suggest two critical fixes for stutters on newer Windows versions: CPU Core Affinity : Use Task Manager or Process Lasso to limit the game to 4 CPU cores

Make a backup copy of the original file before making any changes. Recommended Settings for Maximum FPS

Yes, the version from reputable sites like ModDB or Nexus Mods is safe. It does not contain .exe files; it is usually a patch.dat file that overrides the game's render settings.