Does GPU Affect FPS? [2024]

The graphics processing unit, or GPU, is a significant component of a computer system and the most important one for gaming and content creation. It renders videos, images, visuals, and graphics that we see on the screen. It has been developed for better performance than ever before, much like how gaming PCs are developed. When we talk about gaming, the significant matrix for gamers is FPS, or frames per second rate. But knowing does GPU affects FPS is very crucial, especially for those building a custom PC for gaming or doing other graphics-intensive jobs.

Let’s start from the basics! A frame per second or FPS is an essential factor in deciding the performance of your game—more on it in the next section. Undoubtedly, there is a direct relationship between a good-quality GPU, FPS, and overall gaming performance. Therefore, we have written this in-detailed article to explore everything related to the fps, GPU, the relation between both, and more. You must read this post until the end to deeply understand the query, along with several other factors that can help you get the most out of your PC and gaming experience.

What exactly is FPS?

As per the definition, frame rate or FPS is the number of images being displayed on the screen in one second. It’s also often known as the refresh rate and is measured in Hz. The more continuous images are shown, the better the frame rate and smoother would be the video quality. The frame rate is known as the frequency of frames. The standard frame rate is 30fps, in which a video seems like a moving picture and starts getting smooth. However, 60 frames per second is the most stable motion frame displayed on a monitor.

Does GPU affect FPS?

There is no doubt that graphic processing units affect FPS. A graphics card is directly related to the graphics quality, so the fps, too, since it also determines the overall smoothness of the graphics. A more powerful graphics card renders graphics on the screen more quickly, increasing FPS and providing a smooth gaming experience. If a graphics card is not advanced and high-performance, it will not be able to display graphics on the screen in the required time. Hence, it will decrease the FPS and will not give better performance in games. Let’s uncover some crucial factors that ultimately affect fps!

Graphics Memory

The first and foremost crucial GPU-based factor that directly affects the fps is the GPU memory. For your information, a card with more memory will have better overall graphics quality with a better FPS, refresh rate, and pixel clarity. More memory is better since you can store high-quality frames, detailed visuals, and other data. On the other hand, having more memory doesn’t always let you enjoy better fps. Still, you have to consider several other factors as well to achieve your ideal smooth graphics with impressive details. 

Clock Speeds

Clock speed is another factor that supervises the graphics performance and other connected factors like fps, refresh rate, and overall graphics resolution. Clock speed is the number of instructions a GPU can process in one second. The rule of thumb is that the card with a higher clock speed will give you a better graphics performance than the one with a lesser speed. A card with any clock pace between 1000MHz to 2000MHz is considered adequate for gaming. Remember, you can even overclock the base clock up to a particular boost clock to get better output. 

GPU temperature

The Graphics card’s temperature is another GPU-related factor that affects the graphics quality, especially the fps and refresh rate. Every brand tries its best to make an ultra-efficient cooling system for the graphics card. Still, when you’re overclocking the clock speed to the edge, a card may have some thermal mismanagement. As per the thumb rule, a card under 176°F (80°C) is considered ideal for excellent GPU performance. In contrast, if the temperature keeps rising and goes beyond 212°F (100°C), the FPS will start affecting and dropping. 

Bottlenecks

Bottlenecking is another factor that affects the graphics quality and FPS, especially while playing games. As per the definition, bottlenecking is some lagging that occurs when two computer elements, especially GPU and CPU, don’t have the same performance potential. Suppose there is an older GPU in your system but one of the latest CPUs in the computer. In such a case, the GPU won’t be able to keep up with the CPU and will hold back the processor’s performance. This ultimately affects the overall graphics output and fps.   

FPS vs monitor

What if the card is delivering a 60+ FPS, but the monitor isn’t made to showcase such graphics? In such a case, you are wasting the potential of the graphics card. If you want to experience 60fps or more, there must be a monitor that has a 60hz refresh rate or more. If your monitor does not have a refresh rate of 60hz, it will not give you better performance. For example, the GTX 1060 6GB dedicated graphics card can maintain an average frame rate of 105 FPS on 1080p resolution. If there is a 60fps monitor, you will waste almost 40 frames. 

What is a good FPS for gaming purposes?

Different FPS or frame rates give you a different graphics output while playing games or doing other graphics-related tasks. Let’s uncover graphics performance on different frame rates!

FPS	Remarks
Below 30	You’ll get a beautiful and smooth performance in your games. Ideal for gaming.
30-40	Give you a bit of improvement in lag and stutter.
40-50	It’ll not totally solve the problem. Still, visuals will be fairly acceptable.
50-60	You’ll get a fairly smooth gaming experience.It will give you a better performance than the low FPS.
60+	You’ll get a beautiful and smooth performance in your games.Ideal for gaming.

Some enthusiasts want to keep their frame rates at 120fps or higher. But for the AAA game, there must be a high-quality graphics card and a high-quality monitor that has a refresh rate of 120fps or more. If your monitor has a low refresh rate, it will not give you better performance in gaming. On the other hand, if there is an excellent graphic card, a good monitor, and use 120 frames per second, you will have a wonderful gaming experience.

How to Improve FPS on PC?

Suppose your graphics card is ineffective or does not function properly. In that case, it decreases the FPS and gives you a lousy gaming performance. Upgrade your graphic card for better performance and to increase FPS. If you have a good graphics card and still experience a low frame rate, here are some quick tips to fix it.

• Keep up-to-date and maintain your graphic card driver. Your graphic card manufacturer’s website has a driver for download. Download the most up-to-date driver to maintain the performance of your GPU.
• Carefully change the graphics settings. Suppose you have maxed out your in-game settings, and you still face lag and stutter in your game. As a result, your graphics card will not deliver enough frame rates for your game. If you decrease your in-game setting, your frame rate will increase.
• Try closing background apps. Sometimes your browser uses a lot of RAM, which results in a decreased frame rate. If an application is not needed, then close it in the background. When you close unneeded applications in the background, your frame rate will increase.
• Try some performance-boosting apps. It is possible to improve your frame rate and eliminate the lag and stutter from your game by using applications such as WTFast, Razer Cortex: Boost, and Game Fire. It is a reliable game booster software that is used to improve your FPS performance.

Conclusion

A graphic card is one of the most crucial PC elements since it is used to render video and images on the screen. It’s a necessary component if you play games or do content creation. But remember, when we talk about gaming, the significant matrix for gamers is FPS. Undoubtedly, a graphic processing unit directly affects FPS and overall graphics quality. A powerful and good-quality graphics card enhances the FPS, while the slow one will decrease the FPS. Hence, have a good-quality graphic card in your system for a better frame rate and better performance.

If you’re building a custom PC to enjoy an excellent frame rate for your videos and games, it’s better to use a high-quality CPU and a top-tier GPU. A good CPU and GPU combination gives you a better FPS and performance for different games and content creation software. If you have a good quality graphics card and your frame rate is low, in this case, keep your graphic drive up-to-date, thermally cool, close the background applications, and use game booster software, which is used to improve the frame rate of graphics.