The best settings are the ones that keep frame times consistent while preserving a clear image and low input latency on your particular PC. Start from the game’s native settings, measure a repeatable scene, enable the latency feature your hardware supports, then lower the most expensive effects one at a time. Do not assume a low preset, a higher average FPS number, or a single universal configuration will feel best in every shooter.
What “smooth” actually means in a PC shooter
Smooth gameplay has three related but different parts: enough frames per second, consistent frame pacing, and short system latency. FPS describes how many frames the PC produces; frame pacing describes whether those frames arrive evenly. A game that reports 180 FPS but occasionally takes much longer to render a frame can feel less fluid than one holding a stable 120 FPS.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
System latency is the delay between a mouse or keyboard action and the resulting image. NVIDIA separates it into peripheral latency, PC and rendering latency, and display latency. Network latency is a different measurement: it affects communication with the server, not the time required for your local PC to render a shot. A high displayed FPS value therefore does not prove that controls will feel responsive.
Your target should match the monitor and the game. A 60 Hz display cannot show 144 distinct refreshes per second, while a high-refresh display only helps when the PC can deliver frames consistently. The practical goal is a stable frame rate that the system can sustain in the actual matches and scenes you play, not the largest peak number in an empty training area.
#1 Best Overall
- 【INTEGRATED SPEAKERS】Whether you're at work or in the midst of an intense gaming session, our built-in speakers provide rich and seamless audio, all while keeping your desk clutter-free.
- 【EASY ON THE EYES】 Protect your eyes and enhance your comfort with Blue-Light Shift technology. This feature reduces harmful blue light emissions from your screen, helping to alleviate eye strain during long hours of use and promoting healthier viewing habits.
- 【WIDEN YOUR PERSPECTIVE】Our sleek minimal bezel design ensures undivided attention. The nearly bezel-free display seamlessly connects in a dual monitor arrangement, delivering an unobstructed view that lets you focus on more at once, completely distraction-free.
Set a baseline before changing anything
Record the current configuration so every later change has a meaningful comparison. Use the game’s benchmark, practice range, or a repeatable section of a match. If a game has no benchmark, repeat the same route, camera movement, and firefight conditions as closely as possible.
- Note the resolution, display mode, refresh rate, graphics preset, and frame-rate cap.
- Record average FPS and, when available, frame-time or latency readings. Low-percentile results such as 1% lows are useful because stutter often hides behind an average.
- Use the same scene and test duration after every change. Alter one meaningful option at a time so you know which setting caused an improvement or a visual loss.
- Watch for GPU utilization, CPU utilization, temperature, and clock behavior. A setting change cannot fix a CPU limit, thermal throttling, or background software that is consuming the frame-time budget.
NVIDIA identifies FrameView and its performance overlay as options for measuring FPS and PC-latency metrics in supported situations. The exact overlay and telemetry available depend on the game, driver, and hardware.
Choose the display mode and refresh rate first
Use the monitor’s intended resolution
Confirm that Windows and the game are using the monitor’s native or intended resolution. A resolution mismatch can make text and distant targets look soft, but changing resolution alone is not automatically required for smoother play. First establish whether the current resolution is actually the performance bottleneck.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Select the highest supported refresh rate
In Windows, open Settings > System > Display > Advanced display, select the correct monitor, and choose its highest supported refresh rate. Then check the game’s display menu as well. NVIDIA recommends using the maximum refresh rate supported by the display; higher refresh rates can reduce display latency when the PC supplies frames fast enough.
A 144 Hz monitor can be a sensible upgrade for someone whose current screen is a limitation and whose PC can drive the desired frame rate, but it is not a universal requirement. A new display cannot compensate for unstable frame times, an overloaded CPU, or a game that is already GPU-bound below the target.
Rank #2
- Vivid Color, Fast Response, Total Control - The 24" UltraGear FHD gaming monitor delivers vivid HDR10 color, ultra-smooth 120Hz speed, and 1ms MBR clarity. G-SYNC compatibility & FreeSync keep gameplay tear-free. The sleek, slim design keep you focused and in control.
- Vivid Color That Puts You in the Action - Step onto the battlefield with HDR10 visuals and up to 99% sRGB color gamut coverage. The IPS display delivers rich, vivid tones, so every explosion, shadow, and landscape appears exactly as the developers intended.
- 120Hz Native Speed (144Hz Overclock) - Enjoy fluid, crystal-clear gameplay with a 120Hz native refresh rate, boosted to 144Hz when overclocked. Minimized motion blur keeps every frame sharp, so you can stay locked in on the action.
- 1ms MBR: Fast-Paced Speed to Victory - 1ms Motion Blur Reduction (MBR) keeps gameplay smooth and sharp, cutting blur and ghosting so fast-moving action stays clear—helping you stay competitive when every millisecond counts.
- NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible & AMD FreeSync - NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible and AMD FreeSync deliver smooth, tear-free, low-latency gaming with high refresh rates—so every frame stays sharp.
Choose a display mode deliberately
Exclusive full-screen, borderless, and windowed modes can behave differently across games and operating-system versions. Use the mode that gives reliable refresh-rate selection, predictable alt-tab behavior, and the lowest measured latency on your setup. Test rather than assuming that one mode is always faster.
Reduce the settings that usually cost the most
Setting names and costs differ by engine, so use the game’s own benchmark or a repeatable scene. Battlefield 2042 provides clear examples: EA notes that higher terrain and undergrowth quality can reduce performance, while post-processing and ambient occlusion can also carry substantial costs. The order below is a practical starting point, not a promise that every shooter uses the same rendering pipeline.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →| Setting category | What lowering it can change | How to test it |
|---|---|---|
| Volumetrics, fog, clouds, and heavy post-processing | Often reduces GPU work during smoke, weather, bloom, depth-of-field, and other screen-wide effects; the scene may look less cinematic. | Compare a busy outdoor scene and a smoke-filled fight, not only an empty room. |
| Ambient occlusion | Reduces contact shadows around corners and objects. In Battlefield 2042, EA identifies HBAO as the highest-quality and highest-performance-cost ambient-occlusion choice among its documented options. | Toggle the setting in the same room or around the same cover and check both frame time and shadow detail. |
| Terrain and environment quality | Can lower geometric and texture-detail work in large outdoor maps. EA specifically warns that higher terrain quality may reduce performance in Battlefield 2042. | Test a long sightline and a dense outdoor area where terrain is visible. |
| Undergrowth, vegetation, and view distance | May reduce the number or detail of plants and distant objects. EA lists undergrowth as a performance-sensitive Battlefield 2042 option. | Check foliage-heavy locations and make sure enemy silhouettes remain readable. |
| Shadows and reflections | Lower settings can reduce shadow-map and reflection calculations, sometimes with a noticeable loss in scene depth. | Compare indoor corners, moving lights, water, and vehicle surfaces. |
| Textures | Usually affects VRAM use more than raw GPU compute. Lowering textures can help when VRAM is full, but it may make surfaces and weapons look blurry. | Change textures only after checking VRAM usage and stutter, then inspect close surfaces and distant signs. |
Do not lower everything at once. A one-step reduction in a single expensive effect often preserves more clarity than selecting a blanket low preset. If the frame rate does not move after lowering a GPU-heavy option, the game may be CPU-limited, capped elsewhere, or bottlenecked by another setting.
Use resolution scaling and upscaling with an image-quality check
Dynamic resolution
Dynamic resolution changes internal rendering resolution to hold a target frame rate. EA describes Battlefield 2042’s option as delivering a more consistent frame rate at the cost of resolution. This can be useful during explosions or large fights, but fine detail may become softer exactly when you need to identify a distant player.
Set a sensible minimum and target if the game exposes those controls, then test fast camera movement, foliage, text, and long sightlines. If the image repeatedly drops below an acceptable level, use a fixed resolution and reduce individual effects instead.
Rank #3
- MSI's 23.8-inch Full HD IPS gaming monitor (1920×1080) delivers a 1500:1 contrast ratio with wide 178°/178° viewing angles — producing deeper blacks, brighter highlights, and accurate colors from virtually any position for gaming and productivity.
- TÜV Rheinland certified Flicker Free and Low Blue Light — eliminating the ~200Hz screen flicker common on standard monitors and reducing harmful blue light exposure to minimize eye strain during extended gaming or work sessions.
- 144Hz high refresh rate delivers ultra-smooth motion and sharper tracking versus standard 60Hz or 75Hz monitors — keeping every frame fluid and responsive for fast-paced FPS, racing, and action games without screen tearing or stuttering.
- MSI's built-in Eye-Q Check provides a vision assessment tool to help optimize display settings for healthier long-term viewing — designed for professionals and students spending extended hours in front of a Full HD IPS screen.
- Tilt-adjustable stand (-5°~20°) for comfortable viewing at any desk setup, with VESA 100×100mm wall mount compatibility for monitor arms, brackets, and multi-monitor arrangements — reducing neck strain during long gaming or work sessions.
Temporal or vendor upscaling
Supported upscalers render internally at a lower resolution and reconstruct the output. They can provide more performance than reducing every effect, but sharpening, ghosting, shimmering, and reduced clarity vary by game implementation and quality mode. Compare a moving target, thin wires, foliage, and muzzle effects rather than judging only a static menu.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
In Battlefield 2042, EA states that DLSS requires an NVIDIA RTX graphics card and is incompatible with dynamic resolution scaling. Do not enable both in that game; choose the option that better meets your frame-time and clarity goals. Requirements and compatibility differ in other titles.
Configure latency features for your hardware
NVIDIA Reflex
When a game supports NVIDIA Reflex, NVIDIA recommends turning Reflex Low Latency on. Reflex coordinates parts of the rendering pipeline to reduce queued frames and system latency. It is a latency control, not a guaranteed FPS boost, so verify the result with the game’s telemetry or a repeatable measurement.
NVIDIA’s Counter-Strike 2 guidance says PC latency is generally the most accessible metric for optimizing game, Windows, or other PC settings. The same article reports NVIDIA’s vendor figures of Reflex use by “over 50 million players each month,” availability in “9 of the top 10 competitive shooters,” and up to 35% lower latency in Counter-Strike 2 on compatible graphics cards. Those are NVIDIA’s claims for the stated products and game, not predictions for every PC.
NVIDIA driver Ultra Low Latency
If Reflex is not available, NVIDIA documents the driver’s Ultra Low Latency mode as the next option. Reflex takes precedence when both are enabled, so do not expect the driver setting to add another independent reduction. Apply a per-game profile rather than forcing a global setting if other games behave differently.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Rank #4
- up to 180Hz Refresh Rate: Pushing beyond the standard 144Hz, 165Hz gives gamers an edge in visibility as frames transition instantly, leaving behind no blurred images.
- IPS Panel: The IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel cannot be beat when it comes to consistently delivering top color performance and sharp visibility from multiple viewing angles.
- AMD FreeSync: With FreeSync, gamers now enjoy smooth video and seamless on the spot movement through their fast paced games. FreeSync is an AMD technology that nearly eliminates tearing and stuttering due to differences between a graphics card's frame rate and a monitor's refresh rate.
- Edgeless Design: Edgeless Design completely immerses you in all the captivating action and wondrous scenery that 1080P resolution and 165Hz refresh rate have to offer.
- Multiple Digital Ports: While three HDMI ports each deliver an impressive 144Hz refresh rate, one DisplayPort produces a stunning 165Hz refresh rate, all in FHD resolution.
AMD Adrenalin features
AMD’s Adrenalin software offers several separate controls, and availability varies by game and hardware:
- Radeon Anti-Lag dynamically adjusts frame timing to reduce the delay between input and response.
- Radeon Boost adjusts resolution in supported games, usually during rapid movement, trading some image detail for performance.
- Radeon Chill regulates frame rate and can reduce power use, but its frame-rate behavior may not suit a competitive latency target.
AMD’s walkthrough was updated March 3, 2025 and used Adrenalin 23.9.1 with an RX 7900 XTX. Menus, names, and feature support can differ in newer software and on other GPUs, so open the game profile and confirm each option instead of applying a global preset blindly.
Balance V-Sync, variable refresh, and frame caps
V-Sync synchronizes presentation to the display and can prevent visible tearing, but traditional V-Sync can add latency or create pronounced stutter when the PC misses a refresh interval. Disabling it can reduce latency but may show tearing. There is no setting that is simultaneously the lowest-latency choice and the most tear-free choice in every display mode.
Variable-refresh-rate technologies can make uneven frame delivery look smoother on compatible monitors, provided the game and driver cooperate. Behavior depends on the display’s range, the selected mode, and whether the frame rate stays inside that range. Test with a cap that your PC can sustain rather than chasing an uncapped peak that repeatedly oscillates.
A useful comparison is:
| Priority | Starting approach | Trade-off to check |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest possible input latency | Use a high refresh rate, a stable high frame rate, and the game’s supported latency feature; test with V-Sync choices that favor responsiveness. | Tearing may be visible, especially when frame rate and refresh are not synchronized. |
| Tear-free presentation | Use compatible variable refresh or V-Sync and a frame cap suited to the display. | Depending on the mode, latency can increase and missed refresh intervals can feel uneven. |
| Consistency on a fluctuating PC | Use a sustainable cap or dynamic resolution and keep frame times stable. | Resolution or peak FPS may be lower than an uncapped result. |
A repeatable settings workflow
- Record the baseline. Write down resolution, refresh rate, graphics options, cap, average FPS, and any frame-time or latency readings from a repeatable scene.
- Correct display configuration. Set the intended resolution and the monitor’s highest supported refresh rate in both the operating system and the game.
- Enable the appropriate latency feature. Turn on Reflex when the game offers it on NVIDIA hardware. If Reflex is absent, test NVIDIA’s per-game Ultra Low Latency option. On AMD, inspect the supported Adrenalin profile features.
- Find the limiting side. If GPU usage is near full and lowering a visual option raises FPS, you are primarily GPU-limited. If GPU usage is low while one or more CPU threads are saturated, lowering visual quality may do little; reduce simulation-heavy options if the game exposes them and close background workloads.
- Lower one expensive effect. Start with the title’s documented heavy settings—such as terrain, undergrowth, post-processing, or ambient occlusion in Battlefield 2042—then retest the same scene.
- Check clarity. Inspect enemy outlines, distant signs, foliage, wires, shadows, and motion. Keep the change only if the performance gain is meaningful and the image remains readable.
- Try scaling only when necessary. Test dynamic resolution or a supported upscaler after individual effects. In Battlefield 2042, do not combine DLSS with dynamic resolution scaling.
- Set synchronization and a cap. Choose V-Sync, variable refresh, and a cap according to whether tearing, latency, or consistency is your priority.
- Repeat under real load. Validate the final settings in a full match, a crowded area, and the effects that previously caused drops. Keep a written record so a driver or game update can be compared against the same baseline.
How to diagnose common results
FPS is high, but aiming still feels delayed
- Check system latency rather than FPS alone.
- Confirm the monitor is actually running at its intended refresh rate.
- Test Reflex or the appropriate platform feature, then compare with the same scene.
- Check for a frame queue caused by a render-bound GPU, an unsuitable V-Sync mode, or a cap that is not behaving as expected.
- Remember that network latency is separate; a server or connection problem will not be fixed by lowering shadows.
Lowering graphics does not increase FPS
The game may be CPU-limited, frame-rate-capped, limited by a menu setting, or waiting on background software. Check GPU utilization and CPU thread load, verify that the cap is above the observed rate, and test a resolution change as a diagnostic. If a large resolution reduction barely changes FPS, the GPU is probably not the main limit.
Best Value
- 27" 1500R Up to 160Hz Curved Gaming Monitor FHD 1920x1080P 1Ms (MPRT) for Gaming, Movie, Working,support with 144Hz, 120Hz(depend on signal source device's hardware).
- Gamer-Centric Features: Game Assistant (Black Level Adjustment(shadow booster), Crosshair, Timer, Counter) | Preset Modes (FPS/RTS/Racing/Office/Movie/SRGB).
- Immersive & Clear Viewing: 1500R curvature reduces image distortion and eyestrain. 160Hz refresh rate, 1ms (MPRT) response time, FreeSync
- Color Control: 4000:1 Contrast Ratio, 300 nits Brightness & 110% sRGB color coverage, Low Blue Light, Anti-Flicker/Anti-Glare, HDR Mode(can be enabled in the OSD menu only when connected via an HDMI port). If color not showing great on games, try to change color setting or just turn on the HDR mode.
- Jacks: HDMI 2.0(160Hz max), DP 1.4(160Hz max), Audio Jack(No Speakers) | VESA 100x100mm | Tilt (-5°~15°±2°).
The game stutters after increasing textures
Texture quality can exceed available VRAM even when average FPS looks acceptable. Restore the previous texture level, close overlays and background applications, and watch whether stutter disappears when the scene streams new assets. Texture reduction is most useful for VRAM pressure; it is not automatically the best first move on a GPU with ample memory.
The picture is sharp but tears
Test variable refresh if the monitor supports it, then compare a suitable cap with V-Sync on and off. The best choice depends on the display’s refresh range and your tolerance for latency versus tearing.
Dynamic resolution looks distracting
Set a higher minimum resolution if the game allows it, or use a fixed resolution and lower a costly effect instead. A stable but visibly soft image is not necessarily an improvement for a competitive shooter.
Polling rate and other latency expectations
Mouse polling rate can contribute to the input portion of latency, but it is not a substitute for stable rendering and a suitable display. NVIDIA estimates an average system-latency difference of up to 3 ms when comparing 125 Hz and 1000 Hz polling. That is a vendor estimate, not a guaranteed result for every mouse, game, or system. Higher polling can also increase CPU work in some configurations, so measure rather than assuming the highest setting is always best.
Similarly, NVIDIA’s claim of up to 35% lower latency in Counter-Strike 2 applies to compatible graphics cards and that game. Vendor figures should help explain what a feature is designed to do, not serve as a promised improvement for another shooter.
Practical starting profiles
Competitive clarity profile
- Use the monitor’s highest supported refresh rate and a resolution that keeps distant targets readable.
- Enable Reflex or the appropriate platform latency feature when supported.
- Keep textures high enough to avoid blur if VRAM permits, while reducing heavy shadows, volumetrics, post-processing, ambient occlusion, and dense vegetation.
- Use a sustainable frame-rate cap and test synchronization choices for tearing versus latency.
Balanced profile
- Start from the game’s medium or high preset, then lower only settings that cause measured frame-time spikes.
- Keep moderate shadows, textures, and effects if they help scene readability.
- Use a supported upscaler at a quality mode that preserves moving-target clarity, and avoid dynamic resolution if its changes are distracting.
Hardware-constrained profile
- Set a realistic frame-rate target your PC can sustain through the busiest scenes.
- Lower resolution scaling or use the game’s supported upscaler before sacrificing every visual effect.
- Reduce terrain, undergrowth, volumetrics, ambient occlusion, and post-processing in measured steps.
- Keep the refresh rate configured correctly even when the target is modest; an incorrect 60 Hz setting can limit a faster display.
What to change after a game or driver update
Updates can alter shader compilation, defaults, feature support, and frame pacing. Recheck the display refresh rate, frame cap, latency feature, upscaler mode, and the scene used for testing. NVIDIA’s latency documentation includes older product references, and supported-game lists and menu labels can change, so verify the current in-game and driver menus instead of relying on an old screenshot.
Keep the configuration that improves your actual matches. A setting that wins a benchmark but makes enemies harder to see, introduces ghosting, or causes intermittent stutter is not a smoother gameplay setting.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteBottom line: optimize consistency first
Set the correct resolution and maximum supported refresh rate, measure a repeatable scene, enable the game’s supported latency feature, and lower expensive effects one at a time. Treat FPS, frame pacing, image clarity, and input latency as separate measurements. Use dynamic resolution or upscaling only after checking the resulting image, and choose synchronization based on whether your priority is minimal latency, tear-free output, or dependable consistency. The final “best” settings are the ones that remain clear and stable in the hardest part of your shooter, not the ones that produce the highest number in a menu.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
