Baldur's Gate 3 Performance Boost: Low FPS, Stuttering Fix (2023)

Baldur's Gate 3 has been highly praised for its optimization, but like any other game, some players may experience performance issues. Indeed, in some instances, players have reported problems with Baldur's Gate 3, including performance glitches, low fps, frame drops, stuttering, and freezing. However, these problems are not insurmountable, and with the right adjustments, you can improve the performance of the game on your system.

Baldur's Gate 3 Performance Boost - Fix Low FPS and Stuttering

How to Boost Performance, Fix Low FPS, Frame Drops, and Stuttering Issues in Baldur's Gate 3

In the bustling world of Baldur's Gate 3, performance issues may sometimes take away the joy of gaming. In this guide, you will find step-by-step solutions to tackle these challenges, making your gaming experience smooth and enjoyable. Let's dive into the details.

1. Updating Graphics Drivers

Certainly, one of the most crucial steps to improving performance in Baldur's Gate 3 is updating your GPU drivers. By making sure you have the latest versions, you are equipping your system with the latest optimizations and support that are often designed to handle new game releases.

Here are the links for downloading the latest drivers for various GPUs:

NVIDIA: https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx
AMD: https://www.amd.com/en/support
Intel: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download-center/home.html

2. Best Graphics Settings for Performance

In Baldur's Gate 3, graphics settings play an extremely vital role in ensuring a smooth and visually stunning gaming experience. By tweaking these settings, you can definitely boost performance, especially if you're dealing with issues like low fps and stuttering. Navigate to Options > Video, and follow these carefully crafted recommendations:

Display Mode

For enhanced performance, it is highly recommended to set the Display Mode to Fullscreen. This simple change can have a surprising impact on your gameplay experience.

Refresh Rate

Always remember to set the Refresh Rate to the highest value supported by your monitor. This often overlooked setting can, in fact, make the visuals more fluid and responsive.

VSync

If you desire to play Baldur's Gate 3 more smoothly, disabling VSync is a smart move. This might seem like a minor tweak, but it can positively affect the overall fluidity of the game.

Maximum Frame Rate

Are you tired of experiencing frame drops in Baldur's Gate 3? Consider limiting the FPS. It's a solution that works in most instances. Therefore, adjusting the Maximum Frame Rate to values like 60, 120, or 144 could provide the stability you seek.

NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR 1.0

NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) and AMD FSR 1.0 (FidelityFX Super Resolution) are innovative technologies designed to boost performance in games like Baldur's Gate 3. These settings allow you to tweak and define the FPS. NVIDIA's DLSS uses AI and machine learning to render higher-resolution images without the heavy computational load, whereas AMD's FSR is a spatial upscaling technique to enhance performance without losing visual quality.

For instance, you can practically double your FPS with performance mode. If you find that the graphic quality in Performance mode doesn't satisfy you, don't hesitate to experiment with the Balanced or Quality modes. Both NVIDIA and AMD have provided these options to suit various tastes and system capabilities, allowing for a more customizable and enjoyable gaming experience.

Texture Quality

This requires careful consideration of your GPU's VRAM. Increasing or decreasing the Texture Quality value in alignment with your VRAM can prevent crashes caused by excessive utilization. It's a sensitive balance, so check to find what works best for you.

Shadow Quality and Cloud Quality

Among the plethora of settings, Shadow Quality and Cloud Quality are notorious for affecting performance in Baldur's Gate 3. Indeed, low FPS issues are often linked to these two options. Adjusting them could dramatically improve your gaming experience.

Slow HDD Mode

Lastly, if you don't possess an SSD and had to install the game on an HDD, enabling the "Slow HDD Mode" could be your key to boosting performance in Baldur's Gate 3. This mode uses more RAM and VRAM to offload disk usage, notably improving load times. If assets are loading slowly while playing the game, you may also consider increasing the page file size when this setting is enabled.

3. Best NVIDIA Control Panel Settings

For players using an NVIDIA graphics card, tweaking the NVIDIA Control Panel settings can indeed bring a significant performance boost in Baldur's Gate 3. The following steps are tailored to alleviate issues like low fps and stuttering, thereby enhancing the gaming experience. Follow these recommendations with care, and you'll notice a difference, unquestionably.

First, right-click on your desktop and open the NVIDIA Control Panel. This is the gateway to all the adjustments you'll need.
In the Control Panel, navigate to 'Manage 3D settings', then 'Program Settings', and select 'Baldur's Gate 3'. If you don't see the game listed, add it manually by clicking the 'Add' button.
Next, change the 'Power Management Mode' to 'Prefer Maximum Performance'. This tells your GPU that performance is the priority, not power-saving.
Adjust the 'Texture Filtering - Quality' to 'High Performance'. It might reduce the texture quality slightly, but the increase in FPS is often worth it.
Turn off 'Vertical Sync'. For many players, this setting alone can reduce or even entirely eliminate stuttering.
Set 'Triple Buffering' to 'Off'. This might help to reduce input lag, though it can provide smoother visuals in other games.
Play around with 'Pre-rendered Frames'. Setting this to 1 or 2 often improves input responsiveness.
Enable 'Threaded Optimization'. It's a great way to harness the power of CPUs with more cores, potentially boosting overall performance.
Try setting the 'Low Latency Mode' to 'On'. If you're dealing with high latency or input lag, this could be your solution.
Finally, make sure to click 'Apply' to save all your hard work. It's an easy step to forget but crucial for all the changes to take effect.

4. Best AMD Software Settings

For those wielding AMD graphics cards, adjusting the AMD Software settings is equally important to squeeze out every drop of performance for Baldur's Gate 3. Here's a detailed step-by-step guide to lead you down the path of high performance without unnecessary stuttering or low fps.

Open AMD Radeon Software – Start by right-clicking on your desktop and selecting AMD Radeon Software.
Select 'Gaming' Tab – Once in, click on the 'Gaming' tab, and you'll find a list of your installed games. Look for Baldur's Gate 3 and click on it.
Adjust Graphics Profile – There's an option for 'Graphics Profile'; set it to 'eSports'. This will optimize the settings for performance rather than aesthetics.
Tweak Anti-Aliasing Mode – Under the 'Anti-Aliasing Mode', select 'Override application settings'. This gives you control and can lead to a performance boost.
Set Anti-Aliasing Level – Right after that, you'll see the 'Anti-Aliasing Level'. Set it to 2X or even Off for better FPS.
Enable AMD FreeSync – If your monitor supports it, enabling AMD FreeSync can provide a smoother experience without tearing.
Texture Filtering Quality – Select 'Performance' under this option. Though it might diminish textures' looks slightly, the improvement in frames is generally quite beneficial.
Turn off Vertical Refresh – This is another setting that should be off for most users, similar to the NVIDIA equivalent.
Adjust Tessellation Mode – Set 'Tessellation Mode' to 'Override application settings' and select 16x or lower. This could notably enhance performance.
Enable Radeon Chill – If you're facing overheating issues, enabling Radeon Chill can help your GPU stay cool while maintaining a smooth gaming experience.
Lastly, save your changes.

5. Disabling Full Screen Optimization and Tweaking High DPI

If you're looking to further enhance your gaming experience in Baldur's Gate 3, another effective way is by disabling full screen optimization and tweaking High DPI settings. These adjustments are carried out directly on the executable files of the game, specifically bg3.exe and bg3_dx11.exe, found within the game's main installation folder. Here's how you can do it:

First, find your way to the main installation folder of Baldur's Gate 3. Inside this folder, open the 'bin' folder where you will find both bg3.exe and bg3_dx11.exe.
Right-click on bg3.exe first, and then select 'Properties'. You'll want to repeat these steps for bg3_dx11.exe as well.
Once the properties window is open, go to the 'Compatibility' tab. Here, you will find a checkbox labeled 'Disable full screen optimizations'. Check this box.
Just below the checkbox for full screen optimizations, there's a button marked 'Change high DPI settings'. Click on it, and another window will appear. Inside this window, check the box for 'Override high DPI scaling behavior' and select 'Application' from the dropdown menu below it.
Click 'OK' to close the High DPI settings window, then click 'Apply' and 'OK' again to confirm the changes for bg3.exe. Repeat steps 2 to 5 for bg3_dx11.exe.
Finally, make sure to run Baldur's Gate 3 and verify that the changes have been applied successfully.

By carrying out these steps, you are positively altering how the game interfaces with your display settings. In brief, disabling full screen optimizations can lead to fewer interruptions from other applications, while tweaking High DPI settings ensures the game scales properly with your screen's resolution. These alterations can make your game run smoother and look better, providing an even more immersive experience in the world of Baldur's Gate 3.

Most importantly, remember to proceed with caution as you are dealing with executable files. Any incorrect modifications might lead to issues. Feel free to revert the changes if you notice any unexpected behavior.

6. Adjusting Power Options

When it comes to playing demanding games like Baldur's Gate 3, power settings on your PC can play a critical role. In fact, the wrong power settings might lead to problems in Baldur's Gate 3 such as low fps, stutters, or even crashes. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to adjust the power options to get the best performance out of Baldur's Gate 3:

Open the Power Options Menu – First, right-click on the battery icon in the system tray or search for "Power Options" in the Start Menu, and then select 'Power Options'.
Choose a High-Performance Plan – In the 'Power Options' window, you'll notice different power plans like 'Balanced', 'Power Saver', and 'High Performance'. Obviously, for playing Baldur's Gate 3, you'll want to select the 'High Performance' plan to ensure the system resources are fully available to the game.
Customize the Plan (Optional) – If you want to take things further, click on 'Change plan settings' next to the 'High Performance' option. Here, you can tweak individual settings like display brightness and sleep timings according to your preference.
Change Advanced Power Settings – For even more control, click on 'Change advanced power settings'. This window allows you to make fine-tuned adjustments. For instance, under the 'Processor power management' section, you can set the 'Minimum processor state' to 100% to ensure your CPU is always running at its maximum capacity.
Apply and Confirm the Changes – Click 'Apply' and then 'OK' to confirm the changes. Restarting the computer may be required for the changes to take full effect.
Check the Performance in Baldur's Gate 3 – Launch Baldur's Gate 3 and check the performance. If you previously experienced low fps or other performance-related issues, these changes might alleviate or entirely resolve the problems.

7. Best Intelligent Standby List Cleaner Settings

For gamers experiencing low fps and stuttering issues in Baldur's Gate 3, the Intelligent Standby List Cleaner (ISLC) might be an excellent solution. This tool is designed to efficiently manage system memory and can significantly enhance the smoothness of gameplay. Here's how you can use ISLC to address the challenges of low fps and stuttering in Baldur's Gate 3:

Download and Install ISLC from WagnardSoft using this link.
Run the Program and set the list size (The list size is at least) to 1024. This is an important step, as it specifies the minimum size of the standby list to be cleared by the application.
Enable Custom Timer Resolution by checking the corresponding box. This allows ISLC to manage the system timer, which can affect the performance of various applications, including games.
Set Wanted Timer Resolution to 0.50. This value adjusts the timer's granularity, potentially reducing the latency in games and improving frame rates.
Start ISLC Minimized and Auto-Start Monitoring by checking both boxes. This ensures that ISLC runs in the background every time you start your PC, continuously monitoring and managing the standby list according to the parameters you've set.

8. Enhancing Performance with SSD

In the world of gaming, SSDs have revolutionized the way games are played by providing faster loading times and smoother performance. For Baldur's Gate 3, having the game installed on an SSD can make a significant difference, especially if you are experiencing slow asset loading during gameplay.

However, not everyone has access to an SSD, and you might find yourself needing to install Baldur's Gate 3 on a traditional HDD. In this case, the game's "Slow HDD Mode" in the video settings can be a lifesaver.

9. Switching Between Vulcan and Directx 11

Vulkan usually offers better multi-threading and can squeeze more performance from the CPU than DX11. Experiment with both; perhaps DirectX 11 works better for you.

Conclusion

Baldur's Gate 3 is a magnificent game that should be enjoyed without the hindrance of low fps and stuttering. By following these detailed instructions, you will undoubtedly improve your gameplay experience. Always remember, the world of Baldur's Gate 3 is rich and immersive, and with these tweaks, you can explore it with the performance it truly deserves. May your adventures in Baldur's Gate 3 be swift and seamless!