If stutter appears the first time you see an effect or area and fades on repeat, shader compilation is the likely cause.
What shader compilation is
Shaders are small programs the GPU runs to draw effects. They are compiled for your specific GPU and driver. If a game compiles one in the middle of play, that frame takes much longer and you feel a hitch.
How to recognize it
Shader stutter is repeatable on the first visit and mostly disappears when you repeat the same route. It often returns after a driver update or game update, because caches can be rebuilt.
- First time in an area → hitching.
- Same area on the second pass → smoother.
- New driver or game patch → stutter returns for a while.
What to check
Let the game finish any shader precompile step it offers. Keep the driver shader cache enabled and give it enough disk space. After a driver update, expect some re-compilation before judging smoothness.
If stutter persists on repeat visits, look at other causes in the main stutter guide.
What not to do
Do not delete caches repeatedly in search of a fix. That forces recompilation and makes the symptom worse.
Frequently asked questions
Why does stutter go away on the second run?
The shaders compiled the first time are cached, so later visits reuse them instead of compiling again.
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