How to Boost Your PC's Frame Rate: Settings and Hardware Changes That Work

The fastest way to improve frame rate is to lower your graphics settings first, then upgrade your GPU if that does not solve it

Frame rate — the number of images your monitor displays per second, measured in frames per second or FPS — depends on two things: how hard your graphics card is working and how much your CPU can feed it. Most players see when ready improvement by turning down graphics quality in their game settings before spending money on new hardware. If you are already running low settings and still getting frame drops, your graphics card is the bottleneck and an upgrade will help. If your frame rate stays low even when settings are minimal, your processor may be the problem instead.

The order matters: change software settings first, measure the result, then decide whether hardware is worth the cost. A $30 settings adjustment beats a $300 graphics card purchase if it solves your problem.

Key Takeaways

Lowering resolution, texture quality, and shadow detail in your game's graphics menu is the fastest and cheapest way to gain frames.
Disabling or reducing ray tracing, motion blur, and anti-aliasing settings can add 20 to 60 FPS depending on your card and game.
Closing background programs and updating your graphics driver can recover 5 to 15 FPS without changing game settings.
If low settings still produce poor frame rates, your graphics card is likely the limiting factor and upgrading it will improve performance.
Monitor your CPU and GPU usage while playing to identify which component is maxed out and causing frame drops.

Lower graphics settings in your game menu first

Every game has a graphics settings menu where you control how detailed the visuals are. Start by setting everything to Low or the lowest preset available, then measure your frame rate. Most games show FPS in the corner of the screen if you enable it in settings, or you can use a free tool like MSI Afterburner or NVIDIA's built-in overlay to watch it while you play.

The settings that affect frame rate most are resolution (the pixel count your monitor displays), texture quality (how detailed surfaces look), shadow quality (how realistic shadows appear), and draw distance (how far away you can see). Dropping resolution from 1440p to 1080p or from 1080p to 720p often adds 15 to 40 FPS. Lowering texture quality from Ultra to Low usually adds 10 to 20 FPS. Start with resolution and texture quality, then adjust the others if you still need more frames.

Write down your FPS number at Low settings. If you are now getting 60 FPS or higher and your monitor can display that many frames, you are done — you do not need to spend money. If you are still below 60 FPS, move to the next step.

Turn off ray tracing, motion blur, and anti-aliasing

Ray tracing simulates realistic light reflection and costs significant GPU power. Turning it off or setting it to Low can add 20 to 60 FPS depending on your card and the game. Motion blur blurs the screen when you move the camera quickly and is purely visual — disabling it adds 5 to 10 FPS and many players prefer the sharper image anyway. Anti-aliasing smooths jagged edges on objects and costs 10 to 20 FPS; set it to Low or FXAA instead of MSAA or SSAA.

These three settings are separate from the main graphics preset, so you may need to find them in an Advanced or Custom section. Check your frame rate again after each change so you know which setting made the biggest difference. Some games let you cap your frame rate at 60 or 120 FPS to reduce GPU load — if your monitor is 60 Hz, capping at 60 FPS saves power and heat without affecting what you see.

Close background programs and update your graphics driver

Programs running in the background — Discord, Chrome, streaming software, antivirus scans — consume CPU and GPU resources that your game could use instead. Open Task Manager (press Ctrl+Shift+Esc on Windows), click the Performance tab, and look at your CPU and GPU usage while playing. If either is below 90 percent, a background program is stealing resources. Close Discord, pause cloud sync services like OneDrive, and disable any RGB lighting software you are not actively using.

Your graphics driver is the software that tells your GPU how to run games. Outdated drivers often perform worse than newer ones. NVIDIA drivers update through NVIDIA GeForce Experience (search for it in Windows), AMD drivers through AMD Radeon Software, and Intel drivers through Intel Arc Control or the Windows Update settings. Update your driver, restart your PC, and check your frame rate again. This step is free and sometimes adds 5 to 15 FPS.

Monitor CPU and GPU usage to find your bottleneck

If you have lowered settings and closed background programs but frame rate is still poor, one of your components is maxed out. read MSI Afterburner (free) or use NVIDIA's overlay if you have an NVIDIA card. While playing, watch whether your GPU usage is at 95 to 100 percent or your CPU usage is at 95 to 100 percent.

If your GPU is maxed out and your CPU is below 80 percent, your graphics card cannot keep up with the game at your current settings. Lowering resolution or texture quality further will help, but if you want better visuals, upgrading your GPU is the solution. If your CPU is maxed out and your GPU is below 80 percent, your processor is the bottleneck. Upgrading your CPU will improve frame rate, but this is more expensive and complicated than a GPU upgrade because it usually requires a new motherboard and RAM as well.

Upgrade your graphics card if settings changes do not help

If you are running Low settings, ray tracing is off, background programs are closed, your driver is current, and your GPU is still at 100 percent usage, your graphics card is too old for the game you want to play. Graphics cards vary widely in price and performance. A mid-range card like an NVIDIA RTX 4060 or AMD RX 7600 costs $200 to $250 and handles most games at 1080p with medium to high settings. A high-end card like an RTX 4080 costs $1000 and plays demanding games at 1440p or 4K with high settings.

Before buying, check your power supply wattage. Open your PC case and look for a label on the power supply unit (PSU) that lists watts. Most modern graphics cards need 550 to 750 watts. If your PSU is below 550 watts, you may need to upgrade it as well, which costs $60 to $150. Check your motherboard's PCIe slot type (usually PCIe 4.0 or 5.0) to make sure a new card will fit — most modern cards work in older slots, but performance may be slightly lower.

Upgrade your CPU only if it is the bottleneck

CPU upgrades are more involved than GPU upgrades because your processor connects directly to your motherboard. If your CPU is at 100 percent usage while your GPU is below 80 percent, a faster processor will improve frame rate. However, upgrading a CPU usually means replacing your motherboard and RAM as well, which can cost $400 to $800 total.

Before upgrading, check whether your current CPU is straightforward too old for the game. Some older processors struggle with newer games even at low settings. Look up your CPU model on a site like TechPowerUp or Tom's Hardware to see its age and performance tier. If it is more than five years old and you are playing a new game, a CPU upgrade may help. If your CPU is newer than three years old, the problem is almost certainly your GPU, not your processor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What FPS should I aim for?

Most people notice smooth gameplay at 60 FPS. If your monitor is 144 Hz or higher, aiming for 100+ FPS makes motion feel smoother. If your monitor is 60 Hz, getting above 60 FPS does not help because your monitor cannot display more than 60 images per second. Check your monitor's refresh rate in Windows Display Settings.

Does overclocking my GPU help?

Overclocking increases your GPU's clock speed to squeeze out 5 to 15 percent more performance. It requires downloading software like MSI Afterburner and is safe if you increase the clock slowly and watch temperatures. However, it voids some warranties and generates more heat. Try lowering settings first — the gain is usually small compared to the effort.

Why does my frame rate drop during gameplay even though settings are low?

Frame drops usually mean your GPU or CPU is spiking to 100 percent usage for a moment. Check whether a background program is running — antivirus scans, Windows updates, or cloud sync can cause sudden drops. If the problem happens in specific areas of a game, that location is more demanding; lower your draw distance or texture quality further.

Can I improve FPS by changing Windows settings?

Windows has a Game Mode feature that closes background processes while you play. Turn it on in Settings > Gaming > Game Mode. You can also disable visual effects in Settings > System > About > Advanced System Settings > Performance Options, but the gain is usually small — 2 to 5 FPS. Focus on game settings and driver updates first.

What is VRAM and does it affect frame rate?

VRAM is your graphics card's memory. If a game needs more VRAM than your card has, frame rate drops sharply. Check your card's VRAM amount (4 GB, 6 GB, 8 GB, etc.) and the game's recommended specs. If your VRAM is below the recommendation, lowering texture quality helps because it uses less memory.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.