Clearing corrupted DirectX shader cache causing micro-stuttering in games
Stutters, hitching, and FPS drops whenever entering new areas in DirectX 12 and Unreal Engine games.
Internal desktop parts run on harmless 12V DC voltage and cannot shock you. Simply unplug the wall power cable first, then touch the unpainted metal case frame to ground static electricity.
Common Symptoms & Tells
- Game micro-freezes for half a second when turning camera or entering new areas
- FPS drops despite having a high-end and CPU
- DirectX 12 games taking unusually long to compile shaders on startup
Interactive Fix Checklist
0 of 3 steps completedClear DirectX Shader Cache via Windows Disk Cleanup
Press Win+R, type 'cleanmgr' and hit Enter. Select C: drive. Uncheck everything except 'DirectX Shader Cache'. Click OK -> Delete Files.
Delete Nvidia / AMD driver shader cache folders
Close all games. Press Win+R, type '%localappdata%' and press Enter. Open the 'NVIDIA' folder -> delete contents of 'DXCache' and 'GLCache'. For AMD, delete contents of '%localappdata%\AMD\DxCache'.
Increase Shader Cache Size in GPU Control Panel
In Nvidia Control Panel -> Manage 3D settings -> Global Settings -> scroll to 'Shader Cache Size'. Change from 'Driver Default' to '10 GB' or 'Unlimited'.
Still having trouble with your PC?
Describe what is happening to your AI Technician. We will tailor the fix to your exact hardware setup.