How to Fix CS2 FPS Drop, Lag, & Stuttering

Counter-Strike 2 has arrived, and it’s drawing in a big crowd. But as with any new game, not everyone is having a smooth ride. If you’re one of those folks dealing with lags, stutters, and FPS drops in CS2, we’ve got your back. It’s important to note that if you’re facing these issues because of crowded servers, there’s not much you can do except wait for things to settle down. However, if your problems are due to the game itself, here’s how you can make CS2 run better.

When CS2 made its debut, it brought along better graphics and gameplay, thanks to the Source 2 engine. But that upgrade can put a strain on your computer’s GPU, leading to performance hiccups. So, if you’re dealing with stutters and lag, this guide will show you how to smooth things out and boost your CS2 performance. Let’s get started.

We have already written an article in CSGO FPS Drops you can also read it and apply the necessary fixes to improve your gaming experience.

1. Delete Directx Installer & Cleanup Disk

To resolve CS2 FPS drop follow these steps:

Go to your CS file explorer directory located under “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Global Offensive.”
Inside this directory, completely delete the folder named “directx_installer.”
Next, go to your Windows search bar and search for “cleanup,” then click on “Disk Cleanup.”
In the Disk Cleanup window, you’ll see a checkbox next to “DirectX Shader Cache.” Check this box.
Click “OK” to confirm, and follow through with the prompts to delete the files.
Now Restart Your PC

2. Verify Integrity of Game Files

Following the previous steps, once you’ve deleted the “directx_installer” folder and cleared the DirectX Shader Cache, you should:

Open the Steam client on your computer.
Right-click on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) in your game library.
Select “Properties.”
In the Properties window, click on the “Local Files” tab.
Click on “Verify Integrity of Game Files.”
Let the verification process run, and follow any on-screen prompts or instructions that appear as it progresses.

3. Nvidia Control Panel settings

Now go to the Manage 3D Settings in the Nvidia control panel and change the following settings;

Image scaling – Off
Ambient Occulsion – Off
Anisotropic filtering – Off
Antialiasing – FXAA – Off
Antialiasing – gemma correction – On
Antialiasing – Mode – Off
Background Application Mac Frame Rate – Off
CUDA – GPUs – All
DSR – Factors – Off
Low Latency Mode – On
Max Frame Rate – Off
Multi-Frame Sampled AA (MFAA) – Off
Open GL GDI compatibility – Perfer performance
OpenGL Rendering GPU – Your Dedicates GPU
Power Management mode – Prefer Maximum Performance
Preferred Refresh rate – Highest Available
Shader Cache Size – Driver Default
Texture filtering – Anistrophic Sample Option – On
Texture Filtering – Negative LOD bias – Allow
Texturing Filtering – Quality – High Performance
Texture Filtering – Trilinear optimization – On
Threaded Optimization – On
Threaded Buffering – Off
Vertical Sync – Off
Vertical Reality pre-rendering frames – 1
Vertical Reality – variable Rate Super Samp… Off
Vulkan/OpenGL Preset Method – Auto

4. Change In-Game Video Settings

Open CS2 and go to Video then Advanced Video and change these settings;

Boost Player Contrast – Disabled
Wait for Vertical Sync – Disabled
Current Video values Preset – Custom
Multisampling Anti-Aliasing Mode – None
Global Shadow Quality – Low
Model/Texture Detail – Low
Shader Detail – Low
Particle detail – Low
Ambient Occlusion – Disabled
High Dynamic Range – Quality
FidelityFX Super Resolution – Disabled [Highest Quality]
Nvidia Reflex Low Latency – Disabled

5. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations

To enhance your CS2 gaming experience, follow these steps to disable fullscreen optimizations:

Locate your “cs2.exe” file. It’s typically found in the directory: “<steam directory>/steamapps/common/Counter-Strike Global Offensive/game/bin/win64.”
Right-click on “cs2.exe” and select “Properties.”
In the Properties window, go to the “Compatibility” tab.
Ensure that the “Disable fullscreen optimizations” option is checked or ticked.

By disabling fullscreen optimizations, you can potentially improve CS2’s performance and reduce issues related to fullscreen display.

6. Disable steam overlay for CS2

To disable the Steam overlay specifically for CS2, follow these steps:

Ensure that the Steam overlay is enabled globally. To do this, go to Steam Settings.
In the Steam Settings, navigate to “In-Game.”
Make sure that “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game” is turned on globally.
Next, go to your CS2 game library. Right-click on CS2 and select “Properties.”
Inside the CS2 Properties window, ensure that “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game” is turned off or unchecked.

7. Change Launch Options

To boost your in-game performance in Counter-Strike 2, you can try using various launch options. Follow these steps:

Open Steam and go to your “Library.”
Right-click on “Counter-Strike 2” and select “Properties.”
In the “Properties” window, head to the “General” tab and then click on “Set Launch Options.”
In the launch options field, enter the desired launch options from the list below. Make sure to do this without the quotes:
- “-high“: This forces Counter-Strike to run with high priority. Use this if you switch in and out of the game frequently or if you’re playing on a laptop.
- “-threads“: Manually set the number of CPU threads that CS2 utilizes. Only use this option if you understand its impact.
- “+fps_max 000“: Replace “000” with your preferred maximum FPS. This allows you to set your own FPS limit.
- “-refresh 000“: Replace “000” with your monitor’s refresh rate. This option ensures that your monitor uses a specific refresh rate when playing CS2.