How to Fix Need For Speed Unbound FPS Drop, Stuttering, and Lagging on PC

After the launch players are dealing with Need For Speed Unbound FPS drops and performance issues on PC. EA did release an update but the low frame rates, FPS drops, stuttering, or lag spikes problem are even more severe on those PC that has updated NFS Unbound.

Usually, players can lower graphics settings or cap FPS to get a smooth performance. However, if NFS Unbound still stutters and drops FPS on PC then here are solutions to try.

How to Fix Need For Speed Unbound Stuttering and Lagging on PC?

We have skimmed a lot of forums making sure to only include those solutions that have helped many players.

Restart your PC & Game: First, try to restart your PC and game (It’s maybe an occasional frame drop).
Check System Requirements: Your PC should be able to meet the system requirements to run NFS Unbound. Stable hardware can help overcome the Stuttering and lagging issue on your PC.
Reset the Graphics Driver: Press the Windows Key + Shift + Ctrl + B at the same time. You will hear a beep with a screen flash.

Lower Graphics Settings: Playing on the high graphics settings can cause the NFS Unbound stuttering and FPS drop issue. Go into Game > Options > Click on Video. Set the settings to medium or low then play the game. Lower shadows and texture.
Set NFS Unbound Task as a High Priority: Try to allot more resources to the game. Here is How To Set CPU Process Priority for Applications in Windows 11.

Use the launch options: Setting up a launch option in Steam can give you a boost in Unbound performance. Open Steam > Library > NFS Unbound > Properties > General tab > Launch options > Enter Launch option -fullscreen OR -high.
Updated Graphics driver: Update your graphics and network drivers on Windows 10/11 PC.

Check your Internet Connection and join a dedicated server: You should check that your internet connection is working fine and server should has low ping. So internet connection will be better and the NFS Unbound lagging issue will resolve.
Disable full-screen optimization: Full-screen optimization causes NFS Unbound FPS drop and stuttering issues. To fix this issue go to the game installation folder > .exe file of the game > Right-click > Properties > Compatibility Tab > Disable Full-Screen Optimizations > Save Settings.

Turn off Game Mode: Go to System’s Settings > Gaming > set Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar” to off > Now on the Captures tab set the “Record the background while I’m playing a game” to Off > click on the Game Mode tab, and turn it off.

Disable Discord in-game overlay: Open Discord > Go to Overlay under App Settings > “Enable in-game overlay”> this will turn it off.
Update NFS Unbound: If you didn’t update the NFS unbound then make sure to update it for the steam launcher and for the Epic launcher as well.

Best NVIDIA Graphics Settings For NFS Unbound

If you have NVIDIA GPU then tweak these settings to boost Unbound performance.

Type NVIDIA Control Panel into the Windows search bar and open it.
Go to 3D Settings > Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings
Click on the Add button.
Choose Need for Speed Unbound from the list and hit “Add Selected Program“.
Then make the following changes:
- Max Frame Rate: On. Cap your frames to your monitor’s refresh rate.
- OpenGL rendering GPU: Choose your graphics card.
- Power management mode: Prefer maximum performance
- Vertical sync: Off
Once you are done, click the Apply button.