Low frame rates turn fast-paced games into slideshows. Stuttering, input lag, and choppy visuals all trace back to the same problem: your laptop isn’t rendering frames fast enough. The good news is that most FPS drops come from software settings and system configuration, not hardware limitations. A few targeted changes can recover 20 to 60 percent of your missing frames without spending a dollar.
This guide covers 11 ways to increase FPS on a laptop in 2026. Some take 30 seconds. Others require a bit more setup. All of them work on Windows 10 and Windows 11 laptops from any manufacturer.
What Causes Low FPS on a Laptop
FPS (frames per second) measures how many images your GPU renders each second. At 60 FPS, gameplay feels smooth. Below 30 FPS, you’ll notice visible stuttering and delayed response to mouse and keyboard input. Laptops are more prone to FPS problems than desktops because they use lower-power components and have limited cooling capacity.
The most common causes of low FPS on laptops include graphics settings that exceed GPU capability, outdated drivers, background processes stealing CPU and RAM, thermal throttling from overheating, and power-saving modes that limit hardware performance. The table below shows what each cause looks like during gameplay.
| Cause | Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics settings too high | Consistently low FPS in all areas | Lower in-game settings |
| Outdated GPU drivers | Poor performance in newer games | Update drivers |
| Background apps | FPS drops and micro-stutters | Close unnecessary programs |
| Power-saving mode | Lower FPS on battery than plugged in | Switch to High Performance |
| Thermal throttling | FPS drops after 10 to 20 minutes of play | Improve cooling |
| V-Sync enabled | FPS capped at 60 or 30 | Disable V-Sync |
| High display resolution | GPU can’t maintain target FPS | Lower resolution |
| Malware | High CPU/GPU usage at idle | Run a full system scan |
How to Lower In-Game Graphics Settings for More FPS
Reducing graphics quality is the single fastest way to gain FPS. Every game has a settings menu where you can adjust visual fidelity. Turning everything down to the lowest option isn’t always necessary. Some settings cost a lot of performance while barely improving visuals, and others look noticeably better with minimal FPS impact.
Start by adjusting these high-impact settings first.
- Open the game’s settings or options menu and navigate to the graphics or video section.
- Set Shadow Quality to Low or Medium. Shadows are among the most GPU-intensive effects in any game.
- Lower Anti-Aliasing to FXAA or turn it off entirely. TAA and MSAA consume significant GPU resources on laptops.
- Reduce Draw Distance or Render Distance to Medium. Rendering objects far away eats frame budget without affecting gameplay.
- Turn off Ray Tracing if the option exists. Most laptop GPUs in 2026 still struggle to run ray tracing at acceptable frame rates.
- Set Texture Quality to Medium. This setting depends more on VRAM than GPU speed, but lower-end laptops benefit from reducing it.
- Disable Motion Blur and Depth of Field. Both are cosmetic post-processing effects that cost performance.
Many games offer preset profiles like Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. Start with Medium and adjust individual settings from there. You might keep textures on High while dropping shadows to Low. That kind of selective tuning gives you better visuals per frame than blanket reductions.
How to Update GPU Drivers on a Laptop
GPU driver updates often include performance optimizations for new games. A driver from six months ago might run a newly released title 10 to 25 percent slower than the latest version. Both NVIDIA and AMD release driver updates every few weeks, and each update typically includes game-specific improvements.
- NVIDIA laptops: Open GeForce Experience or visit nvidia.com/drivers. Click “Check for Updates” and install the latest Game Ready driver. During installation, choose “Express Installation” for the fastest setup.
- AMD laptops: Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition or visit amd.com/en/support. Download and install the latest Recommended driver for your GPU model.
- Intel integrated graphics: Open Intel Driver & Support Assistant from intel.com or check Windows Update. Intel releases periodic driver updates that improve performance in popular titles.
After updating, restart your laptop before launching any games. Some driver changes only take effect after a reboot. If a new driver causes instability, both NVIDIA and AMD allow you to roll back to a previous version through their respective software.
How to Close Background Apps to Boost FPS
Background applications consume CPU cycles, RAM, and sometimes GPU resources that your game needs. Web browsers are particularly wasteful. A browser with 15 tabs open can consume 2 to 4 GB of RAM and significant CPU power. Chat apps, cloud sync services, software updaters, and streaming tools all compete for the same resources.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click the CPU column header to sort by CPU usage, highest first.
- Right-click any process you don’t need and select End Task. Close browsers, Discord, Spotify, OneDrive sync, and any other non-essential applications.
- Click the Startup tab. Disable programs you don’t need at boot by right-clicking and selecting Disable. Fewer startup apps means more resources available when you game.
Be careful not to end system processes. If you’re unsure what a process does, leave it running. Focus on applications you recognize, like browsers, media players, and communication apps.
How to Enable Windows Game Mode for Better FPS
Windows Game Mode tells the operating system to prioritize your game over background processes. It reduces the frequency of Windows Update downloads during gameplay and limits background app resource consumption. The performance gain varies by system, but it’s a free optimization with no downsides.
Looking for more? We have a dedicated guide on how to check CPU temp.
- Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.
- Navigate to Gaming > Game Mode.
- Toggle Game Mode to On.
Game Mode activates automatically when you launch a game. No further action is needed after enabling it. On some older laptops, Game Mode has been reported to cause minor stuttering. If you notice worse performance after turning it on, switch it back off and test again.
How to Change Power Plan to High Performance on a Laptop
Windows uses power plans to balance performance and battery life. The default “Balanced” plan reduces CPU and GPU clock speeds to save power, which directly lowers FPS. Switching to High Performance removes these limits and lets your hardware run at full speed.
- Open Control Panel and go to Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
- Select High Performance. If you don’t see it, click “Show additional plans.”
- If High Performance still doesn’t appear, open Command Prompt as Administrator and type: powercfg /setactive 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c
Keep your laptop plugged in while gaming. Even on High Performance mode, some laptops throttle GPU performance when running on battery. The power adapter ensures your components get the wattage they need for full speed.
NVIDIA laptop users should also check the NVIDIA Control Panel. Go to Manage 3D Settings > Power Management Mode and set it to “Prefer Maximum Performance.” This prevents the GPU from downclocking during gameplay.
How to Keep Your Laptop Cool While Gaming
Heat is the silent FPS killer on laptops. When internal temperatures reach a critical threshold, the CPU and GPU automatically reduce their clock speeds to prevent damage. This process, called thermal throttling, can cut your frame rate in half within minutes. Keeping your laptop cool means keeping your FPS stable.
- Elevate the laptop. Place it on a laptop stand or cooling pad so air can flow freely underneath. Even propping the back edge up with a book helps. Flat surfaces like beds and couches block the intake vents entirely.
- Clean the vents. Use a can of compressed air to blow dust out of the exhaust and intake vents every few months. Dust accumulation is the most common cause of overheating in laptops older than a year.
- Use a cooling pad. A USB-powered cooling pad with fans provides active airflow beneath the laptop. Models from brands like Kootek, Havit, and Thermaltake typically reduce temperatures by 5 to 10 degrees Celsius.
- Control the room temperature. Gaming in a hot room makes it harder for the laptop to dissipate heat. If possible, keep the ambient temperature below 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit).
You can monitor temperatures using free software like HWMonitor or MSI Afterburner. If your GPU reaches 90 degrees Celsius or higher during gameplay, thermal throttling is almost certainly happening. Aim to keep the GPU below 85 degrees for consistent performance.
How to Disable V-Sync to Uncap FPS
V-Sync (vertical synchronization) locks your frame rate to your monitor’s refresh rate. On a 60Hz display, V-Sync caps FPS at 60. If your GPU can’t maintain a steady 60, V-Sync drops the frame rate to 30 to avoid screen tearing. That sudden halving of FPS causes noticeable stuttering.
Disabling V-Sync lets your GPU render as many frames as it can without an artificial cap. You might see screen tearing (horizontal lines where two frames overlap), but the tradeoff is higher average FPS and lower input lag.
- In-game: Open the game’s graphics settings and turn V-Sync off.
- NVIDIA Control Panel: Go to Manage 3D Settings > Vertical Sync and set it to “Off.”
- AMD Adrenalin: Go to Gaming > Graphics and set “Wait for Vertical Refresh” to “Off, unless application specifies.”
If screen tearing bothers you, consider enabling a frame rate cap slightly below your monitor’s refresh rate (for example, 58 FPS on a 60Hz monitor) instead of using V-Sync. This reduces tearing without the stutter penalty. NVIDIA users can also try “Fast Sync” and AMD users can try “Enhanced Sync” for a middle-ground solution.
How to Lower Display Resolution to Increase FPS
Resolution has an enormous impact on GPU workload. A 1920×1080 display renders about 2 million pixels per frame. Bumping up to 2560×1440 increases that to 3.7 million pixels, nearly doubling the GPU’s workload. If your laptop has a 1440p or 4K display, lowering the in-game resolution to 1080p can dramatically increase FPS.
- Open the game’s graphics or video settings.
- Find the Resolution option and set it to 1920×1080 (or lower if needed).
- If the game looks blurry or stretched, check for a Render Scale or Resolution Scale option. Setting this to 80 or 90 percent reduces rendering workload while keeping the output cleaner than a full resolution drop.
Many modern games also support upscaling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS. These render the game at a lower internal resolution and use AI or spatial algorithms to upscale the image. The result looks close to native resolution while performing like a lower resolution. Enable DLSS or FSR in the game’s graphics menu if your GPU supports it.
We also cover Samsung smart switch for Windows 10 in a separate article worth checking out.
| Resolution | Total pixels per frame | Typical FPS impact vs 1080p |
|---|---|---|
| 1280×720 (720p) | 921,600 | +40 to 70% more FPS |
| 1920×1080 (1080p) | 2,073,600 | Baseline |
| 2560×1440 (1440p) | 3,686,400 | -30 to 40% fewer FPS |
| 3840×2160 (4K) | 8,294,400 | -50 to 65% fewer FPS |
How to Use an External GPU (eGPU) With a Laptop
An external GPU enclosure connects a full desktop graphics card to your laptop through a Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, or USB4 port. This gives your laptop desktop-class graphics performance that no internal laptop GPU can match. It’s the most expensive option on this list, but also the most impactful for gaming performance.
You need three things: an eGPU enclosure ($200 to $400), a compatible desktop GPU ($250 and up), and a laptop with Thunderbolt 3 or newer. Popular enclosures in 2026 include the Razer Core X, Sonnet Breakaway Box, and AORUS Gaming Box. The enclosure provides power to the GPU and connects to your laptop with a single cable.
- Install the desktop GPU into the eGPU enclosure following the enclosure’s manual.
- Connect the enclosure to your laptop’s Thunderbolt or USB4 port.
- Windows should detect the new GPU and prompt you to install drivers. Download the latest drivers from NVIDIA or AMD.
- In your game’s settings, make sure it’s using the external GPU instead of the integrated or internal laptop GPU. Check the game’s renderer settings or the NVIDIA/AMD control panel.
Expect about 10 to 15 percent less performance compared to the same GPU in a desktop, due to Thunderbolt bandwidth limitations. Even with that overhead, a mid-range desktop GPU in an eGPU enclosure outperforms most high-end laptop GPUs by a wide margin.
How to Overclock a Laptop GPU for Higher FPS
Overclocking pushes your GPU’s clock speed beyond its factory settings. A moderate overclock can add 5 to 15 percent more FPS without any hardware modifications. The risk is that excessive overclocking generates more heat and can cause system instability, crashes, or visual artifacts during gameplay.
Proceed with caution. Laptop cooling systems have less headroom than desktops, so aggressive overclocks are not advisable.
- Download and install MSI Afterburner (free, works with NVIDIA and AMD GPUs).
- Increase the Core Clock by +50 MHz as a starting point.
- Increase the Memory Clock by +100 MHz.
- Run a benchmark or play a game for 15 to 20 minutes. Monitor temperatures using Afterburner’s on-screen display.
- If the game runs stable and temperatures stay below 85 degrees Celsius, increase the Core Clock by another +25 MHz. Repeat until you see crashes, artifacts (flickering textures), or temperatures above 85 degrees.
- When instability appears, reduce the last increment by half. That’s your safe overclock.
Some laptop manufacturers lock overclocking through BIOS settings. If Afterburner’s sliders won’t move, your laptop’s BIOS may restrict GPU voltage and clock adjustments. Gaming laptops from ASUS ROG, MSI, Alienware, and Razer typically allow overclocking. Ultrabooks and business laptops usually do not.
How to Check for Malware Causing Low FPS
Cryptomining malware and other resource-hijacking programs run silently in the background and consume substantial CPU and GPU power. If your laptop’s performance suddenly dropped without any changes to your setup, malware is a real possibility. High CPU or GPU usage at idle (when no games or heavy applications are running) is the primary warning sign.
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and check CPU and GPU usage with no applications running. If either is above 10 to 15 percent at idle, something is consuming resources.
- Sort by CPU or GPU usage and look for unfamiliar processes. Cryptominers often disguise themselves with generic or system-sounding names.
- Run a full scan with Windows Security (built into Windows 10 and 11). Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection > Scan Options > Full Scan.
- For a second opinion, download and run Malwarebytes (free version). It catches threats that Windows Defender sometimes misses, particularly adware and potentially unwanted programs.
After removing any detected threats, restart your laptop and check Task Manager again. CPU and GPU usage at idle should drop to near zero. Your gaming performance should return to normal levels once the malware is gone.
How to Increase FPS on a Laptop FAQs
How much FPS can I gain by lowering graphics settings?
The gain depends on which settings you lower and how demanding the game is. Reducing shadow quality, anti-aliasing, and draw distance from Ultra to Medium typically yields 30 to 60 percent more FPS. Turning off ray tracing alone can double your frame rate in games that support it. Start with the most GPU-intensive settings and work down until you hit your target frame rate.
Does Game Mode actually improve FPS on Windows?
Game Mode provides a small but measurable improvement on most systems, typically 2 to 5 percent. Its main benefit is reducing frame time spikes caused by background Windows processes like updates and notifications. It won’t transform a 30 FPS experience into 60 FPS, but it helps maintain consistency during gameplay. There’s no downside to enabling it.
Is it safe to overclock a laptop GPU?
A moderate overclock (+50 to +100 MHz on core clock) is generally safe as long as you monitor temperatures. Keep the GPU below 85 degrees Celsius and stop increasing clocks if you see visual artifacts or crashes. Laptops have less cooling capacity than desktops, so don’t push as aggressively. If your laptop starts thermal throttling after overclocking, reduce the overclock until temperatures stabilize.
Should I use DLSS or FSR to increase FPS?
Yes, if your game and GPU support them. DLSS (NVIDIA) and FSR (AMD, but works on most GPUs) render the game at a lower resolution and upscale the image using AI or spatial algorithms. On “Quality” mode, the visual difference from native resolution is minimal while FPS gains range from 30 to 50 percent. FSR works on nearly any GPU, making it the more accessible option.
Why does my laptop FPS drop after playing for a while?
This is almost always thermal throttling. As your laptop heats up during extended gaming sessions, the CPU and GPU reduce clock speeds to stay within safe temperature limits. Clean your vents with compressed air, use a laptop cooling pad, and make sure the air intakes are not blocked. Monitoring software like HWMonitor can confirm whether throttling is happening by showing clock speed reductions during gameplay.
Will adding more RAM increase FPS?
Only if your current RAM is a bottleneck. If your laptop has 8 GB, upgrading to 16 GB can improve FPS in games that use more than 8 GB of memory, because the system stops swapping data to the slower storage drive. Going from 16 GB to 32 GB rarely makes a visible difference in gaming. Check Task Manager during gameplay to see if RAM usage consistently hits 90 percent or higher.
Sources
NVIDIA – GeForce Driver Downloads | AMD – AMD Drivers and Support | Microsoft – Turn On Game Mode in Windows | Microsoft – Change Your Power Plan in Windows | MSI – MSI Afterburner
