Timeline Cursor/Playback Head Lags During Playback on NVIDIA GPU Laptops (Since 24.3 Update)

[chris37745985r5wj]

Explanation of the Issue:
Since updating to Adobe Premiere Pro 24.3 (and continuing in 24.4 and 25.2), the timeline cursor (playback head) fails to move smoothly during playback. It either stutters or freezes while audio and video playback continues in real time. The issue is persistent and reproducible on laptops equipped with NVIDIA RTX GPUs.

Important:
We have already attempted switching the playback timeline setting to Smooth Scroll as a workaround. While Smooth Scroll partially moves the cursor, it does not behave the same as Page Scroll and is not acceptable for professional editing workflows that require precise cuts and real-time cursor following.

When reverting to version 24.2.1, the timeline cursor moves smoothly without issues. This problem disrupts the ability to edit and time cuts accurately, significantly affecting workflow efficiency. No permanent workaround exists except downgrading versions, which is not ideal.

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Desired Behavior (What Should Happen):
The timeline cursor (playback head) should move smoothly and in real-time across the timeline during playback, matching the speed of the audio and video without stuttering or lagging — exactly as it functioned in version 24.2.1 and prior — while using Page Scroll, not Smooth Scroll.

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Observed Behavior (What Actually Happens):
During playback, the timeline cursor either freezes in place or moves very jerkily while audio/video playback continues normally. This makes it nearly impossible to track cuts or adjust edits in real time.

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Frequency of Issue:
Occurs every single time during playback on affected systems.

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Version of Premiere Pro:

• Premiere Pro Version: 24.4.0 (also 25.2.0)
  (Replace with your exact version if different)

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System Details:

• Laptop Model: ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16

• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop GPU

• CPU: Intel Core i9 13980HX

• RAM: 32GB DDR5

• Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD

• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro, Version 23H2

• GPU Driver Version: (NVIDIA

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[R Neil Haugen]

Excellent report!

Thanks for posting this rather comprehensive explanation, providing all the details needed for checking it out!

Now, if the devs can check this out ... and as this is in the Bugs section, the thread is immediately flagged for the devs to check.

[Dani_V.]

Hi @chris37745985r5wj,

Sorry you're experiencing issues. Thank you for explaining the problem and for submitting a bug report.

A few questions: What driver version is being used and is it Studio? Do you see this behavior occur if 'Selection Follows Playhead' is disabled/enabled under the Sequence menu? Does it happen in all Workspace layouts and after clicking 'Reset to saved layout'? And just as a further test, does this also happen if the Timeline panel is undocked or is its own separate window?

Sorry for the frustration,
Dani