How to increase FPS in Dota 2

The FPS (frames per second) metric indicates the number of frames displayed on the screen per second. The higher the FPS, the smoother and more enjoyable the visuals will be. A minimum of 60 FPS is considered the baseline for a smooth and enjoyable Dota 2 experience. This can be achieved even on a low-end computer. However, you should aim for an FPS of 120 or higher.

You can find out how to enable the FPS display in Dota 2 in our guide. In this article, we’ll cover the latest methods for increasing the frame rate in Dota 2.

1. Dota 2 Settings

The most obvious — and most effective — step if you’re playing on a low-end PC is to reduce the load on your GPU and CPU right from the game’s main menu. Go to Settings → Video.

• In the “Visuals” section, you can disable or lower the quality of most effects, which will result in a significant FPS boost. You can experiment with the display quality settings in Dota 2. The optimal value is 60 or higher; there’s often no point in going lower than that.
• Display Mode: Select “Full Screen.” Unlike “Borderless Window” mode, the operating system will allocate all resources to processing the game window, de-prioritizing the desktop.
• Resolution: You should only lower this as a last resort, as the image will become very blurry.

2. Steam Launch Options

Open Steam → open Dota 2 in your library → Settings → Properties → “General” tab → “Launch Options” field.

Copy and paste the following line there:

-map dota -high -novid -nojoy

What each command does:

• -map dota — loads the Dota map itself as soon as the game starts. This will reduce the loading time into the match itself and eliminate micro-freezes when you first appear at the fountain.
• -high — sets the game to high priority in the Windows operating system (the CPU will allocate maximum power to Dota). You should only set this option if you have a low-end processor.
• -novid — disables the intro video, speeding up the game’s launch.
• -nojoy — disables gamepad support, freeing up a small amount of RAM.

3. Removing Unnecessary Animations

Go to the game folder. The path usually looks like this:

...\Steam\steamapps\common\dota 2 beta\game\dota\maps\scenes\

Find the dashboard_background folder there (which controls the main menu background) and rename it by adding an underscore at the end (dashboard_background_).

Now, instead of heavy graphics, the menu will have a static black or gray background, but the game will stop consuming CPU resources even before the match starts.

4. Operating System Settings

• Enable “Game Mode”: In Windows Search, type “Game Mode” and enable it. It blocks updates and background system activity while you’re playing.
• Close unnecessary programs: Applications take up RAM and put a strain on the CPU.
• Power Plan: In the Windows Control Panel, select the “High Performance” plan so the CPU doesn’t throttle its clock speed to save power.

5. Updating Drivers

To automatically search for and install drivers on your laptop, you can use the manufacturer’s support page. Typically, all you need to do is enter your device model in the search bar and follow the instructions.

This method won’t work for most desktop computers. Therefore, you’ll need to manually check for updates, search for, and install drivers, or you can use specialized software. You can also use official technical support applications from the manufacturers of your components (Intel/Nvidia/AMD). It’s a good idea to update your drivers regularly.

By following the steps above, you can achieve an FPS increase of 10% to 40%, which will eliminate lag and improve your gaming experience.