For the best experience in Fortnite, you want your Fortnite FPS (frames per second) to be consistently high. When humming along at a high, stable FPS, games are smoother, more responsive, and arguably more enjoyable.
While maximizing your frame rate won’t automatically make you a better player, it has the potential to assist you with aiming and reaction times. A higher Fortnite FPS can also help improve the fluidity of the game’s animation.
A low Fortnite FPS, by contrast, can pull you out of the experience and detract from the fun. The frames may become choppy and erratic when building, editing existing structures, or engaging with other players. If the game feels sluggish or seems to stutter at times, low FPS is a likely culprit.
So how do you get your Fortnite frames higher? While the FPS you can achieve ultimately depends on your specific hardware configuration, there are ways to coax enhanced performance from your system. From software optimizations to component upgrades, here are some tips for how to achieve a Fortnite performance boost.
First Things First
Before you start making changes to improve your Fortnite FPS, you should have a general idea of your PC’s capabilities.
Verify system requirements. In Windows, type “system information” in the search bar to view your CPU, GPU, and memory specifications. The GPU will be listed in “Components” under “Displays.”
Your system configuration should meet or exceed the current minimum system requirements provided by Epic. Meeting or exceeding a game’s recommended specifications will allow further FPS gains.
Check your monitor’s refresh rate. Even if your system can achieve high frame rates, you won’t see the benefits onscreen if they exceed your monitor’s maximum refresh rate. For example, a 60Hz monitor only refreshes the image onscreen 60 times per second, so you won’t benefit from reaching over 60 FPS. A 120Hz monitor can only display 120 FPS max. You may need to upgrade your monitor to see the gameplay and visual benefits of higher FPS.
Measure your FPS. That way you’ll have a baseline to refer back to as you apply the changes suggested in this guide.
A simple way to monitor your FPS is keeping an eye on the FPS counter while playing. (To see the counter, turn on Show FPS in Fortnite’s Video settings.) For a more accurate reading, use third party in-game benchmarking software to measure your Average FPS and advanced performance metrics over a period of time.
What is a good FPS for Fortnite? That depends on the level of performance you want to achieve. As a rule of thumb, 30–60 FPS would fall towards the lower end of the scale, while 120-240 FPS would reside towards the higher end of the scale. Many pro players tune their system to target frame rates that are consistently above 200 FPS.
Step 1: Optimize Your PC
Software, including your operating system, can occupy valuable system resources that Fortnite needs to render frames. This can adversely affect your Fortnite FPS. Adjusting system settings and making sure your software is up to date can free up resources to net yield a higher FPS.
Update your software. Game-related software should be updated to the latest versions to ensure that it is running optimally.
- Update your OS. Start by making sure your operating system is up to date. (In Windows, click Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.)
- Update your graphics card and drivers. Graphics card software is frequently updated with performance improvements and optimizations for the latest games. Turn on auto-updates or download the most recent graphics drivers directly from the manufacturer’s website.
- Update Fortnite. Leave auto-update turned on in the Epic Games Launcher settings under “Manage Games.”
Close resource-consuming applications. Operating systems are designed to manage multiple applications simultaneously. This feature can become a handicap when you want to allocate resources to a single application, such as Fortnite. It’s best to close any applications you don’t presently need.
- Desktop applications. To see a list of all open applications and the amount of resources they are using, open the Task Manager (CTRL+SHIFT+ESC). Pay specific attention to the amount of CPU resources being consumed, and close out any applications that are causing an unnecessary drain. A quick way to manage resources while playing is to pull up the Xbox Game Bar widget (WIN+G). That way, you won’t have to ALT+TAB out of your game to the desktop.
- Background applications. Some applications run processes in the background even when they are not actively open. Limit which applications can run in the background on a case by case basis in Windows settings (Settings > Privacy > Background apps), or turn off background applications altogether. You can prevent unwanted background applications from launching automatically at login in the Startup tab in Task Manager.
- Background recordings. Screen recording utilities that continuously capture gameplay footage can drain resources. One example is Windows 10’s Game DVR feature (Settings > Gaming > Game DVR). Disable them if you don’t rewatch gameplay regularly.
Step 2: Reduce Fortnite’s Load on Your PC
Once you’ve confirmed that software issues aren’t holding back your Fortnite frames, the next step is to calibrate your in-game settings for improved performance and a higher FPS.
For this section, navigate to the Video settings—that’s the tab with the monitor icon—in Fortnite’s settings menu.
Play in Fullscreen mode. Don’t choose Windowed Fullscreen or Windowed. This will help negate intrusive background processes that can reduce your average FPS.
Reduce Fortnite’s resolution. Resolution has a tremendous impact on performance. The more pixels in each frame, the more rendering your system has to do.
- Resolution. Lowering the Resolution setting to 1600 x 900—or even 1280 x 720—can improve smoothness and playability dramatically.
- 3D Resolution. Alternatively, set Fortnite’s Resolution setting to your monitor’s native resolution and lower the 3D Resolution slider below 100 percent. The game will render at a lower resolution and then be upscaled to your monitor’s resolution. One benefit to adjusting resolution in this manner is that only the resolution of 3D objects is decreased. HUD (heads-up display) elements remain crisp and easy to read.
Adjust Fortnite video settings. While better graphical settings add to the game’s visual appeal, detail comes at a cost to performance.
Use the Quality Preset setting to lower the Effects, Post Processing, Shadows, and Anti-Aliasing settings all at once. Then go back and bump up any effects you can’t live without individually, keeping an eye on how they affect your in-game FPS.
- View distance. Keep this setting on Medium to Low if you are experiencing low Fortnite FPS. Turning it down won’t reduce your ability to perceive crucial game objects like other players and player-built structures. However, it will decrease the maximum distance at which 3D objects are rendered, lightening the load on the CPU.
- Motion blur. This cinematic effect has a performance cost. Turn it off in the Advanced Graphics section a bit further down the settings panel.
- Learn more about visual effects. Curious how each setting will specifically impact the visual quality of the game? Read about in-game graphical settings in detail here.
Turn off Vsync. If you have a variable refresh rate monitor, enable GSync or FreeSync technology in your GPU settings instead. This can reduce screen tearing with less of an impact on FPS. Even if you don't have one of these monitors, try toggling VSync on and off between games to see if its effect is worth the performance hit.
Switch to DirectX 12. While DirectX 12 may not boost your average FPS score by more than a few percent, the real advantage is that it utilizes the CPU more efficiently. The frame rate stays higher during hectic moments in battle that demand the most performance. Enable it through the Rendering Mode setting in Advanced Graphics.
Enable Multithreaded Rendering. This setting improves Fortnite’s performance on multi-core CPUs. It’s important to verify that you have a multi-core CPU before turning on this setting. Using it with a CPU with only one or two cores may have an adverse effect on performance.
Enable Fortnite’s Performance Mode. Should the previous tweaks fail to provide enough of a Fortnite FPS boost, try playing in Performance Mode. This mode aggressively reduces visual quality in favor of improved CPU and GPU performance and is ideal for running Fortnite on less powerful PCs (though the Fortnite Team still recommends your system meet minimum system requirements). Select it from the Rendering Mode setting under Advanced Graphics.
Step 3: Improve Gaming PC Hardware
If your Fortnite FPS still isn’t where you would like it to be, the issue may come down to your hardware. Replace underperforming components and make sure your PC isn’t overheating.
Play on a faster CPU. A fast and efficient CPU is essential for playing Fortnite at a high FPS.
The speed at which the CPU calculates things like geometry, physics, and AI can directly impact the rate at which your system generates frames. When the CPU is overtasked and cannot prepare the rendering data in a timely manner, it becomes a bottleneck and will throttle your FPS.
Upgrading your CPU is a verifiable way to let your FPS count surge higher. The latest Intel® Core™ processor provides high-level performance for boosting your FPS.
Overclock your CPU. Overclocking can yield even greater performance gains for demanding applications such as gaming. Look for a CPU with the “K” designation if you plan on overclocking, whether you’re a novice, intermediate, or advanced overclocker.
Upgrade your GPU. Whether your current system has integrated graphics or a dedicated GPU, upgrading to a GPU with higher Fortnite benchmark scores can increase your FPS. Experience the game at high video settings with less of a cost to performance.
Utilize faster RAM. If you have high speed RAM installed, overclocking it with Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (Intel® XMP) technology may result in modest FPS gains (depending on your system configuration).
Keep your gaming PC cool. A PC that is too hot can cause your FPS count to wilt. If your PC exhibits symptoms of overheating such as excessive fan noise and sluggish responsiveness, inspect the fans, ventilation, and CPU cooler for dust and proper installation. This guide can walk you through it.
Increase Your FPS in Fortnite with a PC Upgrade
While freeing up system resources and lowering your settings can help you get closer to the performance you desire, playing on a fast CPU with a high core count is the surest way to increase your Fortnite FPS.
If your current system is preventing you from playing Fortnite the way you intend, consider upgrading to a laptop or desktop with more CPU resources. Another option may be choosing a new gaming CPU and installing it yourself for an improved Fortnite FPS.