FPS drops & slow motion — RX 580 / 1440p — returns after 2-3 days

Question

Platform: PCAccount Username: Forestin_31Date and time: 17.05.2026, evening (UTC+3, Ukraine)Country / region: UkraineISP: Arcada-x LLCRAM: 16GBCPU: Intel - Core i3-9100FGPU: AMD - RX 580 4GBDriver: 26.1.1 PolarisOS: Windows 10Game modes affected: Ultimate Team (packs, menus), Rush, Kick-off, online modesGraphics settings: Resolution: 2560x1440 (1440p) | Refresh rate: 144Hz | FPS cap: 60 in-game | VSync: Off | Display mode: Fullscreen | Graphics preset: Minimum | Render scale: 100What happens:FPS drops and slow motion occur specifically when 3D player models load — opening packs in Ultimate Team, match loading screens. The game starts normally then degrades into stuttering and slow motion, especially in the second half. Menus also become laggy after matches. The issue begins as soon as packs are opened — even the first pack in a session can trigger it.When does it happen:At the start of pack opening in Ultimate TeamDuring match loadingSecond half of matchesIn menus after a matchBoth online and offline modesImportant pattern — the issue is cyclical:Several weeks ago the same issue occurred for the first time. At that time, deleting specific files from C:\Users[name]\AppData\Local\EA SPORTS FC 26 (filesystemcache, twinkle, twinkle_temp, umcache, mainmenuconfig.json) completely resolved the problem and the game worked perfectly for 2-3 days without any issues at 60FPS stable, 1440p, minimum graphics.I then took a break of 2-3 days — I did not play the game and did not even turn on my PC during this time. When I returned and launched the game, the problem had come back on its own despite nothing changing on my system. This time the same method of deleting those files did not help permanently — it only helped for approximately one match, then the issue returned immediately. Full reinstall of the game, drivers, and EA AntiCheat also did not resolve it.What temporarily helps: Deleting C:\Users[name]\AppData\Local\EA SPORTS FC 26 — helps for approximately one match then problem returns immediately.Full troubleshooting history (nothing worked permanently):Reset AMD Shader Cache in AMD Software — no fixDeleted game cache files repeatedly (filesystemcache, twinkle, twinkle_temp, umcache, fcsetup, mainmenuconfig.json) — helped temporarily each time but problem always returned within one sessionGame was originally a trial version upgraded to full version — suspected leftover trial files. Fully uninstalled via EA App, manually deleted AppData\Local\EA SPORTS FC 26 and AppData\Roaming\EA SPORTS FC 26, reinstalled clean — helped for one match then returnedTried different display settings — Windowed Borderless vs Fullscreen, 60Hz vs 144Hz, render scale 75 vs 100 — no permanent fixTried FPS cap via AMD Software instead of in-game — no fixReinstalled AMD drivers via DDU — tried versions 25.8.1 and 26.1.1 PolarisReinstalled EA AntiCheat via EAAntiCheat.Installer.exe → Restore — no fixRan sfc /scannow — found and successfully repaired corrupted Windows system filesRan DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth — completed successfullyDisabled all overlays (Discord, Xbox Game Bar) — no fixChecked GPU and CPU temperatures via HWiNFO64 — all normal, no thermal throttlingTried Memory Integrity in Windows Security — no fixExternal FPS monitoring tools (AMD overlay, FPS Monitor) show 0 FPS for FC 26 — game is invisible to monitoring software, likely due to EA AntiCheatKey observations:The game worked perfectly for many hours before the break with identical hardware and settings — stable 60FPS at 1440p, minimum graphics, fullscreen, 60FPS capNo game patches were released during the 2-3 day break — only TOTS Week 5 players were addedThe PC was completely off during the entire break — no background updates or changes could have occurredProblem triggers specifically when 3D player models load (packs, match loading)Deleting AppData folder always helps temporarily but never permanentlyOther games run perfectly fine on the same hardwaresfc /scannow found real corrupted Windows system files and repaired them but problem persistsDxDiag shows DWM (Desktop Window Manager) critical event in error logDxDiag shows repeated Windows Update failures (error 80070005 — Access Denied)Another user on this forum with identical GPU (RX 580) reported the same slow motion issueDxDiag:

forestin_31 · Answer

UPDATE — SOLVEDAfter extensive troubleshooting, the issue was finally resolved by clearing the DirectX Shader Cache stored by Windows (not the AMD shader cache — a different cache entirely).The fix:Press Win+RType %LOCALAPPDATA%\D3DSCacheDelete everything inside that folderRestart PCLaunch the gameThis cache is separate from AMD Software shader cache and from the EA SPORTS FC 26 AppData folder. It stores DirectX shader compilations at the Windows level and can become corrupted over time, causing severe FPS drops, slow motion, and stuttering specifically when 3D player models load (packs, match loading screens).Why deleting AppData\Local\EA SPORTS FC 26 helped temporarily: It forced the game to recompile shaders from scratch, which worked around the corrupted D3DSCache temporarily. But the root cause remained until D3DSCache was cleared directly.If you have the same symptoms:FPS drops when opening packs in Ultimate TeamSlow motion in second half of matchesDeleting EA FC 26 AppData helps for one match then returnsOther games work fineTry clearing %LOCALAPPDATA%\D3DSCache first before reinstalling the game, drivers, or EA AntiCheat.

forestin_31 · Answer

UPDATE 2 — Partial fix, root cause identifiedAfter further testing, we found that clearing %LOCALAPPDATA%\D3DSCache + deleting %LOCALAPPDATA%\EA SPORTS FC 26 and restarting PC helps temporarily, but the issue returns specifically when opening packs in Ultimate Team.Reproducible pattern:Match gameplay: smooth, stable FPSOpening a pack in Ultimate Team: immediate freeze/stutter every single timeAfter the freeze starts it spreads to menus and gameplay as wellThis means the root cause is how EA FC 26 compiles and writes DirectX shaders when loading 3D player models during pack opening. The game appears to corrupt the DirectX shader cache in real time during this process.This is a reproducible bug:Clear D3DSCache + EA FC 26 AppData folderRestart PCLaunch gameOpen any pack in Ultimate TeamFreeze occurs immediately

orionwen · Answer

So there's still not a permanent solution for this? Thank you though for the efforts. Appreciate it

forestin_31 · Answer

My theory is that the issue is related to DX12 shader compilation — the game corrupts the DirectX cache when loading 3D player models. You can try adding -dx11 as a launch parameter in EA App game properties to force DirectX 11 instead. I haven't tested this myself yet but it might bypass the DX12 issue completely.

forestin_31 · Answer

There is no guaranteed permanent fix yet. The issue seems random — sometimes it works fine, sometimes it freezes when 3D player models render. The exact root cause is still unknown.

What helped me temporarily: clear %LOCALAPPDATA%\D3DSCache + %LOCALAPPDATA%\EA SPORTS FC 26 and restart PC.

One theory is that it might be related to DX12 shader compilation. You can try adding -dx11 as a launch parameter in EA App game properties to force DirectX 11 — I haven't tested this myself yet but it could be worth trying. Will update when tested.

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FPS drops & slow motion — RX 580 / 1440p — returns after 2-3 days

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