NVIDIA Reflex and Reflex 2: how it cuts input latency, and how much
NVIDIA Reflex is a low-latency mode in which the game engine itself synchronises CPU and GPU so that the CPU never queues frames ahead of the GPU, cutting system latency by 10–40 ms in GPU-bound situations. Reflex 2 (2025) adds Frame Warp, which re-projects the finished frame to the latest mouse position just before display, reducing latency further.
Reflex · Reflex Low Latency · Reflex 2 · Frame Warp
Key figures
From the FPSHQ database, as of Oct 14, 2026
Where the latency comes from
When the GPU is the bottleneck, the CPU prepares frames faster than the GPU can render them and they pile up in the render queue; input sampled for a frame can be two or three frames old by the time it is shown. Reflex makes the game wait to sample input until just before the GPU is ready — in effect a dynamic FPS cap at the GPU's pace — which removes the queue. "On + Boost" additionally keeps GPU clocks high at low utilisation.
In CPU-bound scenarios there is no queue, so Reflex gains little; the benefit is largest with a slow GPU running at 99 % utilisation.
Measured effect
Values are typical end-to-end numbers reported by NVIDIA's LDAT tool and reviewers; the exact savings depend on the game. Our frame generation article explains why Reflex is mandatory with DLSS FG.
| Scenario | Without Reflex | With Reflex |
|---|---|---|
| GPU-bound 60 FPS, V-Sync off | ~70–90 ms | ~40–50 ms |
| GPU-bound 144 FPS | ~35–45 ms | ~20–25 ms |
| CPU-bound 300 FPS | ~15–20 ms | ~15–20 ms |
| With Frame Generation | + half a frame | required to offset FG |
Support and alternatives
Reflex Analyzer in G-Sync monitors measures full click-to-photon latency with a supported mouse.
- Works on GeForce GTX 900 and newer; must be integrated by the game (most competitive titles: Valorant, Fortnite, Apex, CS2 via driver NULL mode, Overwatch 2, CoD)
- Driver-level fallback: "Low Latency Mode: Ultra" in NVIDIA Control Panel, less effective than in-game Reflex
- Reflex 2 Frame Warp: RTX 50 first, extending to RTX 40; THE FINALS and Valorant were launch titles
- AMD equivalent: Anti-Lag 2; Intel: XeLL
Input latency
FPS, render queue and frame generation → estimated click-to-screen latency.
Unified FPSHQ model estimate, not a measurement.
On your PC
Enter your GPU (and CPU) — we calculate the effect of "NVIDIA Reflex" with the unified FPSHQ model using Cyberpunk 2077 as the example.
Save your PC in the account · Detect hardware with the app · Unified FPSHQ model estimate, not a measurement.
Where to use this on FPSHQ
Forum discussions
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What is NVIDIA Reflex?
NVIDIA Reflex is a low-latency mode in which the game engine itself synchronises CPU and GPU so that the CPU never queues frames ahead of the GPU, cutting system latency by 10–40 ms in GPU-bound situations. Reflex 2 (2025) adds Frame Warp, which re-projects the finished frame to the latest mouse position just before display, reducing latency further.
- games with DLSS in the catalog
- 182
- games with FSR
- 382
- Quality gain (model)
- +35%
- Performance gain (model)
- +85%
FAQ
Should I enable Reflex?
On or On + Boost?
Does Reflex work on AMD GPUs?
What is Reflex 2 Frame Warp?
Sources
- NVIDIA Reflex (2025)
- NVIDIA: Reflex 2 and Frame Warp (2025)
FPSHQ Team · methodology · methodology · Updated
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