Glossary:Frame rate (FPS)

This page may require cleanup to meet basic quality standards. You can help by modifying the article. The discussion page may contain useful suggestions.

Frame rate or frame frequency, often measured in frames per second (FPS), is the frequency (rate) that images (frames) render. It is a general concept not unique to computer video games; see frame rate.

Frame rate affects the quality of a game experience. High FPS looks good - smooth and fluid. Low FPS looks bad - choppy and laggy. Very low fps can hinder or distract from gameplay.

FPS is different for every game and setup, it depends on both software and hardware. Rendering is very complicated. Generally, more powerful and expensive hardware has higher FPS. However, problems with FPS are not always easy to solve, and there may be no solution.

Measure FPS

An FPS counter is a simple way to show frame rate, and averages FPS over a short period of time.

Most games will have a key combo or console command to show or toggle a counter. See game specific articles.

Alternatively, many overlays can show counters, including Fraps, MSI Afterburner, EVGA Precision, RivaTuner, Xfire, and others.

Limit FPS

An FPS limit can solve bugs and glitches, often in ports or legacy games not designed for very high FPS. It can also solve stabilize FPS, solving jitter and jerkiness from sudden and severe changes in FPS.

Instructions

Instructions

Instructions

Increase FPS, Fix Low FPS

There are many ways to increase FPS and many problems that cause low FPS. Some solutions are easy, some are not.

Some modern games are designed for powerful hardware, and will have low FPS on old or low end hardware, including laptops and basic desktop computers. The best way to solve this is to buy and install more powerful hardware, but some tweaks can increase FPS slightly.