Jerking/Stuttering - Memory issues perhaps?

[Starksy303]

Anyone else experienced this or is this just a normal thing?
On both HL2 and HL2-Episode 1, once I've started my game, when I go to click 'Load Game', the game sound stutters for about 3 seconds leaving me unable to do anything, then the load game screen finally pops up.

Also I've noticed the game stutter whenever there's an event change, (if you know what I mean) like when you enter a new corridor or some zombie breaks down a door. It can get a bit annoying because it breaks up the action in the game all too often. Anyone else experienced or is experiencing this?
I would put it down to memory issues but since I have 4gb of the stuff (even though windows reads 2.25gb, crappy microsoft) that can't be it, besides, my other games run fine. I've unistalled/reinstalled, updated drivers even formatted my hd a couple of days ago. Anyway, I'll shut up now, let me know if you've had this problem... PS, still a brilliant game.

Asus A8N SLI-Deluxe Motherboard
Athlon 64 FX-55
2x Geforce 7800GT (SLI)
4gb RAM - Corsair TwinX2048-3200C2PT x2
300gb HD
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS

 

[Nemesis6]

I have the exact same problems. It's not a memory issue at all, it's actually a badly developed steam caching system. The reason you hear a little bit of a sound and then the game stops and sound loops is because only such a small part of the sound file is preloaded, so it'll play the preloaded stuff, then it'll stutter as it starts loading the rest.

I think Valve should have done something about this, or rather SHOULD do something about this. The problem is sound-related, and it doesn't help to change sound cards. I've tried. The problem is on Valve's end. Granted, they've done a lot to try to fix it, but... as I said: They've tried. I think they should redesign the way the Source engine handles sound. It's obviously a very big flaw in the source engine and it was and still is very annoying for me.

The best thing you can do to avoid any stutter that's not related to the Source engine, well, you've already tried it; Defragmenting. There is one last thing you could try, but this probably won't help: Right click Half Life 2 in steam, click Properties, then Launch Options, and add this in the presumably empty space:

-heapsize 2048000

Now, this might be way too much, but you have 4 GBs of ram, and the general principle is to allow half or a quarter of your ram. You could make it 1024000, too.

 

[Forceflow]

I've fixed my stuttering problems by updating my audio drivers. I'm never touching them again, for now.
Valve released a 'stuttering fix' update a couple of months ago (february, I think), but it didn't seem to solve the problems for all people.

My suggestion is to browse the steam forums. A lot of people have the craziest theories on how to fix this, and some of the stuff might work... Try setting your sound quality to medium or low, and the sound system to 'headphones' or '2 speakers'. (This helps, really !)