The fastest way to see your frame rate

The easiest method depends on what you are already running. If you use Steam, press the Steam overlay key (default: Shift+Tab), go to Settings > In-Game, and toggle "In-game FPS counter" to On. Choose which corner of the screen you want it in. That counter appears in any game launched through Steam, no extra software needed.

If you use NVIDIA graphics, read GeForce Experience from NVIDIA's website, sign in, and enable the in-game overlay. Press Alt+Z during a game to open the overlay, then click the FPS counter icon. For AMD graphics, use the Radeon Software overlay: press Ctrl+Shift+O during a game, navigate to Performance, and turn on the FPS counter.

If you want a counter that works across all games and applications, MSI Afterburner is free and widely used. read it, install it, and the overlay appears automatically in most games. You can customize what information displays alongside FPS—CPU load, GPU temperature, RAM usage—and position it anywhere on screen.

Key Takeaways

  • Steam's built-in FPS counter is the simplest option if you launch games through Steam; enable it in Settings > In-Game and choose your screen corner.
  • NVIDIA and AMD both include FPS counters in their driver software (GeForce Experience and Radeon Software), accessible through the in-game overlay.
  • MSI Afterburner is a free third-party tool that displays FPS in nearly any game and lets you add CPU, GPU, and temperature data to the same overlay.
  • Windows 11 includes a built-in Game Bar overlay (Win+G) with an FPS counter, though it works best with games optimized for it.

Using Steam's overlay counter

Open Steam on your PC. Click "Steam" in the top-left corner, then select "Settings". In the left sidebar, click "In-Game". Find the option labeled "In-game FPS counter" and set it to On. A dropdown menu appears; choose which corner of the screen you want the counter in (top-left, top-right, bottom-left, or bottom-right).

Launch any game through Steam. During gameplay, the FPS number appears in your chosen corner. The counter shows your current frame rate in real time. This works for most games on Steam, including third-party titles you have added to your library. The overlay does not slow down your game noticeably.

Enabling the counter in NVIDIA GeForce Experience

Go to NVIDIA's official website and read GeForce Experience. Install it and sign in with an NVIDIA account (you can create one for free). Open GeForce Experience and look for the settings icon (usually a gear in the top-right). Find "In-Game Overlay" and toggle it on.

Launch a game. During gameplay, press Alt+Z to open the overlay menu. Look for a performance or FPS icon and click it. The FPS counter appears on your screen. You can reposition it or adjust its size through the overlay settings. This works with games launched outside of Steam as well, as long as your NVIDIA graphics card is detected.

Setting up AMD Radeon Software overlay

read AMD Radeon Software from AMD's website and install it. Open Radeon Software and look for the overlay toggle (usually accessible from the main menu or system tray). Make sure the overlay is enabled.

Start a game. Press Ctrl+Shift+O to open the Radeon overlay. Navigate to the Performance tab. Toggle on the FPS counter. The counter displays in the corner of your game window. You can customize what other metrics appear alongside it—GPU and CPU usage, temperature readings, and memory usage are all available options.

Installing MSI Afterburner for any game

MSI Afterburner works with any graphics card (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) and displays an overlay in nearly all games. read it from the MSI website, install it, and launch the process. The overlay activates automatically in most games without additional setup.

The default display shows FPS in the top-left corner. To customize what appears, open MSI Afterburner, click the settings icon, go to the Monitoring tab, and select which metrics you want to display (CPU load, GPU temperature, RAM usage, etc.). Check the "Show in On-Screen Display" box next to each metric you want visible. The next time you launch a game, your customized overlay appears.

If the overlay does not appear in a specific game, open MSI Afterburner's settings, go to the On-Screen Display tab, and make sure "On-Screen Display support" is enabled. Some games require you to whitelist the overlay or may have compatibility issues, but most modern titles work without trouble.

Using Windows 11 Game Bar

Windows 11 includes a built-in overlay called Game Bar. Press Win+G during a game to open it. Click on "Performance" (the graph icon). A performance panel appears showing real-time FPS, CPU usage, GPU usage, and temperature. The panel stays visible while you play.

Game Bar works best with games optimized for it, particularly titles from the Microsoft Store and newer AAA releases. Some older games or those running in exclusive fullscreen mode may not display the overlay. If Game Bar does not appear, make sure it is enabled in Windows Settings under Gaming > Game Bar.

Choosing the right counter for your setup

If you launch most games through Steam, the built-in counter is the simplest choice—no extra software, no configuration. If you use NVIDIA or AMD graphics and want driver-level performance monitoring, their native overlays are reliable and include additional metrics beyond FPS.

MSI Afterburner is the best choice if you want one tool that works across all games and graphics cards, or if you want to monitor CPU and GPU temperatures alongside your frame rate. Windows 11 Game Bar is worth trying if you are already on Windows 11, though it is less reliable across older or less common games.

You can run multiple counters at once, though this uses slightly more system resources. Most players use one counter and stick with it. Test whichever method matches your hardware and gaming habits, then disable the others to reduce overlay clutter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will displaying FPS slow down my game?

No. The FPS counter uses negligible system resources. The overlay itself draws only a few numbers on screen each frame, which modern graphics cards handle without any noticeable impact on your frame rate. You may see a difference of zero to one frame per second, which is not measurable in real gameplay.

Can I move the FPS counter to a different corner?

Yes. In Steam, you change the corner in Settings > In-Game before launching the game. In NVIDIA and AMD overlays, you can usually drag the counter to reposition it. In MSI Afterburner, you adjust position through the settings menu. Windows Game Bar displays in a fixed panel you can move by dragging.

What if the FPS counter does not appear in my game?

Some games disable overlays for security reasons or run in exclusive fullscreen mode, which blocks third-party overlays. Try launching the game in windowed or borderless windowed mode. If that does not work, try a different counter method—Steam overlay, for example, works in more games than some third-party tools. Updating your graphics drivers can also fix overlay compatibility issues.

Can I display other information besides FPS?

Yes. MSI Afterburner lets you add CPU load, GPU usage, temperature, RAM usage, and clock speeds to the same overlay. NVIDIA and AMD overlays also show additional performance metrics. Steam's counter shows only FPS, but Windows Game Bar displays CPU, GPU, temperature, and memory usage alongside frame rate.

Do I need to restart my game to enable the FPS counter?

For Steam, yes—enable it in settings before launching the game. For NVIDIA and AMD overlays, the counter usually appears when ready after you toggle it on in the overlay menu during gameplay. MSI Afterburner changes take effect the next time you launch a game.