vRAM can often climb during gameplay, either through memory leaks, or-especially in RTS/RPG games, where the game map needs to account for an ever increasing number of objects.
Before uninstalling the GTX 580, I'd try playing through a game on reduced image quality and see if that alleviates the issue. Heavy antialiasing, post processing features, PhysX, and hi res textures can take a toll on any card. Maxing the game I.q. levels are generally going to impact framerates on anything above a basic OpenGL or DirectX9 title.

Remember to drop down the game image quality in the game menu before attempting to play using the on-die HD 2000 graphics...they aren't built for performance....any performance.

 

[Goebbels]

Tried reducing image quality, it made no difference(actually the stuttering became kind of worse). Anyway lowering graphics settings is for fixing bad framerates, and my framerates are actually very good, just like in the video in post #1.
Okay now I'll remove the graphics card.

 

[Goebbels]

Greetings good friend! I am currently using the onboard graphics for the first time ever, and am glad to report that after playing crysis, street cleaner simulator, and portal, that the stuttering is still there and as prominent as ever!
What's the fu%k is he so happy about you're thinking? Well this proves there's nothing wrong with the $600 GPU.
Now what's the next phase? Maybe the CPU? Maybe it's not placed correctly. I am not too trusting of the people who put the PC parts together, since they placed the memory sticks in single channel mode instead of dual channel. So maybe they did something else wrong that is causing the stuttering? Or maybe there's something wrong with the ASUS DVI to D-Sub adaptor, I noticed there are no pins at one end of it.

By the way, I don't see why everyone keeps bashing integrated graphics, they work very well, I can play dota with all settings maxed out, and can play source games at medium settings, and can play crysis at low settings, all of them at 60fps.