Counter-Strike 2 has arrived, and it’s drawing in a big crowd. But as with any new game, not everyone is having a smooth ride. If you’re one of those folks dealing with lags, stutters, and FPS drops in CS2, we’ve got your back. It’s important to note that if you’re facing these issues because of crowded servers, there’s not much you can do except wait for things to settle down. However, if your problems are due to the game itself, here’s how you can make CS2 run better.
When CS2 made its debut, it brought along better graphics and gameplay, thanks to the Source 2 engine. But that upgrade can put a strain on your computer’s GPU, leading to performance hiccups. So, if you’re dealing with stutters and lag, this guide will show you how to smooth things out and boost your CS2 performance. Let’s get started.
We have already written an article in CSGO FPS Drops you can also read it and apply the necessary fixes to improve your gaming experience.
How to Fix CS2 FPS Drop, Lag, & Stuttering
1. Delete Directx Installer & Cleanup Disk
To resolve CS2 FPS drop follow these steps:
- Go to your CS file explorer directory located under “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive.”
- Inside this directory, completely delete the folder named “directx_installer.”
- Next, go to your Windows search bar and search for “cleanup,” then click on “Disk Cleanup.”
- In the Disk Cleanup window, you’ll see a checkbox next to “DirectX Shader Cache.” Check this box.
- Click “OK” to confirm, and follow through with the prompts to delete the files.
- Now Restart Your PC
2. Verify Integrity of Game Files
Following the previous steps, once you’ve deleted the “directx_installer” folder and cleared the DirectX Shader Cache, you should:
- Open the Steam client on your computer.
- Right-click on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) in your game library.
- Select “Properties.”
- In the Properties window, click on the “Local Files” tab.
- Click on “Verify Integrity of Game Files.”
- Let the verification process run, and follow any on-screen prompts or instructions that appear as it progresses.
3. Nvidia Control Panel settings
Now go to the Manage 3D Settings in the Nvidia control panel and change the following settings;
- Image scaling – Off
- Ambient Occulsion – Off
- Anisotropic filtering – Off
- Antialiasing – FXAA – Off
- Antialiasing – gemma correction – On
- Antialiasing – Mode – Off
- Background Application Mac Frame Rate – Off
- CUDA – GPUs – All
- DSR – Factors – Off
- Low Latency Mode – On
- Max Frame Rate – Off
- Multi-Frame Sampled AA (MFAA) – Off
- Open GL GDI compatibility – Perfer performance
- OpenGL Rendering GPU – Your Dedicates GPU
- Power Management mode – Prefer Maximum Performance
- Preferred Refresh rate – Highest Available
- Shader Cache Size – Driver Default
- Texture filtering – Anistrophic Sample Option – On
- Texture Filtering – Negative LOD bias – Allow
- Texturing Filtering – Quality – High Performance
- Texture Filtering – Trilinear optimization – On
- Threaded Optimization – On
- Threaded Buffering – Off
- Vertical Sync – Off
- Vertical Reality pre-rendering frames – 1
- Vertical Reality – variable Rate Super Samp… Off
- Vulkan/OpenGL Preset Method – Auto
4. Change In-Game Video Settings
Open CS2 and go to Video then Advanced Video and change these settings;
- Boost Player Contrast – Disabled
- Wait for Vertical Sync – Disabled
- Current Video values Preset – Custom
- Multisampling Anti-Aliasing Mode – None
- Global Shadow Quality – Low
- Model/Texture Detail – Low
- Shader Detail – Low
- Particle detail – Low
- Ambient Occlusion – Disabled
- High Dynamic Range – Quality
- FidelityFX Super Resolution – Disabled [Highest Quality]
- Nvidia Reflex Low Latency – Disabled
5. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations
To enhance your CS2 gaming experience, follow these steps to disable fullscreen optimizations:
- Locate your “cs2.exe” file. It’s typically found in the directory: “<steam directory>/steamapps/common/Counter-Strike Global Offensive/game/bin/win64.”
- Right-click on “cs2.exe” and select “Properties.”
- In the Properties window, go to the “Compatibility” tab.
- Ensure that the “Disable fullscreen optimizations” option is checked or ticked.
By disabling fullscreen optimizations, you can potentially improve CS2’s performance and reduce issues related to fullscreen display.
