Windows – Mouse lag/stutter playing games in Windows 10

lagmousenvidia-graphics-cardwindows 10

Since I got this computer:

  • i5 7600K 3.80Ghz
  • 16 RAM Single channel 1069 Mhz
  • STRIX Z270E mobo
  • PG348Q Monitor
  • GTX 1080 Zotac
  • 500 GB SSD Western Digital

I haven't been able to play smooth any games with a mouse. It does work well with an Xbox controller via USB tho. Quite an irony. The micro stuttering or lag happens when I use the mouse – it is unplayable and gives some headache with the time. It does happen in single and multiplayer and the FPS are not a problem, no drops and its steady well above 60.

While in game, if I use the keyboard to move around or I use the Xbox controller everything goes well, the issue shows up as soon as I move the mouse to look around. After a lot of googling and 2 weeks of installing OSs and trying everything, my guess is that the issue is related to the mouse polling rate. The feeling is clearly different to lag or fps drops but close enough for me to call it stutter or lag, not sure if there is a specific term. The software Mouse Rate Checker shows an average of 90Hz.

I've tried overclocking the mouse polling rate but no effort yet. In case it might be something different, what are your ideas? What could it be?

The OS and Nvidia drivers I've tried are:

Windows 10 64 – I've tried the Education N version, up to date and a doggy Pro one which haven't updated, just in case, which currently is in 1511 (just before anniversary update).
Nvidia drivers: have tried the last 2 versions (I can't recall the exact v. number of the previous one, I think it had a "28" at the end).

Best Answer

I found an answer on the Microsoft Forum:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-hardware/mouse-stutter-in-win-10/f1aaa4a8-5ed4-4fa0-bf3a-a30b470fb05a

The text:

Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community. Start the computer in Safe Mode and check. If the issue does not persist in safe mode, place the computer in clean boot state and check.

Step 1: Start the computer in Safe Mode

Safe mode is a troubleshooting option for Windows that starts your computer in a limited state. Only the basic files and drivers necessary to run Windows are started. The words Safe Mode appear in the corners of your monitor to identify which Windows mode you're using.

a. When you hit the power button in Windows 10, hold down the Shift key when clicking the Restart button.
b. The next screen will present you with three options. Click Troubleshoot.
c. Next, hit Advanced options followed by Windows Startup Settings from the next screen.
d. Your PC will now be rebooted to enable the advanced parameters, which include Safe Mode as well.

Step 2:  Perform Clean boot to avoid any third party software conflict.

To help troubleshoot error messages and other issues, you can start Windows by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This kind of startup is known as a "clean boot." A clean boot helps eliminate software conflicts.

Placing your system in Clean Boot state helps in identifying if any third party applications or startup items are causing the issue. You need to follow the steps from the article mentioned below to perform a Clean Boot.

How to perform a clean boot in Windows

Note: Refer "How to reset the computer to start normally after clean boot troubleshooting" to reset the computer to start as normal after troubleshooting.

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