You're in the middle of a gunfight in Warzone or trying to time a perfect parry in Elden Ring, and suddenly, the screen hitches. Your heart drops. That split-second stutter isn't just annoying; it’s the difference between a win and a trip back to the lobby.
If you want to know how to increase fps on pc, you’ve probably already heard the basic advice. "Update your drivers." "Turn down the shadows." It's standard stuff. But honestly? Most of the "optimization" guides out there are just repeating the same five tips from 2018 that don't actually move the needle on modern hardware.
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FPS (frames per second) is basically the heartbeat of your gaming experience. If the heartbeat is slow, the game feels sluggish. If it’s erratic, it feels "choppy" even if the average number looks high. We aren't just looking for a higher number in the corner of the screen. We want frame consistency.
Let's get into the weeds of what actually works.
The Bottleneck Myth and Your GPU
Most people assume their Graphics Card (GPU) is the only thing that matters. That’s a mistake. If you’re running an RTX 4080 with a ten-year-old Intel i5 processor, your GPU is basically a Ferrari stuck in a school zone. This is called a "CPU bottleneck."
When you're trying to figure out how to increase fps on pc, the first thing you need to do is identify who the culprit is. Open up your Task Manager or, better yet, download MSI Afterburner. Look at the usage percentages while you're gaming. Is your GPU sitting at 60% while your CPU screams at 99%?
That's a problem.
In this scenario, lowering your resolution won't help you. In fact, it might make things worse by putting more stress on the CPU. Sometimes, weirdly enough, increasing your graphics settings can stabilize your frame rate because it shifts the workload back to the GPU, giving the CPU some breathing room to handle game logic and physics.
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) is Your Best Friend
If you haven't enabled G-Sync (for Nvidia) or FreeSync (for AMD), you’re leaving smoothness on the table. It doesn't technically "increase" your raw FPS, but it makes 50 FPS feel like 80 by syncing your monitor's refresh rate to your GPU's output. It eliminates screen tearing without the massive input lag penalty of traditional V-Sync. Check your monitor settings. Do it now.
Windows Settings That Actually Matter (And Some That Don't)
Windows 11 has improved a lot, but it still loves to run garbage in the background.
First, hit the Windows Key and type "Game Mode." Turn it on. Back in the day, Game Mode was a joke that actually caused stutters, but Microsoft finally fixed it. Now, it effectively tells Windows to stop running Windows Update and other background tasks while a game process is active. It’s a low-effort win.
Then there’s Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS).
You’ll find this under Settings > System > Display > Graphics. Turning this on allows your GPU to manage its own video memory. For newer cards (Nvidia 20-series and up), it’s usually a net positive. For older cards, it can be hit or miss. Try it. If you get crashes, flip it off.
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The Power Plan Trap
Don't just set your PC to "Power Saver" and expect it to perform. You want "High Performance" or, if you’re feeling spicy, "Ultimate Performance." You might have to unlock the "Ultimate" plan via a Command Prompt tweak, but "High Performance" is usually enough to stop your CPU from "parking" cores or downclocking to save a few pennies on your electric bill.
Deep Learning Super Sampling: The Magic Button
If you have an Nvidia RTX card and you aren't using DLSS, you're playing yourself. DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) uses AI to render the game at a lower resolution and then upscales it to your native resolution.
It's basically free frames.
The "Quality" setting in DLSS is often indistinguishable from native 4K or 1440p, but it can give you a 30% to 50% bump in speed. AMD users have FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which works similarly but doesn't require specific hardware. It's not quite as "clean" as DLSS in terms of visual artifacts, but it’s a lifesaver for older GPUs trying to run modern titles like Starfield or Cyberpunk 2077.
How to Increase FPS on PC via In-Game Settings
Every game menu is a labyrinth of technical terms. Some matter. Some are just "eye candy" that eats 20 FPS for a shadow you’ll never notice.
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- Volumetric Clouds/Fog: These are the ultimate FPS killers. Unless you spend your time staring at the sky, drop these to Medium or Low.
- Shadow Quality: Don't turn them off entirely or the game looks like a PS2 title. Set them to Medium. The "Ultra" setting usually just softens the edges of shadows, which you won't notice in motion.
- Ray Tracing: Just turn it off. Seriously. Unless you have a 4090, Ray Tracing is usually a massive performance sinkhole that isn't worth the 50% frame drop.
- Texture Quality: This usually depends on your VRAM (Video RAM). If you have 8GB or more, you can usually keep this on High or Ultra without losing FPS. It’s the one setting that makes the game look "good" without taxing the GPU processor heavily.
Don't Forget the "Full Screen" Rule
Always run your games in "Full Screen" mode, not "Windowed" or "Borderless Windowed." Windowed modes force your GPU to keep rendering the Windows desktop in the background. Full Screen gives the game priority over everything else.
The Hardware "Quick Fixes"
Sometimes software isn't enough. If you've done everything and the game still feels like a slideshow, check these three things:
- XMP/DOCP Profiles: Most people buy fast RAM but forget to actually "enable" the speed in the BIOS. If you bought 3600MHz RAM, it’s probably running at 2133MHz out of the box. Go into your BIOS and enable the XMP profile. This can give you a massive boost in CPU-bound games like Valorant or CS2.
- Thermal Throttling: If your PC starts fast but slows down after 20 minutes, it's getting too hot. Dust your fans. Change your thermal paste if it's been more than three years. If your CPU hits 95°C, it will slow itself down to keep from melting.
- Background Apps: Close Chrome. Seriously. Chrome is a memory hog. Use a lighter browser or just shut it down. Also, check your system tray (bottom right corner). If you have 15 different "Launchers" and "Control Centers" running, they are eating CPU cycles.
The Driver Debate
Don't just "Update Drivers." Sometimes the newest driver is buggy. If you notice a sudden drop in performance after an update, use a tool called DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) to completely wipe the driver and do a "clean" install of the previous version. It’s a bit of a process, but it fixes more "unexplainable" FPS drops than anything else.
Real World Example: The "Warzone" Struggle
Take Call of Duty: Warzone. It's notoriously poorly optimized.
A player with an RTX 3070 might be getting 90 FPS and wondering why it feels bad. By turning on Nvidia Reflex Low Latency (to "On + Boost"), enabling DLSS to "Balanced," and dropping "Particle Quality" to Low, that same player can often hit a stable 144 FPS.
The goal isn't just a high number. It's matching your FPS to your monitor's refresh rate. If you have a 144Hz monitor, getting 300 FPS doesn't actually help you see more, but dropping to 80 FPS definitely hurts.
Your Actionable Checklist
If you're ready to actually fix your performance, do these things in this specific order:
- Check your BIOS: Ensure XMP is enabled so your RAM isn't running at half speed.
- Clean Boot: Open Task Manager > Startup and disable everything you don't absolutely need. Restart.
- Clean the Dust: If you haven't opened your case in six months, your GPU is probably choking on cat hair and dust bunnies. Use compressed air.
- Optimize In-Game: Set Shadows to Medium, Volumetrics to Low, and enable DLSS/FSR.
- Monitor Temps: Use HWMonitor to ensure your parts aren't hitting the "danger zone" (usually 90°C+).
- Ditch the Bloatware: Uninstall "RGB Control" software you don't use. These apps are surprisingly heavy on CPU usage.
Increasing FPS isn't about one "magic" setting. It's about removing the friction between your hardware and the software. Stop looking for a "one-click" fix and start looking at how your specific PC handles the load. Usually, the biggest gains come from the most boring places: BIOS settings, thermal management, and closing those 40 Chrome tabs you have open in the background.
Check your monitor's refresh rate in Windows Display Settings first—you'd be surprised how many people have a 144Hz monitor that has been set to 60Hz for years.