@evolutionarysleeper If the CPU usage is low, that means the issue could be caused by DPC latency, which is quite common in Windows-based laptops.
Try going through the optimization guide and then analyze your system using LatencyMon. Check if there’s any process or driver with high execution times. While you test this, make sure to run the VST2 format in a project at 44100 Hz / 128 samples.