How to Check Framerate on PC: Methods, Tools, and What the Numbers Mean

Knowing your framerate — how many frames per second (FPS) your PC is rendering — is one of the most useful diagnostics a gamer or PC enthusiast can run. Whether you're troubleshooting stuttering, benchmarking a new GPU, or just curious how your system holds up under load, checking FPS is straightforward once you know where to look.

What Is Framerate and Why Does It Matter?

Framerate (measured in frames per second, or FPS) tells you how many individual images your GPU is rendering and sending to your display every second. Higher FPS generally means smoother motion and more responsive gameplay.

A few general reference points most gamers work from:

• 30 FPS — Playable for many single-player games, but noticeable to most players
• 60 FPS — Long considered the standard for smooth PC gaming
• 120–144 FPS — Common target for competitive gaming or high-refresh-rate monitors
• 165 FPS and above — Relevant primarily for high-refresh displays (165Hz, 240Hz, etc.)

Your GPU renders frames, but your monitor's refresh rate determines how many of those frames actually get displayed. If you're hitting 200 FPS on a 60Hz monitor, you're only seeing 60 of them — which is why knowing your actual FPS matters for tuning your settings intelligently.

Method 1: Use Your GPU's Built-In Overlay 🖥️

Both major GPU manufacturers — NVIDIA and AMD — include free software with built-in FPS overlays.

NVIDIA GeForce Experience

• Open GeForce Experience and go to Settings → In-Game Overlay
• Enable the overlay, then open the Performance widget
• Press Alt + R during gameplay to display real-time FPS, GPU usage, frame time, and more

AMD Radeon Software

• Open Radeon Software and navigate to Performance → Metrics
• Toggle on the in-game overlay
• Displays FPS, GPU temperature, CPU load, and frame time simultaneously

These overlays are low-overhead, meaning they add minimal performance cost — making them a reliable first choice for most users.

Method 2: Steam's Built-In FPS Counter

If you game on Steam, you already have a built-in FPS counter — no extra software needed.

1. Open Steam and go to Settings → In-Game
2. Find the In-game FPS counter dropdown
3. Choose a screen position: top-left, top-right, bottom-left, or bottom-right
4. Launch any Steam game — a small FPS number will appear in the chosen corner

Steam's counter is minimal by design. It shows FPS only — no frame time, GPU load, or temperature data. That's fine for a quick sanity check, but limited if you're doing serious performance analysis.

Method 3: MSI Afterburner + RivaTuner Statistics Server

MSI Afterburner (paired with RivaTuner Statistics Server, or RTSS) is widely used for in-depth performance monitoring across any game — not just Steam titles, and regardless of GPU brand.

Key capabilities:

• Real-time FPS, frame time graphs, GPU/CPU usage, temperatures, clock speeds, and VRAM usage
• Highly customizable overlay — choose exactly which stats to show
• Works across virtually all PC games and launchers

Setup requires installing both Afterburner and RTSS, then configuring what to display in the On-Screen Display settings. It has a steeper setup curve than the GPU software options but offers significantly more data — particularly useful if you're diagnosing performance problems rather than just checking a number.

Method 4: Xbox Game Bar (Windows 10/11)

Windows 10 and 11 include Xbox Game Bar, accessible with Win + G during gameplay.

• Navigate to the Performance widget
• Shows FPS, CPU usage, GPU usage, RAM, and VRAM in real time
• Can be pinned to stay visible while gaming

Xbox Game Bar works without any additional software and is useful for a quick check on any game. Some players find it more resource-intensive than dedicated overlays, so it's worth considering if you're on a lower-end system.

Method 5: In-Game Settings and Console Commands

Many games include a native FPS display option:

• Apex Legends, Titanfall 2, and other Source-engine games: cl_showfps 1 in the console
• CS2 / CS:GO: cl_showfps 1 or net_graph 1 for extended data
• Minecraft (Java Edition): Press F3 for a debug overlay including FPS
• Many modern games: Check Settings → Video or Settings → Interface for a built-in framerate display toggle

Native in-game counters are zero-overhead by definition and often the cleanest option — but availability varies widely by title.

Understanding Frame Time Alongside FPS 🎮

Raw FPS doesn't tell the whole story. Frame time — the milliseconds between each rendered frame — reveals whether your gameplay is actually smooth or just averaging a high number with inconsistent spikes.

If your game feels stuttery despite a high FPS counter, frame time data is often where the real answer lives. MSI Afterburner and RTSS both surface this; the simpler overlays generally don't.

The Variables That Shape Your Monitoring Choice

Which method works best depends on factors specific to your setup:

• GPU brand — NVIDIA and AMD overlays are optimized for their own hardware
• Game launcher — Steam's counter only works for Steam games; Afterburner works universally
• What data you need — FPS-only vs. full system telemetry
• System overhead tolerance — Low-end systems may be affected by heavier monitoring software
• Technical comfort level — Steam and Xbox Game Bar require almost no setup; Afterburner and RTSS involve more configuration

A setup running a high-end GPU on a single launcher with minimal diagnostics needs is a very different situation from a mid-range system being tuned across multiple games and platforms. The right tool — and the FPS targets worth chasing — look different depending on which side of that spectrum you're on.