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What frame generation changes—and why input lag can rise
DLSS Frame Generation and FSR 3/3.1 Frame Generation insert AI-created frames between conventionally rendered game frames. The display may show a much higher frame rate, but the game simulation and player-input updates still run at the underlying, or “base,” rate. If a game renders at 45 FPS and generates an extra frame between each rendered frame, the counter can approach 90 FPS while input is still being sampled and simulated at about 45 updates per second.
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That distinction explains why a high displayed FPS number does not automatically mean low latency. Frame generation adds processing work and can increase the time between an input event and the next genuinely rendered frame. It is most convincing when the base frame rate is already stable and high enough that controls remain responsive. AMD’s GPUOpen guidance recommends approximately 60 FPS before FSR 3 or 3.1 frame generation is applied; treat that as a starting threshold, not a guarantee for every game or monitor.
AI-generated frames can also show artifacts when motion vectors, transparency, particles, user-interface elements, or rapidly changing camera views are difficult to reconstruct. A stable base rate, correct game integration, and a synchronized display do more to improve the result than simply selecting the largest generation multiplier.
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The best starting settings by GPU and display
| Situation | Starting configuration | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA RTX with DLSS Frame Generation | Use a DLSS quality mode that sustains about 60 FPS or more before generation; enable Frame Generation; set NVIDIA Reflex to On, or On + Boost when the game offers it; select the monitor’s maximum refresh rate; enable G-SYNC when supported. | Reflex coordinates CPU submission and GPU work to reduce queueing. The base rate remains the main determinant of responsiveness. |
| AMD Radeon with FSR 3/3.1 | Enable FSR upscaling and Frame Generation together; target approximately 60 FPS before generation; enable Radeon Anti-Lag 2 in titles that support it; enable FreeSync when supported. | AMD’s current guidance pairs FSR frame generation with a roughly 60-FPS base and Anti-Lag 2 for latency control. |
| CPU-limited game | Keep generation enabled only if the base game remains responsive. Reduce CPU-heavy simulation, crowd, physics, or view-distance options where the title exposes them. | Generation can raise the displayed rate in a CPU-bound scene, but it does not create additional game-simulation updates. |
| Variable-refresh display | Choose the panel’s highest refresh mode and use G-SYNC or FreeSync. Keep the game’s V-SYNC and frame-limit policy consistent with the display’s refresh ceiling. | VRR prevents tearing and helps avoid queueing behavior when frame delivery varies. |
| Low-refresh display | Avoid high generation multipliers combined with V-SYNC, particularly when the panel refreshes slowly. | NVIDIA warns that this combination can significantly increase input latency. |
Prepare a low-latency baseline before enabling generation
1. Update the components that affect frame pacing
Install a current graphics driver, the latest stable game patch, and monitor firmware when the manufacturer provides one. Frame-generation behavior depends on the game’s integration, driver scheduling, Windows updates, and the monitor’s adaptive-sync implementation. A patch can change artifact handling or frame pacing without changing the name of the graphics option.
On systems using NVIDIA DLSS-G, the documented requirements include Windows 10 version 20H1 or newer and Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS) enabled. AMD specifies HAGS for RX 7000 systems on the cited Windows 11 update. If a title’s requirements differ, follow the title and driver documentation rather than forcing a global setting.
2. Select the monitor’s fastest supported mode
- Open Windows Settings > System > Display > Advanced display.
- Select the intended monitor and choose its highest available refresh rate.
- Open the monitor’s own on-screen menu and enable its adaptive-sync option if the panel requires a separate switch.
- In the GPU control panel, enable G-SYNC for a compatible NVIDIA display or FreeSync for a compatible Radeon display.
NVIDIA’s latency guidance states that higher hertz reduces scanout latency: the screen begins scanning a completed frame sooner at a higher refresh rate. VRR also prevents tearing when frame delivery does not exactly match the panel cadence. V-SYNC below the refresh ceiling can add a small amount of latency, so use a consistent policy rather than enabling conflicting game, driver, and monitor synchronization modes simultaneously.
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3. Establish a repeatable native or upscaled result
Temporarily disable frame generation and record how the game behaves in the heaviest scene you actually play. Use the game’s frame-time graph, a built-in benchmark, or a repeatable route. Look for a stable base rate rather than a brief peak. If the game cannot hold approximately 60 FPS at your chosen resolution and quality, first lower GPU-heavy options or select a more performance-oriented upscaling mode.
Do not use a generated FPS counter as the baseline. Confirm the rendered rate with a tool that distinguishes real frame delivery when possible. A game that alternates between 35 and 70 rendered FPS can feel worse with generation than one that holds 55 FPS consistently, even if both produce a similar headline average.
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Configure NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation
Required path
Use the title’s own DLSS options rather than forcing an unrelated driver feature. In the graphics menu, select DLSS Super Resolution at a quality level that keeps the rendered rate near the target, then enable DLSS Frame Generation. If the game exposes a frame-generation multiplier, begin with its default or lowest practical multiplier and raise it only after checking latency and artifacts.
Enable NVIDIA Reflex in the game whenever it is available. NVIDIA describes Reflex as just-in-time CPU submission that reduces the render queue. If Reflex is present, it takes precedence over the driver’s Ultra Low Latency setting; do not expect both controls to stack. NVIDIA’s GeForce latency guidance explicitly recommends turning Reflex Low Latency Mode on when a game supports it.
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Windows and driver checks
- Confirm HAGS is enabled at Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Change default graphics settings when the game and DLSS-G version require it.
- Use the game’s Reflex option instead of trying to compensate with a separate driver-level Ultra Low Latency mode.
- Run exclusive fullscreen when it works correctly with the title and monitor. NVIDIA says exclusive fullscreen bypasses the Windows compositor. Borderless fullscreen has improved, but it remains a trade-off and can behave differently after Windows updates.
- Set the display to its maximum refresh rate and enable G-SYNC when supported.
What performance figures mean
NVIDIA announced “up to 4x” performance for DLSS 3 in 2022. That is a vendor result for supported scenarios, not a universal multiplier. The generated portion still has an execution cost: NVIDIA’s Streamline documentation version 2.14.16 lists DLSS-G execution at 4K as 2.77 ms on an RTX 4090, 2.84 ms on an RTX 5080, and 1.72 ms on an RTX 5090. Those figures describe the cited implementation and hardware; they are not a promise for another resolution, driver, game, or GPU.
Configure AMD FSR 3 or 3.1 Frame Generation
Use the complete FSR path
In a supported title, enable FSR upscaling first, select a quality mode that produces a stable rendered rate, and then turn on FSR Frame Generation. AMD’s GPUOpen guidance recommends approximately 60 FPS before generation. Starting below that level can make controls feel delayed and can expose uneven frame pacing even when the counter rises substantially.
Enable Radeon Anti-Lag 2 when the game supports it. Anti-Lag 2 is a game-integrated path, so its availability and controls are title-specific. If the option is absent, do not assume a generic driver toggle provides the same behavior or telemetry.
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Radeon and display checks
- For RX 7000 systems, verify the Windows 11 update and HAGS requirement documented for the game or FSR version.
- Enable FreeSync in the monitor and Radeon software when the display is compatible.
- Use exclusive fullscreen if the title’s borderless mode produces inconsistent pacing or extra latency.
- Check whether the game provides an in-game limiter. A limiter that keeps delivery within the monitor’s VRR range can be preferable to allowing large frame-time swings, but the correct value depends on the panel and title.
Fullscreen, borderless, V-SYNC, and VRR decisions
Exclusive fullscreen versus borderless
Exclusive fullscreen can bypass the Windows compositor and is therefore the lowest-risk choice when minimizing presentation overhead. Borderless fullscreen is more convenient for task switching and has become faster on modern Windows versions, but it may use a different presentation path. Test both modes in the same scene; do not assume that a borderless window is equivalent to exclusive fullscreen after a game or Windows update.
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Use the VRR technology supported by the monitor and GPU. NVIDIA says G-SYNC can provide tear-free presentation with low latency when paired with Reflex or Ultra Low Latency. Radeon systems use FreeSync for the parallel purpose. VRR is particularly useful when generated frames do not arrive at perfectly uniform intervals, but it cannot repair a base game that repeatedly stalls on CPU or asset-streaming work.
V-SYNC and refresh ceilings
Keep V-SYNC behavior consistent across the game, driver, and display. NVIDIA notes that enabling V-SYNC below the refresh ceiling adds a small latency cost, while its Streamline documentation warns that high generation multipliers combined with V-SYNC on low-refresh displays can significantly increase latency. If a low-refresh panel is the limiting factor, favor a stable, lower generation setting over a large multiplier that causes the presentation queue to back up.
Do not stack competing frame-generation systems
Use one frame-generation path at a time. NVIDIA’s Streamline documentation identifies native DLSS Frame Generation and Smooth Motion as competing technologies and says they should not be used together. A game’s native DLSS or FSR implementation should take precedence over an unrelated driver or overlay feature unless the developer specifically documents compatibility.
Stacking systems can create an attractive FPS counter while increasing queue depth, adding artifacts, or making frame-time graphs difficult to interpret. Disable one system completely before evaluating the other, then compare the same scene with the same resolution, quality preset, refresh mode, and synchronization policy.
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How to tune image quality without sacrificing responsiveness
Adjust the base render first
Once latency is stable, change only one graphics option at a time. Lower ray-tracing quality, volumetric effects, shadows, reflections, view distance, or other GPU-heavy settings when the base rate falls below the target. Alternatively, move from a quality upscaling mode to a balanced or performance mode. The goal is a consistent rendered rate, not the highest possible generated number.
NVIDIA’s guidance notes that reducing settings can improve both performance and latency. Reflex can allow higher visual settings by controlling queueing, but the remaining latency is then constrained mainly by raw GPU render time. Reflex cannot make a GPU-bound frame render instantly, and frame generation cannot remove a CPU simulation bottleneck.
Watch for CPU limits
If lowering resolution barely changes the rendered rate, the game may be CPU-limited. Generation can still increase displayed FPS, but it does not add simulation updates, improve AI tick rate, or make a delayed input sample arrive sooner. Reduce CPU-heavy settings, close unnecessary background workloads, and use the game’s own performance graph to identify simulation or main-thread stalls.
Use the game’s limiter when available
An in-game limiter usually has better knowledge of the title’s presentation path than an external overlay limiter. Set it only after confirming how the game labels rendered and generated frames. Some titles expose separate controls for base FPS, generated-frame multiplier, or a maximum output rate; document the starting value and change one control at a time.
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NVIDIA recommends FrameView, the GeForce Experience performance overlay, or a Reflex Latency Analyzer for latency checks. Use the same test route before and after each change, and record base FPS, displayed FPS, frame-time consistency, and measured system latency where the tool supports it.
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- Base FPS: the rate of conventionally rendered game frames.
- Displayed FPS: the rate after generated frames are inserted.
- Frame time: how evenly frames arrive; large spikes often feel worse than a lower but steady average.
- System latency: the end-to-end measurement available from supported Reflex hardware and software.
Vendor figures are not guarantees for every title. Results vary with resolution, GPU generation, CPU load, driver version, Windows scheduling, monitor scanout, and the game’s implementation. If a generated mode raises displayed FPS but measured latency or control feel worsens, turn it off or reduce the multiplier.
DLSS Frame Generation versus FSR Frame Generation
| Comparison point | NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation | AMD FSR 3/3.1 Frame Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware path | Requires a supported RTX generation and a game with DLSS Frame Generation integration. | Requires a game with FSR 3 or 3.1 integration; exact GPU support depends on the title and version. |
| Latency feature | NVIDIA Reflex when available; it takes precedence over driver Ultra Low Latency. | Radeon Anti-Lag 2 in games that support the integrated feature. |
| Recommended base rate | Use a stable base rate; approximately 60 FPS is a practical starting point for responsive play. | AMD recommends approximately 60 FPS before frame generation. |
| VRR support | G-SYNC when supported, with the monitor at its maximum refresh rate. | FreeSync when supported, with the monitor at its maximum refresh rate. |
| Integration | Controls, Reflex availability, frame limiter behavior, and multiplier options vary by game. | Controls, Anti-Lag 2 availability, frame limiter behavior, and multiplier options vary by game. |
| Artifacts and pacing | Depend on motion-vector quality, UI handling, driver, version, and frame-time stability. | Depend on motion-vector quality, UI handling, driver, version, and frame-time stability. |
| Displayed FPS | Can be substantially higher than the base rate; NVIDIA’s “up to 4x” statement is a supported-scenario vendor claim. | Displayed gains depend on the selected mode, base rate, game, and hardware. |
Choose the path the game supports natively and judge it by control response, frame-time consistency, image stability, and measured latency—not by the displayed FPS number alone.
Troubleshooting excessive input lag or poor frame pacing
The counter is high but controls feel delayed
- Disable frame generation and check the base rate. If it is below roughly 60 FPS or fluctuates heavily, lower GPU-heavy settings or use a stronger upscaling mode.
- Enable the matching latency feature: Reflex for supported DLSS titles or Anti-Lag 2 where the game provides it.
- Check that no second frame-generation system is active in a driver, overlay, or game menu.
- Verify that the monitor is actually running at its maximum refresh rate rather than a lower desktop or game mode.
There is tearing or uneven presentation
- Confirm G-SYNC or FreeSync is enabled both in the monitor menu and the GPU software.
- Use one coherent V-SYNC policy and avoid combining conflicting game and driver overrides.
- Test exclusive fullscreen if borderless mode uses a less consistent presentation path.
- On a low-refresh panel, reduce the generation multiplier instead of forcing a high output rate behind V-SYNC.
Artifacts appear around the HUD, hair, particles, or camera movement
- Update the game and graphics driver; frame-generation fixes are often delivered through patches and version changes.
- Try a higher-quality upscaling mode or a lower generation setting after confirming the base rate remains stable.
- Check whether the title offers a separate option to render HUD elements normally. Use only controls documented by that game.
- Disable generation for fast competitive play if artifacts or extra latency are more distracting than the smoother animation.
Frame generation is unavailable or greyed out
- Confirm that the GPU generation, Windows version, HAGS state, driver, and game patch meet the title’s requirements.
- Use the game’s supported upscaler and frame-generation path; a generic driver feature cannot substitute for missing game integration.
- Switch out of unsupported rendering modes or overlays, then restart the game after changing HAGS or driver settings.
A repeatable low-latency setup sequence
- Set the monitor to its highest refresh rate and enable the supported VRR technology.
- Run the game without frame generation and find a quality or upscaling mode that holds approximately 60 FPS in demanding scenes.
- Choose exclusive fullscreen when it behaves reliably; otherwise test borderless in the same scene.
- Enable only the game’s native DLSS or FSR frame generation.
- Turn on Reflex for supported NVIDIA titles or Anti-Lag 2 for supported AMD titles.
- Apply the game’s documented HAGS requirement and restart the game if necessary.
- Check base FPS, displayed FPS, frame times, and latency with an available measurement tool.
- Adjust one visual setting or limiter at a time, keeping the base rate stable.
- Stop increasing the multiplier when latency, artifacts, or frame pacing becomes worse, even if the FPS counter continues to rise.
Hardware and software limits to keep in mind
A high-refresh-rate monitor with compatible G-SYNC or FreeSync is the most direct hardware factor affecting scanout latency and tear control. The GPU must also support the selected frame-generation implementation: RTX hardware for DLSS Frame Generation or a compatible Radeon path for FSR, subject to each game’s integration. Monitor refresh behavior, GPU model, CPU load, driver version, Windows scheduling, and game patches all affect the result.
Because those variables change, settings that work well for one title or driver may not transfer unchanged to another. Recheck requirements after major game, driver, Windows, or monitor-firmware updates, and keep a non-generated profile for games where latency matters more than animation smoothness.
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