Stutter Fix Order: What to Change First (So You Don’t Waste Time)

Most people waste hours because they change the wrong thing first. Stutter has types. Identify the type, then apply fixes in a sequence that removes the real cause.

Fix Order (Practical)

1. Triage the stutter type (shader, CPU, streaming).
2. Remove background load and overlays.
3. Apply a realistic FPS cap for stable pacing.
4. Only then tune VRR and graphics settings.
5. Re-test the same path/scene to confirm improvement.

What Not to Do

• Turn on every ‘smoothness’ feature at once.
• Judge fixes without repeating the same test path.
• Chase peak FPS while spikes remain.

Rule: the first goal is stable frametimes. Everything else is secondary.

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