How to get a CS2 FPS Boost | Gain Those Frames!

Counter-Strike

November 25, 2023

Daniel Morris

In CS2, gaining more FPS can be one of the most beneficial things you can do to improve your experience. When you’re in an all-action game of Counter-Strike, having a high FPS can be the difference between getting a kill or not, and that can quickly snowball into you winning and losing rounds.

That’s why we’re going to show you the easiest ways to get a CS2 FPS boost, ensuring you have a great time no matter what hardware you own.

Fix Those Graphics Settings

As CS2 is based on the Source engine, it can run on pretty much any modern hardware. Despite this, boosting FPS CS2 graphics settings is still arguably the most important step.

Credit: Valve

Not every setting is created equal, and some will have more effect on your CS2 FPS boost than others. The setting that will most help you in CS2 boost FPS is Resolution. While most players will play at 1920×1080 as standard, we’d recommend changing your resolution to 1280×960, in a 4:3 aspect ratio. This is an absolute staple of most CS2 pro settings, as the smaller resolution actually makes it easier to hit enemies. On top of this, you’ll get a big CS2 FPS boost as a result of rendering fewer pixels overall. Other settings that can make a big impact include:

Global Shadow Quality
Model / Texture Detail
Shader Detail

With the launch of Counter-Strike 2, there’s all new effects that take a hammer to your FPS. Despite this, these settings should still be of use in the new game.

Adjust Your Launch Options

If you’re looking to boost FPS CS2 launch options could be the way to go for you. If you’re having some problems maintaining a solid framerate, then try adding the best CS2 launch options to your game:

-freq x (add your monitor refresh rate) +fps_max 0 -noborder -threads x (add the number of cores your CPU has) +mat_queue_mode 2

It should be noted that this should only be a last resort if you’re really struggling to get a good CS2 FPS boost. If you’re on the lower end of the hardware scale, these could be the solution for you.

If you’re unsure how to set launch options in CS2, here’s how:

Open your Steam Library and right-click on CS2.
Select “Properties.”
Under the “General” tab, you’ll see the “Launch Options” parameter.
Enter the above launch options into that box.

It’s as easy as that! Now you can enjoy a great CS2 FPS boost just by changing a few settings.

Upgrade Your Hardware

For some, this will be the nuclear option, but you can always just upgrade your hardware to get a CS2 FPS boost. Due to the age of the game, most modern hardware runs Counter-Strike perfectly fine, so pretty much any upgrade would do the job perfectly.

With Counter-Strike 2 out, maybe it’s time to get yourself a shiny new gaming setup. You don’t want to be left in the dust by other players on the server, especially if FPS remains such a core part of the experience in the new title.