What feels wrong when you play?

Choose the symptom that best fits. These checks help narrow down what to investigate; they are not a diagnosis or a promise of higher frame rates.

Browse gaming explanations

Before changing settings

Pick one repeatable game scene, note its resolution and graphics settings, and measure with the same in-game counter or trusted tool each time. Write down both average FPS and frame-time behavior. Change one setting at a time so you can tell what made a difference.

FPS is lower than expected

Check that the game is using the intended graphics adapter and compare a repeatable scene before lowering several settings. GPU use on its own does not prove a bottleneck: CPU limits, frame caps, power settings and the scene can all affect the result.

• Tell a CPU limit from a GPU limit
• Interpret GPU usage in context
• Check how resolution affects performance
• Measure a game consistently

The game stutters, even with high average FPS

Average FPS can hide brief stalls. Compare frame times in the same scene and note whether the stutter happens during shader compilation, a background download, a loading transition or a repeatable action. Avoid changing drivers and several graphics options at once.

• Understand frame pacing
• Read a frame-time graph
• Why high FPS can still feel laggy
• Investigate FPS fluctuations

Motion has a horizontal tear or uneven sync

First check the display's selected refresh rate in Windows and whether the monitor and game support the same synchronization options. Variable refresh rate, V-Sync and frame caps trade off different behavior; follow the monitor and GPU maker's guidance and test one option at a time.

• Recognize screen tearing
• Understand variable refresh rate
• Understand V-Sync
• Check the refresh rate Windows is using

The game crashes or the screen goes black

Note whether only the game closes, the display loses signal, or Windows itself freezes or restarts. Record the time and exact error. For a driver-specific failure, use the guide that matches your GPU; for a whole-PC restart or freeze, start with Windows evidence instead of assuming the game or one component is the cause.

• NVIDIA driver crashes (for NVIDIA graphics)
• Unexpected Windows restarts
• Windows freezes
• Investigate Windows crash evidence

Performance drops during a longer session

Repeat the same scene after the drop and note FPS, frame times, background activity and any temperature or power warning reported by the PC maker's tools. A change over time can have several causes; if the PC reports overheating or shuts down, stop the test and follow the manufacturer's safety guidance.

• Compare the workload and FPS pattern
• Look for frame-time spikes
• Check which part is limiting this scene

If none of these fits, search the gaming knowledge base or browse all Windows guides.