How to Display Steam’s Built-In FPS Counter

Source: How to Display Steam’s Built-In FPS Counter

If there’s one thing all PC gamers seem to agree on, it’s important to know your FPS (frames per second). This is how enthusiasts measure the performance of their hardware and optimization, and it can actually give you an edge over the competition in competitive shooters.

There are many options for displaying frames per second, but many are so intense that they can actually affect your system’s performance. The good news is that Steam has a built-in FPS counter that you can view when playing Steam games. Here’s how to set that up and view it.

How to view Steam’s built-in FPS counter

Accessing Steam’s built-in FPS counter is easy. If you are not in a game, go to steam > settings and select In the game from the left menu. In the middle of the screen is a list of options. Choose FPS counter in game and click on the drop down box.

By default, it is set to “Off”. You can choose one of four positions where you want the counter to appear: top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right. After selecting the position, click OK and start a game. Your frame rate should be displayed when you do this.

Another option is available to you. Under the drop-down box, click Contrasting color. This makes the number easily visible in a game regardless of the background color. If you don’t enable this feature, the number will appear white and will be difficult to see against the sky or clouds.

Ideal target frame rate

The human eye can translate approximately 30 frames per second, but beyond that it can detect differences in rates. When it comes to gaming, anything under 30 frames is considered subpar. Below 24 frames per second, the picture no longer looks coherent, but instead appears stuttering and shaky.

30 frames per second is considered the absolute minimum you should aim for. This is a perfectly acceptable number for single player games, although higher numbers can make it more cinematic.

If you’re playing multiplayer, you should aim for 60 frames per second the least. This many frames makes for a smoother experience and is considered a “goal” for performance on most slots.

However, the high-end machines can reach 300 frames per second and more on certain games. The more frames per second are generated, the smoother the animations on the screen. Tests have shown that high framerates lead to better aiming in shooters as well – perfect for doing better in those competitive games.

Dealing with lower frame rates

If you enable Steam’s built-in FPS counter and see rates lower than 30 on your favorite games, there are a few different culprits that could be responsible. Identifying and eliminating or upgrading these opportunities will improve your performance.

The first thing to look at is a game’s recommended and minimum specs. Make sure your computer has the right components to meet at least the minimum recommendations. If not, you’re looking at subpar performance. If you don’t follow the recommendations, it’s best to update your computer’s components.

In many cases, the frame rate is affected by the quality of your graphics card. If you’re using an older GPU, consider upgrading to a newer, more modern option. A good, budget-friendly choice is the GTX 1650. If you’re aiming for top-of-the-line models like the new RTX 3000 series, good luck – supply has been limited, which has pushed the cost of these cards significantly higher.

If you upgrade your GPU, you may also need to upgrade your motherboard and power supply to accommodate the higher power draw, so keep that in mind. Outside of the GPU, you should also consider whether your CPU needs an upgrade.

The last possibility why your frame rates are lower than expected is through optimization. Some people experience lower frames due to the game, no matter how powerful their system is. Take Microsoft Flight Simulator, for example: it’s intense on all machines, and very few (if any) players achieve perfect frame rates.

Alternate frame counters

If you don’t want to use Steam’s FPS counter (or need to count frames per second in a non-Steam game), there are alternative options.

FRAPS

FRAPS is perhaps the most popular FPS counter available today. It’s been around for a long time and is largely compatible with Windows. FRAPS is free to download and use and offers a variety of customization options.

You can choose which corner of the screen you want the counter to appear in, choose how often the counter updates, and more. This is one of the best options for keeping an eye on your framerate.

GeForce experience

If you’re using an Nvidia graphics card, you can use GeForce Experience software to view your frames per second – but note that it’s not available for people with AMD graphics cards.

However, GeForce Experience is more than just a frame counter. It gives you full access to your graphics card settings and allows you to customize the card to your needs and desired performance.

FPS monitor

FPS Monitor is another free option for tracking your frames, but the utility doesn’t stop there. FPS Monitor can display a variety of other information related to your system performance, including RAM and CPU usage, hard drive speed, and more.

You can also customize the overlay to change the way it appears on screen. This can be particularly useful when optimizing your computer’s performance, as the FPS monitor will alert you when the hardware is approaching a critical point.

Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a performance enthusiast, it’s important to understand how FPS counters can be used to optimize your computer and enhance your gaming experience. Use one of these counters to see how your computer is actually performing during your favorite games.

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