Which FPS for gaming?

A video is basically nothing more than a string of images. The motion only occurs when these images are displayed in a fixed order and at a fixed speed. The frame rate is the speed at which these images are shown. The frame rate is measured in frames per second, or FPS for short. Each individual image is known as a frame. Therefore, based on the standard used in video technology, 24 still frames are displayed in one second in a video with 24 FPS. The speed at which these images are shown tricks the brain. The speed ensures that these images are perceived as fluid motion. In the world of gaming, the frame rate indicates how many frames are calculated per second by a 3D engine.

To be able to play smoothly, this should be at least 30 FPS. For most gamers, 60 FPS is the ideal frame rate. When it comes to E-sports, however, the requirements are quite different, with up to 240 frames per second being rendered.

It’s clear that a high frame rate is advantageous for gaming. The higher the frame rate, the lower the latency, i.e., the delay between what is currently happening in the game and the reception of the information by the eyes. In addition, most gamers confirm that high frame rates just feel more comfortable. This lower latency makes it possible to gain decisive advantages when gaming. A few milliseconds can make all the difference. However, a higher frame rate does not improve the player’s gaming skills. The only way for a player to become better at the game is to practice… a lot.

FPS is a metric that is very important, especially for gamers. But it’s also of interest to film buffs. Every movie benefits from a high FPS. The abbreviation FPS stands for “frames per second.” This is a measurement that indicates the frame rate.

To be able to play a game properly, 30 FPS should be enough. Games are considered playable from this frame rate. However, this is usually the lowest limit – below this, playing simply isn’t fun. In general, most gamers prefer 60 FPS and up. In order to react as quickly as possible to the changes on the monitor, the latency should be as low as possible, which is why gamers prefer higher frame rates. Especially in first-person shooters, such as Call of Duty, a high frame rate can be crucial. Ultimately, however, everyone has to find out for themselves which frame rate feels especially fluid. Super high FPS are really reserved for the pros.

With a few simple tips, it’s possible to boost your frame rate for a better gaming experience.

Update your graphics driver

The graphics card is probably the most important component when it comes to a good gaming experience. However, the best graphics card is useless if it doesn’t have the right driver. The graphics driver should thus be regularly updated to the latest version, which can result in quite a big difference in performance.

Overclocking your graphics card

When it comes to overclocking the graphics card, many gamers are cautious. Nevertheless, a slight overclocking can’t hurt, it just shouldn’t be overdone. The performance of the graphics chip is essential for gaming performance. In most cases, when a game stutters or performance bottlenecks occur, the problem is found in the graphics chip. Overclocking the graphics card can increase performance and speed up the graphics card. We recommend a slight overclocking, which should be around 10 to 15 percent. It is important that the utmost care is taken when overclocking. It should also be noted that the overall temperature of the hardware is increased by overclocking.

Uninstall programs/turn off programs running in the background

Every program that is installed on the computer causes the PC to become slower and slower. Of course, this also has an effect on games. Even if the programs are not used, many of them still run in the background. Uninstalling programs that are no longer needed can improve your gaming experience. Programs that are running in the background but are still needed can simply be turned off. There are special programs that can be used to find and uninstall programs that have not been used for a long time. Programs that are used regularly but still affect performance are easily deactivated. Without the background tasks, which are often very CPU-intensive, the computer immediately runs much better and games play smoother.

Replace your graphics card

This tip only applies to desktop PCs. If your graphics card is not able to provide a smooth rendering, it should be replaced. The latest generation of PCI Express graphics cards enable smooth gaming at 60 frames per second.

Switch to SSD hard drives

Compared to HDDs, SSD hard drives are much faster. This does not affect the FPS, but definitely has an impact the time your games take to load. This is significantly shortened. Since most games today require a lot of storage space, an SSD with at least 250 GB should be used.

Disable SuperFetch and Prefetch

SuperFetch and Prefetch are Windows functions. Their task is to speed up the startup times of Windows and of applications as well. However, many gamers have observed that both loading times and background activity increase by quite a bit when these two features are active. Therefore, we recommend disabling these functions. SuperFetch can be disabled via “Control Panel -> System and Security -> Administrative Tools -> Services”. To disable Prefetch, all open windows should be closed first. Then click on the “Start” menu and type “regedit”. Press Enter and go to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SYSTEM -> CurrentControlSet -> Control -> Session Manager -> Memory Management -> PrefetchParameters”. Double-click “EnablePrefetcher” and enter the value 0. Prefetcher is now disabled. It is important that these steps are followed very carefully, because serious problems can occur if wrong values are changed in the registry.

Defragment your hard drive

Writing or deleting data to the hard drive causes files to become fragmented. In this process, the individual parts of these files are distributed over the entire drive. This can lead to very severe performance losses in games. In order to process the file properly, all fragments must first be gathered together. Games usually require a lot of GB, so it should be ensured that the files can actually be read continuously. Mechanical hard drives can be easily defragmented via “All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter”. An SSD should never be defragmented; instead, the TRIM command is used for optimization. This command has already been integrated into defragmentation in Windows 8. In this case, you only need to click “Optimize”.

Optimize the NVIDIA Control Panel

NVIDIA’s drivers are equipped with their own control panels by default. This makes it possible to optimize the most important 3D settings. There are some options in the game that can be configured in this way, but others cannot. In some cases, they are also controlled directly by the driver. Optimizing all available options can ensure that there is an optimal match between visual quality and performance. The settings are configured via the NVIDIA Control Panel, which can be accessed by right-clicking the desktop. In the Control Panel, the “Manage 3D Settings” category must be selected. The following settings should be configured in any case:

• The number of frames that are prepared by the processor to be forwarded to the graphics card is controlled by “Maximum pre-rendered frames”. Increasing the value can make games run more smoothly. However, it is still possible that there will be a delay when using the keyboard and mouse. However, this can be eliminated by setting 1.
• “Threaded Optimization” should always be switched on. Its task is to support multi-threaded optimization for the modern processors with multiple cores.
• By disabling VSync, it is possible for games to run more smoothly. However, this should only be done if the monitor’s frame rate is higher than that of the game. Otherwise, parts of the screen may be rendered with a delay because they simply aren’t rendered properly.

Optimize the AMD/ATI Control Center

What works for NVIDIA is also possible for AMD. Open the Control Center in the same way, right-click on the desktop and select “Radeon Settings”, then go to “Gaming Settings”. It’s possible to configure individual graphics settings here for the games that are installed. However, it’s better to use the global settings first. These settings should be configured:

• “Anti-aliasing mode and method”: Anti-aliasing reduces the stair-stepping effect that occurs around edges of objects. While visually nice, it also has a negative impact on performance. If stair-stepping effects and shimmering are detected during play, the “override method” can be used. For this, a value between 2 and 8 is set as the anti-aliasing level.
• AMD has invented its very own form of anti-aliasing, morphological filtering (MLAA). It’s possible that this form will work better for you. The only way to find out if this is the case is to disable anti-aliasing and try the AMD version.
• “Texture filtering – Anisotropic sample optimization” ensures that distant textures appear sharper. The higher the value, the sharper. However, this also increases the workload on the graphics card. If the graphics card has sufficient performance capabilities, the option can be enabled. However, the function should only be activated if it’s not already enabled by the game.
• “Surface optimization” is often used by older games. This reduces the graphical display accuracy, which in turn leads to more FPS. However, no performance improvement can be noticed in practice, so this function should simply be disabled.
• The VSync function can also be disabled in the AMD Control Center.
• In addition, “Maximum Performance” should be selected, if possible. All energy-saving options should also be deactivated.

Every millisecond counts, as you’ve probably already noticed in some games. Therefore, you’re now doing everything you can to achieve the highest possible frame rate – which you easily can with just a few simple tips. You should take a close look at frame rates and get the best out of your computer, especially if you’re already playing E-sports professionally or are thinking about joining. So nothing stands in the way of your next win.