Suddenly started to stutter and micro freeze after a few months not playing

[bjuret.]

I ran through the game earlier this year without any problems, steady 60 fps. Then I played through DS1 & DS2 for variaton. Now I've returned to DS3 and the whole game just stutters and micro freezes. Especially when autosaving and loading new textures the game drops to 56 fps and stutters for a few seconds. I can reproduce the stuttering in a few locations (running through the archway that leads to Undead Settlement, for example), so it's a pretty "consistent" stutter. Every other game I play plays flawlessly without these hickups. I'm also getting a white screen for a few seconds while starting the game, then it starts. When quitting the game the game crashes...

I've tried every single fix there is: rolling back the Xbox Controller driver, lowering the graphics/resolutions, trying different graphics drivers, switching from SSD to HDD, reinstalling Windows, reinstalling the game, removing SteamOverlay, disabling/enabling stuff in BIOS, checked temperatures, playing without controller and using M/KB, terminating processes/disabling different Windows services... Nothing helps!

I'm going mad over here. What the hell happened and how do I get it back to steady 60 fps? Anyone has any suggestions?

Using a AMD 390x, 16gb ram, i5 6600k btw.

[Le Bluette]

Your specs are ok for the game, my take is that either you have some driver issues or another application is messing with dark souls 3.
Other people had the same issue but it's really rare, like 1 person per year, so we don't know what causes this

[bjuret.]

Originally posted by Host of Blue:

Your specs are ok for the game, my take is that either you have some driver issues or another application is messing with dark souls 3.
Other people had the same issue but it's really rare, like 1 person per year, so we don't know what causes this

Yeah, like I said I've run through DS3 with steady 60 fps at max settings a couple of times before. This stuttering started on my most recent playthrough. The weird thing is that I haven't installed any new components or drivers since my last playthrough earlier this year. I even did a clean install of Windows 10 to see if it fixed it, but the stuttering remains...

[Le Bluette]

Originally posted by bjuret.:

Originally posted by Host of Blue:

Your specs are ok for the game, my take is that either you have some driver issues or another application is messing with dark souls 3.
Other people had the same issue but it's really rare, like 1 person per year, so we don't know what causes this

Yeah, like I said I've run through DS3 with steady 60 fps at max settings a couple of times before. This stuttering started on my most recent playthrough. The weird thing is that I haven't installed any new components or drivers since my last playthrough earlier this year. I even did a clean install of Windows 10 to see if it fixed it, but the stuttering remains...

I doubt that a clean install of windows + dark souls only will keep the same issue on the same hardware but all the other apps will not

[bjuret.]

Originally posted by //:

Originally posted by bjuret.:

Using a AMD 390x

after how many defects will people finally learn smh

Yeah, sure. But then again, it's just DS3 that's acting up - all other games works flawlessly.

[FooFlighter737]

Lag, FPS drop when turning fix! This works 100% on my system
In search box type services>select Device Association Service>right click and select Properties

For Startup Type, select DISABLE from drop down menu, don't try to stop the service or it will give an error and reset to auto.

Enter Apply...Disable should stick

Restart Windows

Play Dark Souls 3 without any lag or fps drops especially when using a controller

[bjuret.]

Originally posted by FooFlighter787:

Lag, FPS drop when turning fix! This works 100% on my system
In search box type services>select Device Association Service>right click and select Properties

For Startup Type, select DISABLE from drop down menu, don't try to stop the service or it will give an error and reset to auto.

Enter Apply...Disable should stick

Restart Windows

Play Dark Souls 3 without any lag or fps drops especially when using a controller

Thanks for the reply, unfortunately that didn't help at all :(

[Agathocles69]

Originally posted by bjuret.:

Originally posted by Host of Blue:

Your specs are ok for the game, my take is that either you have some driver issues or another application is messing with dark souls 3.
Other people had the same issue but it's really rare, like 1 person per year, so we don't know what causes this

Yeah, like I said I've run through DS3 with steady 60 fps at max settings a couple of times before. This stuttering started on my most recent playthrough. The weird thing is that I haven't installed any new components or drivers since my last playthrough earlier this year. I even did a clean install of Windows 10 to see if it fixed it, but the stuttering remains...

try to lowering shadows/lightning...maybe it helps

[bjuret.]

Originally posted by Agathocles69:

Originally posted by bjuret.:

Yeah, like I said I've run through DS3 with steady 60 fps at max settings a couple of times before. This stuttering started on my most recent playthrough. The weird thing is that I haven't installed any new components or drivers since my last playthrough earlier this year. I even did a clean install of Windows 10 to see if it fixed it, but the stuttering remains...

try to lowering shadows/lightning...maybe it helps

Tried that as well, and every other in-game setting (including non-graphical ones).

[quacksouls]

As you play through the game, you would get FPS drop due to the texture pop-in:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iIXfvDr7HA
There is very little you can do about FPS drop due to texture pop-in. From the volume of threads about unplayable FPS drop in the last few months, I notice the problem usually happens to those who have newer or newish hardware (most often graphics cards).

Anyway, I put these here in case you feel like going through them:

1. Turn off Windows Event Log in the services.
   
2. Set DS3 to high priority. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to bring up the "Task Manager" window, click on the "Details" tab, locate "DarkSoulsIII.exe" and right click on it, click on "Set priority", and click on "High".
   
3. The problem might be to do with your monitor's refresh rate. DS3 usually has problems running at anything higher than 60 FPS. If possible, play around with the settings of your monitor and/or refer to this thread:
   https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/1639789306548017295/
   
4. If you have an integrated GPU, ensure your game is using your graphics card instead of the integrated GPU.
   
5. The problem might be related to your internet connection:
   https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/4203492762824615141/
   https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/2296220130687031933/?ctp=2
   
6. The problem might be related to your controller:
   https://www.reddit.com/r/darksouls3/comments/am0thd/constant_lag_spikes_out_of_ideas/
   
7. Use Windowed mode and/or decrease your screen resolution:
   https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/2251181585641377228/
   https://www.reddit.com/r/darksouls3/comments/4ed7hq/crash_reports/
   
8. Delete your shader cache:
   https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/2266941647864796108/
   https://steamcommunity.com/app/275850/discussions/0/1471967615873193078/
   
9. Disable thread optimization:
   https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/133258593398534328/
   
10. Disable the Game Bar and DVR in Windows 10:
    https://www.windowscentral.com/how-disable-and-remove-game-bar-windows-10-creators-update
    
11. Try turning off "Depth of field".
    
12. Lower your graphics setting.
    https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/1751275054056758985/
    https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/1751275687427091432/
    https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/352788917753659485/
    
13. Optimize your drive or ensure you have auto optimization on:
    https://www.howtogeek.com/256859/dont-waste-time-optimizing-your-ssd-windows-knows-what-its-doing/
    https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/8933-optimize-defrag-drives-windows-10-a.html
    
14. Turn off Steam Overlay. In the Steam application, click on "Steam", click on "Settings", click on "In-Game", and uncheck the box "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game".
    
15. Close any program you don't need.
    https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9828-SFLZ-9289
    https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/2281582783371650828/
    
16. Reset your network:
    https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/3949028569227255745/
    
17. Update the driver for your graphics card.
    
18. The problem might be to do with the drivers for your graphics card:
    https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/2266942281797628658/
    https://www.reddit.com/r/nvidia/comments/fnjuod/game_ready_driver_44575_faqdiscussion/
    https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/discover/350619/problem-with-geforce-44575-drivers/
    https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/forums/geforce-graphics-cards/5/301008/gtx-1660ti-stuttering/
    
19. Update your DirectX driver.
    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/179113/how-to-install-the-latest-version-of-directx
    
20. Here are some causes for stuttering:
    https://graphicscardhub.com/fix-game-stutter/ https://www.reddit.com/r/GrandTheftAutoV_PC/comments/612ztt/annoying_stuttering_on_gtx_1060_6gb/
    
21. https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/2266941647862124641/
    
22. https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/2266941647864796108/
    
23. https://steamcommunity.com/app/374320/discussions/0/361787186424710840/

[bjuret.]

Originally posted by quacksouls:

As you play through the game....

Thanks for replying, but I've seen your post before and tried every single fix. Nothing works!

[Sevithian]

Did you happen to find a fix?

[Sevithian]

Originally posted by Khamal:

Im nvidia so idk how this works for amd cards
But in 3d program settings, put dark souls 3 to prefer maximum performance so the card doesn't idle down and than back up when texture loads are needed
Ensure you have virtual memory/disk cache for your operating system drive
If you have 16gb, 16gb and under should be enough,it acts as a temporary storehouse for things and be accessed easier and among other things
The games engine is also made to run from 50-60fps due to badly optimized areas

TLDR: Put the program settings for game to prefer maximum performance
Cuda gpu's ALL
Threaded optimization on
oh and oh, Turn off blood effects for an overall gain

Buddy, this happens on RTX cards where the game takes up less than 10% of the GPU. These settings are common key, nobody plays games with GPU's on power saver anymore. These problems aren't caused by limited thread or clock capacity.

[Sevithian]

Originally posted by Khamal:

Because I've been on an i7 4790 and 1060 and 980 and a i9 9900k with rtx 2070 and have absolutely 0 issues lol ^
if its only ds3, have you tried deleting settings config and redoing?
Also whats your monitor size/screens and the respective hz and brand
Also if you only have 10% usage you are doing something wrong lol

Lmao, RTX 2080TI 8700k overclocked, never hit above 13% max.
Stutters even if im standing still with camera face down, not rendering anything. Lots of people with the same issue. 144hz, 60hz, doesn't matter. Unplugging a monitor entirely and letting the game cap at 30 still yields same spike.

[bjuret.]

Originally posted by Sevithian:

Did you happen to find a fix?

Nope, tried every single fix so I'm still doing troubleshooting. I think I've narrowed it down to a hard drive issue. Every time the stutters occur the hard drive spikes in reads/writes. I've tried it on three different hard drives, two SSDs (on different computers) and one HDD with the same results. That leads me to believe that some Windows service might be the culprit, since the only thing that has changed since I last played it perfectly fine with 60 fps is Windows updates. GPU/CPU/RAM is perfectly fine, under normal work load and temps, and goes down when these spikes happen.

And yes, I know there are some stutters when loading new areas and some unoptimized areas in the game. That's not what I'm experiencing. I'm experiencing random stutters, short microfreezes, that can happen anywhere and anytime. Really damages the flow and pace of the game and basically rendering it unplayable.

[Sevithian]

Originally posted by bjuret.:

Originally posted by Sevithian:

Did you happen to find a fix?

Nope, tried every single fix so I'm still doing troubleshooting. I think I've narrowed it down to a hard drive issue. Every time the stutters occur the hard drive spikes in reads/writes. I've tried it on three different hard drives, two SSDs (on different computers) and one HDD with the same results. That leads me to believe that some Windows service might be the culprit, since the only thing that has changed since I last played it perfectly fine with 60 fps is Windows updates. GPU/CPU/RAM is perfectly fine, under normal work load and temps, and goes down when these spikes happen.

And yes, I know there are some stutters when loading new areas and some unoptimized areas in the game. That's not what I'm experiencing. I'm experiencing random stutters, short microfreezes, that can happen anywhere and anytime. Really damages the flow and pace of the game and basically rendering it unplayable.

I've never directly noticed a correlation between my SDD usage and the spikes. Maybe while autosaving or moving around, but again, I posted before that I can stand still with my camera face down or against a plane where the render queue would be absolutely minimal and the spike still occurs. If there is a harddrive spike that would be causing the issue, it'd be completely nonsensical for it to be on the game's side, so you might be right about it being a windows service. Unfortunately, I have disabled every non-essential service I can think of and it still happens.

As for it being a Windows Update, when this problem first started occurring about 2 patches to the game prior to any of these threads cropping up, I had stayed on the same Windows version I had always been on, foregoing any updates. I really truly don't believe this is an OS update issue. I believe this problem was consciously patched in, patched out, and then reintroduced and never addressed. That's just from my history with this game and knowing my hardware.

The only thing left to consider is how to fix it, lmao...