Tech Guide

Can CPU Cause Stuttering? (9 Things You Should Know!)

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Many gamers are worried about the game stuttering because it impacts their gameplay & their eyes. Therefore they often want to know whether a CPU causes the stuttering or not?

I did a ton of research about CPU’s impact on game stuttering, and after doing a complete analysis, I am writing this article to inform you of everything regarding this.

So, Can CPU Cause Stuttering?

Yes! High CPU usage, overclocking, bottleneck, CPU undervolting issues, and CPU heating issues can cause stuttering. These stuttering issues can occur during playing games or running different applications. 

As you can see that different CPU conditions can cause stuttering, and these conditions are explained below. So, keep reading this article till the end.

Why CPU Causing Stuttering?

Stuttering on the computer can happen due to several CPU causes; eventually, it can affect gaming performance. Some CPU conditions that cause stuttering issues are mentioned below-

  • Overclocking CPU
  • Replacing the CPU
  • CPU heating issues
  • CPU Bottleneck
  • High CPU Usage
  • CPU Undervolting Issues

These are all the CPU issues that can cause stuttering during gaming and different applications. All of these CPU conditions are explained below.

Can an Old CPU Cause Stuttering?

Yes! An old CPU can sometimes cause stuttering issues because CPU’s performance decreases as time passes. 

Generally, the CPU’s age doesn’t matter for stuttering; what matters the most is the condition of your CPU.

Furthermore, whether you will face stuttering issues or not depends on what kind of games you are playing; some games are more CPU reliant than others.

In short, if your CPU becomes too old, then there is a slight possibility that you will face stuttering issues while playing games.

Stuttering after CPU Overclock: Here’s the Reason & Solution

Many peoples face stuttering issues after overclocking the CPU, which impacts the audio and video-specific task and the gameplay.

There are a couple of reasons behind this why overclocking the CPU cause stuttering;-

The first reason is the excessive heat; if your CPU causes stuttering after overclocking, then your CPU may not be adequate to handle extreme heat & speed.

Secondly, it might be possible that your CPU is sufficient enough, but your other PC components, like GPU, is insufficient; therefore, you are encountering such stuttering issues.

To counter this issue permanently, you need to check your CPU cooling system because a good quality CPU cooler protects your CPU from heating during overclocking and can fix your stuttering issues.

Also Read: Can You Replace CPU Cooler?

PC Stuttering after New CPU

Many people face stuttering issues after replacing the old CPU with a new one. They are facing these issues not only while playing the games besides that this issue is occurring while doing normal task also.

If you are facing a similar issue, you need to check two factors- the first is whether the BIOS is updated or not, and the second is whether you reinstall the operating system.

Can a Hot CPU Cause Stuttering?

Yes! High CPU temperature can cause stuttering and is also renowned as hardware thermal throttling. It impacts your gaming performance.

Usually, when your PC runs essential apps at this point, the CPU’s temperature ranges between 65 degrees Celsius to 70 degrees Celsius. It is considered a perfect CPU temperature.

But while playing heavy games, your CPU temperature can go up to 85 degrees which can seriously damage your CPU. If your CPU temperature constantly climbs up, it can cause too many stuttering or thermal throttling issues.

Moreover, if your CPU temperature hits 90 degrees, the CPU will automatically self-throttle, showing itself down, so it cools.

Does CPU Bottleneck Cause Stuttering?

Yes! A CPU bottleneck can cause stuttering; in fact, bottlenecks are the primary reasons behind stuttering & poor gaming performance on a PC. 

A bottleneck occurs when a PC is running a demanding application, and its performance begins to stall. Bottlenecks are a big issue in PC gaming.

I had a brilliant graphics card and a high amount of RAM, but my processor was slow and from an older generation. Because of this bottleneck, I faced different stuttering issues while playing games.

So, in short, a CPU bottleneck can definitely cause stuttering & you simply can’t get any more performance out of it.

Also Read: Does Windows 11 Use More CPU?

Does High CPU Usage Cause Stuttering?

Yes! High CPU usage can cause stuttering because your CPU is under high load during that time. Let’s take an example to understand this-

Imagine that you are preparing dinner. What happens when I go, “Hey, I need your attention for a second”? You will take a second to respond to me, and you may experience interruptions in your responses due to the preparation taking most of your concentration.

The same thing happens with your CPU when it is under high load. The CPU is busily running calculations, and it can take a bit of time for it to respond to lower-priority requests like updating the screen or responding to user input.

To better respond to me while you are busily preparing the dinner, you could add in more people (CPU cores) to help you prepare the dinner.

This means that there is a high chance of at least one person who can dedicate more attention to responding to me.

Also Read: Can CPU Work Without Fan?

Can Undervolting CPU Cause Stuttering?

Yes! the undervloting CPU can cause the stuttering.

Usually, undervolting is a process where the voltage to the CPU is reduced to reduce its energy consumption and heat.

How to Fix CPU Stuttering?

Before fixing the stuttering, you have to determine what causes the stuttering; there can be different reasons that can contribute to CPU stuttering.

If your CPU is outdated, it can cause the CPU to stutter; therefore, just make sure whether the CPU is outdated or not. Secondly, check the CPU usage to determine whether it is normal or not.

After checking these things, do the mentioned things to fix the stuttering-

  • Turn off the Game Bar and Game DVR
  • Update the Graphics Card Driver
  • Enable Vsync
  • Turn off the Turbo Boost Technology
  • Reduce CPU Usage by closing the background software
  • Turn off the Diagnostics policy service
  • Turn off Dynamic Tick

Final Thoughts

Based on all these things, it has to be said that if your CPU becomes too old, then it has lost its efficiency, and it can cause stuttering issues. But, if your CPU condition is good, it doesn’t bring any stuttering issues, and you can enjoy your gameplay.


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Hey there! 👋 I'm Francis MD, a multi-talented medical doctor with an insatiable thirst for knowledge: data analysis, software developent, and other techs. When I'm not saving lives or crunching numbers, you'll find me fueling my passion for sports as a Capoeirista or Animal Flowist. In addition, I have a hidden identity as a self-proclaimed connoisseur of super-hero movies and comics. 🦸‍♂️Whether it's Marvel or DC, you can bet that I've got all the geeky trivia up my sleeve.