Stuttering on games, 0.5ms freezes... on 2 different systems?

[Ires]

Hi,

so throughout the year, I had two systems, a Z370 platform and currently a Z390 platform, with completely different components..
however, I've had these small stuttering on most games occurring since I had Z370 and up.. and I haven't been able to fix it since then..


testing different outlets doesn't improve anything,I also didn't have this issue in my other house funny enough.
outlets got checked as well by an "expert" and everything was OK he said..

I literally have no idea what has changed in this year, but one thing is certain...the stuttering stays.. whether it's with new components or old ones..
I have made an xper trace with the commands "xperf -on DiagEasy" and saved them to the desktop..

I ran the command, booted up CS:GO, went into a bot match, played 1 round, exit, stop trace.. you can even see the freeze upon booting and shutting down the game at the end.

If anyone could have a look, I opened the trace and took a small sneak peek, and I can already tell something doesn't seem right... about the response times... something is off.
everything is also correctly installed in the PC.

Mind you this is run off a 9900K with it's iGPU(UHD 630) for testing purposes, and to rule out the 2080Ti being the problem, which it is not.
(dGPU is disconnected for now until problem resolved)




fresh install as well several times from(USB).
More than 5TB has been written on two M.2 drives drives for troubleshooting alone and windows 10 installs, issue stays with me..

some people suggested a power conditioner/filter or back-ups too.


system specification below.

9900K
Aorus Master
M.2 1TB Nvme drive
Seasonic prime ultra 1000w

 

[Digerati]

some people suggested a power conditioner/filter or back-ups too.

I always recommend a "good" UPS with AVR be on all computers too. It is not for the backup power during a power outage (that is just a minor bonus) but for the AVR - automatic voltage regulation a "good" UPS with AVR provides. A surge and spike protector is little more than a fancy and expensive extension cord. Note I said "good" UPS.

Is that the same Seasonic PSU through out? Or have you tried a different PSU and the same thing happened? If the same PSU (even though Seasonic is a very reliable brand), you need to try another PSU to make sure you are feeding your components good, clean stable power.

You said your outlets were checked by an expert. That's good, but may not be good enough. An electrician usually only checks to make sure the outlet is wired properly, to include good continuity to Earth ground. And that is good. But did he check to ensure the voltage was within the allowed range?

A couple years ago I came home to hear all my UPS (I have one on each computer and my home theater system) were beeping. Yet I could see the power to the house was on. That was weird. I live in Tornado Alley so I am used to them beeping during power outages, but never like this. Checking the display panel on the UPS on this machine, I saw the line in voltage was 146VAC! I quickly got out my multimeter and verified that was correct.

It's supposed to be 117VAC ± 10% or a maximum of 128.7VAC Some say 120V ± 10% for 132VAC maximum. Either way, 146VAC was way too much. I called the power company, told them I was a technician and said if they didn't want to buy new refrigerators, washing machines, clothes dryers and air conditioner compressors (things with big motors) for everyone in this neighborhood, they better get someone out right away.

No kidding, within 15 minutes, they were at my door. They verified at the meter out back the grid voltage was 292VAC (146VAC x 2). Within another 15 minute, they had another technician in a cherry picker looking at the transformer on the pole feeding my house. The "tap" had fried and it was not long before we got a brand new transformer. My line-in voltage is now 121VAC. :)

So long story short, while your outlets may be wired properly, you may not be getting the correct voltage and that needs to be verified too.

BTW, for future reference (and verify that expert knew what what he doing) every home and every computer user should have access to a AC Outlet Tester to ensure your outlet is properly wired and grounded to Earth ground. I recommend one with a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupt) indicator as it can be used to test bathroom and kitchen outlets (outlets near water) too. These testers can be found for your type and voltage outlet, foreign or domestic, (like this one for the UK) at most home improvement stores, or even the electrical department at Wal-Mart. Use it to test all the outlets in the home and if a fault is shown, have it fixed by a qualified electrician.

 

[Ires]

I always recommend a "good" UPS with AVR be on all computers too. It is not for the backup power during a power outage (that is just a minor bonus) but for the AVR - automatic voltage regulation a "good" UPS with AVR provides. A surge and spike protector is little more than a fancy and expensive extension cord. Note I said "good" UPS.

Is that the same Seasonic PSU through out? Or have you tried a different PSU and the same thing happened? If the same PSU (even though Seasonic is a very reliable brand), you need to try another PSU to make sure you are feeding your components good, clean stable power.

You said your outlets were checked by an expert. That's good, but may not be good enough. An electrician usually only checks to make sure the outlet is wired properly, to include good continuity to Earth ground. And that is good. But did he check to ensure the voltage was within the allowed range?

A couple years ago I came home to hear all my UPS (I have one on each computer and my home theater system) were beeping. Yet I could see the power to the house was on. That was weird. I live in Tornado Alley so I am used to them beeping during power outages, but never like this. Checking the display panel on the UPS on this machine, I saw the line in voltage was 146VAC! I quickly got out my multimeter and verified that was correct.

It's supposed to be 117VAC ± 10% or a maximum of 128.7VAC Some say 120V ± 10% for 132VAC maximum. Either way, 146VAC was way too much. I called the power company, told them I was a technician and said if they didn't want to buy new refrigerators, washing machines, clothes dryers and air conditioner compressors (things with big motors) for everyone in this neighborhood, they better get someone out right away.

No kidding, within 15 minutes, they were at my door. They verified at the meter out back the grid voltage was 292VAC (146VAC x 2). Within another 15 minute, they had another technician in a cherry picker looking at the transformer on the pole feeding my house. The "tap" had fried and it was not long before we got a brand new transformer. My line-in voltage is now 121VAC. :)

So long story short, while your outlets may be wired properly, you may not be getting the correct voltage and that needs to be verified too.

BTW, for future reference (and verify that expert knew what what he doing) every home and every computer user should have access to a AC Outlet Tester to ensure your outlet is properly wired and grounded to Earth ground. I recommend one with a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupt) indicator as it can be used to test bathroom and kitchen outlets (outlets near water) too. These testers can be found for your type and voltage outlet, foreign or domestic, (like this one for the UK) at most home improvement stores, or even the electrical department at Wal-Mart. Use it to test all the outlets in the home and if a fault is shown, have it fixed by a qualified electrician.

I bought an "APC-SurgeArrest Performance" ups, which indicates faulty wiring, and correct voltage, which show a green light.
Which is not enough to stop dirty power i assume, but is IT dirty power? or something else..

I have 3 different power supplies, RM850i,Seasonic 850 Focus Plus,Prime Ultra 1000w.
with the Prime ultra being a new unit.

everything in the Z390 system got replaced by new parts over the months.

The electrician said everything "was fine" with his meter tested in each outlet.
The only thing he said, that it could be coming from the electricity spikes outside the home.



The generator outside works with a "limit", so you pass it or go over it or use too much, and it will shut down everything, until the button is pressed again.
Could this be the culprit here?..

They installed the limit couple of years ago for whatever reason... probably using too much power in this area..

I will test the system in another house, next week most likely..
but again, all voltages show correct reading too on the 12v+ 5v+ on the 3V+ as well, nothing out of the place.

I will also tell you that, connecting the laptop power cable without UPS will introduce coil whine or noise on the laptop.... disconnecting the power cable from the outlet or an UPS fixes this.
But from looking at the Trace file, something looks wrong, I will upload a couple of trace files later, after some more testing.

The PC has also been fully disassembled a couple of times, with the motherboard on a cardboard, which results in the same.
Everything is secured connection wise, if something was wrong, or not connected right, I would have noticed this when doing the disassembly..

I was about to pick up a Furman 210/AE PL serie, but should this be combined with a back-ups? if so what do you recommend to combine?(Brands)
Before I do this though, I'm gonna run few more tests tonight, testing all outlets again, and disconnecting everything else.

Will also get a meter and double check myself.


Would the trace file be useful here?
everything seems to suffer from high latency.. even the nvme drive shows high spikes..

I already check the trace file, but i'd rather have someone that is experienced in Windows Performance Analyzer check this out..

will update how this turns out..

 

[Digerati]

I bought an "APC-SurgeArrest Performance" ups

As far as I know and can find, the APC SurgeArrest Performance devices are NOT UPS, but rather surge and spike protectors. UPS, which stands for "uninterruptible" power supply have heavy batteries in them for backup power during a full power outage.

Got a model number so we can verify what it is?

Which is not enough to stop dirty power i assume, but is IT dirty power? or something else..

If a surge and spike protector, then no. Dirty power can still come through. But it is my experience that sort of dirty power causes computer stability issues - that is, sudden reboots, shutdowns or system lockups as it would affect the CPU and other components too.

I have 3 different power supplies, RM850i,Seasonic 850 Focus Plus,Prime Ultra 1000w.
with the Prime ultra being a new unit.

And does that mean you have tried those supplies and this stuttering happened with all three? If so then that pretty much rules out a power supply. And since you have tried different motherboards too, that would rule out the voltage dividers and regulators on the board. And multiple fresh installs of Windows (unless installing the same flawed Windows image) would seem to rule out a Windows settings.

This is confusing.

Generator? Your mains voltage comes from a generator full time? If so, do you have an inverter on your house then?

all voltages show correct reading too on the 12v+ 5v+ on the 3V

Note it is 3.3VDC. The ATX standard allows for a maximum ±5% tolerance. So acceptable tolerance maximums are:

12VDC ±5% = 11.4 to 12.6VDC

5VDC ±5% = 4.75 to 5.25VDC

3.3VDC ±5% = 3.14 to 3.47VDC
​

But again, it is not likely that if you tried 3 different power supplies.

 

[Ires]

UPDATE:

Issue got resolved by testing outlets on the furthest side of the house, there were a couple of outlets I had not tested yet in a different room..
The moment i booted up CSGO and went into the game, I immediately felt the game went much smoother, and no more hiccups or small freezes occurring anymore!!

so all the outlets surrounding the room I was in before either got damaged by an accident that happened YEARS ago.
had a X99 system years ago with a 5820K, when water poured on top of the case all the way to the power supply, there was a load "bang" from the PSU.

I actually still have the fried 5820K here from the X99 system with burn marks on the contacts.

so I think this is/was the culprit.. and most likely the reason why it occurred on both the Z370 system and Z390...


Glad this issue is finally solved.. if I just checked all of the outlets before, instead of just assuming stuff...
and maybe it's time to fix the outlets as well, even though the "Expert" said they were fine...



Thanks anyways!

 

[Digerati]

I am glad you got it sorted out.

Water in the case and PSU would not have damaged your outlets. Assuming they are all on the same circuit back to the service panel, there could be something else affecting it from a loose connection somewhere, carbon buildup in the breaker (if you have a breaker) or loose fuse and carbon buildup (if you have a fuse). Or even insect or rodent activity.

Thanks for the followup message.

 

[gabrieljsc]

Hello bro, i have the same problem almost 7 years since the stuttering started. I have a new PC and i have massive stuttering and hertz drops and audio crackling. I tried different outlets but the problem persisted, i tried my PC in another house same problem. My guess is that my energy has already caused problems to my PSU. What do you think my friend?