How To Fix Fortnite FPS Drops On High-End PC [Season Update]

Switching to Direct X 11 or turning Raytrcking on/off improved the FPS drop issue.

Players are dealing with Fortnite FPS drops even on a good gaming PC. Some of them complained about the framerate drop issue in the lobby section or while playing by moving a mouse.

Some users fixed the low FPS issues by uninstalling the textures pack that comes with Fortnite. Most users still can’t find the solution.

This post is intended for those who used to achieve 200 FPS while playing Fortnite but are now only able to attain 20, 60, or 70 FPS. If this applies to you, read on.

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What Causes The Fortnite FPS Drops Issue

After researching thoroughly we conclude that the Low framerate problem on Fortnite arose after the release of the Chapter 3 update. For some this update also caused Fortnite black screen issues.

Before the patch update, those users who had 3070, RX 570, 580, GTX 980, and 1060 graphics cards didn’t find the FPS drops problem.

Another probable cause of FPS drops might be your system itself which can’t meet the minimum system requirements to play Fortnite. Make sure your PC’s hardware supports the game otherwise you need to upgrade your gaming PC.

How To Fix Fortnite FPS Drops on Good PC

Here is a list of fixes that resolve the FPS drops problem for many players who have Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 8 updates.

Fix 1. Check Fortnite System Requirements

Before proceeding with fixes you need to make sure that your PC meets the minimum system requirements to play Fortnite on PC.

You can download Speccy to check your PC’s specs and then compare it with the requirements that Fortnite developers have suggested.

Most of the time it’s your old PC hardware that causes the FPS drops issue, so you need to upgrade your gaming PC.

System RequirmentsMinimumMaximum
Operating SystemWindows 10 64-bit Windows 10 64-bit
GraphicsIntel HD 4000 on PC; Intel Iris Pro 5200Nvidia GTX 960, AMD R9 280, or equivalent DX11 GPU
Memory4 GB8 GB
ProcessorCore i3-3225 3.3 GHzCore i5-7300U 3.5 GHz, AMD Ryzen 3 3300U, or equivalent
Hard Disk Space16 GB20 GB
DirectXv11v11

Fix 2. Install the Latest Fortnite Patch

Although users started dealing with Fortnite FPS drops issue after the recent update still it’s advised to keep looking for the latest update patch.

Fortnite developers regularly release new patches to fix bugs or FPS drops problems.

So if you are playing Fortnite on Epic Game Launcher then follow these steps to find and install the latest game patch:

  • Run the Epic Games Launcher.
  • From the left panel, click Library.
  • Click on the gear button appearing below Fortnite.
  • Turn on the toggle next to Auto-update.
  • Now restart the Epic Games Launcher.

If the launcher detested any update it will automatically install it on your PC.

Fix 3. Verify your Game Files

Some corrupt game files can also be the cause of the Fortnite black screen. You need to verify game files in Epic Game Launcher.

Follow these steps:

  • Open the Epic Games Launcher.
    Go to your Library.
    Click the three dots next to Fortnite.
  • Click Verify.

Wait for the process to complete then try to play the game.

Fix 4. Fortnite Performance Mode (Alpha)

This new feature was released in Fortnite to help those users who have less powerful hardware. It helps them to play games better with a smooth framerate.

Follow these steps to enable Alpha mode:

  • Open Fortnite.
  • Click on the menu icon in the top right corner.
  • In the Video options under Advanced Graphics, change Rendering Mode to Performance (Alpha).
  • Click on Apply and then restart the game.

Fix 5. Check The Internet Connection Speed

While playing Fortnite battle royale if your internet connection speed is slow or interrupted then you will face an FPS drops issue.

Sometimes the device’s Wifi won’t connect properly to fix it you can choose a wired connection.

Alternatively, you can also run an online speed test to check your internet speed. If you are getting slow speed then contact your service provider to get more bandwidth.

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Fix 6. Keep Your Computer Cool

Are you sure that your PC doesn’t have CPU Overheating issues? When users play Fortnite on a PC for a long time it put a lot of stress on their CPU GPU causing an increase in temperature.

You need to check your PC’s temperature and make sure that it remains within the acceptable GPU temp and CPU temp ranges.

It’s important that your PC runs at a cool temperature you should check the air vents and if needed clear the dust.

Fix 7. Update your Graphics Drivers

Mostly Fortnite FPS drops problem is associated with wrong, incompatible, outdated graphics drivers. Once you update your graphics drivers the problem goes away.

If you update the graphics driver it will solve the black screen and performance-related issues.

There are two ways to update your drivers: Manual and Automatic.

We suggest the Automatic method as it takes less time and skills. All you need is to download Driver Easy on your PC. It’s a driver updater tool that automatically scans and installs the updated driver version.

If updating the driver doesn’t fix then using the Driver Easy Pro version you can create a system restore point to roll back the update.

Fix 8. Disable Background Programs

Programs running in the background put more load leaving fewer resources for Fortnite to access. Make sure that you close all the unnecessary programs before playing Fortnite.

You can use the Windows built-in utility called Task Manager to close all the apps that are consuming the CPU.

Fix 9. Lower In-game Graphics Settings

If you are playing Fortnite with a lower GPU there are more chances that you will see FPS drops issues. So try to lower the in-game graphics settings.

  • Run Fortnite and click on the menu button, then select the gear icon to open the game Settings.
  • Now change these video settings to gain maximum performance. Then click Apply to save the changes.
Fortnite FPS Drops issues

Fix 10. Defragment Hard Drive

There are chances that the game file is split into parts due to being moved, deleted, and written causing the Fortnite FPS drops issue.

You need to run Windows 10 defragmentation tool, and follow these steps:

  • Click on the Windows Start button and type Defragment and Optimize Drives, and press Enter to open it.
  • Select the Hard Drive where you have installed Fortnite and click on Optimize.
  • Depending on how fragmented your hard drive is this may take a few minutes.
  • Once finished, close the window and launch Fortnite.

Fix 11. Switch Between Display Modes

It may be helpful to switch between fullscreen borderless and windowed bordered display modes in the in-game settings menu to ensure that the game files run smoothly based on your screen resolution and PC specifications.

Trying this out could be worthwhile, as some players who were experiencing issues have reported seeing improvements after making this change.

To switch between full-screen and windowed modes in Fortnite, you can use the following keyboard shortcut:

  • Press Alt + Enter

Fix 12. Switch to DirectX11

The user explains that they used to play Fortnite using an RTX 2060 and DirectX12. However, after the latest season update, they started experiencing issues such as FPS drops, input delays, slow texture loading, and crashes. They noticed that switching to DirectX11 fixed the problem.

Fix 13. Turn on/off Ray-Tracing

If you’re still experiencing an FPS drop issue, a possible workaround is to try turning Ray-Tracing on and off in the game’s graphics settings. Here are the general steps to follow:

  1. Launch the video game and navigate to the graphics settings.
  2. Look for an option related to Ray-Tracing and turn it off.
  3. Apply the changes and exit the graphics settings.
  4. Play the game and see if the issue still occurs. If it doesn’t, then the problem may be related to Ray-Tracing, and you can try turning it back on.
  5. Go back to the graphics settings and turn Ray-Tracing back on.
  6. Apply the changes and exit the graphics settings.
  7. Play the game again and see if the issue still occurs. If it does, then the problem may be related to a different graphics setting or hardware issue.