New thread created! Welcome, @niobian!
In answer to your issue, try the following:
1.) In-Game Settings:
Fullscreen
Vsync ON
Frame Limit = 60
GPU Control Panel Settings:
Most functions set to "Controlled by the 3D application"
Refresh Rate = 60 Hz / 120 Hz
Be sure any overclocking / underclocking is
disabled. Ensure you're running the game at default clock speeds.
2.) Install / update all Microsoft Redistributables.
3.) Ensure the game is not installed anywhere under
Program Files or
Program Files(x86). Protected directories can wreak havoc with games. Also, ensure the game is added to the exceptions list for any anti-virus or firewall you may be using. Be sure the
witcher3.exe is set to "Run as administrator". Go to the
...\Documents\The Witcher 3\... folder and be sure the Permissions are set to "Everyone".
4.) Frame-timing can be tricky -- especially on newer hardware. The game was truly created for a Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 environment, so Windows 10, Ryzen chipsets, and i7 / i9 Intel processors can make the game grumpy. In my own experience, I find pulling back is often more effective than trying to push it. Try editing the
user.settings file and setting
LimitFPS=48. Also try values of 50, 52, 54, and 58. For me, if I have it set to anything other than 48 on my i7-4790K, I get
massive stuttering. At a 48 cap, the game is flawless. Solid FPS in all areas. The engine is just super-particular.
But, as I tell people that suffer from the stuttering, while it might hurt our "Power-User" ego to limit a game to low FPS...the actual experience is glorious. I've had several people watch the gameplay on my system and be like, "How do you get it run that smoothly!?" When I explained, some didn't believe me and thought something must be wrong.