# Fortnite low FPS, lag or stuttering on PC: how to fix it

> On a weaker PC or laptop, Epic recommends the Performance rendering mode, built to keep FPS steady on less powerful machines. First, turn on the FPS counter, make sure the game is running on the dedicated graphics card and close what’s running alongside it. For delayed aim, turn off V-Sync and turn on NVIDIA Reflex if you have an NVIDIA card.

Canonical: https://risefps.com.br/en/guides/fortnite/how-to-increase-fps
Last updated: 2026-11-03

Fortnite runs on lots of PCs, but each rendering mode has a different cost. On a weaker PC or a laptop, the biggest difference usually comes from Performance mode, not from tweaking one setting at a time. Start by measuring.

## First, find out what is holding you back

**Symptom, likely cause and what to do**

| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Low FPS on a weaker PC or laptop | The PC is close to the minimum Epic asks for [1] | Switch the rendering mode to Performance (Performance mode section) [3] |
| Laptop with a dedicated card, but integrated graphics FPS | Windows is running the game on the integrated graphics [4] | Set Fortnite to High performance in the Windows Graphics settings [4] |
| Stutters in the first matches after an update | The game builds rendering states the first time it needs them [6] | Compare FPS from the second match on, not the first |
| Aim feels delayed | V-Sync holds back the whole system and adds delay [5] | Turn off V-Sync and turn on Reflex in the video menu [5] |
| Runs well for hours and then drops | PC heating up [2] | Clean the dust out of the vents and fans [2] |

## How to see your FPS in Fortnite

Before you change anything, measure. Without a number, you can’t tell whether a change helped or hurt.

1. Open the menu, go to Settings and the Video tab.
2. Turn on Show FPS: the counter shows up in the corner of the screen.
3. Play the same mode before and after each change and watch your FPS in fights and in the storm, not in the lobby.

## Performance mode: the way to go on a weaker PC

Besides DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, Fortnite has the Performance rendering mode. According to Epic, it was built so players on the lowest graphics settings or on less powerful PCs run better and keep FPS steady. The image gets simpler.

1. Open Fortnite, click the player icon and then Settings (the gear).
2. In the Video tab, under Display, change Rendering Mode to Performance.
3. Click Apply and restart Fortnite.
4. If the setting doesn’t change or reverts on its own, the settings file may be read-only. Open %LOCALAPPDATA%\FortniteGame\Saved\Config\WindowsClient, right-click GameUserSettings.ini, go to Properties and uncheck Read-only.

In Performance mode, you can remove the high-resolution textures from the install: in the Epic Games Launcher, open Library, click the three dots on Fortnite, go to Options and uncheck High Resolution Textures. Epic says this saves more than 15 GB. It also says that, on an older PC, installing the game on an SSD and having 6 GB of RAM or more help the game fit in memory and reduce stuttering.

## Windows, graphics card and driver

These steps come from Epic’s own low FPS guide and apply to any rendering mode.

1. Update your graphics driver from the NVIDIA, AMD or Intel website.
2. On a laptop with two graphics cards, open Windows Settings › System › Display › Graphics, pick Fortnite under Custom options for apps, click Options and select High performance.
3. Close the background programs you don’t use while playing.
4. On a laptop, the Windows power mode geared toward performance trades battery for FPS; balanced sits in the middle.
5. Verify the game files: in the Epic Games Launcher, open Library, click the three dots on Fortnite, then Manage and Verify.
6. With an NVIDIA card, Epic suggests setting Power management mode to Prefer maximum performance and Texture filtering - Quality to High performance in the NVIDIA Control Panel, with V-Sync off in the game.

## Delayed aim: V-Sync and Reflex

V-Sync holds each frame until the monitor asks for the next one. NVIDIA explains that this creates a queue that delays the whole system, from click to screen. For competitive play:

1. Turn off V-Sync in the game.
2. With an NVIDIA card, turn on NVIDIA Reflex in Fortnite’s video settings.
3. Make sure your monitor is at its maximum refresh rate in the Windows display settings.

## Stuttering in the first matches

After updating the game or the driver, the first matches may stutter even with a high average FPS. Fortnite runs on Unreal Engine, and the engine documentation explains that some rendering states cause hitches the first time they’re used, while the driver builds them. So don’t judge a setting by the first match: compare the ones after it.

## What your PC needs

**Fortnite PC requirements published by Epic (checked November 3, 2026)**

| Level | Graphics card | CPU, memory and OS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimum | Intel HD 4000 or AMD Radeon Vega 8 [1] | Core i3-3225 3.3 GHz, 8 GB of RAM, Windows 10 22H2 64-bit [1] |
| Recommended | GeForce GTX 960 or Radeon R9 280 with 2 GB, DirectX 11 [1] | Core i5-7300U or Ryzen 3 3300U, 16 GB of RAM, NVMe SSD [1] |
| Epic preset | GeForce RTX 3070 or Radeon RX 6700 XT with 8 GB [1] | Core i7-8700 or Ryzen 7 3700X, 16 GB of RAM, NVMe SSD [1] |

According to Epic, if you only meet the minimum, the game will run, but probably not on the highest settings. In that case, lowering graphics and closing what runs alongside it helps the most.

## What Rise does in Fortnite

Everything here shows what changes before you apply it.

- **Fortnite video preset.** Writes to GameUserSettings.ini, the file Fortnite saves when you save your settings: quality, V-Sync, motion blur, grass, Nanite and the FPS cap, which only goes up to your monitor’s refresh rate. With the Max FPS goal, it also turns on the Performance rendering mode. It was checked against files in the game’s format: after applying, open the video menu and check the values. (Games › Fortnite · Rise Premium)
- **Reflex.** On an NVIDIA card, turns on the game’s own NVIDIA Reflex. If you already picked a higher value, it stays. (Inside the preset)
- **Config Pro.** Applies public configs from pro Fortnite players, with the source for each one, and saves the previous file so you can go back. (Games › Fortnite · Rise Premium)
- **Windows, graphics card and network.** What matters in any game: power plan, background programs and your PC’s Windows, graphics card and network settings. Each optimization shows what changes before you apply it. (Optimizations · Rise Basic and Premium)
- **Before-and-after Benchmark.** Runs the same 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 Fortnite

- Doesn’t inject anything into Fortnite and doesn’t touch Easy Anti-Cheat or Engine.ini.
- Doesn’t mark the settings file as read-only.
- Doesn’t improve your internet’s route to the server.
- Doesn’t promise an FPS number: measure before and after on your PC.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I increase FPS in Fortnite?

Turn on Show FPS in the Video tab to measure. On a weaker PC or laptop, switch the rendering mode to Performance and restart the game. Update your graphics driver, make sure Fortnite is running on the dedicated card and close background programs.

### Is Fortnite’s Performance mode worth it?

On a weaker PC or laptop, yes: Epic built this mode so players on the lowest graphics settings or on less powerful machines keep FPS steady. The image gets simpler. On a powerful PC, compare it with DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 in the same game mode.

### DirectX 11, DirectX 12 or Performance: which should I use in Fortnite?

On a weaker PC, Epic recommends Performance. On a stronger PC, test DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 in the same game mode and keep whichever gives you steadier FPS. After updating the game or the driver, the first matches may stutter while the game builds rendering states; compare from the second one on.

### How do I fix input lag in Fortnite?

Turn off V-Sync, turn on NVIDIA Reflex in the video menu if you have an NVIDIA card, and make sure your monitor is at its maximum refresh rate in Windows.

### Can Fortnite run on a low-end PC?

Epic asks for at least a Core i3-3225, 8 GB of RAM and graphics like the Intel HD 4000 or Radeon Vega 8, with Windows 10 22H2. At that level the game opens, but probably not on high settings: use Performance mode and, if you can, install the game on an SSD.

### Why does Fortnite stutter even with high FPS?

Average FPS hides spikes. Right after an update, the game is still building rendering states and stutters in the first matches. If the stutter continues, check whether your PC heats up after a while, whether the game is on an SSD and whether heavy programs are open alongside it.

### Can a PC optimizer get you banned in Fortnite?

Epic doesn’t publish a list of allowed optimizers. The risk is in programs that mess with the game while it runs. Rise doesn’t inject anything and doesn’t touch Easy Anti-Cheat: it writes the settings file Fortnite itself writes when you save the menu. Still, be wary of anyone who promises you can’t get banned.

## Sources

1. [Epic: Fortnite PC system requirements](https://www.epicgames.com/help/fortnite-battle-royale-c-202300000001636/technical-support-c-202300000001719/what-are-the-system-requirements-for-fortnite-on-pc-a202300000012731) (checked on 2026-11-03)
2. [Epic: low FPS in Fortnite](https://www.epicgames.com/help/en-US/c-202300000001636/a202300000013603) (checked on 2026-11-03)
3. [Epic: how to turn on Performance mode](https://www.epicgames.com/help/en-US/c-202300000001636/c-202300000001719/how-do-i-enable-performance-mode-in-fortnite-a202300000013270) (checked on 2026-11-03)
4. [Microsoft: graphics card per app (Settings › Graphics)](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/optimizations-for-windowed-games-in-windows-11-3f006843-2c7e-4ed0-9a5e-f9389e535952) (checked on 2026-11-03)
5. [NVIDIA: system latency optimization guide](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/guides/gfecnt/202010/system-latency-optimization-guide/) (checked on 2026-11-03)
6. [Unreal Engine: PSO precaching and first-use hitches](https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/pso-precaching-for-unreal-engine) (checked on 2026-11-03)

_Guide 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._

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