pc starts lagging/stuttering all of a sudden

[akmaggot666]

Hello,

To explain this in a way...
I power on my PC, everything is fine... After a while of pc usage (random) my pc starts lagging, from moving windows on desktop, watching videos on youtube to playing games like BF4. The lagg/stutter is always different, now currently typing this it's so bad, imagine super hard stuttering every 100ms (imagine u take a video and put a slight pause every 100ms and play it). If I restart the pc now, everything will be back to normal.

How do I find out what's causing it?
And after I restart now, when it happens again tell me tools to maybe get closer in finding what's causing it...
I am a newb so no idea

now 15min after I posted this, while I kept watching youtube I closed few tabs, nothing special and all of a sudden all lagg vanishes...

AMD FX(tm)-8350 Eight-Core Processor
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
Win7.64bit on SSD
16GB RAM

 

[SlickR12345]

I mean who knows. Best thing to do it test stuff one by one. Test the HDD, ram, cpu and graphics. To me from the very limited information you provided it seems like its the CPU. GPU can also be at fault, but its more of a major slowdown if the GPU is erroneous, like when stress testing it.

So yeah, I'd run some tools to check each component and see what causes the issue.

 

[Bacon1]

I closed few tabs, nothing special and all of a sudden all lagg vanishes...

I'd start with what websites were on those tabs and see if its one of them, maybe it has some bad JS that keeps running and taxing your CPU.

 

[DaveSimmons]

CTRL - ALT - DEL, task manager, show all processes, details tab, sort by CPU use.

Ignore the "System Idle Process" that really tells you what CPU is NOT being used. At startup it will be 99%, and will drop down as real tasks load up the CPU.

 

[akmaggot666]

CTRL - ALT - DEL, task manager, show all processes, details tab, sort by CPU use.

Ignore the "System Idle Process" that really tells you what CPU is NOT being used. At startup it will be 99%, and will drop down as real tasks load up the CPU.

UPDATE:

stutters occured randomly, that one I mentioned above was a severe one. this moment I write this I have stutters EXACTLY every 5sec for 1 sec, it's timed. I can pull tabs back and forth on web browser and it will stutter for 1 sec, or I can go in BF4 and same thing...

I've read some threads of other ppl on diff forums, on 2 threads they found fix, one was by uninstalling a program and another one was his mouse, maybe driver program.
The one with mouse had it always on, I have it only after some time of using pc, so it is probably some software interfering like a guy mentioned on the one thread, the guy used 2 diff cpu temperature monitoring apps. I just need to figure out what it might be, it started happening with my new 144Hz monitor, I'll try to uninstall those 2 programs I installed with it and maybe try to switch from DP to DVI and see if anything changes, weirdly enough pressing the power off button on monitor makes the windows sound like something is unplugged, idk if that has anything to do with anything, the monitors I had before never did that. Also I had this monitor on DP and older one on DSUB (very old monitor ) and when I turn this new one off, I realized that windows insta switched to other one, so if I press the button to turn on screen it showed the desktop obv, so I unplugg it now to not happen further..

Gonna uninstall 2 programs and keep the old one unplugged, restart the pc and see if anything changes.

 

[stormkroe]

Every time I've had this happen, literally every time, it was a heat issue. Maybe clean heat sinks for dust/check for good contact?

 

[akmaggot666]

Every time I've had this happen, literally every time, it was a heat issue. Maybe clean heat sinks for dust/check for good contact?

Actually this is a good point, when I got the new monitor I cleaned around the pc and vacuum a bit inside and I vacuum cpu cooler, so I moved it a bit, maybe it f**** smthg up, need to get a thermal pase and check it out

UPDATE: still stutters, in next days I'll stop using origin/BF4 and see if it continues, that was one of programs that I started to use when suttering appears, but weird thing is, I can use chrome, everything smooth, watching yt/twitch and then I open new tab and it starts to stutter a bit, then I pull a tab out and in and it "fixes" itself instantly, idk what's all of that about

definently, 1. stop using origin/BF4 next days, 2. [soon] get new router (was planned b4) + thermal paste so I replug hardware, clean it up a bit more and reinstal Windows and slowly add programs

 

[Bacon1]

Do you use multiple monitors? There was an issue with those that was fixed in a later windows 10 update...

• Addressed known issue called out in KB3213986—Users may experience delays while running 3D rendering apps with multiple monitors.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4011347/windows-10-update-kb3216755

 

[akmaggot666]

Do you use multiple monitors? There was an issue with those that was fixed in a later windows 10 update...


https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4011347/windows-10-update-kb3216755

I am still on Windows 7, I'll update to 10 when I rearrange things, I do not use it now, I had it for like 3 days and unplugged since the stuttering began, and it's still going...

 

[CuriousMike]

If you have a spare harddisk, I'd suggest installing a clean OS on it.
Install the minimum = OS + browser. ( I use www.ninite.com to get a clean setup of installers for my common installed things.)

The clean install approach can help narrow down software vs. hardware issue.

 

[Rifter]

run linux off a live usb key/DVD, use it surfing the net or whatever long enough to see if it happens there as well. If it does you have a hardware issue, if it does not then you have a software issue. That will at least tell you in which direction to focus your troubleshooting.

 

[akmaggot666]

If you have a spare harddisk, I'd suggest installing a clean OS on it.
Install the minimum = OS + browser. ( I use www.ninite.com to get a clean setup of installers for my common installed things.)

The clean install approach can help narrow down software vs. hardware issue.

run linux off a live usb key/DVD, use it surfing the net or whatever long enough to see if it happens there as well. If it does you have a hardware issue, if it does not then you have a software issue. That will at least tell you in which direction to focus your troubleshooting.

I have 2 SSD's and 1 HDD, ye I ordered a new router (other topic), gona clean the whole case, apply thermal paste on cpu new, replug RAM and all that good stuff, switch to Windows 10 and see what happens ;D stuff gona come in 2-3 days

btw. I tried running tests while it's in bad shape(everything says it's fine).. the lagg/stutter changed so far.. I didnt experience the hard 1sec lagg every 4 sec anymore, idk why..
now it's mostly 1sec lagg every 15 sec or longer in BF4, also in LoL but mild one, but still annoys the hell out of me cuz I didnt had that before...
when youtube gets super hard sututtering I tried to press Refresh on desktop and it helped few times

 

[CuriousMike]

Sounds like you'll be changing a lot of variables at once - moving to Windows 10 being the biggest.

You might consider running something like HWMONITOR immediately after booting your computer and seeing what your CPU and GPU temps hit while watching youtube or playing BF1.

 

[Valantar]

Stuttering like that might very well be disk related. Unless there's a heat issue, the system is waiting for something. I'd look for this in Task manager or resource manager:

• CPU loads
• RAM reads/writes (unlikely, but RAM can fail)
• Disk activity spikes

Since it happens on the desktop, it's very unlikely the GPU is at fault.

 

[akmaggot666]

Sounds like you'll be changing a lot of variables at once - moving to Windows 10 being the biggest.

You might consider running something like HWMONITOR immediately after booting your computer and seeing what your CPU and GPU temps hit while watching youtube or playing BF1.

Stuttering like that might very well be disk related. Unless there's a heat issue, the system is waiting for something. I'd look for this in Task manager or resource manager:

• CPU loads
• RAM reads/writes (unlikely, but RAM can fail)
• Disk activity spikes

Since it happens on the desktop, it's very unlikely the GPU is at fault.

temps are not the problem, got asus strix 970, the temp is so low that it even doesnt turn on the fans, like.. ever.., cpu in the other hand I've been monitoring it, fx8350, 41°C higher when gaming but nothing serious

idk. maybe SSD is failing?

 

[Valantar]

As I said, it's not GPU related when it happens at the desktop. That's nearly impossible. GPU heat issues included.

What do you mean "41°C higher when gaming"? Higher than what?

I've only ever seen system-wide slowdowns like that on systems with either far too little RAM, ancient slow HDDs, or defective SSDs (although the latter is unlikely, as SSDs are more likely to die outright).

 

[akmaggot666]

As I said, it's not GPU related when it happens at the desktop. That's nearly impossible. GPU heat issues included.

What do you mean "41°C higher when gaming"? Higher than what?

I've only ever seen system-wide slowdowns like that on systems with either far too little RAM, ancient slow HDDs, or defective SSDs (although the latter is unlikely, as SSDs are more likely to die outright).

god damn, it started lagging now like crazy, DO I JUST SEE WHAT I SEE AND THINK IT'S NOT NORMAL???
cached - 10,2GB, free 21MB is that it? after restart I'll confirm
https://i.gyazo.com/0c3c243ab9673feef5fd0e2e80de60b2.png
EDIT: nvm that's f-ing normal :/

 

[tamz_msc]

god damn, it started lagging now like crazy, DO I JUST SEE WHAT I SEE AND THINK IT'S NOT NORMAL???
cached - 10,2GB, free 21MB is that it? after restart I'll confirm
https://i.gyazo.com/0c3c243ab9673feef5fd0e2e80de60b2.png

I don't find anything out of the ordinary in those screenshots, though why is the CPU at 25% if these are idle screenshots? Monitor disk activity.

 

[Valantar]

That's definitely not it. You have ~10GB of physical memory available. That it's "cached" and not "free" just means that you have an operating system smart enough to not let that capacity go completely to waste. Cached memory is cleared on demand by the operating system, and in practice is free.

 

[akmaggot666]

I don't find anything out of the ordinary in those screenshots, though why is the CPU at 25% if these are idle screenshots? Monitor disk activity.

that's actually a good question, I had multiple tabs open, but I check now, even so I have 1-8% and if I run video it goes 8-16%, after I wrote the thread and chillin a bit chatting with ppl, I go back to video, run it and no stuttering... I really have no friggin idea

 

[Valantar]

that's actually a good question, I had multiple tabs open, but I check now, even so I have 1-8% and if I run video it goes 8-16%, after I wrote the thread and chillin a bit chatting with ppl, I go back to video, run it and no stuttering... I really have no friggin idea

Probably a momentary spike - looking at the CPU history, it was fluctuating quite a bit. It looks slightly high, but nothing that would concern me. Bad timing for the screenshot would be my guess.

Next time you experience stutters, please show us a screenshot of the 'disk' tab in resource manager with the 'disk activity' and 'processes with disk activity' parts expanded.

 

[sm625]

This is the type of screenshot we need to see:

Enable your CPU Time column, and sort by that column. Watch that column while the pc is stuttering.

 

[ZGR]

It sounds like 100% CPU usage. I would do a couple things.

Monitor task manager via details -> CPU as sm625 suggests.

If you are sure your HSF is mounted properly with a good application of thermal paste then try downloading Malwarebytes and Hitman Pro. they offer 30 day trial versions. Both are pretty good for finding malware and rootkits.

If they don't find anything and you can't see the problem in Task Manager, reinstalling Windows will be your best bet.

Edit: if on Windows 7 make sure to show all processes to monitor CPU usage. If it has been many years since a fresh install it may be time to reinstall windows.

 

[akmaggot666]

It sounds like 100% CPU usage. I would do a couple things.

Monitor task manager via details -> CPU as sm625 suggests.

If you are sure your HSF is mounted properly with a good application of thermal paste then try downloading Malwarebytes and Hitman Pro. they offer 30 day trial versions. Both are pretty good for finding malware and rootkits.

If they don't find anything and you can't see the problem in Task Manager, reinstalling Windows will be your best bet.

Edit: if on Windows 7 make sure to show all processes to monitor CPU usage. If it has been many years since a fresh install it may be time to reinstall windows.

I think I found the problem...
Samsung magician update remind me yesterday that when the sutters began I actually did those stupid things with it... benchmark test, optimization etc. also at optimization I remember I had a lot of things running, now when I update it I ran the optimization and it said warrning that it's known that it sometimes makes files missing and that they won't answer for that problem. After I ran it, it took more time than on the older one, and it stopped stuttering... I still "lagg" is the right word in BF4 but it might be a normal thing or bad optimization, still trying to figure out since the BF4 is on Intel SSD which I can't optimize now cuz some RAID error that ppl have also cuz AMD chipset they write (ppl are triggered), I am gona secure wipe the Intel SSD and then via bootable USB the Samsung one and instal Win10 and see how it goes. But for now, NO STUTTERING since I run optimization on samsung manager that prolly fixed the fked up optimization from weeks ago. Not 100% sure yet but it's quiet obvious for now since I didn't get any laggs on youtube, browser tabs which were so dramatizing ;D, lookin those dam stutters at 144Hz :<

 

[akmaggot666]

It sounds like 100% CPU usage. I would do a couple things.

Monitor task manager via details -> CPU as sm625 suggests.

If you are sure your HSF is mounted properly with a good application of thermal paste then try downloading Malwarebytes and Hitman Pro. they offer 30 day trial versions. Both are pretty good for finding malware and rootkits.

If they don't find anything and you can't see the problem in Task Manager, reinstalling Windows will be your best bet.

Edit: if on Windows 7 make sure to show all processes to monitor CPU usage. If it has been many years since a fresh install it may be time to reinstall windows.

btw I had once the bitcoin miner mawlware, I knew what it was and I tried so many programs and it couldn't get removed/deleted. I had to reinstall windows for that. It used my gpu at 100% and it was reaching max degrees...