Tips & Tricks to increase your FPS
FPS issues are truly frustrating; there's nothing worse than being in the middle of a tense raid, battle, or fight, then encountering your screen freezing or your game lagging causing you to miss out on all the action. We've put together a helpful list of tips and tricks that you can try that might increase your FPS whilst in-game.
It may sound silly but often we find that those having issues with FPS haven't updated their graphics card in several months (even years). Most graphics card makes (Nvidia or AMD) will have their own desktop manager which you can download for free to ensure your drivers are always up to date.
- Updating your graphics drivers can increase performance
- You could receive up to 30% better performance with a driver update
- Ensure your game and graphics drivers are both update for the best optimisation
- Ensure Windows is updated by checking Windows Update
2. Ensure your system meets the game requirements
Often we're so eager to play a game that we forget to check the game requirements; not having a powerful enough system can be the cause of FPS drops. Try future proofing your hardware by spending that bit extra to enjoy your games for longer
- Check your graphics card meets the game requirements
- Check your RAM meets the game requirements
- Ensure you install the correct version for your system (32-bit or 64-bit)
- If your system doesn't quite meet the requirements, try and play on a lower graphics setting
3. Game launch options
Many games now come with launch options which are generally set to the recommended requirements; have a play around and see which options are best for you - the launcher will set your graphics automatically so you don't need to fiddle with every setting
- Use the recommended launch options
- Some options will give you an indication as to how well your PC will perform, e.g. 'beautiful, fast, faster'
- If you want to push the recommended options, you can try, however, you may experience a drop in your FPS
- Ensure you run a game in your monitor's native resolution
- The highest selectable resolution should tell you the native resolution
4. Eliminate background resources
Unfortunately Windows tends to come packed with background processes that aren't needed; try and identify processes which can be eliminated. If you're not sure, there are lots of optimisation tools around that can do this for you
- Background programs can drain resources without you even knowing, so eliminate any unnecessary processes
- Consider optimisation software to resolve issues with processes hampering your games' performance
- Razer Cortex is an optimisation tool and is compatible with Win 7, 8, and 10
- Install the Creators Update on Windows 10 which includes a game mode feature
Physical hardware can often be the cause of FPS issues. Remember to keep your PC off of the carpet or hot/cramped areas to ensure it receives enough airflow. If you're not sure what you're doing, there are lots of tools available on the internet that can check your hardware for you
- Check your GPU temp
- Check your CPU temp
- Ensure clear airflow to reduce overheating
