How to Increase FPS on a Low-End PC

How to Boost FPS on a Low-End PC (Real Fixes That Work in 2026)

Updated: 2026-01-22 • Category: PC Gaming Performance

Low-end PC? You can still get smooth gameplay with the right settings.

Table of Contents

Start Here (Quick Wins)
Windows Settings That Actually Help
GPU Settings (NVIDIA / AMD)
Best In-Game Settings for FPS
Fix Stutter, Freezing, and Input Lag
Common Mistakes
FAQ

Start Here (Quick Wins)

If your PC is weak, you don’t need “magic booster apps.” Most of them do nothing or make things worse. Real FPS improvement comes from doing three things:

Stop background load (apps eating CPU/RAM).
Lower the heavy graphics settings (shadows, effects, resolution scaling).
Stabilize performance (reduce stutters so FPS feels smooth).

Quick checklist (do this in 3 minutes):

Restart PC before gaming.
Close Chrome tabs, Discord streams, screen recorders, and launchers you don’t need.
Set the game to Fullscreen if possible.
Turn off V-Sync (then cap FPS later if needed).
Lower Shadows and Post-Processing first.

Pro tip: “More FPS” is good, but “stable FPS” is even better. 60 stable feels smoother than 90 jumping up and down.

Windows Settings That Actually Help

Close-up of a computer keyboard and desk setup — Windows background tasks can kill FPS on low-end machines.

1) Set Windows Power Mode to Performance

On many PCs (especially laptops), power mode can limit CPU/GPU speed. Set it to a performance mode when you play:

Windows 11: Settings → System → Power & battery → Power mode → Best performance
Windows 10: similar under Power settings / Control Panel power plans

2) Disable Heavy Startup Apps

Startup apps run silently and steal resources. Go to: Settings → Apps → Startup and turn off anything you don’t need (game launchers, auto-updaters, etc.).

3) Reduce Visual Effects (If Your PC Is Really Weak)

Windows animations and transparency can cost resources on older hardware. Search: Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows and choose Adjust for best performance.

4) Turn On Game Mode (Try It)

Game Mode can help by prioritizing game resources. On some systems it helps smoothness; on others it changes nothing. Enable it, test for one match, and keep it only if it feels better.

GPU Settings (NVIDIA / AMD)

This is where people either get a clean boost… or mess up everything by changing random settings. Keep it simple and do per-game settings when possible.

NVIDIA (Control Panel)

Power management mode: Prefer maximum performance (for the game profile)
Low latency: On (or Ultra if stable)
Texture filtering: High performance
V-Sync: Off (use in-game cap later)

AMD (Adrenalin)

Use a per-game profile
Try “Anti-Lag” for lower input latency
Keep sharpening/mods minimal if FPS is already low

Rule: Change one thing → test → keep or revert. Don’t change 20 settings at once then wonder what broke the game.

Best In-Game Settings for FPS (In Order)

If you want FPS fast, change settings in this order. These are the biggest performance killers on low-end PCs.

1) Shadows (Biggest FPS killer)

Set shadows to Low or Off. Many games spend a lot of GPU time on shadows, especially at higher resolutions.

2) Post-Processing / Effects

Turn down: Bloom, Motion Blur, Depth of Field, Film Grain, Ambient Occlusion. These make games look “cinematic” but can kill performance.

3) Resolution and Render Scale

If FPS is still bad, lower resolution to 900p or 720p. If the game supports Render Scale, try 90% then 80%. This can give a big boost while keeping UI readable.

4) Anti-Aliasing

Set AA to Off/Low. If you need it, use lighter options. Heavy AA is expensive on weak GPUs.

5) Cap Your FPS (Optional but Smooth)

Once you get stable FPS, cap it slightly below your average (example: you average 75 → cap 60). This reduces spikes and makes gameplay feel smoother.

Fix Stutter, Freezing, and Input Lag

Many people think “FPS is low,” but the real problem is stutter. Here’s what actually fixes stutter on low-end PCs:

1) RAM and Background Apps

If you have 8GB RAM, opening Chrome + Discord + game can cause stutters. Close background apps and avoid running downloads while gaming.

2) Storage (HDD vs SSD)

Running a modern game on a slow HDD can cause streaming stutters (loading assets mid-game). If you can install the game on an SSD, do it.

3) Overheating (Thermal Throttling)

If your FPS drops after 10–20 minutes, your CPU/GPU might be overheating. Clean dust, improve airflow, and make sure fans are working properly.

4) Windowed Optimizations

If you play Borderless/Windowed and get weird performance, test Fullscreen. Windows has windowed optimizations, but not every game behaves the same.

Common Mistakes That Make FPS Worse

Installing “FPS booster” apps that inject overlays and add load.
Maxing textures on low VRAM (can cause stutter + micro-freezes).
Running screen recording at high bitrate on a weak CPU.
Changing everything at once then not knowing what helped.

FAQ

Why does the game feel laggy even when FPS looks okay?

Usually stutter or frame-time spikes. Cap FPS, lower textures, close background apps, and try Fullscreen.

Should I turn V-Sync on or off?

Off usually increases FPS. If you hate screen tearing, keep it off and cap FPS, or use a lighter sync option if available.

What’s the fastest single setting change for FPS?

Shadows → Low/Off. Then reduce effects and render scale.