Short 1-3 frames drop before GPU occasional and randomly starts shuttering during gameplay - What could be causing this?

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Short 1-3 frames drop before GPU occasional and randomly starts shuttering during gameplay - What could be causing this?

RD 200

Hello everyone!! Right to the point -While gaming, I occasionally experience brief stutters where 1–3 frames drop and the frame timing becomes uneven. My FPS counter still shows high numbers (usually between 117-119 when this happens), but the motion suddenly feels less smooth and slightly choppy. This lasts for about 10–15 seconds before everything stabilizes again. It happens intermittently rather than constantly, and I haven’t noticed a clear trigger in-game.

I do have a 120 FPS cap through the Nvidia Control Panel.

Thank you!! I really appreciate all you guys do on this platform to help people like me.

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Answer 1

Jan J.23 12,995 Independent Advisor

Thanks for update. If you leave as is ,it may not cause bigger problems. In most cases, system and driver updates can fix these issues.

RD 200 Reputation points

2026-03-04T04:35:54.7933333+00:00

Perfect. I'll try to find some driver updates to fall back to. If that doesn't work, and it gets worse, I'll try the repair.

Thank you so much, Jan, for all the help!! I really appreciate it. You have a good evening/morning!

Answer 2

Jan J.23 12,995 Independent Advisor

The process will not delete any files programs and settings. The repair installation can vary in duration 1 to 2 hours. This depends on the system. You can also check the game files or reinstall the affected games.

RD 200 Reputation points

2026-03-04T03:34:16.3733333+00:00

Alright, I’ll try messing around with what settings I know I can safely mess with.

If I leave it alone, will it get worse, like a sickness? Or will it just stay how it is?

I really appreciate the time you’re putting in to help me, I really appreciate it!! (:

Answer 3

Jan J.23 12,995 Independent Advisor

Thanks for responding. I know it can be really frustrating.

For the Nvidia driver try the older stable version of the graphics drivers. If the computer have a integrated graphics , try to clean install the drivers.

In some cases, a factory reset may introduce system issues. I recommend trying the last suggestion: reinstall repair version of Windows using Windows update.

RD 200 Reputation points

2026-03-04T02:25:04.8133333+00:00

Aright... If I do this, all of my apps, settings, programs, and drivers will be left where they were?

I just want to know exactly what isn't gonna be the same when it's done.

How long does this usually take?

Edit: When I said shuttering before, I meant the frame timing didn't feel right. So when it dropped 1-3 frames for that short time period, the screen just felt a tiny bit less smooth, then it went back to normal. Edit2: What would happen if I just ignored this?

Answer 4

Jan J.23 12,995 Independent Advisor

Hello, my name is Jan and I'm happy to help you today. It's likely due to outdated drivers, background applications, or a corrupted file system, which can cause crashes and stuttering.

Perform a clean boot to disable unnecessary services and startup processes. Clean boot
Try cleaning and reinstalling your graphics driver. Download the latest version from your graphics card manufacturer's support website. Select the custom/clean installation option. Restart your computer.
Check Device Manager for driver errors. This can also cause this problem, if a driver is not responding. Try to rollback the driver or install the latest driver from manufacturer support website.
Fully uninstall any third-party antivirus and cleaners. This softwares can cause issues with system updates and anti-cheat tools.
Try the recovery option "Use Windows Update to fix the problem". This will download and install a repaired version of the operating system to repair corrupted system files. Fix problems using Windows Update

RD 200 Reputation points

2026-03-04T01:10:49.6933333+00:00

Hello, Jan!!

Before I continue with the troubleshooting, I would like to point out that I did do a full factory reset about two months ago. On that day, I did a full uninstall and reinstall for my drivers, and have yet to update them since then. I have been having this problem (shuttering) before the factory reset thought. I do remember that turning off HAGS before the factory reset fixed this issue, but ever since the reset, this “HAGS” setting isn’t fixing the issue anymore.

I don’t really want to update my Nvidia driver, as I’ve heard recent ones have been causing a TON of hide issues.

Not sure if this changed anything.

Thanks for the help!! (:

Edit: What would happen if I just left it alone?

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Short 1-3 frames drop before GPU occasional and randomly starts shuttering during gameplay - What could be causing this?

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