Nvidia RTX 4070 Super stuttering on videos and mouse

Hardware Support
41

Ah, yes. I see. I changed it.

Then try the 580.

42

Same thing......... :man_shrugging:

43

same with 550 with interference's.....

same with 565.........

44

There should be the 590 Driver available. Did You tried this, too?

1 Like
45

These are the flatpaks I have installed for NVIDIA on my system:

Mesa Graphics driver – OpenGL/Vulkan Open‑source implementation of OpenGL/Vulkan for hardware acceleration.
Mesa (Extra) Graphics driver – Additional components Optional Mesa extensions and drivers for broader GPU support.
nvidia-580-126-09 Graphics driver – NVIDIA Proprietary NVIDIA driver version 580.126.09 for GPU acceleration.
Intel VAAPI driver Video acceleration – Intel Enables hardware‑accelerated video decoding via VA‑API on Intel GPUs.
Nvidia VAAPI driver Video acceleration – NVIDIA VA‑API wrapper for NVIDIA GPUs to provide hardware video decode.

Maybe you are missing the VAAPI driver?
And fantastic progress with getting the sound to work. :+1:

Also, if the stuttering is within videos, you need to have the appropriate codes installed. I have the following:

Codecs Extra Extension Multimedia – Extended codecs Adds less‑common audio/video codecs beyond the base set.
FFmpeg extension with extra codecs Multimedia – FFmpeg build FFmpeg build bundled with additional codec support.
openh264 Video codec – H.264 Open‑source implementation of the H.264 video codec.
1 Like
46

So, all your decided codecs and plugins and vaapi drivers etc pp are installed..

Same issue.... :man_shrugging:

This is wild.....

47

no, not now..

first I have to purge the 580...

okay tried the 590 and failed. Same issue... :wink: :man_shrugging:

48

im wondering if this is the 6.17 update has he tryed it 6.14 kernel?

49

I have the 6.17 kernel!

And now after all these tries the Appearance Center only allows the first three standard themes, if I try one of the others or Pro themes i paid for the system crushes on X11 and I have to hard restart the system to come to standard theme......
In Wayland there is no issue... realy don't understand it...

Don't want to reinstall the whole system now because there are too many programms running and individual settings including virtualbox........

50

I am not sure on virtualbox but:

I really think a fresh install is your best bet, something is clearly corrupted with your current build.

1 Like
51

Here's a FOSS article on the tool:

I'll for one be checking it out.
To reinstall my programs, I created a install script that runs sudo apt install and sudo flatpak install for each of my programs.
Of course, that doesn't configure them, but that should be remedied by restoring your home directory with hidden application settings stored in (dot) hidden files/folders.
Like restoring the HKCU hive in the windows directory.

1 Like
52

That's it. I'm buying a plane ticket. Where do you live? :rofl:
Not like I can actually fix the issue, but let's just say I've been known to wax obsessive when things do not work as they should... :man_shrugging:

1 Like
53

Collect NVIDIA stack, dependencies, and run benchmark

I prompted Lumo (Proton) AI with the following:

Is there a Linux utility command-line or GUI that will report dependencies and module versions for the hardware stack? For example, I would like to see every module that is touched when a game sends data to the monitor through the NVIDIA card.

To which it responded:

Below are several Linux utilities—both command‑line and graphical—that can help you trace the software components (kernel modules, drivers, libraries, and user‑space tools) involved when a game renders frames and sends them to an NVIDIA GPU and then to the monitor.

1. Kernel‑module view

Tool What it shows Typical usage
lsmod List of all loaded kernel modules and their reference counts lsmod
modinfo <module> Detailed info (version, parameters, dependencies) for a given module modinfo nvidia
modprobe --show‑depends <module> Shows the dependency tree that the kernel will load for a module modprobe --show-depends nvidia
depmod -a Generates the module‑dependency map (useful for debugging missing deps) sudo depmod -a
lspci -k Lists PCI devices together with the kernel driver (“Kernel driver in use”) and any alternate drivers `lspci -k
**`dmesg grep -i nvidia`** Kernel log messages related to the NVIDIA driver (helps spot firmware loading, errors, etc.)

These commands give you the kernel‑level stack: the nvidia driver module, any dependent modules (e.g., drm, i2c_nvidia_gpu), and their versions.

2. Userspace library / runtime dependencies

Tool What it shows Typical usage
ldd <binary> Lists the shared libraries a binary is linked against (including versioned .so files) ldd /usr/bin/glxgears
readelf -d <binary> Shows dynamic section entries, useful for pinpointing exact library paths readelf -d /usr/bin/glxgears
strace -e open,openat -f <game> Traces file‑open calls, revealing which driver files, config files, or libraries are accessed at runtime strace -e open,openat -f ./mygame
ltrace -f <game> Similar to strace but for library function calls (e.g., OpenGL/Vulkan APIs) ltrace -f ./mygame

Running ldd on the game executable (or on the launch wrapper such as steam or wine) tells you which user‑space graphics libraries are used (e.g., libGL.so.1, libvulkan.so.1, libcuda.so).

3. Graphics‑API introspection

Tool What it shows Typical usage
glxinfo (part of mesa-utils) Reports OpenGL renderer, version, extensions, and the underlying driver (e.g., “NVIDIA 
”) `glxinfo
vulkaninfo (part of vulkan-tools) Dumps the complete Vulkan instance/device properties, supported extensions, and driver version `vulkaninfo
nvidia-smi NVIDIA‑specific monitoring tool – shows driver version, GPU utilization, loaded CUDA modules, and more nvidia-smi
nvidia-settings (GUI) Graphical front‑end for the NVIDIA driver – displays driver version, connected monitors, and allows tweaking of settings Launch from desktop menu or nvidia-settings

These utilities let you confirm that the GPU driver is correctly exposing the expected OpenGL/Vulkan implementations.

4. End‑to‑end tracing of the rendering pipeline

If you want a higher‑level picture of everything that touches the frame buffer, consider:

Tool Description
perf record / perf report System‑wide profiling; you can filter for GPU‑related symbols (nvidia_*, gl*, vk*).
systemtap or bpftrace scripts Custom probes can be placed on kernel functions like drm_mode_setcrtc or on NVIDIA driver entry points to see when they fire.
gputop (Intel) / nvtop (NVIDIA) Real‑time GPU utilization UI; while not a dependency list, they confirm that the GPU path is active.
trace-cmd + kernelshark Captures kernel ftrace events (e.g., DRM events) and visualizes them.

These are more advanced, but they let you observe the live flow from the game’s draw calls down to the kernel driver and the hardware registers that drive the monitor.

5. Graphical hardware inventory tools

Tool What it shows
hardinfo (GUI) Provides a “PCI Devices” page with driver names and versions, plus a “Modules” tab.
lshw -gui (or sudo lshw -short) Gives a hierarchical view of hardware, including the driver in use for each device.
hwinfo --gfxcard Focuses on graphics hardware, reporting driver version and supported APIs.
gnome-device-manager (GNOME) / KInfoCenter (KDE) Desktop‑environment panels that list graphics adapters and driver details.

These GUIs are handy if you prefer a point‑and‑click overview rather than parsing terminal output.

Putting It All Together – A Quick Workflow

  1. Identify the GPU driver

    lspci -k | grep -A3 VGA

    Look for “Kernel driver in use: nvidia”.

  2. Show kernel‑module dependencies

    modprobe --show-depends nvidia

  3. Check driver version

    cat /proc/driver/nvidia/version # or nvidia-smi

  4. List user‑space libraries used by the game

    ldd /path/to/game_executable

  5. Confirm OpenGL/Vulkan implementation

    glxinfo | grep "OpenGL" vulkaninfo | grep driverVersion

  6. Optional deep trace (if you need to see exactly which kernel functions are called)

    sudo perf record -e drm:* -a -- ./game_binary sudo perf report

  7. GUI sanity check (if you like visual summaries)
    Launch hardinfo or lshw -gui.

TL;DR
  • Kernel side: lsmod, modinfo, modprobe --show-depends, lspci -k.
  • User‑space side: ldd, strace, ltrace.
  • Graphics API: glxinfo, vulkaninfo, nvidia-smi, nvidia-settings.
  • Profiling / tracing: perf, systemtap/bpftrace, trace-cmd.
  • GUI inventories: hardinfo, lshw -gui, hwinfo.

Using these tools in combination will give you a fairly complete picture of the hardware stack, driver modules, and library versions that are exercised when a game renders frames to an NVIDIA GPU and ultimately drives the monitor.

54

Vibe Coding script to collect NVIDIA dependency tree and performance benchmark, so we may compare

After a few vibe coding prompts I arrived with the script below from Proton Lumo AI. I've included the script and the script's output from my system (a zipped text file) so we can compare to see if either of us have modules or settings that differ as you look through the stack. The script also runs a benchmark for however long you configure it. You can choose the program you want it to benchmark, although I went with the default.

It's a very cool script and whilst I'm not in love with what AI is doing to the world, I must admit its fantastic as a learning tool when approached with caution and some common sense.

I've created a OneDrive read-only share with the access password set to (without quotes): zorinforthewin

Link: NVIDIA performance issues
Be sure to take the usual precautions of following links shared by strangers. (I wouldn't trust me.) :man_shrugging:
The link will expire 31 March 2026

Note I had to manually add a couple of the diagnostic utilities to my system that were missing so the script could run them.

  • sudo apt install hardinfo
  • sudo apt install ltrace

The collection script

Note: The text below I pasted into a markup editor. To make sure there isn't any text editor screw ups, compare to the working script I included in the attached ZIP file.

#####################################
#!/usr/bin/env bash
#collect_gpu_info.sh – revised version with auto‑terminating trace

`#!/usr/bin/env bash
#collect_gpu_info.sh – revised version with auto‑terminating trace

REPORT_FILE="gpu_report.txt"
TIMESTAMP=$(date +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
TRACE_SECONDS=30 # how long to trace the sample binary

run_cmd() {
local description="$1"
shift
local cmd=("$@")
echo "=== $description ==="
printf "%s\n" "=== $description ===" >> "$REPORT_FILE"
if command -v "${cmd[0]}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
"${cmd[@]}" 2>&1 | tee -a "$REPORT_FILE"
else
echo "Command '${cmd[0]}' not found – install the appropriate package."
echo "Command '${cmd[0]}' not found – install the appropriate package." >>"$REPORT_FILE"
fi
echo "" | tee -a "$REPORT_FILE"
}

{ echo "GPU / Graphics Stack Report"; echo "Generated on: $TIMESTAMP"; echo "----------------------------------------------------"; } > "$REPORT_FILE"

echo "Generating report
 (output also shown on screen)"
echo ""

run_cmd "PCI devices (GPU line)" lspci -nnk | grep -A3 -i "VGA|3D controller"
run_cmd "Loaded kernel modules (lsmod)" lsmod | grep -i nvidia
run_cmd "Detailed info for the 'nvidia' module" modinfo nvidia
run_cmd "Dependency tree for the 'nvidia' module" modprobe --show-depends nvidia
run_cmd "Kernel driver in use (from lspci)" lspci -k | grep -A3 -i "VGA|3D controller"
run_cmd "Recent kernel messages related to NVIDIA" dmesg | grep -i nvidia
run_cmd "Driver version via /proc" cat /proc/driver/nvidia/version
run_cmd "NVIDIA System Management Interface" nvidia-smi
run_cmd "NVIDIA Settings (GUI) – snapshot" nvidia-settings -q all
run_cmd "OpenGL info (glxinfo)" glxinfo | grep -E "OpenGL|GLX"
run_cmd "Vulkan info (vulkaninfo)" vulkaninfo | head -n 30

SAMPLE_BIN="/usr/bin/glxgears"
if [[ -x "$SAMPLE_BIN" ]]; then
run_cmd "Shared libraries used by $SAMPLE_BIN (ldd)" ldd "$SAMPLE_BIN"
run_cmd "Dynamic section of $SAMPLE_BIN (readelf)" readelf -d "$SAMPLE_BIN"
else
echo "Sample binary $SAMPLE_BIN not found – skipping ldd/readelf." | tee -a "$REPORT_FILE"
fi

#----- Tracing with automatic timeout -----
run_cmd "File opens during execution of $SAMPLE_BIN (strace, ${TRACE_SECONDS}s)"
timeout "$TRACE_SECONDS" strace -e open,openat -f "$SAMPLE_BIN" 2>/dev/null

run_cmd "Library calls during execution of $SAMPLE_BIN (ltrace, ${TRACE_SECONDS}s)"
timeout "$TRACE_SECONDS" ltrace -f "$SAMPLE_BIN" 2>/dev/null

run_cmd "Hardware summary (hardinfo)" hardinfo --summary
run_cmd "Hardware list (lshw short)" lshw -short

echo "Report generation complete."
echo "Report saved to: $REPORT_FILE"
echo "You can now share '$REPORT_FILE' on forums or with colleagues."`

#----- Tracing with automatic timeout -----
run_cmd "File opens during execution of $SAMPLE_BIN (strace, ${TRACE_SECONDS}s)"
timeout "$TRACE_SECONDS" strace -e open,openat -f "$SAMPLE_BIN" 2>/dev/null

run_cmd "Library calls during execution of $SAMPLE_BIN (ltrace, ${TRACE_SECONDS}s)"
timeout "$TRACE_SECONDS" ltrace -f "$SAMPLE_BIN" 2>/dev/null

run_cmd "Hardware summary (hardinfo)" hardinfo --summary
run_cmd "Hardware list (lshw short)" lshw -short

echo "Report generation complete."
echo "Report saved to: $REPORT_FILE"
echo "You can now share '$REPORT_FILE' on forums or with colleagues."
################################

How to run the updated script

chmod +x collect_gpu_info.sh ./collect_gpu_info.sh

The script will now:

  1. Collect all the static information (PCI, modules, driver version, etc.).
  2. Run strace and ltrace on glxgears for 10 seconds (you can change TRACE_SECONDS at the top).
  3. Continue with the remaining sections and finish cleanly.

Quick tip: Changing the traced binary

If you want to examine a real game binary instead of glxgears, edit the line:

SAMPLE_BIN="/path/to/your/game_executable"

Make sure the path points to an executable file you have permission to run. The rest of the script works unchanged.

That’s it! Your report will now contain the trace data and finish automatically, ready to be posted on any Linux forum. Happy sharing!

55

Sorry I have only ????????

As my system has a big problem since installation and purge the Nvidia drivers I think it is impossible to test any other choice.

It seems I had to reinstall the system and losing all my data including licences for special programs...

So now it's gonna be an expensive and long tour to get all back in place icluding virtualbox with windows 11 and diferent licensed programs.......

When I set Zorin OS 18 completely new on the computer, it will take about 4 to 5 workdays because it's not only an gaming computer.....

56

Ok. Understood Joe. Sorry this has been so frustrating.
I assume you're out of patience and just want to get back to a working setup.
Given that your PC was for more than games, maybe making it dual boot would have been an option to keep your non-gaming environment working in Windows, whilst troubleshooting the NVIDIA stuttering issue in a separate Linux partition.
Unfortunately, too late for that approach. Sorry.

I forget that not everyone has the luxury of several computers at their disposal, and more importantly you likely need only computer for work as well.

What I've learned in my own journey with Linux is the value of having and testing backups, and taking system snapshots.

Restoring a Linux system from backup is a bit different from Windows, but I wont go into detail. It took me a bit to get my head around it.

I'm unemployed so I have plenty of time on my hands to play with these things. I didn't appreciate that you have other responsibilities. Apologies if I overwhelmed you with suggestions for tasks that you do not have time for.

2 Likes
57

Its okay, I'm not upset.. :upside_down_face:
I am very happy to get you guys to help me out, I'm still learning as an old man of 67...
but I want to get rid of MS and I know it is a long way to break through when you worked in the windows world since Basic and 3.11....
I am no IT specialist or programmer , just a silly user... :wink:

That's why I am using virtualbox to use both worlds until I found and installed all I need on linux and then delete MS including Onedrive etc pp.
So I am going to nextcloud, another point to setup-------
My games are "No one lives forever - Cate Archer" and some Ubisoft games...

You may ask why my setup is of top gaming size, its because the PC lasts longer.

My last PC was a super gaming high performance which last from 2007 until 2024 without any problems from windows XP up to windows 10 and now a friend of mine uses it for his H0 Train software.... :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

So I am comming back!

Joe

58

Thank you, Joe, for the reassurance. :folded_hands:
fyi: I'm not far behind you as I near 60 with what appears to be a semi-forced early retirement of sorts due to AI, a body that cannot take the strain of "hustle" culture, and a late diagnosed autistic mind. Feeling jilted by BigTech, I've made it my life mission to take a different path free of spyware and forced conformity.
And now with an explanation to a lifetime of techy, nerdy, quirkiness, I'm embracing who I am and what interest me rather than what I'm told I should be -- especially as I find the number of years ahead of me slowly dwindling.
So... with that out of the way... I'll make an effort to remind myself to keep things at a high-level rather going down my rabbit holes of addiction to detail. Along with you, I'm learning this Linux and Open Source stuff as well as I spent a lifetime squarely in the Microsoft camp due to being a nerd that likes video gaming (and tweaking my systems for maximum performance - before breaking them and starting over, rinse, and repeat). :slightly_smiling_face:
I like your story. I too started with Windows 3.11, NetBeui over TCP/IP, and Dr DOS.
I deleted my Google and Facebook accounts this past week with the aim of getting rid of Microsoft imminently as I move over all of my accounts to Proton Mail aliases. I've already evacuated OneDrive and my Outlook account which now just act as a forwarding service.
I'm self-hosting NextCloud at home combined with a free service called TailScale (a mesh VPN) which allows me to share it with my mother in The States as I live in the UK.
So, I'm just a bit further along the journey than you in moving over to Linux and getting out of the Microsoft ecosystem. I have a lot to share.
I'm thinking of creating a free partition on my main NVIDIA laptop so I can go through a fresh build of Zorin OS and document everything I do to turn it into a gaming platform, and then share here. (I really do have too much time on my hands to follow my obsessions. :slight_smile: )

I've discovered there are two things that will give you peace of mind if you get your head around it:

  • Learning to backup and restore your Linux PC so you can get your programs and settings back reliably with the least amount of worry and hassle (maybe practice by backing up and restoring Linux running within a VM)
  • Learning how the Linux bootloader works so you can dual boot, and/or confidently recover from boot problems.

Also, rather than virtualbox (which I know has been around for quite some time), you might want to consider using Linux's native virtualisation platform QEMU/KDE.
Here's a great video that hand holds you through the process of getting it set up if you are interested:
Windows 11 QEMU/KVM Installation Guide in Linux Including TPM and Secure Boot (YouTube): https://youtu.be/T68CTiudCVI

Like you I'm also coming back, but I think of it more of an awakening and resurrection after years of BigTech slumber and conformity.

I wish to have done it earlier in my life, but at least I have a few years left (I hope) in which I can live my life on my terms with control over my data and my privacy.

btw: I'm doing all of this on a shoe string. Despite a previously lavish tech lifestyle due to the salary that comes with being "corporate", I'm now realising what a waste it was to buy the latest toys. I salute you for making your PC last for years.
My lifestyle now consist of two unmatching socks with holes, and a 6th Gen Intel NUC runnig NextCloud with a Seagate external drive hanging off of it.
My super-expensive gaming laptop is a remnant of a lifestyle that I no longer (and cannot) follow if I want to be free and happy. Thankfully, it is powerful enough to last me for years.

1 Like
59

Dropping a quick note to say I'm still alive, just busy battling other windmills.
I tried running Zorin OS in a Linux native VM with a direct connection (pass-through) to the NVIDIA GPU.
It worked, but then I didn't take it any further. I'm interested in seeing if I can make a game run reasonably well within a VM with direct access to the GPU.
If so, I should be able to document and screenshot the steps I take to get NVIDIA gaming working.
That's the idea anyway.
Likely better that I just free up some space on my laptop and create a separate installation of Zorin with which to play and experiment to avoid complications to my day-to-day configuration.
I playing with Proxmox virtualisation at the moment. That's my distraction - not anything important like life or family. :man_shrugging:
Hope you are all keeping well.

1 Like
60

After I could reach the early Timeshift backup, I could restore the system to 26-02-25. But it was a mess, because the UEFI BIOS didn't want to start from the stick! There was an issue in priories the PCIe numbers... Don't ask me.......

So now it works so far. Had to reinstall firefox and thunderbird, why? Don't know.

So I did a little research about Nvidia, gigabyte z790 gaming X AX and Soundblaster AE5 Pci. The kernel, driver integration and PCI e connecting is in Zorin OS 18 not the best and I have to look to an ohter distro like Nobara who especially has gaming pc Kernels for Nvidia and all that stuff to get the system stable.
So my problem is also the special silent series from the RTX 4070 Super. It slows down as you don't use all the performance and than give the stuttering issues in normal kernels especially older kernels.

So Zorin OS is okay on older hardware but if you use relative new components Zorin can't handle it so far.

In Zorin I have to use the nouveau driver and try not to force the system as much as the Nvidia card want's to use scaling range of FPS or voltage changes.

So it's complex, and Nvidia is not the right choise to start with normal Linux distros giving a look and feel as windows. And that was why I decided Zorin OS, because I have here many windows user who have to change to >Linux. They won't get away with a Terminal based system or multiple crossed menus.

They want a "One Click Design" as on windows and that's hard to find with these hardware specs.

So let's try without Nvidia driver and see if we can use it without crashes.......

Joe