The fastest way to check FPS in a game is to switch on an overlay that prints the frame rate on screen: Steam’s built-in counter, the Xbox Game Bar performance widget, your graphics driver’s overlay, or the RTSS and MSI Afterburner pair. All four are free, and each suits a different level of detail. Pick the lightest one that answers your question, then read more than just the average number.
- The Four Methods Side by Side
- Method 1: Steam’s Built-In Counter
- Method 2: Windows Game Bar
- Method 3: GPU Driver Overlays
- Method 4: RTSS with MSI Afterburner
- Reading the Numbers: Average, 1% Lows and Frame Time
- Common Constraints and Troubleshooting
- Diagnostic Verification Checklist
- When to Stop Tweaking
- Frequently Asked Questions
Below you will find a comparison of the four methods, click-by-click steps for each, a short lesson on reading average FPS against 1% lows and frame time, and a troubleshooting list for overlays that refuse to appear. Menu wording changes between app versions, so treat the paths as a guide and look for the closest matching label.
The Four Methods Side by Side
| Method | Needs install? | Detail level | Works with | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam in-game counter | Only Steam | FPS number only | Games launched through Steam | A fast, no-fuss check |
| Windows Game Bar | Built into Windows | FPS, CPU, GPU, memory graphs | Most full-screen and windowed games | Casual monitoring without extra software |
| GPU driver overlay (NVIDIA app or AMD Adrenalin) | Driver suite | FPS, frame time, temperatures, clocks (varies) | Games the driver recognizes | Owners who already use the driver app |
| RTSS with MSI Afterburner | Two free downloads | Fully customizable, graphs, logging | Wide range of graphics APIs | Deep diagnostics and comparing settings |
If you only need to know whether a setting change helped, the Steam counter is enough. If you are chasing stutter, you will want frame time and 1% lows, which points to a driver overlay or RTSS.
Method 1: Steam’s Built-In Counter
- Open Steam and go to Steam, then Settings.
- Choose In Game from the side list.
- Find In-game FPS counter and set it to a corner of the screen. A high-contrast option makes the number easier to read on bright scenes.
- Launch a game from your Steam library. The number appears in the chosen corner.
This counter shows one number and nothing else, so it cannot tell you what is limiting performance. It also depends on the game being launched through Steam. For titles started from another store, you can often add them to Steam as a non-Steam game, though a driver overlay is usually simpler.
Method 2: Windows Game Bar
Game Bar is part of Windows, so there is nothing to install. Press the Windows key plus G while a game is in focus. If Game Bar does not open, check that it is enabled in Windows Settings under Gaming.
- With the Game Bar open, find the Performance widget. If you do not see it, open the widget menu and select Performance.
- Pin the widget so it stays on screen after you close the bar.
- Expand it to see FPS plus CPU, GPU and memory activity graphs.
The pinned widget is handy for a glance at overall load. Treat the percentages as rough indicators, since the exact meaning of each graph depends on how Windows reports counters. For a precise picture of frame pacing, move to one of the next two methods.
Method 3: GPU Driver Overlays
Both major GPU vendors include a performance overlay in their driver apps. The NVIDIA app has an in-game overlay opened with a hotkey (commonly Alt plus Z) that includes a performance panel. AMD’s Adrenalin software has a metrics overlay on its Performance tab, with a hotkey you can set. Names differ by version, so search the app for terms like Performance, Metrics or Statistics.
- Open the driver app and enable the in-game overlay if it is off.
- Open the performance or metrics section and choose the stats you want: FPS, frame time, GPU temperature, clock speed and usage are common.
- Pick a screen position and toggle it with the hotkey during play.
Driver overlays are convenient because the vendor builds them for its own hardware, and they usually add little overhead. The trade-off is that the overlay will not move to another vendor’s card, and features differ between generations.
Method 4: RTSS with MSI Afterburner
RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) draws the on-screen display, and MSI Afterburner feeds it hardware readings. Many players install both because the result is highly customizable and works across several graphics APIs. Download them from the vendors’ official pages and follow the installer prompts.
- Open Afterburner and go to Settings, then the Monitoring tab.
- Select the sensors you want (for example framerate, frametime, GPU usage, GPU temperature, CPU usage) and tick “Show in On-Screen Display” for each.
- Make sure RTSS is running in the tray; leave its On-Screen Display support on.
- Launch a game and check that the overlay appears. Use the hotkey set in RTSS or Afterburner to toggle it.
RTSS can also cap frame rate, which helps when you want a steady cap just under your monitor’s refresh rate. Be careful with other Afterburner features such as overclocking sliders if you are only monitoring; you do not need to change them to read FPS.
Reading the Numbers: Average, 1% Lows and Frame Time
The average FPS is a single number covering a stretch of play. It is useful, but it hides short drops. Frame time is the time each frame takes to render, in milliseconds, and it exposes unevenness. The two are linked: 60 FPS means roughly 16.7 ms per frame, 120 FPS means about 8.3 ms, and 144 FPS means about 6.9 ms.
| Target refresh | Frame time budget | What a spike looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 60 Hz | About 16.7 ms | A frame near 33 ms is a visible hitch |
| 120 Hz | About 8.3 ms | A frame near 17 ms feels like a skipped beat |
| 144 Hz | About 6.9 ms | A frame near 14 ms is a noticeable stumble |
Worked example with stated assumptions: suppose a counter reports an average of 100 FPS but 1% lows of 55 FPS during a fight. A steady 100 FPS is 10 ms per frame, while 55 FPS is about 18 ms, so those dips are nearly twice as long as the average frame. That gap suggests uneven delivery rather than a low overall speed. The cause could be CPU limits, memory, storage streaming or background tasks, so you would test one change at a time and watch whether the lows move closer to the average.
Common Constraints and Troubleshooting
- Overlay does not show: try borderless windowed mode, because some exclusive-fullscreen setups block overlays.
- Two overlays fight: disable duplicates. Running Steam, Game Bar, the driver overlay and RTSS together can cause flicker or a missing counter.
- Anti-cheat blocks injection: some online games restrict third-party overlays. Check the game’s rules before installing extra tools; Steam and driver overlays are usually the safest bets.
- Counter reads a fixed number: a cap from V-Sync, the game’s own limit or RTSS may be holding the frame rate. Turn the cap off briefly to see the uncapped figure.
- Numbers jump wildly in menus: menus and loading screens can show extreme figures. Judge performance during real play, not on the main menu.
- Overlay needs admin rights: if a game runs as administrator, an overlay without matching rights may not attach.
Diagnostic Verification Checklist
- Choose one overlay and disable the rest.
- Note your monitor’s refresh rate and resolution before you start.
- Play the same scene for two to three minutes, such as a repeatable area or a built-in benchmark if the game has one.
- Record average FPS, 1% lows and frame time. A screenshot of the overlay works fine.
- Change one setting, repeat the same scene, and compare.
When to Stop Tweaking
If the 1% lows sit within about 20 to 30 percent of the average and the game feels smooth at your monitor’s refresh rate, the counter has told you what you needed to know. If dips persist after lowering settings and closing background apps, move from monitoring to diagnosing: check CPU and GPU load on the same overlay to see which one is pinned. Our guide to checking CPU and GPU bottlenecks walks through that step, and the frame-time troubleshooting guide covers stutter fixes. If a second display is part of your setup, this second monitor guide explains how to avoid hurting frame rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the quickest way to see my FPS in a game?
If the game launches through Steam, turn on the in-game FPS counter in Steam’s In-Game settings and pick a screen corner. It needs no extra download and works in most titles. If the game is not on Steam, Windows Game Bar or your graphics driver overlay shows a counter with a hotkey instead.
Why does my FPS counter not appear in some games?
Overlays hook into the game’s graphics calls, and that can fail for several reasons: the game runs in exclusive fullscreen, anti-cheat blocks injected overlays, the overlay is disabled, or two overlays conflict. Try borderless windowed mode, run only one overlay, and check whether the game’s rules permit overlays at all.
Is a higher FPS number always better?
Higher is usually smoother, but the number only helps if it matches what your monitor can show and if frame delivery is even. A steady frame rate that matches the display refresh feels better than a high average with large dips. Frame time and 1% lows reveal those dips, which a simple average hides.
Does running an FPS overlay reduce performance?
Any overlay adds a small amount of work, because it has to read counters and draw text. On a modern PC the cost is generally small, but a heavy overlay with many graphs can add more than a plain counter. If you are chasing the last few frames, enable only the numbers you need.
How do I know what FPS target I should aim for?
Start from your monitor’s refresh rate. A 60 Hz display cannot show more than 60 frames per second, while a 144 Hz or 240 Hz display can. Aim for a stable rate near that refresh, then lower graphics settings, resolution scaling or ray tracing until the 1% lows stay close to the average.
