**UPDATE** : Apparently both my xbox game bar and my geforce experience were recording in the background for instant replay and I was unaware. After turning these both off; the game has been running buttery smooth as it use to. If this is a fluke, of course I will update here (or make a new thread and reference this) but I've a feeling that's been the cause of my woes.

Here is a video of what I am referring to. The recording isn't stuttering, that is the game.. and it's making me be 'that person' that says 'sorry guys. lag again':

https://youtu.be/3EIz3q9Anv8

This has been going on for a few weeks now. Sometime after the major database transfer (though it may have nothing to do with it; just using that as a frame of reference). I do not know if the video is causing my audio to stutter or the stuttering audio is affecting my video but it happens intermittently, sometimes for 5-10 seconds of complete lock up while the audio stutters in the background. I could be standing alone, and a slight turn of my camera will cause it. Indeed, it seems to happen the most often in group events (especially the new content areas.) I also get random loading screens while I'm traveling within a zone way more often.

Things I have tried to no avail:

• I've played with every addon disabled.
• I have updated my drivers.
• I've uninstalled and reinstalled my audio drivers.
• I've cleared temporary files through windows 11.
• Ran disk checks
• Ran mem tests
• Kept every single unnecessary background program closed that I would have normally had open with no issue.

DxDiag attached. Please help. I'm at a loss.