How to Get More FPS on a Low-End PC or Integrated Graphics

Published

On this page

Not everyone has a discrete GPU — and a surprising number of popular games run fine on integrated graphics or an older PC if you tune them. None of the wins below cost a cent. They’re about removing bottlenecks and not wasting the performance you already have.

How to Get More FPS on a Low-End PC or Integrated Graphics

A weak PC has no headroom to waste. Free optimizations matter more here than anywhere — every recovered frame counts.

Start with realistic expectations

Tuning won’t turn integrated graphics into an RTX card, but it routinely doubles the playability of esports titles like CS2, Valorant, League, and Rocket League, and many older games. The goal is a smooth, stable experience at sensible settings — not max graphics.

Fix the biggest iGPU bottleneck: memory

Integrated graphics have no dedicated VRAM — they share system RAM, so memory bandwidth is usually the bottleneck:

  • Run dual-channel RAM. Two matched sticks instead of one can boost iGPU performance by 30%+ in memory-bound games. This is the single biggest iGPU upgrade, and if you already have two sticks it’s free.
  • Enable XMP/EXPO so your RAM runs at its rated speed instead of a slow default — see How to Enable XMP or EXPO for Gaming. Faster RAM directly feeds the iGPU.
  • Allocate more VRAM in the BIOS — look for UMA Frame Buffer Size / iGPU Memory and raise it (without starving the system of regular RAM).

Lower resolution and use upscaling

Fewer pixels is the most reliable FPS gain on weak hardware:

  1. Drop the render resolution (1600×900 or 1280×720) — or render lower and upscale.
  2. Use FSR / XeSS if the game supports it — see DLSS vs FSR vs XeSS.
  3. On AMD iGPUs, try driver-level RSR upscaling from the Adrenalin settings.

Cut the heaviest settings

You don’t need to drop everything to Low — target the expensive ones:

  • Shadows, volumetrics, reflections, ambient occlusion — biggest cost, cut first.
  • View/draw distance and anti-aliasing next.
  • Keep textures as high as your VRAM allocation allows (they’re cheap on FPS if you have the memory).
  • Our per-game settings guides list exactly which settings to cut in each title.

Free up the system

  • Close background apps and disable unneeded startup programs (Task Manager → Startup).
  • Apply Windows 11 24H2 best gaming settings — Game Mode, high-performance power plan, trimmed notifications.
  • On a laptop, make sure you’re plugged in and on performance mode, and that games use the right GPU.
  • Keep graphics drivers current — older integrated GPUs still get optimization fixes.

The free latency win: timer resolution

When you have no hardware headroom, free software wins matter most. The Windows timer resolution tweak tightens frame pacing and lowers input latency without costing a single frame of GPU performance — perfect for a low-end PC.

Read The Ultimate Guide to Timer Resolution for Gaming, then grab Tier1Timer to apply and lock the optimal timer automatically.

Get more FPS on a low-end PC by fixing the memory bottleneck (dual-channel, XMP/EXPO, VRAM allocation), rendering fewer pixels with upscaling, cutting the heaviest settings, freeing up the system, and applying the free timer-resolution latency win with Tier1Timer. No new hardware required.

Frequently asked questions

How can I get more FPS on a low-end PC for free?

Drop the render resolution and use upscaling, lower the heaviest settings (shadows, effects, view distance), enable fast dual-channel RAM with XMP/EXPO, allocate more VRAM to integrated graphics in the BIOS, close background apps, and apply Windows and timer-resolution tweaks. All free, no new hardware.

Does dual-channel RAM increase FPS on integrated graphics?

Significantly. Integrated graphics share system memory, so memory bandwidth is often the bottleneck. Running two matched sticks in dual-channel (instead of one) can improve iGPU gaming performance by a large margin, sometimes 30 percent or more in memory-bound games.

Should I allocate more VRAM to integrated graphics in the BIOS?

It can help in games that need more graphics memory, reducing stutter and crashes. Look for a UMA Frame Buffer Size, iGPU Memory, or similar setting in the BIOS and raise it. Do not allocate so much that the system runs short on regular RAM, though.

Is it worth gaming on integrated graphics at all?

For esports and older titles, absolutely. Modern integrated graphics handle CS2, Valorant, League, Rocket League, and many older games well at lowered settings and resolution. Demanding new AAA games will struggle, but tuning gets far more out of the hardware than defaults do.