CS2 FPS capped at 60 or at your monitor’s refresh rate: how to uncap it
FPS that always stops at the same number isn’t a performance problem. It’s a cap turned on somewhere: in the game, the driver, Windows or your laptop.
Rise TeamGuide written by the Rise team. The steps work with or without Rise; the facts about the game come from the sources at the end of the page, with the date we checked them.
Short answer
If CS2’s FPS always stops at the same number, a cap is on. Check in this order: "Maximum FPS In Game" (fps_max), V-Sync in the game and in the driver, the driver’s frame limiter and, on a laptop, battery mode. With G-Sync, V-Sync and Reflex on together, sitting slightly below your monitor’s refresh rate is by design.
First, find out what is holding you back
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Stuck at 60 with V-Sync on | V-Sync ties FPS to the monitor’s refresh rate, and Windows is set to 60 Hz[1] | Set the monitor to its highest refresh rate in Windows "Advanced display"[7] |
| Always slightly below the refresh rate | G-Sync, V-Sync and Reflex on together cap it there by design[1] | If the image looks smooth, leave it[1] |
| Always the same number, far from the refresh rate | A cap in "Maximum FPS In Game" (fps_max) or in the driver[2] | Check fps_max and the NVIDIA or AMD frame limiter[5] |
| Low FPS only in menus | "Maximum FPS In Menus" (fps_max_ui) caps menus separately[2] | Normal: the match cap is the other one |
| Drops and locks at a low number off the charger | NVIDIA Battery Boost or the laptop’s power saving[5] | Play plugged in |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Where the FPS cap in CS2 comes from
CS2’s FPS can be capped in four places: in the game itself, in the graphics driver, in Windows and in your laptop’s power mode. The lowest cap wins. Check them one at a time.
| Where | What caps it | Where to change it |
|---|---|---|
| CS2 | "Maximum FPS In Game" (fps_max) and "Maximum FPS In Menus" (fps_max_ui)[2] | "Advanced Video", "Frame Pacing" section[2] |
| V-Sync | Holds each frame until the next screen refresh[1] | CS2 video menu and the graphics card control panel[4] |
| NVIDIA | "Max Frame Rate"[5] | NVIDIA Control Panel, under "3D Settings"[5] |
| AMD | Radeon Chill, which moves FPS between a minimum and a maximum[6] | AMD Software, globally or per game[6] |
| Windows | Monitor refresh rate and dynamic refresh rate (DRR)[7] | "Advanced display" in Windows settings[7] |
| Laptop | NVIDIA Battery Boost and Whisper Mode[5] | Play plugged in |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
fps_max: how to uncap or cap it
- From CS2’s main menu, open the video settings and go to "Advanced Video".
- In the "Frame Pacing" section, set "Maximum FPS In Game", which is fps_max.
- In the console, fps_max 0 removes the cap. A number instead of zero becomes the cap.
- Do it before you join a match. Since August 2025, CS2 won’t let you change fps_max while you’re connected to a server.
The menu cap is a different one: "Maximum FPS In Menus", which is fps_max_ui. Low FPS only in menus says nothing about your matches.
A monitor running at 60 Hz without you knowing
In windowed or fullscreen windowed mode, Windows decides the refresh rate, not CS2. If Windows is set to 60 Hz and V-Sync is on, the game stays at 60. CS2 warns you at startup when your monitor is below its maximum refresh rate.
- Open Windows settings, go to System › Display and open "Advanced display".
- Under "Choose a refresh rate", pick the highest rate on the list.
- If you see "Dynamic refresh rate", turn it off to test. Microsoft warns it can limit the refresh rate of some games.
When capping your FPS is worth it
- G-Sync monitor and NVIDIA card: Valve recommends G-Sync, V-Sync and Reflex together. FPS sits slightly below your refresh rate, with no tearing and low delay. CS2 suggests this combo at startup when it detects G-Sync.
- No G-Sync: V-Sync adds delay to your aim. NVIDIA’s latency guide recommends V-Sync off if you can live with some tearing.
- Graphics card at its limit: NVIDIA suggests a cap slightly below your average FPS to cut delay.
- Laptop on battery: capping saves power. For real matches, plug in.
Uncapped with Reflex, NVIDIA measures slightly lower delay than with V-Sync and the automatic cap. The trade-off is that the image can tear. Pick one and measure on the same map.
What Rise does in CS2
Everything here shows what changes before you apply it.
- CS2 video presetWrites the graphics settings to cs2_video.txt, the file the game itself rewrites when you apply the video menu, based on your graphics card’s memory. Shows what changes first.Games › CS2 · Rise Premium
- Reflex and Anti-Lag 2Turns on CS2’s own latency option when it’s off, on an NVIDIA or AMD card. The Boost setting you chose stays as it is. On an Intel card, it doesn’t touch anything.Inside the preset
- Before-and-after BenchmarkRuns the same Rise 3D scene before and after your tweaks and compares average FPS, 1% low and stutters on your PC.Benchmark · Rise Basic and Premium
What Rise does not do in CS2
- Doesn’t touch VAC and doesn’t inject anything into CS2.
- Doesn’t write launch options without showing you first.
- Doesn’t promise an FPS number: measure before and after on your PC.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my CS2 FPS capped at 60?
It’s almost always V-Sync with your monitor set to 60 Hz in Windows, or a cap in "Maximum FPS In Game". Check the refresh rate in Windows "Advanced display" and fps_max in CS2’s advanced video settings.
fps_max 0 or a high number: which one should I use?
fps_max 0 removes the cap. A number holds FPS at that value. With G-Sync, V-Sync and Reflex together, the game already sits slightly below your refresh rate. Without G-Sync, test both on the same map and keep the one with the steadiest frame time.
Why won’t fps_max change in the console?
Since August 2025, CS2 won’t let you change fps_max while you’re connected to a server. Change it from the main menu, before you join a match.
Why does CS2 stay slightly below my monitor’s refresh rate?
With G-Sync, V-Sync and Reflex on together, FPS stays slightly below your refresh rate. It’s by design: according to Valve, that’s usually the smoothest combination with the least delay.
Does capping FPS reduce input lag?
When the graphics card is the limit, it can: NVIDIA suggests a cap slightly below your average FPS. Uncapped with Reflex usually gives the lowest delay, but the image can tear.
Why does FPS lock at a low number on my laptop off the charger?
On battery, NVIDIA Battery Boost caps FPS to save power. If you also use "Max Frame Rate", the lower of the two wins. To play, plug in.
Sources
- Steam Support: CS2 video settings recommendations (G-Sync, V-Sync and Reflex) (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- Valve: CS2 release notes for June 25, 2024 (Frame Pacing and fps_max) (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- Valve: CS2 update from August 2025 (fps_max in a match) (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- NVIDIA: system latency optimization guide (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- NVIDIA: January 2020 driver and Max Frame Rate (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- AMD: Radeon Anti-Lag, Boost and Chill (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- Microsoft: monitor refresh rate in Windows (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- SteamDB (GameTracking-CS2): variables and commands pulled from CS2 (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
Spotted something out of date? Let us know on the Rise Discord and we will fix it. Report on Discord
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