Video card / Computer "hiccuping"

Gentlemen,

Recently I switched over from my old case (Antec 900) to a newer case (NZXT Phantom) and installed an SSD. Ever since then, I have been experiencing "hiccuping."

That is, everything (usually while gaming) will pause for a split second, and then will 'catch up' after that. This happens regularly during high-graphics intense games (SC2) and even older games like TFC2. I noticed it happening while watching movies/TV through VLC as well.

My first thought would be that maybe it is trying to access data on the SSD and the drivers aren't current. I went to install Intel RST and update my chipset drivers, but my chipset is current and I get the error message "Your computer does not meet the minimum requirements to run this application." I downloaded the 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7 application, to no avail.

My second thought was maybe since I had the case on the carpet the PSU's cooling ability was being constricted. Moved it on top of the desk, no luck.

My third thought was maybe my GPU drivers were off/outdated. Sure enough, those are current as well (CCC 11.6).

I double/triple checked the standoffs on the mobo, checked wiring, etc. The problem is still occurring and it is extremely annoying.

Before I made the switch, SC2 ran beautifully even with 3 monitor setup, running iTunes, etc; now it runs like crap. Can anyone help me?

Thank you in advance!

EDIT: Stats: ASUS P7P55 mobo, 8gb ADATA 1600, i7-870, 4x WD HDD, 1x Crucial 128gb SSD, Corsair H50, Corsair 850 modular, NZXT Phantom, Radeon 6870 (O/C to 1000/1200).

my 5th thought , thanks to you having thought of everything else, is the stupid operating system or some cute program, doing something in the background.
it reads or writes something, and because the SDD is so bloody fast , unlike a HD , that causes a bit of a Kick, and what would normally be some tripe in the background is instead effecting the user. we all know the priorty that winders system can hand the web, so mabey it is some web activity of the same sort?

autoupdaters, calls home, viruses, quick starters, background optomisations, and backgound backupers, and and.
one thing about some of the OSes own optimisation operations of that type, IF you had just installed new, they will cool out some over time.

previously no programmer had to think about a disk access being a big deal, the thing was so slow. if instead the operation occurs 10times as fast, mabey it isnt so background anymore?

just thinking.
.

Yeah I thought of that and I closed pretty much all of the background programs one at a time. Even after closing everything it didn't make a difference.

if you simulated a high rate SDD transfer on the system in the middle of a game or movie would it even skip a beat?

there are also background services in plenty, a few which could have some activity like that at some time. most of them would not.

I can try that. And if that's the case, what then?

then you provide more clues, and i think more ?
or
someone else comes along and knows the problem?
or
you run out and get a mac

i have that problem, with raid0 hard drives , start up a hard task using the same disk items i was getting data from, and a video will balk, my audio card is plug-in so it doesnt balk hardly ever.
i would never run a full transfer and start up a Hard running game without expecting some balking.
for the video i just use a drive that i am not working at the moment, for the game i deal with it untill the hard fast copying is actually done in the background

but once I (me) am not doing nothing, my system is not allowed to go off without me, so i usually know what does anything that hiccups. and it is usually what i did.
when editing video the system would cause problems, and everybody who does video usually controls the system, so did I.

Update the firmware of your SSD. Crucial M4 SSDs in a system using Link Power Management can experience hiccups, and the latest firmware is supposed to fix that.

Mr Alpha said:

Update the firmware of your SSD. Crucial M4 SSDs in a system using Link Power Management can experience hiccups, and the latest firmware is supposed to fix that.

Click to expand...

Will do, thanks. Just check on the Crucial website?

solrflare said:

Will do, thanks. Just check on the Crucial website?

Click to expand...

Yes