All of a succen - videos are constantly buffering and jumpy

Hi Ben,
Since this happens in Edge, Firefox, YouTube, and other sites, I’d look less at a single browser setting and more at one of these areas:
network throughput, GPU/video driver acceleration, browser hardware acceleration, security/VPN filtering, or system load/background updates.
Try these in order.

1. Check whether it is network-related​

• Restart the PC.
• Restart your modem/router.
• Temporarily disable any VPN, proxy, ad-filtering DNS, or web protection feature in your antivirus/security suite.
• Run a speed test from a browser.
• While a video is buffering, open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
• Check Performance > Wi-Fi/Ethernet and see whether download activity drops to zero or spikes erratically.
• Also check Processes for high CPU, Disk, Network, or GPU usage.

Expected result: if other devices on the same network also buffer, the issue is probably network/ISP/router-related rather than Windows.

2. Disable browser hardware acceleration​

A bad or recently updated GPU driver can cause exactly this across multiple browsers.

Edge​

• Open Edge.
• Go to:
  edge://settings/system
• Turn off Use graphics acceleration when available.
• Restart Edge.
• Test YouTube again.

Firefox​

• Open Firefox.
• Go to:
  about:preferences
• Scroll to Performance.
• Uncheck Use recommended performance settings.
• Uncheck Use hardware acceleration when available.
• Restart Firefox.
• Test video playback again.

If videos play normally after this, the likely cause is the NVIDIA driver or GPU acceleration path.

3. Update or roll back the NVIDIA driver​

Before changing drivers, I suggest creating a restore point.

• Press Win + R.
• Type:
  SystemPropertiesProtection
• Press Enter.
• Select your system drive.
• Click Create.

Then check your NVIDIA driver.

• Right-click Start.
• Open Device Manager.
• Expand Display adapters.
• Right-click your NVIDIA card.
• Choose Properties > Driver.
• Note the driver date and version.

If the driver updated recently:

• Click Roll Back Driver if available.
• Restart the PC.
• Test video playback.

If the driver is old or rollback is unavailable:

• Download the latest NVIDIA driver for your exact card.
• Choose Custom installation.
• Select Perform a clean installation.
• Restart after installation.

Undo option: if the new driver makes things worse, return to Device Manager > Display adapters > NVIDIA > Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver, or use the restore point.

4. Test Edge with all extensions disabled​

Even though this affects multiple browsers, extensions or security filtering can still cause issues.

• Open Edge.
• Go to:
  edge://extensions
• Turn off all extensions.
• Restart Edge.
• Test a video.

For Firefox:

• Open Firefox.
• Click the menu button.
• Choose Help > Troubleshoot Mode.
• Click Restart.
• Test video playback.

5. Clear browser cache for media playback issues​

For Edge:

• Go to:
  edge://settings/clearBrowserData
• Select Cached images and files.
• Clear data.
• Restart Edge.

For Firefox:

• Go to:
  about:preferences#privacy
• Under Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data.
• Select cached web content.
• Restart Firefox.

6. Check Windows power and graphics settings​

• Open Settings.
• Go to System > Power & battery.
• Set Power mode to Best performance temporarily.
• Go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
• Check whether Edge or Firefox has a custom GPU preference set.
• If so, try setting them to Let Windows decide.
• Restart the browser and test again.

7. Check for stuck Windows Update or Store updates​

• Open Settings > Windows Update.
• Install any pending updates.
• Restart if prompted.
• Open Microsoft Store.
• Go to Library.
• Click Get updates.

Sometimes background updates or partially installed media components can cause temporary playback problems.

8. Repair Windows system files​

If the issue started suddenly and affects all browsers, run these checks.

• Right-click Start.
• Open Terminal/PowerShell as Administrator.
• Run:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

• When that finishes, run:

sfc /scannow

• Restart the PC.
• Test video playback again.

Most likely causes in your case​

Given your specs, I’d check these first:

• NVIDIA driver problem
• Browser hardware acceleration
• VPN/security web filtering
• Network/router/ISP issue
• Background update or high disk/network usage

Quick questions​

• Are videos also buffering on another device using the same internet connection?
• Are you on Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet?
• Did Windows Update or NVIDIA update recently?
• Does the problem happen in an InPrivate/Private browser window?
• What NVIDIA card model and driver version are shown in Device Manager?

If you answer those, we can narrow it down pretty quickly.