V-sync causes stutter?

[unknownsock]

I've posted a thread every so often the last couple of months, because of this annoying game stutter and in video, although i cant prove the video part.
I've tried replacing everything, different computers with the same games etc, different locations, houses, yet i still seem to be plagued with this stutter in games.

And with my new 5870, its just made me even more mad.
It generally only happens when i strafe or move my character, it doesn't happen much if say im on a lift and the game is moving itself.

Now i may be jumping to conclusions and i'm not sure how to prove it tbh, but when i remove V-sync on COD4, i do get HUGE tearing but the gameplay seems a little smoother?
Resulting in me thinking this is maybe a v-sync problem?

Can anyone suggest some work arounds, programs, ways to test? Infact anything i just want to get this sorted out once and for all.

I've tested this on Source games (left4dead, half life, team fortress), COD, Gears of War, Company of heroes, WOW, Aion, Stalker, Fallout, i may just be using games that generally stutter? I don't know tbh.

 

[unknownsock]

Q9300 @ stock (2.5)
4gb DDR 1333 OCZ reaper at stock
standard 7200.11 HDD
5870
Playing at 1680x1050

Pointless to know my speccs tbh, as my system is capable of playing anything.
Currently i dont have it overclocked but its normally runs with my cpu @ 3.4-5 and my ram @ 1400-1666

 

[unknownsock]

I may have missed a few points last night as it twas quite late and i was knackered.
Even though im stuttering, i do have a constant frame rate, it just seems somethings out of sync and missing some frames?

I'm using onboard audio and according to asus's drivers im up to date, although they seem quite old, i've tried to look for newer ones but failed.
This happens on vista/win 7.

I would look at the screen rather than the hardware tbh, refresh rate problem?

I too get this sometimes with lcds. Have you got an old crt you could try or borrow?

This is a comment i've been waiting for, i was never sure if this could be a problem i have one at my gf's parents but that could be weeks before i get to test that out..

This happens with V-sync on or not, without it it just seems less noticable. (Possibly not the best thread title?)

Googling does nothing, 99% of the threads i find are just people with low end systems trying to play crysis..
Although the threads i have found are quite useful, so far i've tested my speakers, moving them away, turning them off and disconnecting my subwoofer.
Disabling my onboard wireless card.
I still need a buy a surge protector incase its spikes in the current?
Different monitors and cables.
PS/2 mice and keybooards.
I've done DPC latency checker, all windows system checker things.
I did notice i had a high page frame faults but i googled this and it didnt give me much info.


But to make this worse, i built a computer for my parents about a month ago and this seemed to have the same problem, and i have tested it slightly on another computer at a friends(the system wasn't up to specc so cant confirm this).
SO as you see im completely lost, im reluctant to go out and spend anymore cash to test this as so far its just been a waste.

Edit: I've noticed my grpahics card is sharing the same IRQ as a USB port, ethernet port and something else(can't remember at the top of my head), this isn't changable right?

 

[unknownsock]

Have you run FRAPS to see how many frames the PC is outputting during the stutter?

Like i said my FPS doesn't drop, i've done all these tests prior the previous months.

I was playing Aion for the first time on my own computer last night and my fps was terrible, although i strongly belive ive just not installed the drivers properly from coming from a nvidia card. So its not really related this this.

 

[unknownsock]

Driver Sweeper all your graphics drivers, use the ATi Catalyst installer also to uninstall any ATi drivers you may have and then run a clean install of 9.9. Hopefully that'll do your fps rates in Aion some good.

Already did that but i presume something was still left behind, always read problems when swapping from ati > nvidia and vice versa.
I have no doubt that this will sort my FPS but i still have quite annoying stutter

 

[unknownsock]

Does this stutter only happen when you strafe around using the mouse?

No but this seems to trigger it more and defintely be more noticable.

 

[unknownsock]

ok two things. What motherboard do you have and do you have access to a wired xbox 360 controller?

I have a Asus p5e3 Premium X48 chipset.
Not immediately but i could try nick one of one of my mates.

whats the reason for this?

 

[unknownsock]

I want to just make sure your problem is what i think it is. What I want you to do is enable v-sync then try running around in a normally juddery game using the xbox controller (without using keyboard or mouse inputs during the game) and I want you to let me know if it stops the problem with your games.

Although this may be a while till i can get one to test, care to elaberate more? And the reason of what could be causing this etc.

And i may buy one myself. As i wanted one eventually anyway.

 

[unknownsock]

I have a thread where i'm suffering this problem. I also have some friends who have the exact same problems. The consistent elements we have is that we all have asus motherboards and using 64bit operating systems. The problem is rectified by using the xbox controller. We have narrowed the issue down to being motherboard related in some way.
I'll link you to my old post so you get an idea of what i've tried previously to solve the problem.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17995821&highlight=username_Spazzfish

What does help but not remove the problem is enabling triple buffering, enabling v-sync and having a mouse (like the G5) that lets you set the report rate to 1000.
However I won't know if this applies to you yet until you try out an xbox 360 controller

I think i may push the boat out then and get one, or try and lend one.
I dont have my razor copperhead drivers installed atm either, i never thought this could be an issue but i guess i could try.

 

[unknownsock]

Abit of a interesting find here, i've never actually noticed this before.
But whilst ive been playing aion tonight when it does stutter, the sound slightly crackles, not much but when it slightly freezes its noticable.

I dont have any sound drivers on atm, as i tried updating them earlier but failed as there seems to be no support for win 7 at all. And i've noticed when i boot up windows it crackles for a second when the desktop is loading.

I'm currently using onboard sound which requires soundblaster blackhawk drivers.
Most drivers are atleast one year old. Like i said no support

So either it is the sound driver? Or something is interupting both of these?

 

[unknownsock]

Sounds like your just getting interference through your on board sound card. I don't know anyone who uses on board sound who doesn't get some sort of crackle or hum or whine of some description. I disabled the on board sound through bios and have a dedicated soundcard and still have a stuttering issue. Friends who have the same problem vary between onboard and dedicated cards. I personally don't think that is the problem.

Maybe not but from months of googling, the top problems seem to be wireless NIC cards and sound drivers/cards etc.

 

[unknownsock]

The funny thing is, i may have fixed this?
I completely forgot about D3D overrider that comes with rivatuner, so i enabled and forced v-sync and triple buffering, this seemed to smooth is out, then i cranked up AA within the ATI panel to x8, with edge detect, and from what i can see COD4 on the training mission seems immaculate.
I've just been crawling next to some grass observing how its passing through some wood in the way, i did not see one ounce of stutter..

Ill try with some more games and keep you posted.

Edit:
Aion - Still the same.
WoW - 90% seems to have gone, still there very very slightly but has seemed to improve a lot.
ArmA 2 - Runs a tad bit better, although i can still see it.

Ill do more tomorow, although it think its still there, the mass amount of AA and forced v-sync and triple buffering, just makes it less noticable.
Although thats the plan i guess. I think its safe to say my hardware is 100% fine, and it should be software. Most likely anyway.

 

[unknownsock]

To me, this sounds like you have reduced the framerate below the Vsync limit so the screen isn't displaying multiple frames (or as many multiple frames).

This whole thread reminds me why I don't use Vsync, but luckily the tearing doesn't bother me.

What I find most annoying about Vsync is the increased input lag.

To the OP - what happens when you disable Vsync? Do all the stutters etc. go away?

Well, if v-sync off caused me no stutter do you really think I'd create this this thread?

I do usually get massive tearing so V-sync actually makes it better, although what i've just realised is with D3D override, triple buffering also causes massive input lag.

Although i seemed to have found how to hide it it's still there.
Another day of googling it seems

 

[unknownsock]

My FPS is a constant 60 with v-sync etc, no FPS drops, just stutter.
I checked via fraps and in games consoles.

I checked my CPU at stock, @ 3.0 and 3.4. All the same.
And even at stock theres no bottleneck.
As again ive tested 15k GPU, in 3dmark vantage, on performance with everything at stock.

Is there anyway to disable all unecessary services and windows background apps, similiar to safe mode? So i can test this is not to do with the OS?
Or can i run in safe mode and force my ATI driver to start up?

As if this eliminated this would rule its a software problem.

 

[unknownsock]

I'm thinking bad layout of interupts and usb for your inputs. you disabled unused items like printer port, serial ports etc in bios? that frees up a few low level resources. also check the sound card is in a none linked slot to the vid card.

This has come to mind several times now, but google has failed me.
As it does seem everythings working but something out of sync or just interupting it.

But how the hell do i change IRQ's etc? I need to disable ACPI right, from what i've read i can only do this upon a new install?

Ill try once more to disable as many options as i can. Several are already disabled in the BIOS.

 

[unknownsock]

I wouldnt disable acpi

Well does someone want to enlighten me how i can change my IRQ's as i know my PCIE port shares with several other things such as a ethernet port, USB etc. maybe others, not at home atm though.

 

[unknownsock]

Defragle the motherwhat? lol.
You mean defrag my primary hard disk?

Yea i can disable the process's, but i mean services also.

And i don't use any anti-virus.

 

[unknownsock]

thought - windows defender can run at bad times. go in to control panel and set it to run once a week or something realistic and set to run at a good time for you.

I disable printer ports and serial posts, ide as i only use sata and set it so the OS can reassign ports.

From what im aware of windows defender is disabled, same with my firewall.
I'll try disable everything tonight, tried it before but i may have missed some of those ports.

And weres the setting so the OS can reassign?