How to Check Your Frame Rate While Gaming

What FPS means and why you should check it

FPS stands for frames per second — the number of individual images your graphics card draws and sends to your monitor each second. A higher FPS means smoother motion on screen. Most people notice the difference between 30 FPS and 60 FPS when ready. Going from 60 to 144 FPS feels even smoother, though the jump matters less the higher you go.

Checking your FPS tells you whether your hardware can handle the game you're playing at your current settings. If you're getting 30 FPS in a competitive shooter where you need quick reactions, you know you need to lower your graphics settings or upgrade your graphics card. If you're getting 200 FPS but your monitor only refreshes 60 times per second, you know you're wasting GPU power and can turn settings up without losing smoothness.

You can check FPS in real time while playing, or you can run a benchmark test that measures performance across a set scene. Real-time checking shows you what you actually get during normal play. Benchmarks show you consistent, repeatable numbers for comparison.

Key Takeaways

Most games have a built-in FPS counter you can turn on in the graphics or display settings menu.
Third-party tools like MSI Afterburner, NVIDIA GeForce Experience, and AMD Radeon Software overlay an FPS counter on top of any game without needing the game to support it.
Your FPS will vary depending on your graphics settings, resolution, and what's happening on screen — a busy scene drops FPS more than an empty one.
Matching your FPS to your monitor's refresh rate (usually 60, 144, or 240 Hz) gives you the smoothest experience without screen tearing.

Checking FPS through your game's built-in settings

Many modern games include an FPS counter you can turn on directly. The location varies by game, but it's usually in the graphics, display, or performance settings menu. Look for an option labeled "Show FPS", "Display FPS", "Frame Rate Counter", or "Performance Overlay".

Once enabled, a small number appears on your screen during gameplay — usually in a corner. This is the most accurate way to measure FPS because it's reading directly from the game engine. The downside is that not every game offers this feature, and you have to enable it separately for each game.

Some games let you customize where the counter appears and what other information it shows alongside FPS, like CPU usage or GPU temperature. Check the same settings menu where you turned on the counter.

Using NVIDIA GeForce Experience to monitor FPS

If you own an NVIDIA graphics card, GeForce Experience is free software that comes with your drivers. It includes an overlay that works with almost any game and shows FPS in real time.

To turn it on: open GeForce Experience, go to Settings, click the Overlay tab, and toggle "In-Game Overlay" to on. You'll also see an option to choose which corner of the screen displays the FPS counter. Close the settings and launch any game — press Alt+Z to open the overlay menu, then click the Performance tab to see your current FPS.

The overlay also shows GPU temperature, GPU usage, and memory usage if you want to troubleshoot performance problems. You can leave it running in the background without affecting gameplay.

Using MSI Afterburner for detailed performance data

MSI Afterburner is free software that works with any graphics card, not just MSI brand. It's more powerful than GeForce Experience and shows more detailed information, but it takes a few more steps to set up.

read and install MSI Afterburner from the MSI website. Open it, then go to Settings and click the Monitoring tab. Scroll down the list on the left until you find "Framerate" and click it. On the right side, check the box next to "Show in On-Screen Display". Click OK to save.

Now launch any game and press Ctrl+Shift+O (the letter O, not zero) to toggle the overlay on and off. Your FPS will appear on screen along with any other metrics you enabled in the Monitoring tab. Afterburner also lets you overclock your graphics card if you want to squeeze out more performance, though that's a separate topic.

Using AMD Radeon Software if you have an AMD card

AMD graphics card owners can use AMD Radeon Software, which comes with your drivers. Open Radeon Software, click the Performance tab at the top, then toggle "Metrics Overlay" to on. You can customize which metrics appear and where they show up on screen.

Launch a game and press Ctrl+Shift+O to display the overlay. Like the NVIDIA and MSI tools, it shows FPS alongside GPU temperature, usage, and memory if you want that information. The overlay works with any game on your system.

Running a benchmark to test consistent performance

Real-time FPS checking shows you what happens during normal play, but benchmarks let you test the same scene repeatedly and compare results across different settings or hardware. Many games include a built-in benchmark tool — check your graphics settings menu for an option like "Run Benchmark" or "Performance Test".

Standalone benchmark software like 3DMark, GFXBench, or Unigine Heaven runs a preset scene on your hardware and reports average FPS, minimum FPS, and maximum FPS. These tools are useful if you want to compare your performance to other people's systems or test how much a graphics setting change actually affects your frame rate.

Benchmarks take a few minutes to run and don't require you to play the game. They're most useful when you're deciding whether to upgrade hardware or when you're troubleshooting a sudden drop in performance.

Understanding what your FPS number means for your setup

Your monitor has a refresh rate — the number of times per second it can display a new image. Common refresh rates are 60 Hz (60 times per second), 144 Hz, and 240 Hz. If your game is producing 200 FPS but your monitor only refreshes 60 times per second, your monitor can only show 60 of those frames. The extra frames are wasted.

Matching your FPS to your monitor's refresh rate is ideal. If you're getting 60 FPS on a 60 Hz monitor, the image looks smooth. If you're getting 30 FPS on a 60 Hz monitor, you'll notice stuttering because some refresh cycles show the same frame twice.

If your FPS drops below your monitor's refresh rate during gameplay, you'll see stuttering or tearing — the image looks choppy or split. If your FPS is much higher than your monitor can display, you might see screen tearing (a horizontal line across the screen where the top and bottom show different frames). Turning on V-Sync in your graphics settings locks your FPS to your monitor's refresh rate and eliminates tearing, though it can add a tiny bit of input delay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my FPS lower in some games than others?

Different games demand different amounts of GPU power. A straightforward 2D game might run at 300 FPS, while a detailed 3D game with high-resolution textures and complex lighting might run at 60 FPS on the same hardware. Graphics settings matter too — lowering resolution, texture quality, or shadow detail increases FPS in the same game.

Does higher FPS always mean better gameplay?

Higher FPS feels smoother, but you only benefit up to your monitor's refresh rate. A 60 Hz monitor can't show more than 60 FPS, so getting 200 FPS doesn't help. For competitive games where reaction time matters, 144 FPS or higher on a matching monitor does make a noticeable difference. For single-player games, 60 FPS is usually smooth enough.

Can I check FPS on a console like PlayStation or Xbox?

PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have built-in performance modes that show FPS, but the menus vary by console and game. Check your console's settings or the game's graphics menu. PC is the easiest platform for checking FPS because of the third-party tools available.

What should I do if my FPS is too low?

Lower your graphics settings — start with resolution, then texture quality, shadow detail, and effects. Close other programs running in the background. If that doesn't help, your hardware may not be powerful enough for that game at those settings. Upgrading your graphics card is the long-term solution.

Is it normal for FPS to change during gameplay?

Yes. Busy scenes with lots of objects, effects, or characters drop FPS more than empty areas. FPS also varies slightly based on what your CPU is doing in the background. As long as it stays above your monitor's refresh rate, you won't notice the change.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.