GPU, graphics & drivers
Best FPS settings for gaming: what actually helps
Reviewed July 2026
Not all settings raise FPS equally, and many popular “tricks” are pure placebo. Here's what genuinely moves the needle — in-game and in Windows — with honest tradeoffs and no invented numbers.
Step by step
01 The best FPS settings for gaming start with knowing what limits you
Before touching any option, find out what's holding you back: the GPU or the CPU. Turn on your driver overlay (or a monitoring tool) and watch usage while you play. If the GPU sits at 95-100%, you're GPU-limited — lowering resolution and heavy effects raises FPS. If the GPU is low and the CPU is high, you're CPU-limited — graphics matter less and what helps is closing background apps, faster RAM or lower draw distance. Optimizing blind is the fastest way to waste your time.
02 The graphics options that cost the most
Not all settings weigh the same. The biggest FPS eaters are usually: ambient occlusion (SSAO/HBAO), shadows, screen-space reflections, volumetric/fog quality, ray tracing and heavy antialiasing (MSAA/SSAA). Dropping these from “Ultra” to “High” or “Medium” is almost never noticeable visually but frees up a lot of performance. Textures, by contrast, barely cost FPS if you have enough VRAM — lowering them just makes the image worse for no gain.
03 Resolution and render scale: the biggest lever
Resolution has the biggest impact on a GPU-limited setup, because it sets how many pixels each frame draws. If you're short on FPS, “resolution scale” or “render scale” lets you lower the internal pixels without changing your monitor's resolution. Dropping it a bit (say to 85-90%) usually gives a solid bump with minimal loss of sharpness. It's better than running a non-native resolution, which looks blurry.
04 Upscaling: DLSS, FSR and XeSS
Upscaling renders the game at a lower resolution and reconstructs it to your native resolution with an algorithm. DLSS (NVIDIA RTX) uses AI and usually gives the best image; FSR (AMD, but runs on almost any GPU) is open and broadly compatible; XeSS (Intel) sits in between and runs on several cards. Used well, they give real FPS without wrecking the image, especially in “Quality” mode. More aggressive modes (“Performance”) raise FPS more but add blur and artifacts. It's one of the few legit “free wins” — try Quality mode first.
05 Frame Generation: read the fine print
Frame generation (DLSS 3 Frame Gen, FSR 3) invents in-between frames so the FPS counter climbs a lot. It feels smoother, but those frames don't respond to your input — they add some latency. For relaxed single-player games it's great; for competitive shooters where responsiveness matters, many prefer it off. Don't compare it frame-for-frame against “real” FPS — they're different things.
06 Refresh rate, Vsync and tearing
Your monitor refreshes at a certain rate (Hz). Pushing more FPS than your Hz isn't visible, but it can lower input lag. If FPS exceeds Hz without syncing, you get “tearing” (a split image). Vsync removes it but adds latency and can tank performance if you miss the target. The best option today is G-Sync (NVIDIA) or FreeSync (AMD) if your monitor supports it: it syncs without Vsync's classic latency penalty. Also set your monitor's max refresh rate in Windows (Settings → Display → Advanced) — it sometimes ships at a lower value.
07 Frame caps: why they can help
It sounds odd to cap FPS to run better, but it helps: a stable cap (say a few frames below your Hz) gives more even frametimes, less stutter, less heat and quieter fans. With G-Sync/FreeSync, capping just below your refresh rate keeps sync active and lowers latency. A steady FPS feels better than a high one that constantly jumps around.
08 Power plan and Windows power mode
Windows may be throttling your CPU to save power. On a desktop, set the plan to “High performance” (or the “Ultimate Performance” plan if it appears) in Settings → System → Power. On laptops, play plugged in with the power mode set to performance — on battery, most laptops cut power on purpose. This doesn't magically “speed up” anything, but it stops the system from holding you back by default.
09 Up-to-date GPU drivers (installed cleanly)
New drivers often ship real optimizations for recent games, so keep them current. If you're coming from another card or seeing graphical oddities, a clean install fixes more than you'd expect. What does NOT help is fiddling with hundreds of hidden driver-panel settings — most are placebo or make things worse. Stick to what has a measurable effect and leave the rest on automatic.
10 What's placebo (and where Neon is honest)
A lot of what's sold as “+FPS” does nothing: registry cleaners, “RAM optimizers” that force-empty memory, or packs of hundreds of mystery tweaks. What actually moves the needle is concrete: closing background apps, current drivers, the right power plan, XMP/EXPO enabled, and the in-game settings above. Neon measures your real numbers (it doesn't invent percentages), applies only Windows-side changes that are safe and reversible, logs every one so you can undo it with a click, and never touches your BIOS or overclocks your hardware on its own. And to be clear: every manual step in this guide works without any app.
Setting cost at a glance
| Setting | FPS cost | Visual impact |
|---|---|---|
| Shadows | High | Medium |
| Ray tracing | Very high | High |
| Screen-space reflections | High | Medium |
| Textures (with spare VRAM) | Near zero | High |
| Resolution / render scale | Very high | High |
Where Neon helps
The best FPS settings are mostly on you — they live in-game and in a couple of Windows screens. Neon doesn't touch your graphics options or promise a magic number — it focuses on the Windows side, honestly and reversibly.
- Measures your real numbers (CPU/GPU usage, memory, power plan) instead of inventing an improvement percentage.
- Only applies Windows-side changes that are safe, and logs each one so you can undo it with one click.
- Never changes your graphics settings, never touches your BIOS and never overclocks your hardware on its own.
- Every manual step in this guide works without installing anything — Neon just saves you the repetitive Windows-side work.
Game stuttering on top of low FPS? See the guide on fixing FPS drops and stutter and the one on best Windows 11 gaming settings.