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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsTo fix low FPS, first find out whether your PC is limited by its graphics card, processor, heat, power, software, or the game itself. Measure performance in a repeatable scene, change one thing at a time, and compare the result. Start with reversible checks—such as confirming the game uses the dedicated GPU, closing background workloads, and lowering settings that match the bottleneck—before considering an upgrade.
Identify what “low FPS” means on your PC
Low FPS can describe several different problems, and each points to a different fix:
- Low average FPS: The game runs slowly most of the time.
- FPS drops: Performance falls in particular scenes or after the PC has been running for a while.
- Stutter: Brief freezes or uneven frame delivery, even when the average FPS looks acceptable.
- Poor 1% lows: The average is high, but the slowest frames arrive often enough to make play feel uneven.
- Input lag: Controls feel delayed. High FPS does not necessarily eliminate latency.
- Screen tearing: Parts of different frames appear at once because the display and GPU are out of sync.
- Refresh-rate limit: A 60 Hz screen cannot show more than 60 full refreshes per second, even if the game renders more frames. A higher-refresh-rate monitor displays more frames; it does not create them.
FPS and smoothness are related but not identical: consistent frame times can feel better than a higher average with frequent spikes. For background on frame rate and component bottlenecks, see Intel’s guide to fixing low frame rates.
Record a baseline before changing settings
Note the game and version, resolution, graphics preset, ray tracing, upscaling or frame generation, average FPS, and 1% lows if available. Also record GPU and per-core CPU utilization, temperatures and clock speeds, RAM and VRAM use, and whether other games have the same problem. A monitoring overlay can make these readings easier to capture; MSI Afterburner is one option, and MSI advises downloading it only from MSI or Guru3D.
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- Restart the PC and close unnecessary applications.
- Load the same game area, built-in benchmark, or repeatable route each time.
- Play for several minutes and record the readings. If performance drops only after the system warms up, note when it happens.
- Change one setting or condition, then repeat the same test. Revert changes that do not help.
Read the pattern, not one number
| What you observe | Possible explanation | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
| GPU use stays near full; VRAM is close to capacity | GPU workload, resolution, ray tracing, or graphics memory pressure | Lower GPU-heavy settings; reduce textures only if VRAM pressure is part of the problem. |
| One CPU core is near full while GPU use is low | CPU-bound game or workload | Reduce CPU-heavy game settings and background CPU use. |
| CPU and GPU use both fall during a drop | A frame cap, power issue, driver problem, background stall, storage hitch, or game-engine limit | Check frame limits, power, software activity, and whether the problem is game-specific. |
| FPS declines as temperatures rise | Possible thermal throttling | Check cooling, airflow, fan operation, and clock speeds. |
| A laptop performs better on AC power | Battery or power-management limit | Connect the charger and check the manufacturer’s performance mode. |
| Only one game is affected | Game patch, settings, shader compilation, mods, or a game-specific problem | Use the game-specific checks below before changing system-wide settings. |
| Several games are affected | Possible driver, Windows, thermal, power, or hardware problem | Check system-wide changes and readings before targeting one game. |
Windows Task Manager can help identify resource-heavy applications: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, then inspect Processes, Performance, and Startup apps. Microsoft’s Windows performance guidance also covers startup activity, storage, updates, and power settings.
Try these low-risk checks first
Confirm the game is using the right GPU
This matters especially on laptops and systems with both integrated and dedicated graphics. In Windows 11, open Settings > System > Display > Graphics, add or select the game executable, choose Options, select High performance, save, and restart the game. Labels and available choices can vary by Windows version, laptop maker, and graphics driver. Microsoft describes per-app GPU preferences in its Graphics Settings overview.
- On a desktop, make sure the monitor cable is plugged into the graphics card, not the motherboard video output.
- On a laptop, connect the AC adapter and make sure vents are unobstructed.
- Check Task Manager > Performance or Device Manager to confirm the GPU appears correctly.
- If using an external laptop display, check whether that port connects to the dedicated GPU; this depends on the laptop.
Restart and check background activity
Restart Windows, close unnecessary browsers, video players, launchers, recording software, virtual machines, and utilities, then run the same test. In Task Manager, sort Processes by CPU, Memory, and GPU use to identify unusually busy programs. Disable only startup apps you recognize and do not terminate unfamiliar Windows processes at random.
Check power mode and display settings
For a controlled test in Windows 11, open Settings > System > Power & battery and choose Best performance. Keep a laptop plugged in. This may help if the system is power-limited, but it raises power use and can make a laptop warmer, louder, and quicker to drain when unplugged. If heat is already limiting performance, more power may not help.
Also check that Windows is using the monitor’s intended refresh rate. The precise display-menu labels can vary by version and device. A refresh-rate mismatch can make motion feel less smooth, but changing it will not increase the game’s rendered FPS.
Update carefully
- Check for a game patch and note whether the problem began after a recent update.
- Install relevant Windows updates. Optional driver updates can address specific device problems, but are not automatically performance upgrades.
- Get graphics drivers from the GPU manufacturer, then restart and repeat the test.
- If performance became worse immediately after a driver update, test the previous known-good driver. If an installation seems corrupted or the problem affects several games, consider the GPU vendor’s clean-install option.
A newer driver can fix one issue and introduce another, so compare results rather than assuming the newest version is always best. Avoid unofficial driver-download sites, and do not update several unrelated drivers or firmware components at once when diagnosing a change.
Fix a GPU bottleneck
High GPU utilization during gameplay usually means the graphics card is doing as much work as the game is asking of it; it does not by itself mean the card is faulty. If GPU use stays high in the scenes where FPS is low, reduce the GPU’s workload and retest.
Change graphics settings in order
- Reduce ray tracing or turn it off. Its cost varies substantially by game and GPU.
- Lower resolution or render scale. This often helps when the graphics card is rendering too many pixels.
- Reduce shadows, reflections, volumetric effects, ambient occlusion, or anti-aliasing one at a time.
- Lower texture quality only if VRAM is under pressure. Texture settings can affect image quality and memory demand without being the main cause of low FPS on every system.
- Set a realistic FPS target. A cap below the system’s unstable peak can reduce load and produce steadier delivery.
These settings do not have identical costs in every game. Microsoft’s technical notes on common Windows game performance issues discuss GPU-side work such as resolution and shader demand alongside CPU-side game systems.
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Use upscaling and frame generation with care
DLSS, FSR, XeSS, and dynamic resolution can render at a lower internal resolution and reconstruct the image. They are most useful when the GPU is limiting performance. They will not fix a CPU bottleneck, and aggressive settings can cause blur, shimmer, ghosting, or interface artifacts.
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Frame generation creates additional displayed frames from rendered frames. It can make motion appear smoother, but it does not remove the underlying CPU limit or the input latency associated with the base frame rate. For a meaningful comparison, record base FPS with frame generation off; do not treat a generated-frame counter as equivalent to native rendered performance. It may be a poor fit for competitive play or very low base FPS.
Fix a CPU bottleneck
If one or more CPU cores are heavily loaded while the GPU is waiting, a faster graphics card may add little. CPU use averaged across all cores can conceal a saturated game thread, so check per-core readings when available.
- Reduce crowd density, view distance, traffic or NPC counts, simulation, and physics settings.
- Close background programs that are consuming CPU time.
- Check CPU temperature and clock speed; heat or a power limit can reduce processor performance.
- Return unstable CPU overclocks to stock settings.
- Test an FPS cap. Limiting the target can reduce CPU work and make frame delivery more consistent.
Simulation-heavy, multiplayer, open-world, and high-refresh-rate games can be particularly sensitive to CPU performance, but the limiting component depends on the game and scene.
Check for heat and power throttling
A PC that runs well when cool but slows after several minutes may be reducing CPU or GPU clocks to control heat or power. Look for rising temperatures alongside falling clock speeds, loud fans, or a repeatable decline in FPS after warming up. Temperature limits differ by component and manufacturer, so interpret readings against the hardware’s specifications rather than one universal cutoff.
- Clear dust from accessible vents, filters, and heatsinks using an appropriate cleaning method.
- Put a laptop on a hard, unobstructed surface; do not block its intake or exhaust vents.
- Check that desktop case fans and CPU/GPU fans spin normally and that airflow is unobstructed.
- Restore CPU and GPU overclocks or undervolts to stock settings while diagnosing instability.
- Let the system cool and repeat the same test to see whether the decline returns.
Do not treat aggressive overclocking as a first-line fix: extra voltage or power can add heat and instability. Replacing thermal paste is a more involved step; consider it only if you are comfortable servicing the device and its warranty permits it.
Repair driver, shader-cache, and overlay problems
Use shader-cache resets only for a reason
Games compile shaders, and caches can reduce repeated work. A damaged or problematic cache can contribute to stutter, but deleting a cache is not a general FPS boost. The first launch after a reset may stutter while shaders are rebuilt, and game-specific caches may live in different locations. AMD’s shader-cache guidance describes the feature; AMD recommends leaving the setting at AMD optimized by default and using a reset as a troubleshooting step.
For NVIDIA, follow the vendor’s instructions for deleting NVIDIA shader-cache files only when there is a reason to suspect a cache issue. Back up or document changes, and avoid deleting unknown game folders where saves, key bindings, or mods might be stored. Cache locations and software labels can change between versions.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Test overlays and recording one at a time
Temporarily turn off overlays or recording features individually, then repeat the test:
- Xbox Game Bar recording
- Discord and Steam overlays
- NVIDIA or AMD overlays
- Third-party FPS counters, capture tools, or streaming software
- RGB or motherboard utilities
Overlays are not inherently harmful, but conflicts can arise with a particular game, graphics API, anti-cheat system, or driver. If individual tests do not identify the cause, a clean boot can help isolate a background software conflict; it is an advanced diagnostic step, not a routine FPS tweak.
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Check RAM, VRAM, and storage
RAM and VRAM
When RAM capacity is insufficient, Windows may move data to storage, contributing to stutter and slowdowns. More RAM helps only when capacity or memory configuration is part of the limit; it will not necessarily raise FPS if the GPU is already the bottleneck. Integrated graphics share system memory and can be especially sensitive to memory capacity, speed, and whether memory is configured for dual-channel operation.
If VRAM is full or memory pressure coincides with stutter, lower texture quality or resolution, reduce ray tracing, and close other GPU-intensive applications. Games may reserve VRAM without using all of it as active working memory, so a high allocation number alone is not proof that VRAM caused the problem. System RAM is not a direct substitute for adequate graphics memory.
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Keep adequate free space on the Windows and game drives; a nearly full system drive can contribute to broader Windows performance problems. An SSD can improve loading and some asset-streaming behavior, but it does not automatically produce a large increase in average rendered FPS. Microsoft lists low disk space among the Windows performance factors to check in its PC performance guidance.
Troubleshoot a problem in one game
If other demanding games run normally, begin with that game rather than reinstalling Windows or replacing hardware.
- Reset graphics settings to default, then change only the settings relevant to the measured bottleneck.
- Disable mods temporarily and remove custom launch options.
- Use the game launcher’s verify or repair option to check game files.
- If supported, test another rendering API, such as DirectX 11 versus DirectX 12.
- Test with overlays disabled and note whether the issue began with a game patch or driver update.
- Check the game developer’s known-issues information before changing configuration files.
Do not delete a game’s configuration folders without checking whether they also contain saves, key bindings, or mod data.
Check frame pacing, latency, and Windows gaming features
When FPS looks high but play still feels poor, inspect the frame-time graph, monitor refresh rate, frame caps, V-Sync, and any variable-refresh-rate (VRR) setup. VRR technologies such as FreeSync, G-SYNC, and DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync can match a compatible display’s refresh behavior to the frame rate; the result depends on the hardware, driver, and game. NVIDIA discusses latency and related presentation settings in its system latency optimization guide.
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Windows Graphics settings include per-app GPU preference and options related to windowed-game presentation and VRR, but availability and behavior depend on the game and system. Game Mode is also worth testing, not assuming: open Settings > Gaming > Game Mode, turn it on, restart the game, and compare. If a particular title performs worse, test it off. Neither feature can make inadequate hardware meet a demanding target by itself. Microsoft describes the relevant graphics options in its Graphics Settings overview.
Use Windows tools to investigate system-wide problems
- Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to inspect CPU, memory, disk, and GPU activity.
- DirectX Diagnostic Tool: Press Win + R, enter
dxdiag, and review Windows, DirectX, and display-driver information. - System Information: Press Win + R, enter
msinfo32, and check the system model, processor, BIOS, and installed memory. - Reliability Monitor: Press Win + R, enter
perfmon /rel, and see whether crashes or driver failures started when performance changed. - Event Viewer: Press Win + R, enter
eventvwr.msc. It can help investigate serious driver or hardware errors, but its many entries are not, by themselves, proof of an FPS cause.
Decide whether hardware is the remaining limit
An upgrade makes sense only after repeatable measurements point to a component that cannot meet the performance target at acceptable settings. If the GPU remains saturated at the chosen resolution and quality, a GPU upgrade is the relevant direction. If the game is CPU-bound, a faster GPU may provide little benefit. If the PC throttles, address cooling or power first.
Before a desktop GPU purchase, check power-supply capacity and connectors, case clearance, airflow, and CPU balance. Laptop GPUs are generally not upgradeable, though some models offer unusual modular designs; check the exact model rather than assuming. Laptop graphics with a familiar desktop product name can still have different power and performance limits.
For integrated graphics, lower resolution and demanding graphics settings, and check RAM configuration and cooling. Driver updates cannot turn entry-level integrated graphics into a high-end gaming GPU. If the existing machine cannot be upgraded economically, compare the total platform requirements—GPU, CPU, memory, cooling, power, storage, display resolution, and upgradeability—rather than buying a complete PC when one component is the only limit.
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Quick Recap
Changes that are poor first-line fixes
- “Set everything to Low”: It can reduce image quality without fixing a CPU bottleneck. Change settings that match the measured limit.
- Registry tweaks, debloat scripts, or “FPS booster” utilities: Avoid changes without reliable evidence and a clear recovery path; they can create new problems.
- Repeated cache deletion: Rebuilds can temporarily worsen stutter and do not address unrelated causes.
- Maximum-performance mode as a permanent setting: Test it when power-limited, but weigh extra heat, noise, and battery use.
- Buying an SSD solely for higher average FPS: An SSD can help loading and some streaming behavior, not necessarily rendered frame rate.
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