Summary

• RGB sync apps cause microstutter due to tiny CPU spikes and GPU communication delays, despite low RAM and CPU use in Task Manager.
• My tests showed worse 0.2% and 1% lows and more uneven frame times with SignalRGB enabled in several games.
• I’ll turn off RGB apps for demanding and online games but keep it enabled for less demanding single‑player titles.

It’s common knowledge that background apps can hurt your FPS in games. But since they usually only use a bit of RAM and CPU power, they shouldn’t affect performance too much, right? While that’s true for most apps, RGB software might be the exception.

How RGB software and other background apps cause microstutter

If you’ve ever opened Task Manager, you’re likely aware that most background apps use around 1–5% of your CPU performance and usually well under 1 GB of RAM. This means that on a lower-end system, you should always turn all background apps off if you want the best FPS possible. It’s actually one of the easiest and most effective ways to optimize your PC for gaming without spending a dime.

The situation with RGB apps is no different. It’s tempting to keep ASUS Armoury Crate, Corsair iCUE, or the universal SignalRGB sync app running in the background while you game. This way, your PC feels like a true gaming machine, with the RGB acting as a kind of mood light and reminder of how awesome your setup is.

Unfortunately, RGB apps are particularly taxing on your system, sometimes in ways you aren’t even aware of. While syncing RGB across all your devices doesn’t sound like it should be too demanding, the process is actually much more invasive than most people realize.

Credit: Tim Rattray / How-To Geek

To sync lighting across all your equipment, the app has to constantly communicate with your motherboard, graphics card, RAM, and peripherals. The more RGB devices and apps you have, the worse the problem gets, especially if there’s a background conflict you won’t notice unless you check the logs.

While the impact of RGB software on RAM is a measurable constant, things get tricky when checking how it affects the CPU. In general, RGB apps tend to create tiny, irregular spikes in CPU usage and delays in GPU communication if the card is also syncing or used to render the effects. These spikes only last a few milliseconds, so they usually don’t impact average FPS, but they can cause microstutter.

In my experience with SignalRGB, I didn’t notice a major average FPS loss, likely because it didn’t have a significant effect on the GPU or my maximum frame rates.

However, I did notice some microstutter on both my old and new PCs. I didn’t think much of it at first, assuming I was imagining things or that the games I played were poorly optimized. I was aware that RGB apps can be taxing, but I thought my 8-core Ryzen 7 7700 and 32GB of RAM were more than adequate to handle it.

AMD Ryzen 7 7700

CPU Model Ryzen 7 7700

CPU Speed 3.8 GHz

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is an 8-core, 16-thread unlocked AM5 desktop processor that offers excellent performance and efficiency for its price. Highlights include its strong power efficiency, overclocking potential, and ability to pair with high-end GPUs without bottlenecking.

CPU Socket Socket AM5

Cores 8

Threads 16

However, when I tried playing *Marvel Rivals *without any background apps, the microstuttering all but disappeared, prompting me to investigate further.

Testing the real-world impact in games

The tests conducted here were done using the SignalRGB app, but because of how RGB syncing apps operate, most of them would likely produce similar results.

Checking for microstutter accurately can be harder than it sounds. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely something you can feel, and it will negatively impact your games. However, detecting microstutter properly requires looking at metrics like 1% and 0.1% lows, as well as the variance between individual frame times.

The only difference in my tests was that I focused more on 0.2% lows, as they provide a larger sample size and a more balanced overview that still captures even the smallest microstutters. To measure the data, I used CapFrameX.

My first test was conducted using the built-in benchmark tool in Marvel Rivals at 1080p. Sure enough, having SignalRGB running in the background resulted in both lower 0.2% lows and more uneven frame times. It’s worth noting that the average FPS (which is within the margin of error) was actually slightly lower in one of the tests with SignalRGB off. Despite that slight disadvantage, it still had the highest 0.2% lows.

However, I wasn’t too confident in the results, as the benchmark tool only lasted around 100 seconds (I recorded 90). This is fine if you just want to check your FPS in the game, but to test for microstutters, I needed a longer test.

So, I headed out to the new Halloween Zombies Mode. It’s somewhat more consistent than an online match because it’s against bots, and it’s full of monsters that overload the CPU. I played at 1440p and with FSR enabled, in case you’re wondering about the higher FPS figures, and I only did one test with SignalRGB off.

This 5-minute test was much more conclusive, with both the 0.2% and 1% lows showing a significant improvement when SignalRGB was turned off.

In my third test, I used the built-in benchmark tool in Red Dead Redemption 2, but since it’s an older, less demanding game, the difference with SignalRGB on and off was within the margin of error (53.4 vs. 53.2 in the 0.2% lows).

So, I went in the other direction and fired up Starfield, one of the most CPU-intensive games I have. I headed to the busy commercial district and made a couple of walks before stopping and allowing the cinematic camera to finish the rest of the test.

After four 8-minute runs, I believed I had enough evidence to conclusively show that my RGB syncing program did cause more microstutter, as both the 1% and 0.2% lows, as well as the uneven frame times, were all worse with it enabled.

Should you turn your RGB software off when gaming?

After seeing the data yourself, I think it’s fair to conclude that RGB syncing software like SignalRGB does cause some microstutter. However, is it really enough to warrant turning it off altogether?

If you care about performance more than aesthetics, the answer is, of course, yes. For me, though, I don’t actually mind the slightest bit of microstutter in single-player games, as I think the trade-off for having synced RGB is worth it. Moreover, many of the games I play are indies that aren’t demanding at all, and my PC’s FPS easily maxes out my monitor’s 240Hz refresh rate at all times.

Credit: Ismar Hrnjicevic / How-To Geek

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Now that I know the impact of RGB apps, I’ll make sure to disable them when I’m playing a newer AAA release or online games, where even the smallest amount of microstutter can make the difference between winning or losing a fight.