FPS monitoring in games
How to measure real FPS, 1% Low and find your build's bottleneck. The best software of 2026 with step-by-step guides.
MSI Afterburner + RTSS
The gold standard, free
The most popular combo for gamers. MSI Afterburner shows FPS and metrics, RTSS handles the on-screen OSD. Works on any GPU.
Download from msi.com →CapFrameX
Scientific 1% / 0.1% Low measurements
For detailed analysis: average FPS, 1% / 0.1% Low, frametime graph, stutter analysis. Free, open-source.
capframex.com →NVIDIA GeForce Experience
For GeForce cards
Built-in Performance Overlay. No third-party tools to install. Shows FPS, GPU temperature, clocks, RT-core usage.
nvidia.com →AMD Adrenalin Software
For Radeon cards
Built-in Performance Monitoring. GPU, CPU, VRAM, FPS metrics. Plus: gameplay recording, streaming, settings optimization.
amd.com →How to set up MSI Afterburner for FPS monitoring
- Download MSI Afterburner. About 50 MB, free, RTSS included in the installer.
- Install both components. Afterburner for GPU control, RTSS for the On-Screen Display.
- Open Settings (gear icon). The "Monitoring" tab.
- Choose parameters: Framerate, GPU usage, CPU usage, GPU temperature, RAM usage, VRAM usage.
- For each parameter tick "Show in On-Screen Display".
- Assign a hotkey to show/hide the OSD (default Ctrl+Alt+H).
- Launch a game and press the hotkey — you will see the OSD in the corner of the screen.
What the OSD metrics mean
- FPS — frames per second. 60+ is comfortable, 120+ is smooth, 240+ is esports.
- GPU usage 99% — the GPU is maxed out. This is normal in games.
- GPU usage 60-80% — CPU bottleneck! The CPU cannot keep up.
- CPU usage 100% on one core — an old game optimized for 1 thread.
- CPU usage 50%+ on all cores — good utilization, a modern game.
- GPU temperature 85+°C — time to clean dust or replace thermal paste.
- VRAM usage 95%+ — you hit the video memory limit, expect FPS drops.
1% Low FPS — why it is critical
Average FPS does not show real smoothness. A game with "100 average FPS" can feel choppy if the 1% Low is only 30. It means frames sometimes arrive with a 33 ms delay instead of the expected 10 — the eye catches that as stutter.
A good ratio: 1% Low ≥ 70% of the average FPS. So at 100 average — 1% Low should be 70+. If it is lower — find the cause (CPU bottleneck, RAM limit, kernel latency).
When you need CapFrameX instead of Afterburner
Use CapFrameX if:
- You want a scientific measurement of 1%, 0.1%, 0.01% Low FPS.
- You analyze the frametime graph (stutter).
- You compare two runs objectively (same scene, duration).
- You make hardware or game reviews.
MSI Afterburner is enough for everyday gaming and checking "is everything fine or not".
VSync, FreeSync, G-Sync — what they are
Technologies that sync FPS with the monitor refresh rate:
- VSync — an old technology, adds input lag but removes screen tearing.
- G-Sync (NVIDIA) — adaptive sync, works on certified monitors.
- FreeSync (AMD) — an open standard, works on most modern monitors.
- VRR — a general term for adaptive sync (includes G-Sync Compatible and FreeSync).
For gaming in 2026 always enable VRR/G-Sync/FreeSync on your monitor. It removes stutter without adding latency.
Frequently asked questions about FPS monitoring
What is the best FPS monitor in 2026?
Best options: 1) MSI Afterburner + RTSS — the gold standard, free, maximum settings; 2) NVIDIA GeForce Experience (for RTX) — built in; 3) AMD Adrenalin (for Radeon) — the same for AMD; 4) Steam FPS counter — the simplest; 5) CapFrameX — for scientific measurements with 1% / 0.1% Low. PresentMon — for advanced users.
How to enable the Steam FPS counter?
Steam → Settings → In-Game → "In-game FPS counter". You can choose the position (screen corners). It is the simplest way — no software install. It shows only average FPS, no 1% Low.
How to use MSI Afterburner?
1) Download MSI Afterburner from msi.com (free for all GPUs). 2) Install RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) — bundled. 3) In Afterburner → Settings → Monitoring → choose sensors (FPS, GPU usage, CPU usage, temperatures). 4) Tick "Show in On-Screen Display". 5) Launch a game and press F11 (or your hotkey) to show the OSD.
What does 1% Low FPS show?
1% Low is the average FPS from the worst 1% of all samples in a session. It is the real smoothness metric. A game with 100 average FPS and 35 1%-low actually stutters. 80 average with 65 1%-low is a smooth game. You can measure it with MSI Afterburner or CapFrameX.
How to do a professional FPS measurement?
1) Use CapFrameX — free software for scientific measurements. 2) Load the scene in the game. 3) Start a CapFrameX recording (hotkey). 4) Run a standard path for 60-180 seconds. 5) Stop the recording and view the detailed report: average FPS, 1%, 0.1%, frame time graph, stutter analysis.
What to monitor besides FPS?
Essential: GPU usage % (below 99% — bottleneck), CPU usage on all cores (a core at 100% — CPU bottleneck), GPU/CPU temperatures (above 85°C — throttling), VRAM usage (near the limit — drops), RAM usage. Useful: GPU/CPU power draw, fan speed, voltage.
How to set up the OSD nicely?
In MSI Afterburner → Settings → On-Screen Display → choose the font, size, position, color. You can group parameters (GPU group, CPU group). Experienced gamers use a thin monospace font like Consolas size 14 in the top-left corner — non-distracting.
Does FPS monitoring affect performance?
MSI Afterburner with RTSS takes less than 0.5% of performance — unnoticeable. NVIDIA Performance Overlay and the AMD Adrenalin overlay — close to 1%. CapFrameX during recording may take 1-2% — but only while actively recording.
Can I monitor FPS on a laptop?
Yes, the same MSI Afterburner or built-in tools (NVIDIA Performance Overlay for GeForce laptops, AMD Adrenalin for Radeon, Intel Arc Control for Arc). We also recommend adding CPU/GPU temperature and power-draw monitoring — laptops often throttle when overheating.
What is frame pacing and why watch it?
Frame pacing is the evenness of frame delivery. 100 FPS can be delivered evenly (every 10 ms) or unevenly (5 ms / 15 ms / 5 ms / 15 ms — that is stutter). On a frametime graph, uneven frames create a "saw" pattern. CapFrameX and MSI Afterburner show frametime in real time.
How does PresentMon differ from MSI Afterburner?
PresentMon is a low-level tool from Intel and Microsoft for scientific measurements. It shows data from the Present API directly from Windows. More accurate than Afterburner, but with no OSD — only log files. CapFrameX uses PresentMon under the hood. MSI Afterburner is simpler and has a built-in OSD.
How to monitor FPS in DX12/Vulkan games?
All modern monitors work in both DirectX 12 and Vulkan. RTSS used to have issues in DX12 — now resolved. The Steam FPS counter works everywhere. For DXR/Ray Tracing, also watch RT-Core usage (available in GPU-Z and recent Afterburner versions).