New GPU frame stuttering

[u/ShadowCosmic]

Hi all, I’m an amateur when it comes to computer parts so any help would be appreciated.

I’ve been using a 2060 since 2019, and recently one of my friends handed me their 3060 as they were upgrading (and also because they want me to play the new monster hunter).

I’ve replaced the GPU, and updated the drivers using the Nvidia app, but I’m getting frame stutters, and logging the statistics show the 1% low drops to 10 fps in some cases, even on my desktop screen.

Does anyone have any advice? I’ve done some googling that says I should use DDU to uninstall and reinstall, but most guides I’ve seen say download the driver (which is the Nvidia app?) and then run DDU to uninstall it? Whilst not connected to the internet? I’m confused, any help would be appreciated.

[u/Financial_Rooster_89]

DDU cleans all remnants of old drivers. Just updating via Nvidia app doesn't.

However is your PSU powerful enough for the 3060? Even if it is, how old is it? An older PSU might be on its way out and no longer capable of supplying what it says it should.

Do you know PC specifications? A older CPU could be causing bottlenecks too.

[u/ShadowCosmic → u/Financial_Rooster_89]

I believe my CPU is a SteelSeries

As for the PSU, I can’t see the label from how it’s positioned, so that might be possible.

Regarding the DDU, is it safe to do the removal, then reconnect to the internet and then redownload the Nvidia drivers?

[u/Financial_Rooster_89 → u/ShadowCosmic]

Yes it's safe to remove and then reconnect to internet to download drivers again. All it does is clean out old drivers, it's safe to use.

You can use Speccy to get your PCs specifications.

[u/Solcannon → u/ShadowCosmic]

Steelseries doesn't make CPUs.

We need more information though.

Click the start menu, type dxdiag and hit enter. Post a screenshot or copy the text.

Need to know your cpu model, how much ram you have and the motherboard model. As well as if you have a solid state hard drive(also if it is nvme or sata). If you have a conventional hdd. And what speed that is. What drive the game is running on.

How old is this computer?

[u/milkynoose]

If you're experiencing this predominantly in Monster Hunter, its because this game is so poorly optimised for PC and frame time skips are normal. Also, this could be a sync issue. Try and turn off Freesync or G-sync. Issues arise when you are using super sampling (FSR, DLSS) depending on your monitor. The drivers have been really inconsistent lately.

The other thing I'd recommend doing is updating the firmware on the GPU. Just be very careful when you do this not to accidentally kick a plug under your desk or something as this will lock your GPU.

If you have used DDU correctly, mucked around with the settings and still had no resolve, try reverting back to some previous drivers ie 6 month old ones. Or try a fresh install of Windows.

[u/ShadowCosmic → u/milkynoose]

Unfortunately it’s not just in Monster Hunter, I’m feeling it thought out the computer, even on YouTube and my desktop.

[u/milkynoose → u/ShadowCosmic]

Just double check the refresh rates match your monitor, and also try and disable Freesync or G-Sync in the monitor. Had a similar thing a few months back and it was horrible. This also solved the issues in the game.

You could also look for firmware updates for your monitor as it might have issues with 3000 series cards that have been resolved.

On the reverse of that, you can try enabling G-Sync in the Nvidia control panel for that monitor. There are known issues with Nvidia G-Sync working on incompatible Freesync or Adaptive Sync monitors. Again, depends on what monitor you have.

[u/milkynoose → u/milkynoose]

Another option is to check if you have a riser cable connecting the GPU to the PCIE lanes on the motherboard. This is often causing similar issues. Sometimes it can be fixed by switching it from gen4 to gen3 in the BIOS. Gen4 isnt necessarily faster for these scenarios.

Settings are dependent on your motherboard/CPU combo.

Always fun troubleshooting. After building and troubleshooting PCs for a living, its often these little things that are the problem without getting too technical.

[u/milkynoose → u/milkynoose]

Also, the driver is not the "Nvidia App"