Hello, I wasn't sure where to put it so I hope it's fine here. I've been trying to figure out what's up with my pc but so far I'm puzzled.
I've built a new pc less than a month ago and been having a few hiccups. The issue is every few hours or so, the entire pc will stutter/lag for a very brief time (typically roughly 1/2 to 3 sec.). This affect both the visual and audio aspects of whatever I'm doing. Everything slows down and the audio gets distorted. It doesn't appear to mater what kind of load is put on the system, I could be browsing the internet/watching videos up to playing intensive games for hours and I will still get that problem.
I've tried many things and I'm at a point where I might have to swap major components/start almost from zero to potentially fix the issue. Before going down that road, I'd be happy if I could get some opinions or advice. I'll be listing my build below and what I've tried so far to solve the issue.
Build:
-OS: Windows 10 Home 64-bit (10.o, Build 19043)
-Motherboard: Asus ROG Crosshair VII Dark Hero X570 (BIOS 3801)
-CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900x*
-RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro SL 2x16GB 3200MHz (CMH32GX4M2E3200C16)
-GPU: Asus ROG Strix GTX 1080 ti 11G*
-Storage: 1x Western Digital WD Black SN850 NVME M.2 SSD PCIE Gen4x4 (500GB)
1x Western Digital WD Black SN750 NVME M.2 SSD PCIE Gen3x4 w/ Heatsink (1TB)
-PSU: Corsair RM1000x (2021) 1000W
-Case: Corsair Obsidian 900D
*Both CPU and GPU are watercooled using EK waterblocks, D5 pump and 2x480mm radiators so overheating shouldn't be an issue.
Tried so far:
-Most recent BIOS vs Older BIOS
-Changing BIOS settings: C-states on/off; PCIE Gen 4/3/Auto; Stock CPU/slight PBO undervolting; Stock/Auto/DOCP RAM profiles
-Running Disk check and system check multiple times. Found some corrupted files once (out of 10+ scans) and corrected them
-Running Memtest86 => Passed every time I ran it.
-Fresh windows install along fresh drivers (chipset, graphics, audio, etc) => tried multiple times with older and newer versions and followed installation guides for the Realtek Audio Drivers, DDU clean Nvidia driver install/Geforce/Standalone...
-Changing power plans Balanced/Max performance along with removing any power saving settings for all devices (ethernet, gpu, etc)
-Install/Un-installed softwares: Armory Crate, Asus AI suite, Corsair iCUE, along with some apps and other less critical programs to try to keep the install clean.
-Running on WI-FI vs Ethernet (Keep getting a warning in the event viewer that the Intel I211 Gigabit Network link is disconnected even when not in use event ID 27)
-Manually disabling HEPT, unused/non critical services and most programs in startup
-Cleanup Windows (Storage sense/Temp files); Turn off unused windows features like notifications and tablet mode; Adjust System settings for performance.
-Set devices drivers to run on MSI vs IRQ; Disable temporarily unused devices drivers
-Brand new surge protector power bar (to rule out the older one even though it seems to work fine)
-GPU powered by 2 separate 2+6 cables vs 1 split 2x 2+6; Also tried my older Asus Strix GTX 970 4GB (Been sitting in it's box for a couple of years and I don't remember if it had any sort of issue or if it was running fine); Tried on both top and middle PCIE slots.
-Single vs Dual Monitor + HDMI vs DisplayPort (If I plug only my 1440p monitor in the first DP the VGA white light stays ON (motherboard). Potentially due to my pc booting faster then that monitor. When I plug just my 1080p or my 1080p in the 1st DP and my 1440p in the second one, no VGA white light on the motherboard)
-Before using the brand new Corsair RM1000x I was using a Corsair RM850i => Not a PSU issue
-I was using a Ryzen 7 5800x before switching to a Ryzen 9 5900x => Not a CPU issue
-Fans and water pump appears to be running normally (no crazy noise/RPM); No CPU thermal throttling; GPU is running at very most under stress around 40-50°c
-Finally I've tried to swap both M.2 SSDs from top and bottom ports and only running the OS (WD SN850) one with some older SATA SSDs
Potential routes I have in mind as of now:
1- I haven't tried installing the OS on older drives/Ruling out the WD SN850 since it's brand new and bought at the same time as my CPU/Motherboard. I might try it but I'm doubtful it will be any different.
EDIT: Just ruled out the SN850. Installed my OS to a separate drive and removed the SN850 from the build and the issue still persists.
2- My RAM isn't on the QVL of my motherboard but is advertised as being "optimized for Ryzen". I've had Intel builds before and never had RAM compatibility issues and might have overlooked that part. I wasn't aware that Ryzen tends to be picky on RAM before later reading about it but at the same time, and I could be wrong on this, I don't think I would be able to boot into Windows and do everyday stuff without crashing.
3- My GPU was bought used a few years ago. Although I've never had issues with it before it doesn't mean it couldn't be malfunctioning and my older GTX 970 isn't necessarily a reference.
4- Unlucky and less likely would be a faulty motherboard.
That's all I have for now. Keep in mind all the things I tried that are listed are the ones I remember on the top of my head. I've read so much stuff online I might have tried some other tweaks/fixes that I don't remember. This issue is driving me nuts since I can't seem to put the finger on it regardless of what I do and I absolutely need to have this pc working for online CAD classes and work so RMA the motherboard would be a solution of last resort.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post!