The 5 Best Software You can Use to Monitor a Game’s FPS in Windows
FPS, which is the acronym for Frames Per Second, refers to the number of images that a display can render in one second, and is an important aspect that every gamer must consider. Basically, the higher the frame rate, the smoother the game experience. This is why gamers are always in constant pursuit of increasing their screen’s FPS, either through simple tweaks of the graphics settings or by upgrading the GPU.
Either way, you will need to view the FPS that your game is running at any particular moment to determine whether you are making any progress or if you need to take more action. There are many ways you can view your game’s FPS, and in this post, we will focus on one in particular—the use of dedicated software. However, it’s still nice to know what options you have, so we will first look at some other ways you can check the FPS before resorting to the use of software.
Using Steam’s In-Game Overlay to Check FPS
If you are using Steam, then you probably don’t need special software because it now includes an FPS counter in its In-Game Overlay options. The only downside is that you cannot activate the feature while in mid-game. All games have to be closed.
But since it does not involve the installation of an external file, it means less load on your CPU. To access the FPS counter in Steam, go to settings, navigate to the In-Game section, and you will see the FPS Counter menu. Here, you will choose the position on the screen where you want the FPS displayed, and you are done.
Note that you can also use this feature for games that you did not buy through Steam, as long as you have the Steam application. To do this, go to the Games Menu and click on ‘Add a non-Steam game to my library.’ Once the game has been added, launch it through Steam, and you can now view the FPS.
Using the Game’s Built-in Options to Check FPS
Again, before you download software, check to see if the particular game has a built-in feature that lets you view the frame rate. This option is usually a bit hard to find and may probably take a while going through the settings before you stumble on it. Alternatively, you can search the game name followed by “Built-in FPS.” Chances are that if it has an integrated FPS counter, then there is a post outlining the process of activating it.
But now to our method of focus. The main reason people resort to using software is because of its ease of use. The FPS counter option is easily accessible, and better yet, the software usually comes loaded with other features that you may find useful.
Here is a list of 5 of the best software you can use to show your game’s frame rate.
1. FRAPS
Fraps is probably the most popular software on this list. It was there before the alternative methods I mentioned above, and for this reason, it still remains my top recommendation. It is compatible with all versions of Windows and supports games using DirectX as well as those running on OpenGL Graphic Technology.
Fraps has three main uses, and the first is to display FPS. This is the functionality we are interested in. You can choose between any of the four corners of your screen to view the FPS. This software can measure the frame rates between two intervals of time, which makes it an excellent benchmarking software. Additionally, it also saves the statistics on your computer so that you can view them later for further analysis.
The second functionality is screen capture, which allows you to take a screenshot of your gameplay at any instance through the use of a keyboard shortcut. The screenshots are named and saved automatically.
The last feature is video capture, which allows you to record your gameplay in resolutions of up to 7680×4800 and frame rates ranging from 1-120 FPS. Fraps is premium software, but unless you are using its video capture functionality, there is no limitation to how you use it.
2. FPS Monitor
FPS Monitor is excellent software that not only displays your game’s frame rate but also other aspects of your game that affect performance. Yes, it will also show you the CPU usage, GPU performance, RAM utilization, and many other performance aspects. In this picture, I’m using overclocked Core i9-9900k on MSI MPG Z390.
Moreover, you will be able to customize the overlay in several ways. For instance, you can change the style, size, and color of the font to something that matches your desktop background. Also, the number of aspects displayed on the screen is up to you. You can have it so that you are only able to view the FPS counter or add any number of the other performance aspects.
This software also saves the game data collected so that you can use it later for further analysis. If you have been meaning to try overclocking your GPU but were afraid, then this tool will be of help to you. The secret behind successful overclocking is the ability to increase the GPU speed without overheating it. This is where this tool comes in—it has an alert feature to notify you when the GPU’s maximum temperature is reached.
3. MSI Afterburner
MSI Afterburner is software that is largely known as a graphics card overclocking utility. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that it has an FPS counter. After all, what better way to confirm overclocking than to check the change in game FPS? And the best part is that this software is completely free.
MSI Afterburner enables you to display your FPS at any corner of your screen, along with other performance aspects like temperature, clock speed, and voltage, which help you know the effects of your overclocking action. It also allows numerous customizations, such as determining which aspects appear on your screen, and includes skins that you can use to change its overall appearance.
To activate the FPS counter in MSI Afterburner, go to settings and click on the monitoring tab. Click on Frame Rate, then select it to show in the overlay screen display. The frame rate will be displayed in the top left corner of your screen.
4. GeForce Experience
If you are using a Ge-Force graphics card, then GeForce Experience is software that you will find extremely useful, not just for showing FPS. It’s a full-featured management program that gives you access to your card’s settings and can also search for updates for your graphics card.
To enable the FPS display, go to the program settings and look for the Shadowplay References tab. Once you are there, click on the FPS Counter button and select the desired position you want it displayed on the screen. You can also assign a custom shortcut for activating the display, although the default button is Alt+F12.
This software is also a great tool for capturing images and videos of your gameplay. Some other functions you can perform using Ge-Force Experience include adding filters to your games and boosting game performance by reducing the graphics settings.
5. DXtory
Dxtory is another FPS counter program that also allows you to capture screenshots and videos of your gameplay. Similar to Fraps, this software can be used on both DirectX games and those using OpenGL. DirectDraw and Vulkan are also some of the other APIs supported. It is also compatible with all versions of Windows.
Dxtory does not allow you to customize the position of the FPS counter, but there are other ways you can customize the overlay, like changing the color of the font. The frame rate is displayed by default in the top left corner.
Although Dxtory is a premium software, you will be able to use most of its features for free. The only limitation is that their logo will be displayed in all your screen and video captures. You will also have to deal with a constant license purchase site that pops up every time you close the program.
This software also has a number of filters that you can apply over your screenshots, game, and movies.
