FPS drops in Elden Ring can really take the wind out of your sails when you’re in the middle of an intense battle or exploring the breathtaking world.
It’s frustrating when your smooth gameplay suddenly turns choppy, but the good news is that many of these performance issues can be fixed or at least improved.
In this guide, we’ll walk through what causes those annoying frame drops and share practical tips to help you get Elden Ring running smoother on your PC.
What Causes FPS Drops in Elden Ring?
Before diving into fixes, it’s helpful to understand why FPS drops happen in Elden Ring in the first place. FPS, or frames per second, basically measures how smoothly your game runs. When FPS drops, you get choppy gameplay or stuttering that can seriously ruin your immersion or even your performance in tough fights.
So, what’s behind these frame rate dips? Let’s break down the most common reasons:
1. Graphics Overload
Elden Ring is a visually impressive game, filled with detailed environments, complex lighting, and large open worlds.
All this beauty comes at a cost. If your graphics card (GPU) or processor (CPU) can’t keep up with rendering those fancy textures, shadows, and effects, you’ll see FPS drops. This is especially true if you try to run the game on high or ultra settings without the hardware to support it.
Source: Reddit
2. Background Programs Eating Up Resources
Sometimes the problem isn’t Elden Ring itself but what else is running on your computer. Apps like web browsers, music players, Discord, or even Windows updates can silently hog CPU, RAM, or disk usage. This leaves fewer resources for your game, leading to lower FPS and stuttering.
3. Outdated or Corrupted Drivers
Your graphics card drivers are like translators between your game and your hardware. If these drivers are outdated, missing updates optimized for Elden Ring, or even corrupted, they can cause instability or inefficient performance. That means your hardware won’t be used to its full potential, resulting in FPS drops.
4. In-Game Settings Too Demanding
Some graphics options in Elden Ring are more demanding than others. Features like shadows, volumetric lighting, and anti-aliasing can look great but require a lot of power. If you push these settings too high, your system might struggle to maintain a stable frame rate, especially in busy or graphically complex areas.
5. System Configuration and Power Settings
Your PC’s power plan can influence how aggressively your hardware runs. For example, if you’re on a “Power Saver” mode, your CPU and GPU might be throttled to save energy, which cuts performance. Also, other system settings like virtual memory, overheating protection, or background services can impact FPS.
6. Thermal Throttling
If your CPU or GPU gets too hot, they’ll automatically slow down to prevent damage — a process called thermal throttling. This slowdown means your game suddenly gets less processing power, leading to FPS drops. Dusty fans, poor ventilation, or an aging cooling system can cause this.
7. Game Optimization and Bugs
Elden Ring, like many modern games, can have optimization issues, especially shortly after launch or with major updates. Some areas or scenarios might be more demanding or buggy, causing sudden FPS dips regardless of your hardware. The developers often release patches to address these, but it can still be a factor.
8. Storage Speed
Running Elden Ring on a slow hard drive instead of a fast SSD can cause stuttering and FPS drops, especially during area transitions or when the game loads new assets on the fly. This is because the game waits longer for data to load, interrupting smooth gameplay.
8 Ways to Fix FPS Drops in Elden Ring
Now that we’ve covered what might be causing those frustrating FPS drops, let’s get into the good stuff: how to actually fix them. The solutions below range from quick tweaks to more involved adjustments, so pick what fits your setup and skill level.
1. Update your graphics drivers
This one’s super important. Graphics drivers are what help your GPU talk to games efficiently. Manufacturers like NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel regularly release updates that optimize performance for new titles, including Elden Ring. Running outdated or corrupted drivers can cause stuttering, crashes, or poor FPS.
Head to your GPU maker’s website or use their official software (like NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Radeon Software) to check for the latest drivers. Installing the newest version can sometimes make a surprisingly big difference, so don’t skip this step.
2. Adjust in-game graphics settings
Elden Ring lets you customize a bunch of graphics options, and some of them are more demanding than others. If you want smoother gameplay, try dialing down settings such as:
- Texture quality: High-res textures look great but use lots of VRAM.
- Shadow quality: Shadows can be expensive to render.
- Volumetric lighting: Those beautiful light shafts also hit performance.
- Anti-aliasing: Smoothing edges is nice but costs FPS.
- Motion blur and depth of field: These add cinematic effects but can cause stutters on some systems.
Start by setting these options to medium or low and see how your FPS improves. You can tweak them further depending on the balance you want between visuals and smoothness.
3. Close unnecessary background programs
Sometimes your PC is multitasking more than you realize. Applications running in the background, like browsers, chat apps, streaming software, or even Windows updates, can steal CPU, memory, and disk resources.
Before launching Elden Ring, close apps you don’t need. On Windows, you can open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) to see what’s using the most resources and shut down non-essential processes. This frees up power for your game and often reduces stutters and FPS drops.
4. Disable overlays and unnecessary software features
Overlays from programs like Steam, Discord, or GeForce Experience can sometimes interfere with game performance. They constantly run in the background and occasionally inject graphics or capture data, which might cause frame dips.
Try disabling these overlays temporarily to test if your FPS stabilizes. Usually, you can turn off overlays from the settings menus of those apps. For example, in Steam, go to Settings > In-Game and uncheck “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.”
5. Verify game files for corruption
Sometimes FPS problems come from corrupted or missing game files, which can happen due to interrupted updates or disk errors. Luckily, most game launchers have a “verify” or “repair” feature that checks the integrity of your game files and fixes issues.
If you’re playing on Steam, right-click Elden Ring in your library, choose Properties > Local Files, then click “Verify Integrity of Game Files.” This process can take a few minutes but is worth doing if you suspect file corruption.
6. Adjust your PC’s power plan to high performance
By default, Windows sometimes uses power-saving modes that reduce CPU and GPU speeds to save energy. While great for battery life, these modes can throttle performance during gaming.
To get the best performance, switch your PC’s power plan to “High Performance.” You can do this by going to Control Panel > Power Options and selecting the High Performance plan. This ensures your hardware runs at full speed when playing Elden Ring.
7. Enable NVIDIA Image Scaling or similar features
If you’re using an NVIDIA GPU, try enabling NVIDIA Image Scaling (or AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution if you’re on AMD hardware). These technologies let you run the game at a lower internal resolution and upscale the image to your display’s native resolution, improving FPS without a huge loss in visual quality.
You can enable this in your GPU’s control panel or in-game settings (if supported). It’s a great way to get more frames on mid-range hardware.
8. Disable fullscreen optimizations and run as administrator
Windows has a feature called fullscreen optimizations intended to improve performance, but sometimes it backfires and causes stuttering or FPS drops in some games.
You can disable it by right-clicking the Elden Ring executable (.exe), selecting Properties > Compatibility, and checking “Disable fullscreen optimizations.” While you’re there, also try running the game as administrator by checking “Run this program as an administrator.” This can help avoid permission-related issues that might affect performance.
Elden Ring Settings to Avoid FPS Drops
Certain in-game settings are more demanding and can lead to FPS drops. Consider adjusting or disabling the following:
- Ray Tracing: While it enhances visuals, ray tracing can significantly impact performance. Turning it off can improve FPS.
- Motion Blur: This effect can be taxing on performance. Disabling it can lead to smoother gameplay.
- Depth of Field: This setting can cause blurring effects that may reduce performance. Turning it off can help maintain FPS.
- Volumetric and Shadow Quality: High settings for these can be demanding. Lowering them can boost performance without a significant visual downgrade.
How to Boost FPS in Elden Ring?
If you’ve tried tweaking your settings and still want an extra edge to improve performance, NoPing’s Boost FPS feature can help.
NoPing is designed to optimize your PC’s resources specifically for gaming, and its Boost FPS function works by automatically closing unnecessary background processes, freeing up CPU and RAM for Elden Ring.
How it helps:
- Closes unnecessary background services
- Frees up RAM and CPU resources
- Optimizes network routes to reduce data congestion (which indirectly helps FPS in online matches)
How to use the Boost FPS feature:
- Sign-up through the website and download NoPing (you can test it for free).
- When you open the software, click on "Boost FPS" in the left side menu.
- On the next screen, you'll see a range of options to customize the feature (there are over 50 settings). You can enable or disable everything and choose between Windows default or user settings. You can also filter the options using the bar on the right.
And that's it! Boost FPS is now activated. Just launch your game and enjoy high FPS!
FAQ - FPS Drops in Elden Ring
Q: Will upgrading my hardware fix FPS drops in Elden Ring?
A: Upgrading your hardware can help, especially if your current setup doesn't meet the game's recommended specifications. However, optimizing your system and in-game settings can also yield significant improvements.
Q: Is Elden Ring optimized for PC?
A: While Elden Ring offers a vast open world and detailed graphics, some players have reported performance issues on PC. This is why optimizing settings and system configurations is crucial for a smoother experience.
Q: Should I play Elden Ring on an SSD?
A: Yes, installing the game on an SSD can reduce loading times and improve overall performance, especially when transitioning between areas.
Q: Can mods improve performance?
A: Some mods can optimize performance, but they may also introduce instability or compatibility issues. Always ensure mods are from reputable sources and are compatible with your game version.
FPS drops in Elden Ring can be frustrating, but with the right approach, most performance issues are fixable. By understanding what causes those dips and adjusting your settings, updating drivers, and optimizing your system, you can get back to enjoying a smooth, immersive adventure through the Lands Between.
And to always play Elden Ring with top performance, use NoPing! Download now and start your free trial!
