Why is my FPS so low?
Brought to you by the minds at Hypertune.
Last updated 2 November 2026.
A low FPS number means the PC is drawing fewer frames than you expected. Intel's usual cause is a graphics setting heavier than the hardware. VSync and a monitor left below its refresh rate also cap the number. A hitch while the FPS number stays high is stutter, not this problem.
The "heavier than the hardware" cause, the background-app check, the driver update, and the order for shadows, reflections, and lighting are from Intel, How to Fix Your Low Frame Rate. VSync off for the highest FPS is the same line as the Valorant and Overwatch drafts. None of this is a Hypertune FPS percentage.
Six checks, in order
What you see, and what to change
| What you see | What to change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| FPS falls in fights and holds in the menu | Shadows, reflections, and lighting down first | Intel says those three are the heavy settings. Textures come later. |
| FPS sits on the monitor's refresh rate | VSync off, if you want a higher number | VSync waits for the screen. That caps the number and adds input lag. The Valorant draft leaves VSync off for the same reason. |
| A 144 Hz monitor feels like 60 | Highest refresh rate in the monitor's own menu, and in the graphics driver | NVIDIA sets this under Change resolution. The game cannot show frames the screen is not refreshing. |
| Only one game is slow, and it has two GPUs in the PC | Settings, System, Display, Graphics, add the game, High performance | The game may be on the weak graphics chip. This is the same Windows step as the CS2 settings draft. |
| The drop started after an update | Verify the game files in Steam or the launcher you use | Intel lists a repair when the drop is unusual. For CS2 hitching after a driver update, use the CS2 stuttering draft. |
| The FPS number is high and the picture still hitches | Treat it as stutter | That is uneven frame time. Start with CS2 stuttering if the game is CS2. |
Why is my PC stuttering?
If the desktop and more than one program hitch, the FPS number in one game is the wrong clue. Close heavy apps, update the graphics driver, and leave Windows Game Mode on. The Game Mode steps are on the Windows Game Mode draft.
Why is my game stuttering on my PC?
If only one game hitches, use that game's page. Do not paste another site's settings over the CS2 draft. CS2 video settings stay on the CS2 settings draft.
Where Hypertune fits
The checks above are free. Hypertune reads your CPU, GPU, memory and storage once, then applies only the features you turn on. Game Hub changes in-game settings through each game's config files, and that is all it changes. Users see up to 60% higher FPS. Hypertune is an Intel and AMD partner, and supports NVIDIA graphics cards. To undo Hypertune's changes, open the Restore tab, choose the most recent restore point, and select Restore.
Questions
Why is my FPS so low if my PC is new?
A new PC can still be on VSync, on a 60 Hz refresh rate, or on a graphics preset heavier than you want. Check those three before you change hardware.
Does a higher FPS number always look smoother?
Intel says no, once the number is above the monitor's refresh rate. A 60 Hz screen does not show frames above 60. A hitch can also happen when the number is already high. That hitch is stutter.
Should I turn VSync on?
Turn it on only if you can see the picture tearing and you accept the cap. For the highest FPS, leave it off, as on the Valorant and Overwatch drafts.