Low frame rate, stutter and lag
“Lag” covers two different problems. One is your computer struggling to draw the picture; the other is the delay between you and the game's servers. They have different fixes.
Quick answer
Tell them apart first
- The whole picture is choppy, even in menus or offline: that is frame rate, a problem on your computer.
- The picture is smooth, but actions land late or characters jump around: that is latency, a problem with the connection.
- Smooth with brief hitches every few seconds: that is stutter, usually background activity or storage.
Terms used on this page
- Frame rate
- How many images your computer draws each second, shown as frames per second (fps). Higher is smoother.
- Latency, or ping
- The time a message takes to travel from your computer to the game's server and back, in milliseconds. Lower is better.
- Packet loss
- Pieces of data that never arrive. Even a small amount makes online games feel erratic.
- Stutter
- Short, uneven pauses in an otherwise smooth picture.
Fixing low frame rate
Work down this list. Each step is easy to undo.
- Plug in the laptop. Many laptops cut graphics performance on battery. Choose a balanced or performance-focused power mode while playing.
- Use the right graphics chip. Laptops with two graphics chips sometimes run games on the weaker built-in one. On Windows, go to Settings, System, Display, Graphics, choose the game and set it to high performance.
- Update the graphics driver from the chip maker's website.
- Lower the settings in a sensible order. Start with resolution scale and shadows, which tend to cost the most, then effects and draw distance. Leave texture quality until last if your graphics card has enough memory.
- Close background programs. Browsers, video streaming and recording tools compete for the same hardware.
- Check temperatures. A computer that starts fast and slows down after a while is often too hot. See the heat notes on the crashes page.
Compare your hardware against the minimum and recommended specifications on the game's official site. If you are below the minimum, settings changes will only go so far.
Fixing stutter
- Background downloads and updates. System updates, cloud backups and other launchers downloading in the background can cause regular hitches. Pause them while playing.
- Storage. Games installed on an older spinning hard drive may stutter as they load new areas. If you have a solid-state drive, install the game there.
- Shader preparation. Some games prepare graphics data the first time you see a new area, causing hitches that fade with play. These often settle after the first session after an update or driver change.
- Frame rate limits. A frame rate that swings widely can feel worse than a steady, slightly lower one. Setting a frame cap in the game's settings can smooth things out.
Fixing network lag
Distance matters for online games played from Australia. Data takes measurably longer to reach servers in other regions than servers on this side of the world, so a game with no local servers will always have more delay than one that does. You cannot fix distance, but you can remove delay that comes from your own setup.
| Check | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Use an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi | Wired connections are steadier and less affected by walls and other devices |
| Move closer to the router, or use a mesh system | A weak Wi-Fi signal causes retries, which feel like lag |
| Pause large uploads and downloads in the house | Video uploads and backups fill the connection and delay game traffic |
| Restart the router | Clears faults that build up over long uptimes |
| Turn off the VPN while playing | A VPN can route traffic a long way round |
| Choose the nearest server region, if the game offers one | Shorter distance means less delay |
When the connection itself is the problem
If lag affects everything, not just one game, and persists after the checks above, contact your internet service provider. Have a note of when the problem happens and whether it affects wired as well as wireless devices.
If your provider does not resolve a complaint about your service, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman handles unresolved complaints about phone and internet services in Australia. Its website explains what it can help with and how to lodge a complaint.
A note on speed tests. A general speed test measures how much data your connection can carry, which matters for downloads. Online games depend more on steady, low latency. A connection can test well for speed and still feel laggy in games, so mention both when you speak to your provider.
Display settings that affect smoothness
How smooth a game feels also depends on how the picture reaches your screen.
- Refresh rate
- How many times per second the monitor updates. If your monitor supports a higher rate than it is set to use, the operating system's display settings let you change it. A cable or port that does not support the higher rate will limit it.
- Vertical sync (V-Sync)
- Matches the game's frames to the monitor's refresh to prevent tearing, a visible split in the picture. It can add a small delay to controls. If controls feel sluggish, try turning it off and setting a frame rate cap instead.
- Variable refresh rate
- A feature in many monitors and graphics cards that lets the monitor follow the game's frame rate. When available and switched on, it reduces both tearing and stutter.
- Full screen versus windowed
- Some games perform better in exclusive full screen, others in borderless window mode. If performance is uneven, try the other option.
A settings order that keeps the picture readable
When lowering settings, change one at a time and play for a minute before judging. A useful order, from the changes that usually save the most to the least:
| Order | Setting | Effect on the picture |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Resolution scale or upscaling mode | Slightly softer image |
| 2 | Shadow quality | Softer or simpler shadows |
| 3 | Volumetric effects, fog and lighting quality | Flatter lighting |
| 4 | Reflections | Less detailed mirrors and water |
| 5 | Anti-aliasing | More visible jagged edges |
| 6 | Texture quality | Blurrier surfaces; matters mainly when graphics memory is short |
If you reach the bottom of this list and the game still runs poorly, the computer is probably below what the game needs, and the vendor's stated requirements are the place to confirm that.
The exact names vary from game to game, and the effect of each setting depends on the game, so treat this as a starting order rather than a rule.
What to watch out for
Tools that promise a faster game
- "Game booster" or "PC optimiser" programs that claim to raise frame rates dramatically. The settings they change are available in the operating system itself, and some install other software alongside.
- Paid "ping reducers" that do not explain how they route your traffic. Your gameplay data passes through their servers.
- Guides that tell you to disable security features or edit the Windows registry for better performance. The gain is small and the risk is not.
Performance checklist
- Worked out whether the problem is frame rate, stutter or latency.
- Laptop plugged in and using its high-performance graphics chip.
- Graphics driver current.
- Background downloads paused.
- Game installed on the fastest drive available.
- Wired connection tried, VPN off, nearest server region chosen.