How to fix low FPS: Boost your gaming performance (2024)

When it comes to the ideal gaming experience, having a high rate of frames per second (FPS) is paramount. A high FPS is the key to smooth, seamless gameplay, and it’s the best way to experience high-quality graphics. When your frames begin to slow down, it can take you out of the game — and it can also affect your performance. As such, it’s important to know how to combat low FPS.

Maybe you want to optimize a gaming session with friends. Or, maybe you’re looking to brush up your skills before watching one of Red Bull Homestretch gaming tournaments. Whatever the case may be, retaining high FPS is critical for gaming. Keep reading to learn more about how to fix low FPS — including basic solutions, advanced fixes, and the best hardware for getting the job done.

The following are some of the main causes of low FPS:

• Outdated or underpowered hardware. Considered to be one of the most common issues for low FPS, your GPU might not be able to support your new game. You’ll want to make sure that your GPU can keep up with the modernity and complexity of your new games.

• Software-related issues. Bugs in your software can often be the culprit for low FPS rates. Plus, just like your hardware, it’s important that your software is up-to-date and able to accommodate your game’s complex graphics.

• Faulty in-game settings configuration. Like with most things in life, the relationship between the FPS and other qualities of your video game can sometimes be give-and-take. For example, if your graphics are extraordinarily high quality, they might come at the expense of your FPS.

Below are some of the easiest ways to remedy low FPS.

Updating drivers

One of the most common quick fixes for low FPS is to update your graphics drivers, as an outdated GPU can impact your game’s frame rate. Even if your game ran perfectly before your GPU’s newest available update, the new features can sometimes be a must for increasing FPS. Through your GPU manufacturer's software, you can make sure that your drivers are up-to-date.

Adjusting in-game settings

Oftentimes, the settings that you need to play around with will vary from game to game. For example, if you’re playing a block game, you might get the same playing experience with less defined graphics or without high anti-aliasing settings. Other in-game settings that you can try examining are VSync, draw distance, and other graphical effects.

Managing background applications

The fewer applications, programs, and processes that you have running in the background while you play your game, the higher your FPS will be. If there’s anything extraneous running, close it before you open your game. You can either remember to check your background processes yourself, or there are programs that will do this for you.

If the basic fixes aren’t cutting it, try some of the following advanced techniques to increase FPS.

Overclocking hardware

Believe it or not, overclocking your GPU can increase your FPS by giving your GPU an extra boost while your game runs. However, if you choose to go this route, make sure to tread carefully. By nature, overclocking your hardware can increase the stress and temperature of your GPU. These things might possibly affect the lifespan of your computer, so it’s important to not push the limits when it comes to regular overclocking.

Upgrading hardware

While it’s certainly more of an investment, upgrading your gaming system’s hardware is a safe and reliable way to increase FPS. For example, you might choose to add an SSD to improve the overall effectiveness of your computer and speed up your game’s process times. You might also consider purchasing more RAM to increase the amount of free memory on your computer. And, of course, upgrading your GPU can increase your screen refresh rates and improve gaming graphics all around.

Optimizing Windows settings

If you’re still looking to solve your low FPS, you might want to zoom out past your game to your Windows’ computer settings. For example, in Windows consider entering “Game Mode.” This setting is specifically designed for smooth gaming, by disabling background processes while you’re in the heat of gameplay. You might also consider deleting your Windows Game Bar — although it’s a neat feature, its processes can hinder your frame speed.

Below is a list of some of the best solutions for optimizing your FPS and system performance.

• Game Fire. This FPS-boosting tool works to disable the apps running in the background on your computer to provide you with smooth gameplay. It’s compatible with Windows.

• Smart Game Booster. Through a hardware-focused approach to increasing FPS, Smart Game Booster keeps tabs on your computer’s temperature during gameplay. It also allows you to overclock your GPU and update your graphics driver, so long as you have Windows XP or higher.

• WTFast. By boosting the internet speed of your online games using their global network, WTFast is designed to also boost your FPS. The program is available for Windows as well as Mac OS X through installing Windows via Boot Camp.

• LagoFast. This software can help you increase your game’s FPS in real time by checking and automatically updating your driver status. It’s available for Windows, consoles, Mac OS, and mobile games.

• Wise Game Booster. Like Game Fire, Wise Game Booster is focused on eliminating processes that might slow down your FPS. It allows you to save your most popular games for easy retrieval, and it’s available for Windows users.

Once you’ve fixed low FPS, there are countless ways to maintain your FPS boost. By keeping your hardware clean and well maintained, you can preserve your higher FPS for as long as possible. Monitoring your games, drivers, and operating systems for updates is not only great for gaming performance optimization, but for FPS in particular. Finally, if you’ve got a stable and fast internet connection, you’ll be one step closer to your smoothest gameplay yet.

Make low FPS a thing of the past

In the world of gaming, the importance of having a high FPS can’t be overstated. Not only does FPS allow you to better immerse yourself in gameplay, but it’s also often better for the general health of your hardware. Maybe you’re just getting into gaming, or maybe you’re ready to go pro. In either case, having a high FPS can make all the difference in leveling up your video game experience.