Some games, even with sharp graphics, can feel choppy; others, even with smooth controls, can still stutter. Although both are referred to as “latency,” they are different issues. Input lag refers to the time interval between a player’s action and the game’s response, whereas a low frame rate means the computer is generating fewer frames. … Read more
A PC game can sometimes launch on the integrated graphics built into the processor even when a dedicated NVIDIA or AMD graphics card is installed. The result is usually obvious: unusually low frame rates, poor graphics performance, high frame-time spikes, or a game that suddenly behaves as though the computer has much weaker hardware than … Read more
Changing a game from fullscreen to windowed mode looks like a simple display preference, but it can sometimes produce a surprisingly large change in how the game feels. A title that runs smoothly in full screen may develop stutters in a window. Another game may show almost no FPS difference at all. Some systems even … Read more
If GPU usage suddenly drops from full load to an extremely low level, there might be an issue. This is particularly relevant when the game starts to stutter or the frame rate drops. Focusing solely on usage figures might lead you to believe the graphics card is faulty, but this doesn’t tell you whether the … Read more