Nothing ruins a gaming session faster than a stuttering, low frame rate, and learning how to increase FPS on PC games is one of the most valuable skills any PC gamer can have in 2026. The best part? Most of the biggest performance gains cost absolutely nothing. At Cheifs Game, we have compiled the most effective, safe, and completely free ways to boost your frame rate, often adding 20–40% more FPS without spending a single dollar on new hardware.
This guide walks through every method in order of impact, from quick driver updates to deeper system tweaks. Work through them one at a time, test after each change, and you will be amazed how much smoother your games can run.
What Actually Affects Your FPS
Before diving into fixes, it helps to understand what determines your frame rate. FPS is mostly driven by your graphics card, followed by your CPU, RAM, and the settings you run in-game. Bottlenecks happen when one component holds the others back — for example, a strong GPU paired with an overloaded CPU. Free optimization is all about removing those bottlenecks and making sure your hardware spends its power on the game rather than background clutter.
1. Update Your Graphics Drivers
This is the single easiest win. GPU makers — NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel — release driver updates that frequently include game-specific optimizations, sometimes boosting performance in new releases by double digits. Always run the latest stable driver, and when installing, choose a clean installation to wipe out any old, conflicting files. Set a reminder to check for updates around major game launches, when the biggest optimizations tend to arrive.
2. Tune Your In-Game Settings
Not all graphics settings cost the same performance. A handful are enormous FPS killers while barely improving how the game looks. The biggest culprits to lower first are shadows, ambient occlusion, volumetric lighting, and anti-aliasing. Dropping these from ultra to medium can reclaim a huge chunk of frames with almost no visible downgrade.
| Setting | FPS Impact | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Shadows | Very High | Medium |
| Ambient Occlusion | High | Low / Off |
| Anti-Aliasing | High | TAA / Low |
| Textures | Low (if enough VRAM) | High |
| View Distance | Medium | Medium |
3. Enable Upscaling: DLSS, FSR, and XeSS
Upscaling technology is the biggest free performance revolution of recent years. DLSS (NVIDIA), FSR (AMD, works on most cards), and XeSS (Intel) render your game at a lower internal resolution and then intelligently upscale it, delivering huge FPS gains with minimal loss in image quality. If your game supports any of these, turn it on and select the “Quality” or “Balanced” preset for the best mix of sharpness and speed. This alone can add 30–50% more frames.
4. Close Background Applications
Every program running in the background steals CPU cycles, RAM, and sometimes GPU resources from your game. Browsers with dozens of tabs, chat overlays, launchers, and update services are the usual suspects. Before playing, close what you do not need and use Task Manager to spot any resource-hungry processes. Freeing up RAM and CPU headroom leads directly to smoother, more consistent frame times.
5. Switch Windows to High Performance Mode
Windows ships with power-saving features that can throttle your hardware. Switch your power plan to High Performance (or Ultimate Performance) so your CPU does not downclock mid-game. While you are at it, enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling in your graphics settings for smoother frame delivery. Our full guide on how to optimize Windows for gaming covers every one of these tweaks in detail.
6. Lower Your Resolution or Use Resolution Scaling
Resolution has a massive impact on FPS. If you are struggling to hit a smooth frame rate, dropping from 1440p to 1080p, or using an in-game resolution scale of 90%, can deliver a big boost. Paired with upscaling, this lets you find the perfect balance between sharpness and speed for your specific hardware.
7. Keep Your PC Clean and Cool
Thermal throttling silently robs you of performance. When components get too hot, they slow themselves down to avoid damage. Make sure your case has decent airflow, blow out dust every few months, and confirm your fans are working. A cool PC is a fast PC, and this simple maintenance keeps your frame rate consistent over long sessions.
8. Optimise for Competitive Games
If you play competitive shooters, high and stable FPS is even more important than raw visuals because it reduces input lag and makes tracking targets easier. Lower your settings aggressively to prioritise frame rate, and cap your FPS just below your monitor’s refresh rate for the smoothest feel. For a full breakdown, see our guide on the best game settings for competitive FPS games.
When Free Tweaks Aren’t Enough
If you have worked through every method and still want more, the issue may be genuinely dated hardware. The most cost-effective upgrades are usually adding an SSD (see SSD vs HDD for gaming), adding more RAM, or upgrading the graphics card. But always exhaust the free options first — you will often find you did not need to spend anything at all.
Optimise Your Monitor and Refresh Rate
Many gamers unknowingly leave free performance and smoothness on the table by not configuring their display correctly. First, make sure your monitor is actually running at its highest refresh rate — Windows sometimes defaults a 144Hz panel to 60Hz. Head into your display settings and select the maximum available refresh rate. Then, enable your GPU’s adaptive sync feature (G-Sync or FreeSync) to eliminate screen tearing without the input-lag penalty of traditional V-Sync. A correctly configured high-refresh display makes every extra frame you gain actually feel smoother, and it is completely free to set up. If you are shopping for an upgrade, our best gaming monitor guide explains what to look for.
Manage Storage and Reduce Stutter
Frame rate is only half the story — frame-time consistency matters just as much. Sudden stutters often come from slow storage struggling to stream game assets fast enough. Installing your most-played games on a fast NVMe SSD dramatically reduces these hitches and shortens load times. Keeping at least 10–15% of your drive free also helps it maintain peak speed. If you are still gaming off a mechanical hard drive, moving to an SSD is one of the most noticeable upgrades you can make.
Set Per-Game Profiles in Your GPU Software
Both NVIDIA and AMD control panels let you create per-game profiles, giving you fine control over settings like texture filtering, low-latency mode, and frame-rate caps on a title-by-title basis. Enabling low-latency or anti-lag mode can noticeably reduce input delay in fast-paced games, while a sensible frame cap prevents your GPU from running hotter and louder than it needs to. Spending a few minutes here tailors performance perfectly to each game you play.
Disable Unnecessary Windows Features
A few Windows features quietly consume resources during gameplay. Turning off unneeded startup programs, disabling visual animations you do not care about, and making sure Game Mode is enabled all contribute small but cumulative gains. Windows Game Mode in particular prioritises your game over background tasks, helping maintain steadier frame times. None of these changes are risky, and together they help your system dedicate every possible resource to the game in front of you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does updating drivers really increase FPS?
Yes, often significantly. Driver updates frequently add game-specific optimizations, and running an outdated driver can leave meaningful performance on the table, especially in newly released titles.
Is DLSS or FSR better for boosting FPS?
Both work extremely well. DLSS generally has a slight edge in image quality on supported NVIDIA cards, while FSR works across a much wider range of hardware. Use whichever your GPU and game support.
Will lowering settings make my game look bad?
Not necessarily. Lowering the biggest FPS killers like shadows and ambient occlusion often has little visible impact while reclaiming lots of frames. Keep textures high if you have enough VRAM.
What FPS should I aim for?
60 FPS is a smooth baseline for most games, while competitive players benefit from 120–144+ FPS to match high-refresh monitors and reduce input lag.
Can background apps really lower my FPS?
Absolutely. Browsers, overlays, and update services consume CPU and RAM that your game could be using. Closing them before you play frees up real performance.
Does frame rate affect input lag?
Yes. Higher and more stable FPS reduces input lag, which is why competitive players push for 120–144+ frames. Enabling low-latency modes in your GPU software helps further.
Should I cap my frame rate?
Capping FPS slightly below your monitor’s refresh rate can improve consistency, reduce heat and fan noise, and pair perfectly with G-Sync or FreeSync for a tear-free, low-latency experience.
Final Verdict
Knowing how to increase FPS on PC games puts you in control of your own performance. Start with driver updates and smart setting tweaks, enable upscaling, clear out background clutter, and switch Windows to High Performance — apply them in order and the gains stack up fast. For more free, practical optimization advice, keep following Cheifs Game, your home for honest PC gaming guides.