Windows 11 lags when tabbing out of a game

[KC pay #22]

I've already consumed every forum post, Reddit post and YouTube video on this topic and I'm starting to go crazy.

First of all:

I've never had any problems whatsoever with Windows 10.

TLDR:

Since Windows 11, my PC lags when I tab out of games. Sometimes all monitors go black for a moment, Discord sound starts to lag and my mouse stutters.

Exact problem description:

I switched to Windows 11 Pro about 2 months ago. It was a clean install (M2 formatted and Windows 11 installed via boot stick). I have not changed any hardware, use the same monitors etc. I have three monitors that are different ages and therefore have different refresh rates. All monitors are Full HD. My main monitor has 165 Hz, my second monitor 144 Hz and my third and oldest monitor 60 Hz. The refresh rate was set to the maximum number for all monitors in the Windows settings.

When I start a game in full-screen mode, everything works smoothly and without any performance problems. However, if I want to quickly change something on the second screen (select a new YouTube video, turn down the sound, join a Discord call) and click out of the game, my PC starts to lag a lot. Sometimes all screens briefly go black, my sound starts to lag, my mic starts to chop (I've been told this repeatedly on Discord) and my mouse starts to stutter a lot. Exactly the same thing happens when I try to return to the game afterwards. It doesn't matter which game is currently open (League of Legends, Plate Up, The Finals, etc). I have often reconstructed the problem to see if it is a performance issue using the Task Manager. However, the problems occur identically, whether at a total load of 20-30% or at a load of >80%. Sometimes Windows won't let me out at all. When I press Alt+Tab, the problems described above happen (monitors go black, mouse stutters, etc) and then I am pushed back into the game. It's like a performance setting won't let me tab out of the game.

However, when I start the game in borderless windowed mode and then switch to the other monitor, nothing happens at all. To answer the question directly: Why don't I just play all games in frameless window mode? Firstly, the performance is sometimes significantly worse and in games like League of Legends, the mouse can be pulled out of the game, which makes the game unplayable.

What have I already tried to solve the problem: (I will keep updating the list)

• Windows 11 is up to date with the latest updates
  
• My NVIDIA graphics card is up to date with the latest updates
  
• My PC has good hardware (Intel Core i9, 3070, 32GB 4400Mhz RAM)
  
• Windows Gaming Mode is deactivated
  
• Windows hardware acceleration disabled
  
• Windows 10 Alt-Tab set in Regedit
  
• Windows 11 full screen optimizations disabled via Regedit
  
• V-Sync enabled or disabled
  
• Windows 11 background processes and widgets disabled
  
• Power options in NVIDIA Control Panel set to “Performance mode”
  
• G-Sync/FreeSync deactivated or activated
  
• Locked the background FPS to 30 in NVIDIA Control Panel

I don't want to give up the belief that there is a solution to this. I ask for your help and the use of swarm intelligence.

Thank you very much in advance.

[r.linder]

Originally posted by starflicked:

I've already consumed every forum post, Reddit post and YouTube video on this topic and I'm starting to go crazy.

First of all:

I've never had any problems whatsoever with Windows 10.

TLDR:

Since Windows 11, my PC lags when I tab out of games. Sometimes all monitors go black for a moment, Discord sound starts to lag and my mouse stutters.

Exact problem description:

I switched to Windows 11 Pro about 2 months ago. It was a clean install (M2 formatted and Windows 11 installed via boot stick). I have not changed any hardware, use the same monitors etc. I have three monitors that are different ages and therefore have different refresh rates. All monitors are Full HD. My main monitor has 165 Hz, my second monitor 144 Hz and my third and oldest monitor 60 Hz. The refresh rate was set to the maximum number for all monitors in the Windows settings.

When I start a game in full-screen mode, everything works smoothly and without any performance problems. However, if I want to quickly change something on the second screen (select a new YouTube video, turn down the sound, join a Discord call) and click out of the game, my PC starts to lag a lot. Sometimes all screens briefly go black, my sound starts to lag, my mic starts to chop (I've been told this repeatedly on Discord) and my mouse starts to stutter a lot. Exactly the same thing happens when I try to return to the game afterwards. It doesn't matter which game is currently open (League of Legends, Plate Up, The Finals, etc). I have often reconstructed the problem to see if it is a performance issue using the Task Manager. However, the problems occur identically, whether at a total load of 20-30% or at a load of >80%. Sometimes Windows won't let me out at all. When I press Alt+Tab, the problems described above happen (monitors go black, mouse stutters, etc) and then I am pushed back into the game. It's like a performance setting won't let me tab out of the game.

However, when I start the game in borderless windowed mode and then switch to the other monitor, nothing happens at all. To answer the question directly: Why don't I just play all games in frameless window mode? Firstly, the performance is sometimes significantly worse and in games like League of Legends, the mouse can be pulled out of the game, which makes the game unplayable.

What have I already tried to solve the problem: (I will keep updating the list)

• Windows 11 is up to date with the latest updates
  
• My NVIDIA graphics card is up to date with the latest updates
  
• My PC has good hardware (Intel Core i9, 3070, 32GB 4400Mhz RAM)
  
• Windows Gaming Mode is deactivated
  
• Windows hardware acceleration disabled
  
• Windows 10 Alt-Tab set in Regedit
  
• Windows 11 full screen optimizations disabled via Regedit
  
• V-Sync enabled or disabled
  
• Windows 11 background processes and widgets disabled
  
• Power options in NVIDIA Control Panel set to “Performance mode”
  
• G-Sync/FreeSync deactivated or activated
  
• Locked the background FPS to 30 in NVIDIA Control Panel

I don't want to give up the belief that there is a solution to this. I ask for your help and the use of swarm intelligence.

Thank you very much in advance.

This has been a known issue on Windows 11 for the last 3 years. One claimed fix is to turn off focus assist automatic rules, all of it.

[Zefar]

Originally posted by starflicked:

Exact problem description:

I switched to Windows 11 Pro about 2 months ago. It was a clean install (M2 formatted and Windows 11 installed via boot stick). I have not changed any hardware, use the same monitors etc. I have three monitors that are different ages and therefore have different refresh rates. All monitors are Full HD. My main monitor has 165 Hz, my second monitor 144 Hz and my third and oldest monitor 60 Hz. The refresh rate was set to the maximum number for all monitors in the Windows settings.

Odds are this is the issue. Mixing 3 different Hz rate on the same setup isn't a good idea.
What is most likely happening is that the system changes the refresh rate when you alt tab.

I can alt tab without any problem in any game I play and it's instant without any sort of lag.

Test with only one monitor active and see if the problem is still there.

[Ocelote.12]

Try using "borderless window" option in games, instead of "Fullscreen". There are some freeware programs that can force almost any game to play in a "borderless window". I don't know about the names of these programs because I don't use Alt-Tab in gaming, so you can try finding them yourselves, or maybe someone could post some links right in this topic.