How to Fix Low FPS and Stuttering in PC Games
Start with the symptom you see. Consistently low FPS, a fixed frame-rate limit, and brief stutters need different checks.
- FPS stays low from the start : The game runs slowly throughout a scene.
- FPS stops at an exact number : The FPS counter stays at a fixed number, such as 30 or 60.
- The game gets slower after several minutes : The game runs smoothly at first, then slows down and stays slow.
- The game briefly stutters, then recovers : Short pauses interrupt otherwise smooth gameplay.
If you experience both slowdowns and stutters, choose the section that matches the main problem: use Section 3 if FPS drops and stays lower, or Section 4 if brief pauses interrupt otherwise smooth gameplay.
Before you test
Screenshot your graphics settings. Choose the built-in benchmark or a short section you can replay under similar conditions. Change one setting at a time, compare repeated results, and restore changes that do not help.
Start with the game’s FPS counter. For brief stutters, a frame-time graph is more useful. Add temperature, clock-speed, or memory readings when you reach a step that uses them. If the game lacks monitoring tools, MSI Afterburner with RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) is one option.
Small differences may be normal variation. If a scene usually runs at 45–48 FPS, a result of 47 FPS after a change is inconclusive. Repeated results near 60 FPS would show a much clearer improvement. These numbers are examples, not cutoffs for deciding whether a change helped.
1. FPS stays low from the start
Check GPU selection and power settings
If your PC has both integrated and discrete graphics, find the game in Windows graphics settings and select the high-performance GPU. Restart the game for the change to take effect.
On a gaming laptop, connect the correct power adapter and turn off battery-saving mode. If the manufacturer’s app is using a Quiet or Silent profile, try its gaming or performance profile.
On a mini PC, check the manufacturer’s app for an equivalent setting. If the faster profile helps initially but performance falls later, go to “The game gets slower after several minutes”.
Lower render resolution to narrow down the cause
Reduce the game’s render resolution or resolution scale while leaving other settings unchanged.
| Result | What it suggests | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| FPS improves clearly | Rendering workload contributes to the limit | Continue to “Choose which graphics settings to lower” below |
| FPS changes little | Lowering resolution did not address the main cause of low FPS | Check Section 2 for an active cap. If none is found, try the scene-complexity settings described below |
| FPS stays at exactly the same number | A limit may be active | Follow Section 2 to locate and test the limit |
If your overlay shows GPU usage staying near 100% while FPS is low, try reducing demanding graphics settings. Treat this as a clue rather than proof of a GPU bottleneck.
If you have ruled out a frame cap and lowering resolution made little difference, try crowd density or simulation detail, if available. Low overall CPU usage does not necessarily rule out a CPU bottleneck.
If those settings are unavailable or do not help, use the troubleshooting checklist to document the unresolved problem. Lowering unrelated graphics settings may only reduce image quality.
Choose which graphics settings to lower
If reducing resolution helped, start with ray tracing, shadows, volumetric effects, or reflections. Their performance cost varies by game, so test them individually.
Keep texture quality separate from this process. Lowering textures may do little for average FPS when graphics memory is sufficient. If brief hitches appear related to memory use, follow the memory checks.
A supported upscaler such as DLSS, FSR, or XeSS is another option. Keep the output resolution at your monitor’s native resolution and start with Quality mode. Try Balanced if you need more performance, checking moving scenes for blur, trails, and shimmering edges.
Upscaling reduces the internal rendering workload. Its benefit may be small when a frame cap or CPU limitation is responsible for low FPS.
Check drivers for a new game or a problem that began after a driver update
For a new game, check whether the graphics driver’s release notes mention a relevant performance fix. Download drivers from the GPU vendor’s official source, or use your PC manufacturer’s recommended driver where required.
If performance dropped immediately after a driver update, check that version’s known issues. Returning to the previous working driver can help you check whether the update caused the slowdown.
2. FPS stops at an exact number
Find the active limit
Check these locations:
- The game’s frame-rate limit.
- Application-specific or global caps in GPU software or RTSS.
- The game’s V-Sync setting.
- Laptop battery-saving features or manufacturer profiles.
- Separate limits for menus, cutscenes, and gameplay.
If a game stays at exactly 60 FPS at both 1080p and 720p, investigate these limits before lowering image quality further.
Also check the monitor’s selected refresh rate in Windows. A high-refresh-rate display may still be configured for 60 Hz. Microsoft’s refresh-rate guide explains where to find the setting.
Temporarily remove the suspected limit
Disable an adjustable cap for the test. If V-Sync appears responsible, turn it off for a separate test.
- FPS rises above the previous ceiling: The setting was limiting performance. If performance is now satisfactory, no further low-FPS checks are needed.
- The ceiling disappears, but FPS is still too low: If you have not tested render resolution, do that next in Section 1. If lowering resolution already helped, continue with its graphics-setting adjustments. If it made little difference, try crowd density or simulation detail.
- The exact ceiling remains: Check the other cap locations. Some games or game modes may also impose their own limits.
Increasing the monitor’s refresh rate does not make the GPU render faster by itself. It matters here because V-Sync can link frame delivery to the display’s refresh rate.
Once the cause is clear, restore your preferred synchronization settings. A frame cap can still be useful for reducing power use or keeping frame delivery consistent.
3. The game gets slower after several minutes
Compare the start of the session with the slowdown
Monitor CPU and GPU temperatures and clock speeds while playing. If memory use appears to grow over time, track that too.
| What changes as FPS falls? | What to investigate |
|---|---|
| Temperatures rise while clock speeds fall | Cooling and sustained power limits |
| Power mode changes | Power connection and manufacturer profiles |
| Memory use keeps growing | The game or background app consuming memory |
| A download, sync, or recording task starts when performance drops | Whether that newly started task explains the slowdown; use the background-interference check in Section 4 |
High temperature alone does not prove thermal throttling. Falling clock speeds and FPS as the system warms up provide a stronger reason to investigate cooling, though power limits can also reduce clock speeds.
Check airflow and sustained performance
Keep intake and exhaust vents clear. Place laptops on a hard surface and move PCs out of enclosed shelving. Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions if dust has accumulated.
Compare power profiles over a full gaming session. A profile that raises FPS for the first minute may offer little benefit if performance drops after the system warms up.
If a laptop unexpectedly changes power modes, check that the power connection is secure and the system recognizes its adapter.
Check which apps are using more memory over time
Open Task Manager and sort the Processes list by Memory. Compare which applications use the most RAM near the start of the session and after the slowdown.
Task Manager is useful for this broad comparison; you do not need to catch an exact frame or moment.
If an unnecessary background app keeps consuming more memory, close it before another session. If the game itself grows steadily and slows down, check the developer’s known-issues list, especially if the behavior began after an update.
Growing memory use is a clue, not proof of a fault. Look for a recurring connection between that growth and the slowdown.
4. The game briefly stutters, then recovers
A game can have a high average frame rate and still stutter. If available, use a frame-time graph to see whether spikes coincide with the pauses you feel.
Without a graph, use a repeatable section of gameplay and note where the pauses occur. You can still test whether a change consistently removes them.
Remove background interference
Pause downloads, installations, file transfers, cloud syncing, and background recording. Close apps you recognize and do not need.
If performance improves, resume these activities one at a time to find out which one causes the problem. If the slowdown usually takes several minutes to appear, play for at least that long before judging the result.
Test suspected overlays separately. Leave unfamiliar Windows and security processes running.
Check whether reducing memory demand helps
Use Task Manager to identify memory-heavy applications and inspect overall RAM use. An overlay can provide memory readings during gameplay, but those readings are optional for the following tests:
- System RAM: Close a memory-heavy application before replaying the problem area.
- Graphics memory on a discrete GPU: Lower texture quality or texture-pool size.
- Integrated graphics: Close unnecessary applications to free system RAM.
Integrated graphics uses system RAM rather than relying on a separate pool of dedicated graphics memory. Closing apps can free capacity, but it does not increase memory bandwidth.
High memory usage alone does not establish the cause. If reducing demand consistently removes the same hitches, the game may be running short of available memory.
Look for a game-specific pattern
Note whether the pause occurs when you:
- Enter a new area.
- See an effect for the first time.
- Load detailed textures.
- Play content affected by a recent update.
Use that pattern to search the developer’s troubleshooting pages or known-issues list. If missing or damaged files are suspected, use the launcher’s file-verification option.
Do not clear the shader cache as a routine performance tweak. Rebuilding shaders can temporarily cause more stutter. Use that step when the developer recommends it for a matching issue.
Investigate storage when pauses occur during loading
If hitches remain when entering new areas after the background-interference check, note whether the game is installed on a hard drive or an SSD.
Task Manager can show sustained activity on that drive, but switching away from the game is not a reliable way to capture a brief stall. Drive activity alone does not establish the cause. Note whether the pauses happen at the same locations each time you play.
Moving a game from a hard drive to an SSD can reduce loading times and some asset-loading stalls. It is unlikely to fix consistently low FPS caused by demanding graphics settings.
If the drive is nearly full, move or remove unneeded files to leave room for updates and normal operation.
Still having problems?
Collect the details that show what happens and what you have ruled out:
- Game name and version.
- CPU, GPU, and RAM.
- Graphics-driver version.
- Resolution and graphics settings.
- The symptom and when it begins.
- Relevant readings, if available.
- Changes tested and their results.
For a problem affecting one game, start with the developer’s support pages and known-issues list. For problems affecting several games, also check the GPU vendor’s and PC manufacturer’s support resources.
A useful report describes the pattern without guessing the cause:
“FPS starts around 80, then falls to about 40 after ten minutes. GPU clock speed also drops. Lowering texture quality made no difference.”
Use your actual observations. If you cannot collect clock speeds or temperatures, a clear description of timing and test results is still useful.
Optional improvements once performance is stable
Frame generation: Test it in an action sequence with camera movement. Check motion smoothness, control responsiveness, and artifacts around moving objects or interface elements.
Variable refresh rate: If your monitor and GPU support VRR, check the monitor’s menu and the relevant graphics settings to make sure it is enabled where required. VRR can make motion look smoother as FPS changes within the display’s supported range.
Windowed-game optimizations: For compatible DirectX 10 or 11 games running in windowed or borderless mode on Windows 11, this feature can reduce frame latency. Microsoft’s setup guide explains how to enable it.
For competitive games, prioritize stable performance and responsive controls. In single-player games, you may prefer higher image quality at a lower, steady frame rate.
FAQ
Can FPS exceed my monitor’s refresh rate, and should I limit it?
Yes. A PC can render 200 FPS while connected to a 144 Hz monitor. The display cannot show all 200 frames as separate, complete refreshes, but faster rendering can still reduce input latency.
A cap can reduce power use and help maintain consistent frame delivery. The appropriate limit depends on the performance your PC can sustain and your synchronization settings; FPS does not have to match refresh rate exactly.
Why does frame generation raise FPS without making controls feel equally faster?
Frame generation inserts images between rendered frames. It can make motion look smoother without increasing how quickly the game processes input by the same proportion.
If controls already feel sluggish, improve the underlying frame rate before relying on frame generation.
When should I upgrade hardware?
Consider an upgrade when you cannot reach your target performance at acceptable settings after addressing caps, power settings, cooling, and background activity.
Your tests can help narrow down what to investigate. If lowering render resolution substantially improves FPS, a faster GPU may help. If reducing RAM use consistently removes stutter, check whether you need more memory. Adding RAM that the game does not need is unlikely to improve FPS.
These tests cannot tell you which upgrade to buy or how much faster it will be. Before purchasing, check compatibility and look for benchmarks covering your games, resolution, and preferred settings.