FPS Drop League of Legends problems can turn a smooth match into a frustrating experience, especially when frame rates suddenly collapse during team fights or important moments. Low FPS is primarily a local performance issue involving how quickly your PC renders frames, so graphics settings, hardware, drivers, temperatures, and background applications are usually the first places to investigate.
Players experiencing FPS Drop League of Legends should also distinguish low frame rates from network lag. High ping, jitter, and packet loss can make champions respond slowly or appear to move inconsistently, but these network problems are different from the FPS counter actually falling as your CPU and GPU struggle to maintain performance.
Fortunately, many FPS Drop League of Legends cases can be diagnosed without immediately upgrading your computer. Lowering demanding graphics options, controlling background processes, checking drivers and temperatures, adjusting power settings, and identifying exactly when FPS drops occur can reveal the cause. This guide walks through those fixes while also explaining when the problem you are experiencing may actually be network-related.
What Causes FPS Drops in League of Legends?
A League of Legends FPS drop happens when your computer cannot render frames at the rate it was previously maintaining.
For example, your game might run comfortably at 144 FPS while farming in lane but suddenly fall to 70, 50, or even lower during a large team fight.
There are many possible causes, including graphics settings that are too demanding, background applications consuming resources, outdated or problematic graphics drivers, CPU or GPU thermal throttling, laptop power-saving settings, and hardware limitations.
Problems can also appear after software, driver, or game updates change how the system behaves.
The first step is identifying what type of performance problem you actually have.
| Problem | What you notice | Area to investigate |
| FPS drop | FPS counter suddenly falls | CPU, GPU, settings |
| Constant low FPS | Poor frame rate throughout match | Hardware, graphics settings |
| Stuttering | Short freezes or uneven rendering | Frame pacing, system resources |
| High ping | Actions feel delayed | Network |
| Packet loss | Movement or updates become inconsistent | Network |
| Jitter | Responsiveness varies | Network |
This distinction matters because lowering graphics settings will not solve high ping, while optimizing a network route will not make an underpowered GPU render more frames.
How to Check Your FPS in League of Legends
Before changing anything, verify that your frame rate is actually dropping.
League of Legends can display your FPS and latency during a match. By default, you can toggle the FPS and ping display with Ctrl + F.
Watch the number while playing. If gameplay becomes choppy and the FPS counter falls from 120 to 40, you have strong evidence of a rendering-performance problem.
If FPS remains at 120 while your champion responds late or movement appears inconsistent, investigate the connection instead.
You should also pay attention to when the problem happens.
An FPS drop that occurs only during large team fights suggests a different bottleneck from a game that runs at 30 FPS from the moment the match starts.
How to Fix FPS Drops in League of Legends
If you want to know how to fix FPS drops in League of Legends, start with simple changes rather than modifying everything at once. Try this order:
- Restart League of Legends and your computer;
- Close unnecessary background applications;
- Lower in-game graphics settings;
- Set a reasonable frame rate cap;
- Test with shadows and anti-aliasing disabled;
- Update your graphics driver;
- Check CPU and GPU temperatures;
- Verify Windows power settings;
- Test whether the problem occurs only during team fights;
- Separate FPS symptoms from network problems.
Changing one or two variables at a time makes diagnosis much easier.
If you simultaneously update drivers, change every graphics setting, modify Windows options, and install new software, you may solve the problem without ever discovering what caused it.
That becomes a problem if the FPS drops return later.
Best League of Legends Settings for Higher FPS
Lowering graphics settings is one of the fastest ways to determine whether your hardware is struggling with the current configuration.
Riot’s low-FPS troubleshooting guidance recommends reducing several visual options when performance is poor, including Character Quality, Environment Quality, and Effects Quality. It also recommends disabling Shadows and Anti-Aliasing as part of troubleshooting.
For a performance-oriented starting point, try:
| Setting | Performance-focused starting point |
| Character Quality | Low |
| Environment Quality | Low |
| Effects Quality | Low |
| Shadows | Off |
| Anti-Aliasing | Off |
| Wait for Vertical Sync | Off for testing |
| Frame Rate Cap | 60 FPS initially |
You don’t necessarily need to keep every setting at minimum forever.
Start low, test performance, and then increase individual settings until you find the balance between image quality and stable frame rate that works for your PC.
The objective isn’t simply achieving the highest FPS number possible. Consistency matters.
A stable 120 FPS experience can feel better than a frame rate constantly moving between 200 and 80 FPS.
Should You Cap FPS in League of Legends?
An FPS cap can help create more consistent performance, particularly when your computer is rendering far more frames than your display can effectively use.
Suppose your PC fluctuates between 170 and 280 FPS. Allowing it to run unrestricted can place unnecessary demand on components while providing limited practical benefit depending on your monitor.
Setting a cap your system can reliably maintain may reduce large frame-rate swings.
Riot includes a 60 FPS cap among its troubleshooting recommendations for low FPS. This makes 60 FPS a useful diagnostic starting point rather than a universal recommendation for every player.
If your PC easily maintains 144 FPS and you have a high-refresh-rate monitor, you can test a higher cap afterward.
The important part is selecting a value your system can maintain during demanding situations, not just while standing at the fountain.
Should You Turn V-Sync Off?
V-Sync synchronizes the game’s frame output with your monitor’s refresh behavior to help address screen tearing.
However, it can also affect responsiveness and frame behavior depending on your hardware and configuration.
When diagnosing League of Legends low FPS, test the game with V-Sync disabled. Riot also recommends turning off “Wait for Vertical Sync” as part of its low-FPS troubleshooting process.
That doesn’t mean V-Sync must remain disabled permanently.
If performance becomes stable after your other changes, you can experiment with it again and compare the experience.
The same principle applies to many performance settings: don’t assume one configuration is universally best. Use controlled testing to find what works on your specific hardware.
Close Background Applications
League of Legends may not be the only program competing for your system resources.
Browsers with many tabs, streaming applications, recording software, game launchers, RGB utilities, communication apps, overlays, cloud synchronization, and other programs can consume CPU time, memory, GPU resources, or disk activity.
Close applications you don’t need before launching a match.
Pay particular attention to anything that becomes active periodically. An application that performs background synchronization or starts a scan can create performance spikes even if League normally runs smoothly.
Windows Task Manager can help identify unusually high CPU, memory, disk, or GPU usage.
Don’t randomly terminate Windows processes you don’t recognize. Focus on applications you installed and understand.
If closing a specific application stops the FPS drops, you have identified a much more useful solution than permanently lowering every League graphics setting.
Update Your Graphics Drivers
Graphics drivers provide the software layer that allows games to communicate properly with your GPU.
An outdated driver can sometimes contribute to performance problems, while a newly released problematic driver can occasionally introduce issues of its own.
If League of Legends stuttering or FPS drops appeared unexpectedly, check which graphics driver you’re currently using and whether an appropriate update is available from your GPU manufacturer.
After installing a driver, restart your computer before testing League again.
The timing of the problem can provide an important clue.
If League ran perfectly yesterday and FPS suddenly dropped immediately after a GPU driver update, don’t automatically assume your hardware has become too weak overnight.
Similarly, if your drivers haven’t been updated for a very long time, bringing them up to date is a reasonable troubleshooting step.
Check CPU and GPU Usage
League of Legends performance isn’t determined by the graphics card alone.
The CPU also has significant work to perform, particularly when processing everything happening during a match.
Monitoring CPU and GPU utilization can help identify bottlenecks.
If your GPU remains near maximum utilization while FPS falls, reducing graphical workload may help. If a CPU core becomes heavily loaded during demanding situations, simply lowering every graphics setting may produce less improvement than expected.
Memory pressure can also create performance issues, particularly when multiple applications are open.
The important point is that “low FPS” describes the symptom, not the cause.
Hardware monitoring gives you additional evidence about what your system is doing when that symptom occurs.
Check CPU and GPU Temperatures
A game may initially run perfectly and then lose performance after the computer has been under load for several minutes.
That pattern can indicate thermal throttling.
CPUs and GPUs are designed to protect themselves when temperatures become excessive. Depending on the hardware, the component may reduce its operating speed, which can reduce game performance.
If your FPS begins high and gradually becomes worse, monitor component temperatures during a match.
Laptop users should pay particular attention because compact systems generally have less cooling capacity than desktops.
Make sure ventilation openings aren’t blocked and that the computer is operating on a suitable surface.
On desktops, excessive dust, poor airflow, malfunctioning fans, or cooling-system problems can contribute to high temperatures.
Do not assume every temperature reading is dangerous; safe operating ranges differ by hardware. Check the specifications for your particular CPU and GPU.
League of Legends FPS Drops in Team Fights
League of Legends FPS drops in team fights are particularly common because these moments dramatically increase what your computer must process and render.
A quiet lane might contain two champions, minions, and relatively few visual effects. A five-versus-five fight can suddenly introduce ten champions, multiple abilities, particles, animations, health bars, damage effects, and other visual elements simultaneously.
If FPS is excellent everywhere except large fights, lower Effects Quality first.
Shadows and other visual settings can also be reduced to create additional performance headroom.
This is why testing performance only at the beginning of a match can be misleading.
Your graphics settings should be based on what your system can sustain during the most demanding moments, not what it can achieve while little is happening on screen.
If you can maintain your target frame rate during a chaotic team fight, normal laning should generally be much easier for the system.
Why Does League of Legends Stutter?
League of Legends stuttering can feel similar to low FPS but isn’t necessarily the same thing.
Low FPS describes a reduced average rendering rate. Stuttering refers more to inconsistent frame delivery, where the game may briefly freeze or feel uneven even when the average FPS appears acceptable.
Potential causes include background processes, resource spikes, driver problems, storage activity, thermal behavior, overlays, or inconsistent frame pacing.
Network problems can complicate diagnosis because they can create movement that looks visually irregular.
This is why the FPS counter matters.
If the game appears to freeze and your FPS simultaneously collapses, investigate local performance.
If your FPS stays stable but champions appear to jump positions or commands happen late, investigate latency, jitter, and packet loss instead.
FPS Drops After a League of Legends Update
If FPS problems begin immediately after a League update, don’t immediately assume your PC needs replacing.
Game updates can modify assets, rendering behavior, software requirements, or other components that influence performance.
First restart the client and computer completely.
Then verify whether your graphics settings remained as expected. If necessary, temporarily lower them and test again.
You should also check whether the issue is widespread or isolated to your machine.
If the problem continues after an update while your system previously performed normally, consider driver compatibility and background software before changing hardware.
League’s technical requirements have also evolved over time. Current Windows support requires DirectX 11 feature level 11_0, so very old hardware can eventually encounter compatibility or performance limitations as the game changes.
Check Laptop Power Settings
Gaming laptops can deliver dramatically different performance depending on whether they are plugged in and which power profile is active.
A laptop running in battery-saving mode may reduce CPU and GPU performance to extend battery life.
If you’re experiencing unexplained League of Legends low FPS, connect the laptop to its charger and verify the system’s power mode.
Gaming laptops may also have manufacturer-specific software controlling performance modes, fans, or GPU behavior.
Make sure League is using the intended graphics processor if your laptop contains both integrated and dedicated graphics.
A system that normally produces 120 FPS but suddenly runs at 40 FPS may simply be operating under a different power or GPU configuration.
This is particularly worth checking when the performance change occurs after disconnecting the charger, changing Windows settings, or installing a manufacturer utility update.
Does League of Legends Need a Powerful PC?
League of Legends is designed to run on a wide range of hardware, but that doesn’t mean every supported computer will deliver high frame rates at maximum settings.
There is also an important difference between minimum and recommended specifications.
Meeting minimum requirements generally means the hardware can run the game under supported conditions. It doesn’t guarantee high FPS, maximum graphics settings, or perfectly stable performance during every team fight.
Older systems may therefore benefit substantially from reducing visual quality and limiting background applications.
The monitor also matters when defining your goal.
A player with a 60 Hz display has different practical frame-rate priorities from someone using a 144 Hz, 165 Hz, or 240 Hz gaming monitor.
Instead of chasing the highest possible FPS number, target a frame rate your computer can sustain consistently during real matches.
DirectX 11 and League of Legends Performance
League of Legends’ Windows graphics requirements have changed as Riot has modernized the game’s technical foundation.
Current support requires a GPU compatible with DirectX 11 feature level 11_0 on Windows.
This distinction matters for very old computers.
Simply having some version of DirectX installed in Windows does not necessarily mean the graphics hardware supports the required DirectX feature level.
If League no longer runs correctly on an older PC, verify the actual capabilities of the GPU rather than repeatedly reinstalling the game.
For supported hardware experiencing ordinary FPS drops, however, compatibility is less likely to be the problem.
Focus first on graphics settings, system resources, drivers, temperatures, and power configuration.
FPS Drop vs. Ping: What’s the Difference?
This is one of the most important distinctions in the entire troubleshooting process.
FPS measures rendering performance. Ping measures network latency.
If your FPS falls from 144 to 40, the computer is rendering fewer frames per second.
If your ping rises from 30 ms to 200 ms while FPS remains at 144, your computer is still rendering smoothly, but communication across the network is taking longer.
Packet loss is different again: some network data doesn’t successfully reach its destination.
Jitter refers to variation in latency over time.
All of these problems can be described casually as “lag,” which is why players sometimes troubleshoot the wrong system.
When FPS Drop League of Legends appears on your counter, investigate the PC first. When FPS stays stable but online responsiveness becomes inconsistent, investigate the network.
Can High Ping Cause FPS Drops?
High ping does not directly reduce the number of frames your CPU and GPU can render.
This is an important misconception.
You can have 240 FPS and terrible ping at the same time. You can also have 25 FPS with an excellent network connection.
However, network lag can create symptoms that players interpret as graphical stuttering. Delayed commands, unusual movement, teleporting, or inconsistent updates can make gameplay feel unsmooth even while the FPS counter remains stable.
Use the FPS and ping display to separate the two.
If FPS remains stable when the problem occurs, lowering Character Quality or buying a new GPU probably won’t fix the underlying network issue.
Likewise, if ping is excellent while your FPS collapses during every team fight, network optimization isn’t the appropriate solution for that specific problem.
When Network Problems Feel Like FPS Drops
Once you’ve confirmed that your frame rate remains stable, it’s worth investigating the network side of what you’re experiencing.
Look for symptoms such as delayed ability activation, commands that take longer than expected, champions suddenly changing position, unstable ping, or responsiveness that varies throughout the match.
These can point toward latency, jitter, packet loss, or network-route instability rather than rendering performance.
This distinction is especially useful because it prevents unnecessary changes.
If you already have stable 144 FPS, reducing every graphics option to minimum won’t solve packet loss.
Similarly, reinstalling your graphics driver won’t normally improve an inefficient internet route between your connection and the game infrastructure.
Correct diagnosis determines which tool you should use.
Can ExitLag Fix League of Legends FPS Drops?
ExitLag should not be treated as a direct League of Legends FPS drop solution.
FPS is primarily determined by your hardware, graphics settings, drivers, temperatures, power configuration, and other local system conditions. A network route optimization tool does not replace a faster CPU or GPU.
Where ExitLag becomes relevant is when the problem players describe as “lag” is actually network-related.
ExitLag is designed to optimize network routes for supported online games, searching for more stable paths when routing conditions contribute to latency variation, jitter, packet loss, or connection instability.
That means the distinction is straightforward:
FPS dropping? Investigate the PC and graphics configuration.
FPS stable but network responsiveness unstable? Investigate the connection and routing.
Using the right solution for the right problem is much more effective than treating every gameplay issue as the same type of lag.
FAQ
Sudden FPS drops can be caused by demanding graphics settings, background applications, driver problems, thermal throttling, power settings, or hardware limitations. Check when the drop occurs to narrow down the cause.
Lower graphics settings, disable shadows and anti-aliasing for testing, cap FPS at a sustainable level, close background apps, update GPU drivers, and check temperatures and power settings.
Team fights add many champions, abilities, particles, and animations simultaneously. If your hardware is near its performance limit, this increased workload can cause FPS to fall.
Start with low Character, Environment, and Effects Quality, disable Shadows and Anti-Aliasing, and test with V-Sync off. Then gradually increase settings while monitoring performance.
Not directly. Ping measures network latency, while FPS measures rendering performance. High ping can make gameplay feel laggy even when your FPS remains stable.
Fix League of Legends FPS Drops and Keep Your Matches Smooth
The best way to solve FPS Drop League of Legends problems is to identify what changes when performance deteriorates. Monitor your FPS, reduce demanding graphics options, close unnecessary applications, check drivers and temperatures, and make sure your computer isn’t being limited by power-saving settings.
Most importantly, separate rendering problems from network problems. A falling FPS counter points toward your system, while stable FPS combined with delayed or inconsistent online responsiveness suggests that latency, jitter, packet loss, or routing may deserve attention instead.
Got questions or want to connect with other players? Join the conversation at the ExitLag Forum!
