Are you suffering from FPS drops on Fortnite on your PC?
If you’re looking for a way to spend some time with your friends without going out, playing Fortnite should be on top of that list. Fortnite is a fun battle royale game where you need to survive the storm while killing other enemy teams.
Fortnite currently has 350 million users worldwide and has become a staple in the Esports scene.
While Fortnite is really fun to play, it’s not flawless, and you’ll run into issues at some point or another. One of the most common problems on Fortnite is FPS drops and stutters.
Unfortunately, this is a huge problem for FPS titles where every second counts.
Based on what we know, FPS drops on Fortnite are usually caused by faulty drivers or improper device configurations. However, it can also be due to third-party apps, server-related problems, or outdated software.
To help out, we’ve decided to make a guide for fixing FPS drops on Fortnite.
Let’s get started!
1. Check Fortnite Servers.
Before changing your configurations, we suggest that you identify first where the issue is coming from. This way, you’ll know exactly what to do. Visit Epic Game’s status page and see if there are issues with Fortnite.
Since server-related issues can’t be addressed on your end, the only thing you can do if the servers are down is to wait.
On the other hand, you can proceed to the next solution below if Fortnite is online.
2. Check Your System Specifications.
Like any game, Epic Games require a minimum system specification that you must meet before you can play Fortnite. If you’ve just downloaded the game and experienced FPS drops, try checking your system specs and ensure you meet the requirements.
To run Fortnite, Epic Games recommend using at least an Intel HD 4000 graphics card. However, the ideal video card that you should be using is an NVIDIA GTX 960 or higher.
Visit Epic Games’ website for the complete system requirements of Fortnite.
3. Restart Your Computer.
One of the quickest ways to fix most problems on Fortnite is restarting your computer. This should reload your system resources and eliminate temporary errors that could cause FPS drops and performance issues on Fortnite.
Here’s how you can restart your PC:
- First, open the Start Menu on your Taskbar.
- After that, go to the Power Options tab.
- Lastly, click on Restart.
Once done, go back to Fortnite and check if you’ll still experience FPS drops.
4. Update Your Graphics Driver.
When you run games on your PC, it uses your graphics card to render maps, characters, and other resources. However, if your GPU is not working correctly, you’ll encounter performance issues on the game.
If you experience FPS drops on Fortnite, see the guide below to update your drivers:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows + X keys to open the Quick Menu.
- Next, click on Device Manager.
- Expand the Display Adapters tab and right-click on your video card.
- Finally, choose the Update Driver option and follow the prompts to continue.
After the update, restart your computer and check if the problem is solved.
5. Lower Your Settings.
If you encounter FPS drops on Fortnite, it may indicate that your hardware can’t handle the current graphics settings you’re using. To maximize performance on your computer, turn down your graphics settings on Fortnite.
Go to Settings > Video and adjust the options under Graphics Quality.
Once done, start another match and see if you’ll still experience lags and FPS drops while playing Fortnite.
6. Check Your Network Connection.
The FPS drop you’re experiencing might be due to a slow network connection. To confirm this, perform a speed test on your network using Fast.com to measure its current upload and download bandwidth.
If the result indicates an issue with your network, unplug your router from the outlet and wait for 5 to 10 seconds before reconnecting it. This should re-establish the connection with your service provider.
Once done, run another test to check if the problem is solved. If not, contact your ISP and ask them to fix their service.
7. Adjust Your Graphics Card Settings.
Besides lowering your in-game graphics settings, you can get more performance from your GPU by tweaking your NVIDIA Control Panel or Radeon Software configurations.
For NVIDIA users, here’s what you need to do:
- First, open the NVIDIA Control Panel on your PC.
- After that, click on Adjust Image Settings with Preview.
- Now, click on ‘Use My Preference’ to unlock the slider.
- Lastly, drag the slider to the right to emphasize performance over graphics quality.
If you’re using an AMD GPU, see the guide below:
- Launch the AMD Radeon Software on your computer.
- Next, go to the Settings and click on Graphics.
- Finally, select the eSports or Gaming preset.
Once done, go back to Fortnite to check if the problem is solved.
8. Close Other Applications.
When playing games, you want to have most of your system resources available. This way, the game has plenty of room to operate without having to throttle when your system runs out of resources.
If you experience FPS drops on Fortnite, ensure that there are no unnecessary applications running in the background.
9. Set Fortnite to High Priority.
If you still encounter FPS drops on Fortnite, try setting the game to high priority on the Task Manager. This way, your system will prioritize Fortnite’s requests over other programs running on your computer.
Here’s what you need to do:
- On your keyboard, press the CTRL + SHIFT + ESC keys to open the Task Manager.
- After that, go to the Details tab and find Fortnite.
- Finally, right-click on the game, hover your mouse to Set Priority and choose High or Realtime.
Once done, join another game to check if you’ll still experience FPS drops.
10. Change Your Power Plan Settings.
Another reason why you experience performance issues on Fortnite is if you have the wrong power plan enabled on Windows. These power plans can be set on your computer to maximize performance or save power.
Check out the steps below to change your power plan settings:
- First, go to the Start Menu on your PC.
- Next, look for ‘Choose a Power Plan’ and open it.
- Lastly, ensure that High Performance is enabled.
Go back to Fortnite afterward and check if the problem is solved.
11. Reinstall the Game.
For your last option, try reinstalling the game if you still encounter FPS drops on Fortnite. Some of your installation files may have gotten corrupted, which causes problems when the game is running.
Follow the guide below to uninstall Fortnite:
- Launch the Epic Games launcher on your computer.
- After that, go to the Library and right-click on Fortnite.
- Finally, choose Uninstall and follow the prompts.
Once done, restart your system and reinstall Fortnite.
That ends our guide for fixing FPS drops on Fortnite. If you have questions, please voice them out in the comment section, and we’ll be glad to help.
If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂
