My ASUS ROG laptop is experiencing severe stuttering and a complete loss of performance in two specific games, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3. This stuttering is synchronized with a distinct audio stutter and affects the entire Windows system, making the games unplayable. 2. Key Findings and Symptoms Symptom 1: System-wide Stuttering: The issue is not confined to the games themselves. Both video and audio stutter across the entire Windows desktop and other applications whenever the games are running. Symptom 2: Fluctuating GPU Usage: During the stuttering, the GPU utilization fluctuates erratically, dropping to near 0% before spiking back up, causing the performance to collapse. Symptom 3: External Monitor Specific: The problem does not occur when playing the same games on the laptop's built-in screen. The issue is strictly limited to when an external monitor is connected via DisplayPort. Symptom 4: Game-Specific: The issue is isolated to two titles: Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3. Other equally or more demanding games, such as "Indiana Jones," run perfectly fine on the same hardware and external monitor setup. 3. Hardware and Software Environment Laptop: ASUS ROG Laptop CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (mobile) External Monitor: ROG 2K (2560x1440) at 240Hz, connected via DisplayPort. Operating System: Windows (latest version, clean installed). Driver Status: All drivers (NVIDIA, Intel, ASUS Armoury Crate) are updated to the latest available versions. A clean installation of drivers using DDU has been performed. Performance Profile: The laptop is set to "Turbo" mode in the Armoury Crate software. 4. Troubleshooting Steps Already Performed The following extensive troubleshooting steps have been completed with no success: Power Settings: Confirmed Windows Power Plan is set to "High Performance." ASUS Software: All performance modes in Armoury Crate (Turbo, Manual) were tested. Driver Management: A complete and clean re-installation of NVIDIA and all system drivers was performed using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU). Operating System: A clean installation of Windows was performed. Hardware Stress Tests: The CPU, GPU, and RAM have been stress-tested using tools like FurMark, with no errors or signs of throttling. Refresh Rate: The external monitor's refresh rate was lowered to 120Hz and 144Hz, but the stuttering persisted. In-Game Settings: V-Sync was manually controlled via the NVIDIA Control Panel, and Ray Tracing and other settings were adjusted within the games.
