CSGO, or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, is a popular first-person shooter game that requires quick reflexes and accurate aiming. If you're experiencing lag or stuttering while playing, you may want to consider capping or uncapping your FPS (frames per second). In this article, we'll explain what FPS is, why you might want to cap or uncap it, and how to do it in CSGO.

Open CS:GO Game Properties

Close Counter Strike Global Offensive and open up your Steam library, as we will need to use Launch Options to cap or uncap the in-game frame rate. Open up your Steam library. Right-click Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on the left-hand side and select Properties.

csgo properties.jpg — Steam library > CSGO > Properties

Your CSGO properties window will open up; navigate to your Launch Options in the General tab. On the newer Steam client, the Launch Options dialogue box will already be visible in your general properties. Use the following launch options:

+fps_max 0

This command will set the FPS (framerate) cap to the value you set it to. For example, set it to “+fps_max 180” to lock your frame rate at 180. If you set the value to 0, the FPS will be unlocked / uncapped.

This launch option can be advantageous to keep a stable framerate, but it’s only instrumental when you can reach the indicated framerate. If you cannot reach 180 FPS but only 50, for example, lock it to 50 by using the command: +fps_max 50.

The +fps_max command is very useful and widely used in the community to improve the game’s performance.

+cl_showfps 1 or net_graph 1

Use these commands to see your current frame rate on-screen while playing CSGO. This will be very helpful in determining at which value you should cap the FPS. We suggest capping it to a value higher than your screen’s refresh rate and lower than the maximum FPS you can get. This will ensure a smooth experience and save some resources for the game or other programs running in the background.

More launch options to improve your CSGO gaming experience!

All CS:GO Launch Options we use

+fps_max 0

This will cap your frame rate to a specific value you set. Use a higher value than your screen’s refresh rate. (or set it to a number which it will be locked too)

+cl_showfps 1

This command will show your frame rate at the top left of your screen while in-game

-high

This will set the game's priority to high compared to other programs running in the background

-novid

This will disable the intro when you start the game

-refresh / -refreshrate / -freq

This command will set the refresh rate of your screen while in-game. Don’t set this over your screen’s actual refresh rate

-nojoy

This will increase your FPS by disabling the jock stick support

+r_dynamic 0

This will disable dynamic lighting, which will increase your performance

-console

This command will open up the developer console when you start the game, which can be helpful when using auto-exec files

-threads

Set this to the number of threads of your processor, but don’t use this command if you are using a dual-core CPU

-full / -fullscreen / -windowed / -window / -startwindowed

These commands will make sure that the game starts in fullscreen or windowed mode

+cl_interp 0

+cl_interp_ratio 1

+cl_updaterate 128

+cl_forcepreload 1

Use these five commands to ensure the best connection to the server you are playing on

-autoconfig

This command will ensure that your auto-config commands are executed when you start the game. Have fun using these commands and tweaking your CSGO settings and properties to increase your performance! Here are the launch options I use:

+fps_max 180 +cl_showfps 1 -high -novid -nojoy +r_dynamic 0 -fullscreen +cl_interp

FPS stands for frames per second, which refers to the number of still images that are displayed in rapid succession to create the illusion of motion in video games and other visual media.
Capping your FPS can help prevent screen tearing, which occurs when your graphics card renders frames faster than your monitor can display them. It can also reduce the strain on your hardware, making your system run cooler and quieter.
Uncapping your FPS can improve your game's performance and make it look smoother, especially if you have a high-refresh-rate monitor. However, it may also put more strain on your hardware and cause it to run hotter.
Capping your FPS may introduce a slight input lag, but it's generally negligible and shouldn't affect your gameplay significantly.