Step 0: Measure Before You Change Anything
You cannot fix what you are not measuring. Turn on an FPS counter before you touch a single setting, then pick a repeatable test spot in the game, such as a busy area or a built-in benchmark.
Write down your average frame rate and note whether the problem is low FPS overall or sudden stutters and hitches. Those are different problems with different fixes.
- Steam overlay: open Steam settings, go to the In Game section and turn on the in-game FPS counter.
- NVIDIA: the NVIDIA app overlay (Alt+Z by default) includes a performance overlay with FPS and GPU stats.
- AMD: AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition has a metrics overlay you can toggle (Ctrl+Shift+O by default).
- Many games also have a built-in FPS display in their video or interface settings.
Steps 1-4: Drivers, the Right GPU, Refresh Rate and Game Mode
1. Update your GPU drivers
New drivers often include fixes and optimizations for recent games. Download them only from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel directly, or through their official apps. If a new driver causes problems, you can roll back to the previous version.
2. Make sure the game uses the dedicated GPU (laptops)
Many gaming laptops have both integrated graphics and a dedicated GPU. Sometimes a game runs on the weaker integrated chip by mistake, which tanks performance. In Windows, open Settings, then System, Display and Graphics, find the game and set it to High performance. Your GPU's control panel or performance overlay will confirm which GPU the game is using.
3. Set your display refresh rate in Windows
A surprising number of high-refresh monitors run at 60Hz because nobody changed the default. Go to Settings, System, Display, Advanced display and choose the highest refresh rate listed. Also check that your cable and port support it; DisplayPort is usually the safest bet on desktop PCs.
4. Turn on Windows Game Mode
Game Mode, found under Settings and Gaming, tells Windows to prioritize the game and hold back things like update installs during play. It is on by default in recent versions of Windows, but it is worth confirming.
Steps 5-6: Background Apps, Overlays and Power
5. Close background apps and extra overlays
Browsers with many tabs, video streams, game launchers syncing files and RGB or hardware utilities all compete for CPU, memory and sometimes GPU time. Close what you do not need while playing.
Overlays deserve special attention. Running several at once, such as a launcher overlay, a chat app overlay and a recording tool, can cause hitches in some games. Keep the one you actually use and disable the rest in each app's settings.
6. Check your power plan, and keep laptops plugged in
Windows power settings can limit how hard your CPU runs. Under Settings, System and Power, set the power mode to Best performance or Balanced rather than a battery-saving mode.
Laptops usually cut GPU and CPU power significantly on battery. Plug in before gaming, and check whether your laptop's own control software has a performance or gaming profile.
Steps 7-8: Smarter Graphics Settings and Upscaling
Once Windows and drivers are sorted, the game's own settings are where the big gains live. The quick reference below shows which settings typically cost the most, though exact impact varies by game.
- Usually high cost: ray tracing, shadows, volumetric fog and clouds, render scale, MSAA.
- Usually medium cost: ambient occlusion, reflections, draw distance, crowd or foliage density.
- Usually low cost: textures (if VRAM allows), anisotropic filtering, motion blur, film grain.
7. Lower the highest-cost settings first
Not every setting costs the same. Dropping textures often does almost nothing for frame rate, while lowering shadows can make a big difference. Start with the expensive ones and leave the cheap visual wins alone.
8. Turn on upscaling
DLSS, FSR and XeSS render the game at a lower internal resolution and reconstruct a sharp image, often giving a large boost with little visible loss in Quality mode. This is usually the single biggest free performance gain in modern games, especially at 1440p and 4K.
Frame generation can raise the FPS counter further, but it adds some input latency and works best when your base frame rate is already decent. Treat it as a smoothness feature, not a fix for a struggling PC.
Steps 9-11: Storage, Temperatures and RAM
9. Install games on an SSD
Storage speed does not raise your average FPS much, but it matters a lot for load times and for stutter in games that stream assets as you move through the world. Many modern games list an SSD as a requirement. If a game hitches when you enter new areas and it lives on a hard drive, move it to an SSD. Steam can move installed games between drives from a game's Properties menu.
10. Check temperatures and clean out dust
When CPUs and GPUs get too hot, they slow themselves down to stay safe, which shows up as frame rate that starts fine and drops after a few minutes. Monitor temperatures with your GPU overlay or a tool like GPU-Z.
Dust clogging fans and filters is a common cause. With the PC switched off and unplugged, clean intakes and filters with compressed air, holding fans still so they do not spin. Laptops benefit from a hard, flat surface and clear vents.
11. Confirm dual-channel RAM and XMP or EXPO
Two matching memory sticks in the correct slots run in dual-channel mode, which helps CPU-heavy games. Your motherboard manual shows which slots to use.
Many RAM kits also run below their rated speed until you enable the XMP (Intel) or EXPO (AMD) profile in the BIOS. Only enable the profile that matches your kit, change nothing else if you are unsure, and know how to reset BIOS settings to default if the PC fails to boot. If in doubt, follow your motherboard manufacturer's instructions.
Why Shader Compilation Stutter Happens
Shaders are small programs that tell your GPU how to draw surfaces, lighting and effects. On PC, they often have to be compiled for your specific GPU and driver. If a game compiles a shader the first time an effect appears, you get a sharp hitch, then smooth play once it is cached.
Many games now pre-compile shaders on first launch or after a driver update, which is why you may see a long 'compiling shaders' screen. Let it finish before playing. Stutter that only happens the first time you see an area or effect, then disappears, is usually this, and it often improves on its own as you play.
Updating your GPU driver usually clears the shader cache, so expect some compilation again afterward. That is normal, not a sign the update made things worse.
What GoldPlayPot.com Tells You to Skip
Search for ways to boost FPS and you will find plenty of tools promising huge gains with one click. Our advice is to avoid them.
Third-party 'FPS booster' and 'PC cleaner' apps rarely do more than close background programs, which you can do yourself, and some bundle adware or worse. Registry tweaks copied from forums can break Windows features, cause instability and are hard to undo. Neither belongs on a gaming PC you care about.
Never disable your antivirus to gain performance, and only download drivers and tools from official sources. If you are unsure about a file, scanning it with a service like VirusTotal is a sensible extra check.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my FPS low on a good PC?
Common causes are the game running on integrated graphics on a laptop, a monitor stuck at 60Hz, outdated drivers, a battery-saving power mode, overheating or RAM running below its rated speed. Work through the checklist in order.
Do FPS booster programs work?
Generally no. Most only close background apps, which you can do manually, and some bundle unwanted software. We recommend avoiding them.
Why does my game stutter even with high FPS?
Stutter often comes from shader compilation, assets streaming from a slow drive, overlays, or running out of VRAM. An average FPS number can look fine while individual frames take much longer.
Does an SSD increase FPS?
It rarely raises average FPS much, but it cuts load times and can reduce stutter in games that stream data as you move around.
Is enabling XMP or EXPO safe?
These are manufacturer-validated memory profiles, and enabling the one that matches your RAM kit is standard practice. If the PC becomes unstable, reset the BIOS to defaults and check your motherboard's support list.