Micro-Stuttering Driving Me NUTS (fixed)

[Peazy]

Computer: Asus Ros G750

Windows 8.1

Specifications:

Intel Core i7-4710HQ CPU @ 2.50GHz

Installed Memory: 8.00 GB (7.88 GB usable)

System Type: 64-operating system, x64-based processor

Video/Graphics card: GeForce GTX 870M

It is brand new, I bought it two weeks ago.
MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE:

Eldar Scrolls: Skyrim was the first purchase I have made from Steam. There are a number of "game-breaking" issues with the game itself and I will discontinue playing it.

a. Main bug at the beginning in the quest: Unbound. The game becomes unplayable after I have entered the keep. Use of console fixes this.

************b. Micro-stutter throughout the game. Game-Breaker************
Description:
Load times vary from 3 seconds (normal) to 10-20 seconds)
In any area, when I move around my mouse to look around, there's a lag in the rendering, as if watching a video with split second clips removed.

c. Interface issues: game glitches constantly, rendered graphics not showing up correctly, i.e. a dead monster turns into a log/disappears, and a number of other game engine related issues. From what I have researched, I'm not alone in these issues.

What I have done to address the problems without the use of (unauthorized by Bethsaeda) modifications:

1. Backed up files and reinstalled Skyrim

2. updated and reinstalled drivers

3. changed graphics settings in vsync on/off

4. disabled mouse smoothing, updated mouse drivers

5. lowered graphics settings (although this computer most definitely can handle ultra settings.

6. updated computer OS, updated Steam, updated patches for game

7. turned on triple buffering on and off

8. windowed mode and full screen

9. Run on balanced power settings and performance

10. changed resolution

11. changed grapics settings to all medium, all high, all ultra

12. changed distance settings

13. changed view settings

14. validating game files-2 game files do not validate and need to reacquired.
****************************************************************************************************
Things I haven't tried and am unsure of how to proceed/afraid of more issues/unsure of how to do in Windows 8.1

a. overclocking my monitor to 64Hz

b. overclocking my GPU

*****c. downloaded mods to help this issue******
d. setting to one core, do not know how to do this.

Here's what worked:

SKSE Mod
Enboost
set fps limit to 60
following instuctions in the links in comments to this post

kudos to all who helped! esp hazmat! esp esp EL ♥♥♥♥♥♥!!! word up!

[Peazy]

(distracted) while pulling hair :) may have to just go back to wow

[Peazy]

but really like the game, just can't handle the stutter. dunno what to do, quite frustrated

[pedantic_roc]

I know you don't want to know, but...

http://benchmark3d.com/microstutter-case-study-skyrim-wtf-edition

That's a good lappy and it would be a pity not to wear it out playing Skyrim. :-)

[Mister E]

That's a beast of a machine, at least for a laptop. I have a few-years-old semi-gaming laptop, and it runs mostly ok (I had to turn down some particle effects, etc). Can you confirm that it's using the Nvidia GPU and not the onboard Intel graphics? I've had to manually set a lot of games to use the discrete GPU. From your description, I could see the onboard graphics being able to run the game, but with the problems you describe.

FWIW, Steam isn't going to care, they mainly just provide the storefront, and Bethesda has a lot of happy customers on even worse hardware. I don't mean to troll, but just saying, community support is probably your best avenue right now.

[Peazy]

@ roc
thanks for taking time to link sir! i appreciate it, i read that article and the connected article but didn't really know what to make of it. i'm assuming it basically means set to one core, downgrade the settings and hope for the best. the grammatical errors in his article made me a little hesitant to place any real emphasis on his work but i'm still curious. its a great game when it was running perfectly, i suppose my frustrations are exponentially worse just because it is a great machine, runs other stuff amazingly. starcraft, diablo, wow, etc. haven't tried COD or any of the other top ten pc games, but i want to get this one running well before i start dinking around with other games. currently downloading sim city because i just got so annoyed.

@ mister E
How would i go about confirming the GPU usage? I use the Nvidia control panel to set settings and modes for skyrim.exe and also under global settings.

and it's totally not trolling bro, any reflection is helpful really, i just want a permanant fix to enjoy the game fully on this machine. watching it stutter just drives me bonkers. at times it's fine, but at other times soooooo noticable. it's just incredible to me as i played oblivion on xbox a few years back and it was never this bad, i expected much much more i suppose.

[Mister E]

I can definitely understand. I'm not sure if it's the same, but I also have a laptop with an older (and worse) Nvidia GPU with the optimus switching. From what you said, it sounds like this should already be setup, but in the Nvidia Control Panel, make sure that the Skyrim exe is added to the list and set to use the Nvidia GPU rather than the Integrated one....
https://answers.unrealengine.com/questions/19612/nvidia-optimus-always-using-intel-gpu.html

I believe you can also right-click the EXE and then one of the options in the pop-up menu lets you view/change the GPU it uses. I'm not sure of a good way to determine which GPU is being utilized while the game is running. Mine is pretty noticeable because the fans kick up pretty much anytime the Nvidia GPU gets used.

Aside from that, are you able to run the game and get decent performance at any graphics setting? Also, have you installed the Unofficial patches? I honestly don't think I've run Skyrim w/o them, so it might be worth a shot if you haven't installed those, at least.

[MageThis]

Mikucore: New guide regarding: Incorrect video cards in the launcher, D3D9 issues, renderer related crashes, also increasing your performance

http://steamcommunity.com/app/72850/discussions/0/540738052823200569/

Please play Skyrim corded... if this forces higher usage of your discreete GPU, and it should, your laptop will generate considerably more heat. So, you don't need the extra heat generated by running off, and stressing, your battery. Also ensure the vents are clean and unobstructed.

[Mister E]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von MageThis:

Mikucore: New guide regarding: Incorrect video cards in the launcher, D3D9 issues, renderer related crashes, also increasing your performance

http://steamcommunity.com/app/72850/discussions/0/540738052823200569/

Please play Skyrim corded... if this forces higher usage of your discreete GPU, and it should, your laptop will generate considerably more heat. So, you don't need the extra heat generated by running off, and stressing, your battery. Also ensure the vents are clean and unobstructed.

That's interesting. FWIW, I pretty much always have the power cord plugged in when playing.

[Peazy]

@ Mister E
Double checked those settings regarding the video card used to process the game and global settings, done and done! :D

@ Magethis
Thank you sir! FIrst, apologies for seemingly redundant questions, I'm quite new to the community and I will ask some stupid questions.

1. Confirming "corded" as in plugged in correct?
2. This is a mod specifically designed to improve Skyrim and Fallout performance via tweaks to the game engine?
a. So I need to first set up a Steam Nexus account, download the mod via link in the article, etc, etc and it should solve the stuttering problem?
WIll try this in the morning! I'm always hesitant on playing with mods, but this one seems quite legitimate based on its feedback.

SIdenote: if not terribly annoyed by my computer illiteracy, I'll go through the process of setting up the mod and ask further stupid questions probably prempted with stupid mistakes.

[hazmat74]

Yes, corded means plugged in. I also have a cooling pad under my laptope whenever I play any games. Mine's not near your specs and I can run Skyrim flawlessly on high settings, so you shouldn't be having problems, though I'm on Win7.

Nexus and Steam are two separate things. Nexus is free, but you need to create an account. Having an account and using their mod manager software makes things so much easier.

As for installing mods, check out youtube for a tutorial video. It will save you some headaches. No sure if the unofficial patches will fix your problem, but they're not going to hurt it, either.

[Peazy]

Ok, I've:
Extracted the mod written by Alexi.
It gives me two types of files.
I've chosen the 2nd, D3D9Gen-x64 (correct?)
I've downloaded Java
The readme instructs me to double-click the .jar file but I don't see it in what was extracted.
The main file pre-extraction is: D3D9Gen_x64
After extraction I end up with:
Meta-INF folder
org folder
su folder
d3d9.dll
D3D9 icon
swt (non-extracted file)
Not sure what I need to click to get the program to run.

TYvvvvm!

[itznadatumah]

Install ENBoost, and set the FPS limit to 60 in enblocal.ini. http://www.enbdev.com/mod_tesskyrim_v0262.html

[Peazy]

Which option should I go for? And again, thank you so much for your time.

[itznadatumah]

Follow the instruction on this page: http://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/comments/272p0e/super_epic_guide_beginners_guide_section_22/

Do so for installing SKSE too, if you haven't already(you need the latest version of SKSE if you have already installed it).

[Peazy]

Ok! Going for SKSE first then sir!