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Does the question of Frame Cap and the methods to do so have a definitive answer at this point?
Posted: 26 Sep 2026, 07:01
by Durees
Hey Guys,
I got a 5080 and been looking at methods to cap my FPS for a while now because of the constant drops you otherwise encounter when e.g. entering demanding areas or intense fights.
Most advice, as usual, on the internet is given without proof, reference or otherwise logical approaches and especially content creators claim to have found the holy grail every other week. So I went here, a place that seems to love testing and trying, for advice.
What I want to do is very simple: Cap my FPS at the highest number possible that will allow the game to run smooth while having as little Input Lag as possible. My current way of doing so is via Capping the FPS via Nvidia Control Panel, enabling Gsync and Reflex withnow Latency enabled but without the boost. I used to also enable Vsync In-Game but that seem to only make it worse.
Re: Does the question of Frame Cap and the methods to do so have a definitive answer at this point?
Posted: 27 Sep 2026, 08:28
by RealNC
If the game has Reflex natively (and correctly implemented,) then the Nvidia limiter is actually the lowest latency because it uses the Reflex sleep calls of the games to limit the frame rate. The Special K "low-latency" limiter as well, because it also uses the game's Reflex calls.
Without Reflex, you just try then out individually and see which one gives better results for each game. I've seen games where Nvidia's limiter is better, others where Special K is better.
As for smoothness, you won't like the answer: g-sync OFF, vsync ON, and use fractional vsync
On a 240Hz display for example, you'd use 1/2 vsync to get 120FPS, or 1/3 vsync to get 80FPS. Or 1/4 vsync to get 60FPS. If you want a 90FPS cap, you'd switch the display to 180Hz and use 1/2 vsync. Many games are smoother with that and hiccup much less because the render latency is higher and the extra buffered frames offer a bit of protection against short frame time spikes.
It is what it is. Sorry.
Re: Does the question of Frame Cap and the methods to do so have a definitive answer at this point?
Posted: 27 Sep 2026, 10:33
by Shade7
RealNC wrote: ↑27 Sep 2026, 08:28
If the game has Reflex natively (and correctly implemented,) then the Nvidia limiter is actually the lowest latency because it uses the Reflex sleep calls of the games to limit the frame rate. The Special K "low-latency" limiter as well, because it also uses the game's Reflex calls.
Without Reflex, you just try then out individually and see which one gives better results for each game. I've seen games where Nvidia's limiter is better, others where Special K is better.
As for smoothness, you won't like the answer: g-sync OFF, vsync ON, and use fractional vsync
On a 240Hz display for example, you'd use 1/2 vsync to get 120FPS, or 1/3 vsync to get 80FPS. Or 1/4 vsync to get 60FPS. If you want a 90FPS cap, you'd switch the display to 180Hz and use 1/2 vsync. Many games are smoother with that and hiccup much less because the render latency is higher and the extra buffered frames offer a bit of protection against short frame time spikes.
It is what it is. Sorry.
Quick question related to this topic. I didn’t want to start a whole new thread for it.
If I set a very high global FPS cap, say 1000 FPS through the NVIDIA App, but only get around 600 FPS during actual gameplay, would latency and GPU behavior be the same as running uncapped? Or can simply having a limiter enabled affect either, even when FPS stays well below the cap?
The reason I’m asking is that certain loading screens in my game hit 2000–3000 FPS, which instantly pushes GPU usage to 100%. I’d like to limit those spikes while keeping the same latency and behavior as uncapped FPS during actual gameplay. Would a cap that I never reach during gameplay accomplish that?
Re: Does the question of Frame Cap and the methods to do so have a definitive answer at this point?
Posted: 27 Sep 2026, 17:10
by RealNC
Shade7 wrote: ↑27 Sep 2026, 10:33
Quick question related to this topic. I didn’t want to start a whole new thread for it.
If I set a very high global FPS cap, say 1000 FPS through the NVIDIA App, but only get around 600 FPS during actual gameplay, would latency and GPU behavior be the same as running uncapped? Or can simply having a limiter enabled affect either, even when FPS stays well below the cap?
In effect, everything will be the same as uncapped. The FPS limiter is still hooked into the game's presentation calls, which is why it's not the exact same thing as no cap, but since the cap is so high, it does nothing. So the effect is the same, even though technically they're not the same.
The reason I’m asking is that certain loading screens in my game hit 2000–3000 FPS, which instantly pushes GPU usage to 100%. I’d like to limit those spikes while keeping the same latency and behavior as uncapped FPS during actual gameplay. Would a cap that I never reach during gameplay accomplish that?
Yes.
Re: Does the question of Frame Cap and the methods to do so have a definitive answer at this point?
Posted: 28 Sep 2026, 03:06
by kyube
Durees wrote: ↑26 Sep 2026, 07:01
Hey Guys,
I got a 5080 and been looking at methods to cap my FPS for a while now
because of the constant drops you otherwise encounter when e.g. entering demanding areas or intense fights.
Most advice, as usual, on the internet is given without proof, reference or otherwise logical approaches and especially content creators claim to have found the holy grail every other week. So I went here, a place that seems to love testing and trying, for advice.
What I want to do is very simple:
Cap my FPS at the highest number possible that will allow the game
to run smooth while having as little Input Lag as possible.
My current way of doing so is via Capping the FPS via Nvidia Control Panel, enabling Gsync and Reflex withnow Latency enabled but without the boost.
I used to also enable Vsync In-Game but that seem to only make it worse.
To be able to answer this question properly, one needs much more context:
- Exact game(s) in question (as some games require more specific tuning)
- The frame rate at which the game is running at (indirectly, information about CPU & DRAM & graphics settings is necessary; ideally with GPU usage)
- The monitor used
- Visual effect preference (someone might prefer less judder over jitter, latency over smoothness etc.)
Once you answer these specifics, one can give you a more concrete answer.
The general answer is — use SpecialK's Low Latency Frame Rate Limiter in games which aren't bound by kernel-level anti-cheats.
Ideally, pair it with VRR+VSYNC+Reflex (SK-injected), provided you can encapsulate your game's max frame rate with your refresh rate.
Re: Does the question of Frame Cap and the methods to do so have a definitive answer at this point?
Posted: 28 Sep 2026, 12:16
by mbaskett95
How about in CS2 with 5080 and Zowie 360 hz monitor using DYAC 3?
I heard the best way is to cap at 360 fps using nvidia reflex in rtss, use command -noreflex in cs2, and set ultra latency mode to ultra in nvidia app?