Question:

How to fix sudden and severe frame drops in low-demand games on a high-end PC?

I have a PC with a 7900XT GPU and a 7800x3D CPU, which has been running smoothly for 6 months. However, recently I have been experiencing constant and significant frame drops in games like Valorant and CS, which are not very demanding. I have tried the following steps to troubleshoot the issue, but none of them worked:

• Reinstalling and rolling back the AMD drivers using DDU
• Factory resetting the PC
• Reseating the cables inside the PC
• Uploading the HWINFO/Prime95/FurMark monitoring results to the r/techsupport discord, where they said everything looked normal
• Checking the temperatures, which were within acceptable ranges

I

am at a loss as to what is causing this problem and how to fix it. I would appreciate any advice or suggestions from an expert. Thank you.

Answer:

If you have a PC with a powerful GPU and CPU, such as the 7900XT and the 7800x3D, you might expect to run any game smoothly and without any issues. However, some PC users have reported that they have been facing constant and severe frame drops in games that are not very demanding, such as Valorant and CS. This can be very frustrating and annoying, especially if you have invested a lot of money and time into building your PC.

There are many possible causes and solutions for this problem, and it can be hard to pinpoint the exact one that works for you. However, in this article, we will try to cover some of the most common and effective ones that you can try to fix your frame drops and enjoy your gaming experience.

Before we start, we assume that you have already tried some of the basic troubleshooting steps, such as:

• Reinstalling and rolling back the AMD drivers using DDU
• Factory resetting the PC
• Reseating the cables inside the PC
• Uploading the HWINFO/Prime95/FurMark monitoring results to the r/techsupport discord, where they said everything looked normal
• Checking the temperatures, which were within acceptable ranges

If none of these steps worked for you, then you can try the following solutions:

1. Check your game settings and optimize them for performance

One of the simplest and most effective ways to improve your FPS (frames per second) in any game is to adjust your game settings and lower the graphics quality. Sometimes, the game might automatically set the graphics to the highest level, which can cause your PC to struggle and drop frames. To fix this, you can go to the game’s settings menu and look for the graphics or video options. There, you can lower the resolution, texture quality, anti-aliasing, shadows, effects, and other settings that can affect your performance. You can also turn off any unnecessary features, such as motion blur, depth of field, or ambient occlusion. You can experiment with different settings and see which ones give you the best balance between quality and performance.

2. Update your BIOS and chipset drivers

Another possible cause of your frame drops could be that your BIOS (basic input/output system) or your chipset drivers are outdated or incompatible with your hardware. The BIOS is the software that controls the communication between your PC’s components, such as the CPU, GPU, RAM, and motherboard. The chipset drivers are the software that allows your motherboard to communicate with the other devices, such as the USB ports, audio, and network. If your BIOS or your chipset drivers are not up to date, they might cause conflicts or errors that can affect your PC’s performance and stability. To fix this, you can check your motherboard’s manufacturer website and look for the latest BIOS and chipset drivers for your model. You can download and install them following the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Be careful when updating your BIOS, as any mistake or interruption can cause serious damage to your PC.

3. Disable any background programs or services that are using your resources

Sometimes, the reason why your PC is dropping frames in games is that there are other programs or services running in the background that are using your CPU, GPU, RAM, or disk resources. These can be anything from antivirus software, web browsers, streaming apps, or Windows updates. To fix this, you can use the Task Manager to monitor your PC’s resource usage and identify any programs or services that are consuming a lot of your resources. You can then close or disable them temporarily while you are gaming. To open the Task Manager, you can press Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard, or right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager. You can then go to the Processes tab and sort the list by CPU, GPU, Memory, or Disk usage. You can right-click on any program or service that you don’t need and select End Task or End Process. Be careful not to end any system processes that are essential for your PC’s operation.

4. Scan your PC for malware or viruses

Another possible cause of your frame drops could be that your PC is infected with malware or viruses that are slowing down your system and interfering with your gaming. Malware or viruses can be acquired from various sources, such as malicious websites, email attachments, or downloads. To fix this, you can use a reputable antivirus software to scan your PC for any threats and remove them. You can also use a malware removal tool, such as Malwarebytes, to scan your PC for any additional malware that your antivirus might have missed. You should also avoid visiting any suspicious websites, opening any unknown email attachments, or downloading any untrusted files.

5. Upgrade your hardware or overclock your components

If none of the above solutions worked for you, then the last resort is to upgrade your hardware or overclock your components. Upgrading your hardware means replacing your old or weak components with newer or stronger ones, such as adding more RAM, getting a faster SSD, or getting a better GPU or CPU. This can improve your PC’s performance and allow you to run games at higher settings and FPS. However, upgrading your hardware can be expensive and complicated, and you might need to do some research and compatibility checks before buying and installing any new components.

Overclocking your components means increasing the clock speed or voltage of your CPU, GPU, or RAM, which can boost their performance and give you more FPS in games. However, overclocking your components can also increase their temperature and power consumption, which can cause overheating, instability, or damage to your PC. Therefore, overclocking your components should only be done by experienced users who know what they are doing and have adequate cooling and power supply for their PC. You can use various software tools, such as MSI Afterburner, Ryzen Master, or Intel XTU, to overclock your components, but you should also do some research and testing before attempting any overclocking.

Conclusion

In

this article, we have discussed some of the possible causes and solutions for the problem of sudden and severe frame drops in low-demand games on a high-end PC. We hope that this article has been helpful and informative for you, and that you have been able to fix your frame drops and enjoy your gaming experience. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please feel free to leave them below. Thank you for reading.