If your PC renders far more frames than your monitor can display, the extra work can add heat, fan noise, power use, and tearing without much visible benefit. A frame cap keeps performance smoother and the GPU calmer.
These steps apply to Windows PCs with NVIDIA or AMD dedicated graphics cards in fullscreen or borderless games.
Does this affect you?
Use this if a game runs at very high FPS, your fans get loud, temperatures climb, or you want less screen tearing without relying only on V-Sync.
Cap FPS inside the game
- Open the game’s Settings or Options menu.
- Go to Graphics, Video, or Display.
- Find Frame Rate Limit, Max FPS, or FPS Cap.
- Set it to your monitor refresh rate or a few frames below it.
- Apply the setting and check the FPS counter.
A game engine’s own limiter is often the best option when available because it works directly inside that game.
Use the graphics driver
- For NVIDIA, open the NVIDIA app or NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Go to Manage 3D Settings.
- Use Max Frame Rate globally or under Program Settings for one game.
- For AMD, open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
- Go to Gaming > Global Graphics or a specific game and enable Frame Rate Target Control.
- Set the target FPS and test in game.
Driver caps are useful for games that do not include their own FPS limiter.
Use RivaTuner Statistics Server
- Download RTSS from the official Guru3D page, often as part of MSI Afterburner.
- Install and open RTSS.
- Click Add and choose the game’s .exe, or use Global.
- Enter your target in Framerate limit.
- Launch the game and confirm the overlay shows the cap.
RTSS works across many games and is useful when built-in and driver caps are inconsistent.
Pick the right cap
For a 144Hz monitor, a cap around 141 FPS is a common choice. It leaves a small buffer that helps reduce tearing without adding as much input lag as V-Sync can on some systems.
If your monitor supports G-Sync or FreeSync, enable adaptive sync in the monitor menu and GPU driver, then cap a few frames below the monitor’s maximum refresh rate for smooth results.
Competitive players may prefer uncapped or very high caps for slightly lower input latency. For quieter fans and lower heat, a cap near refresh rate is usually the better trade-off.
Sources
- NVIDIA Support – Setting a Frame Rate Limit (2025)
- AMD Support – Radeon Chill and Frame Rate Target Control (2025)
- Guru3D – RivaTuner Statistics Server Official Page (2025)