There are thousands of gamers worldwide who don’t have a computer that is capable of playing today’s best PC games. The biggest reason why most computers are not able to run modern games is because they do not have the required hardware. And, this lack of hardware leads to a reduced frame rate.
A low frame rate, or low frames per second (FPS), will basically make it impossible to play your favorite PC games. However, if you can improve your frame rate, you can start gaming at a high level again.
Fortunately, there are many ways that you can raise your FPS. Some FPS-boosting methods require that you spend some money and upgrade your hardware, or that you get an entirely new computer. However, there are also a few ways that you can increase your frame rate that won’t require you to spend any money. We will discuss all of the options you have below.
First off, though, you will need to have a good idea of what frame rate is before we can get into the different ways that you can increase your FPS. So, let’s discuss what frame rate is, and how it affects your gaming experience.
What is Frame Rate and How Does it Affect Gamers?
When you play any kind of video game, what you are seeing on your monitor is essentially a million images being played back to you in rapid succession. The faster those images are produced and transmitted onto your screen, the more fluid and realistic the game appears. On the other hand, the slower the images are processed and displayed on your screen, the more choppy and unrealistic your game plays.
Your frame rate (which is usually calculated in frames per second, or FPS), then, is how fast your computer is able to display the next image in succession.
If this is a little confusing, then think about your frame rate the same way you would think about a simple comic in a flip book. With a flip book, each page has an image that is slightly different from the image in the previous page. When the book is flipped through, an illusion of motion is created. The faster you flip through the book, the more smoothly the image moves. The slower you flip through the book, the choppier the motion appears.
This is pretty much exactly what happens with your video game. The only difference is that, instead of a book, it’s your graphics processing unit, or GPU, that is responsible for the transmission of images. The better your GPU is, the quicker the game’s images are processed, and the smoother your game flows… and vice-versa.
So, naturally, the most efficient way to boost your FPS, is to get more graphics processing power…
Integrated Graphics vs. Stand-Alone Video Cards
There are two types of ways your computer can process graphics. Graphics can either be processed through your central processing unit (CPU), or they can be processed by an add-on video card. Of course, for high-end gaming, the only viable option is to utilize a stand-alone video card.
The reason why stand-alone video cards are so much more efficient than the integrated graphics on your CPU, is because your CPU already has enough tasks it needs to carry out, and the added responsibility of processing graphics is overwhelming. When it is given the added duty—and it is a huge duty—of processing video, it gets ‘overloaded’ with functions that it needs to carry out. And, quite obviously, the more work you give your processor, the slower and less efficient it will run.
However, stand-alone video cards have their own ‘mini-processor’ that is solely responsible for processing video data and for transmitting that data into viewable images on your computer screen. It’s specialization at its finest. Your CPU is responsible for computing tasks, and your GPU is responsible for graphics-related tasks.
Therefore, with a stand-alone video card, your CPU is relieved of the huge amount of responsibility that comes with processing video data, and your computer is ultimately able to run your favorite games with a much higher frame rate.
Unfortunately, adding a video card is not always an affordable option for gamers. So, if you’re strapped on funds, but you still want to play today’s best games, you may want to consider some other options for increasing your frame rate.
Some Quick-Fixes for Your Low Frame Rate
If you can’t afford to upgrade your hardware, don’t worry… there are still some actions you can take that will help you increase your frame rate and improve your gaming experience.
The following are a few methods you can use to boost your FPS:
Lower Your Video Settings
A lot of times, the main reason why gamers experience low FPS in the first place, is because they have their video settings too high… It takes a high-end gaming computer to play today’s best games on the highest video settings.
The higher your settings are, the more your GPU (or your CPU, if you don’t have an add-on video card) has to work. And, the more your GPU has to work, the more likely your frame rate will decrease.
High-end gaming PC’s are built with GPU’s that are designed to handle the most intense graphics. This allows them to run the most graphics-complex games on the highest settings…
…but if you don’t have a really good gaming computer, you will need to lower your settings.
By lowering your settings, you will decrease the workload on your computer and you will instantly improve your frame rate. You may not get all of the stunning visuals that come with running your game on the highest video settings, but your game will definitely operate much more smoothly.
Keep Your Computer Clean
Another common cause of low frame rates is excessive dust buildup inside of your computer. When too much dust enters into your computer case, it blocks vents and covers your components, which ultimately restricts the air flow coming into your computer.
When this happens, the temperature inside of your computer case increases far above recommended levels. When your computer gets too hot, it starts to run much less efficiently. And, when your computer runs less efficiently, you will experience a drop in your frame rate.
So, it’s extremely important to clean out your computer on a regular basis (especially if you have a laptop). A good cleaning will usually yield a decent increase in your frame rate.
Update Your Drivers
Finally, a low frame rate may not be caused by something on your end. In some scenarios, it could be your driver’s compatibility with the game you are playing that is creating the problem.
When PC games roll out new updates to fix bugs, or to improve the game’s functionality, it’s possible that the mechanics of the game have been changed. And, even the slightest change can throw off the way your computer communicates with your game.
So, if you have a good gaming computer, but you suddenly receive a drop in your frame rate after a major update to your favorite game, then you can bet that it is a driver issue. In most cases, new drivers will be released within the next few days.
However, in other scenarios, it could be an automatic update to your drivers that has suddenly reduced your frame rate. Sometimes your new drivers are not compatible with your game. In these cases, you will have to ‘rollback’ to the previous version of your driver until the problem is fixed.
Use This Guide to Boost Your Frame Rate
If you’re suffering from a low frame rate, make sure you use this guide to help get yourself gaming at an acceptable level again. And, if you can afford it, definitely consider updating your hardware… It will ensure that you are gaming at a high level for a long time to come.
In any case, no gamer likes dealing with a low frame rate. Fortunately, if you’re experiencing low FPS in your games, you have many options that can get you back on the right track.
Author Bio
Brent Hale is a computer enthusiast who loves PC gaming. Brent has a ton of experience dealing with low FPS and he wants to help anyone with a low frame rate solve their problem. So, if you’re suffering from a low frame rate, please feel free to leave your questions below or you can contact him through his site.
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