stuttering
Latest
AMD vows to fix Ryzen chip stuttering issues on Windows with new update
Have you been noticing random performance stutters, slow loading and other issues on AMD Ryzen-powered Windows 10 or 11 machines?
Deus Ex: Human Revolution PC players complain of stuttering, request patch
Several users have complained about a persistent issue in Deus Ex: Human Revolution on the PC -- an issue that Square Enix and Eidos Montreal have not addressed yet, according to emails from our readers. Users have complained of in-game stuttering, even with lowered graphical settings, and say these issue have persisted since launch.Threads on the Steam and Eidos forums have languished since being posted in August, with no official response from Eidos despite each still being active with user complaints. We've contacted Square Enix, who acquired Eidos back in 2009, to find out if there are any plans to address ongoing complaints.
Alienware M17x laptop said to be suffering from power-related GPU issues
Well, it looks like at least some Alienware M17x laptop owners just can't catch a break. While the previous so-called DPC latency issue has apparently finally been resolved, a number of users are now reporting another issue that's only become apparent after the earlier problem was fixed. As it turns out, the symptoms are similar to the stuttering caused by the DPC latency issue (hence the confusion), but the new problems are being blamed on power issues -- namely, that the GPU is drawing more power than the laptop can provide. Worse still is that it seems like those with the highest-end configuration are the most likely to experience the problem, as they're effectively maxing out an already maxed-out system. For its part, Dell has apparently fixed the issue in the most recent revision of the laptop, but users on the Notebook Review forums are reporting that the company hasn't exactly been eager to dish out replacements for everyone affected (which seems to be the only surefire "fix" available). [Thanks, Adam]
Dell issues Alienware M17x stuttering audio fix, will it stick?
About a week after we ran an update on the Alienware M17x stuttering audio problem, Dell's community manager John B. has written in to let us know that the company has posted a fix. It entails using a particular BIOS revision, dropping to the Windows native mass storage driver, and installing the latest Alienware wireless card driver, all of which are available for download at the source link below. In Dell's testing this has removed the latency spikes that have caused the rather undesirable audio st-st-stuttering issues, but many commenters over at Direct2Dell aren't so sure, indicating that this targeted fix is actually a miss and that things are no better. If you're affected, give this fix a shot and let us know whether you have success. If not, perhaps the registry tweak we posted before will do the trick. Update: Seems this is an improvement for many, but not a 100% fix. Mark wrote in to point us to the discussion happening over at the NotebookReview.com forums which, combined with your comments below, makes it seem like we're perhaps not done here just yet. Update 2: Another update from John B. at Dell, indicating that Alienware representatives have started hopping into their UFOs and visiting the homes of affected laptop users, Whitley Strieber-style. No formal update to this (apparently less than comprehensive) fix has been released yet, but information retrieved directly from the users should lead to some final resolution. We hope. Update 3: GIRs91MJ commented to let us know of a beta fix posted by Dell that supposedly goes a long way toward fixing the problem. You know what they say about beta drivers (unclean!) but if you're desperate for a fix, give it a go.
Still no fix in sight for Alienware M17x stuttering audio issue, maybe you can help
Back in November we reported on another in what's becoming a long line of issues with Dell's and Alienware's laptops, with M17x owners suffering from "skipping, stuttering audio" -- rather unbecoming in a high-end gaming rig. Dell was quickly on the case and initially indicated that a BIOS update last month contained a fix, only to learn that it didn't resolve all things for all people. There's still no proper resolution in sight, but Dell's Community Manager John Blain has told us that "getting the community more closely involved with this is going to be key." If you have an affected M17x John is asking that you stop on over to the Direct2Dell blog and shoot him a message with your machine's vitals. He's pledging to aggregate everything together and "expedite a resolution for those affected." Godspeed, mobile gamers. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: Tipster Adam wrote in with a fix that worked for him -- check out his advice in full after the break.
AoC beta: a tale of two clients
Frustrated with the Age of Conan open beta's serious performance problems? Worried that the game won't be ready for retail in just a couple of weeks? Don't worry too much; not it is all as it seems. Word on the virtual street is that the open beta client is an old build with issues long since resolved in the closed beta version.When the IGN beta event finally began on Thursday, thousands of excited gamers ended up more frustrated than entertained. The experience has been marred by low framerates, stuttering, and frequent hard crashes. Admittedly, it's a beta; some of that is to be expected. But it's bad, and since the game's retail release is less than three weeks away, there's an air of concern that Age of Conan will hit retail in an unplayable state. The reality is more complex than that.
