Custom built laptop stutering?

[zaknifein]

Hello, I have had my custom built iBuyPower laptop for half a year now, and this is the first time I've encountered the problem. It stutters mostly when I'm playing games such as League of Legends or Skyrim, but I've been playing these games and many others for months without problems. Occasionally it will even stutter when I'm doing simple things such as surfing the web.

I've run a few different registry fixes, such as CCleaner and Tune-Up. I've also run disk checks, and I've defragmented my computer. I've reseated my RAM and harddisks, and my GPU/processor temperatures are nothing unusual. DxDiag reports everything to be fine too... So I'm stuck in a ditch here...

System specs:
Win7
8GB DDR3 1333
Seagate 500GB HDD
Nvidia Geforce GT 540M 1GB
Intel i7 2720 QM 2.20 GHz


Please provide all and any input. thank you!

 

[WR2]

Hello zaknifein;

Do you get the same stuttering symptoms using just 4GB of RAM?
Have you tested while not connected to the internet?

If you have and you're still getting the same stuttering I'm thinking a Windows re-install is probably your best bet.

 

[AntiZig]

check that your power options are set to always on/max performance. Some programs like to change them without telling you about it.

 

[zaknifein]

Power options are on high powered, and my internet connection isn't the problem. I moved houses, and it's the same. I'm thinking a format would be the best.... I ran a memtest, it's not my memory

 

[AntiZig]

hmm, oh wait, is it possible your optimus settings got reset and it's now using integrated GPU instead of dedicated?

if it's not and the temps aren't the issue under load then I'm at a loss

 

[zaknifein]

Uhhh I'm not sure how to check that... but the frame rates are the same when I am playing games, they just drop to 0 for a while...

 

[jaguarskx]

Zaknafein

Hmmm.... I think someone has been reading R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy.

It seems you should try doing a clean install based on what you have already tried so far.

 

[zaknifein]

^ YES. Wow in all the years I've been using this name, no one's noticed. Maybe because i spelled his name wrong... But anyways that's what I'm going to do, but I don't have my format disk. I'm gonna try it anyways

 

[jaguarskx]

That is the correct spelling of the character's name.

 

[zaknifein]

Really? I thought it was Zaknafein. Oh well LOL

 

[jaguarskx]

Oh wait, I am sorry. You did spell it incorrectly. I just quickly glanced at your name and I guess my brain automatically corrected the spelling by replacing the 1st "i" with an "e".

It is spelled Zaknefein. I used it as a ID somewhere else.

You can see that I spelled correctly in my previous post.

 

[zaknifein]

Haha i guess i had it wrong from the beginning.. Ok so I have no idea where my reformat disk went... Is there a way I could format it without the disk?

 

[AntiZig]

Oh wait, I am sorry. You did spell it incorrectly. I just quickly glanced at your name and I guess my brain automatically corrected the spelling by replacing the 1st "i" with an "e".

It is spelled Zaknefein. I used it as a ID somewhere else.

You can see that I spelled correctly in my previous post.

I'm going to quote a cheesy commercial "it's a juicy contradiction!"

you first post you used an A
op spelled his nick with an I
you say the proper spelling is with an E

 

[zaknifein]

Okay! So I did a hard disk scan and nothing was wrong.. I have no idea what's wrong with my laptop...... And I cannot find anything that can format my computer :/

 

[zaknifein]

could it be my video card? im thinking is my hdd.... but when i alt-tab out of my game the frames drop from 45 to 18-20

I should probably also mention that my audio stutters randomly too, not just while the visual/screen is stuttering, the audio will stutter on its own.

 

[AntiZig]

most likely it's either your video card switching from dedicated to integrated and back

or you got dust in your vents which is creeping the temperatures up

 

[zaknifein]

How do i stop it from switching? And does the video card control sound too? because the sound stutters randomly...

 

[AntiZig]

sound can stutter when your frame rate drops or CPU is busy with other tasks.

The integrated vs dedicated GPU issue you have to configure in Video Settings under Optimus Settings. (I cannot give specific instructions as I've never had a laptop with this feature)

Basically, try making sure that your laptop uses dedicated card at all times when plugged in to the wall jack.

 

[zaknifein]

Uh my computer doesn't have a setting that allows me to do that...

 

[AntiZig]

hmm, then I think you have the first GT540 laptop that doesn't have optimus o.o