CSGO Best FPS Settings That Give You An Advantage

Updated:

19 Aug 2021

Since everyone knows that those extra 3 FPS are going to propel you to the top of the scoreboard, I’m here to guide you so that you can boost your FPS, regardless of how ancient your PC is.

Disclaimer: This guide is about FPS optimization, meaning that though these settings will boost your FPS, it may come at the cost of the ‘ideally-best settings’ for CS:GO. You can check out my Top 25 Best CSGO Settings article to pick the best settings.

To start off, there are a few things that I recommend you to carry out. For one, I suggest you update your Windows to the latest version of Windows 10. It does not cost money, so why shy away?

Next, can you please just uninstall CS:GO? Haha, kidding, but not. I want you to reinstall CS:GO. It helps sometimes. (Because the outdated files sometimes conflict with the new files or just take up extra space. It’s just better for all the old ones to leave. No offense intended (; )

We’re good to go, lads. Let’s boost our FPS.

10. Launch Options

There was a time where launch options significantly mattered. It doesn’t, now. The best you can do is cut out your intro video. You will encounter a “XYZ” later on. All you have to do is replace that “XYZ”. With what? Read on.

Go to Steam Library.
Right Click on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Go to Properties.
Go to Set Launch Options which is under the heading “General.”
Copy and paste this inside the launch options: -freq XYZ -console -novid -tickrate 128

Before pasting, replace XYZ with your monitor’s refresh rate. If you belong to the 1820s and have no idea what I just said, then just replace that “XYZ” with “60” since that is the standard number.

Press OK, of course.
Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\YOURSTEAMID\730\local\cfg – this is where you’ll place your config/autoexec

Additionally:

Just above the “Set Launch Options” button, there’s a “Use Desktop Game Theatre while SteamVR is Active”. Uncheck it.
Also set the last two options in General to “Forced Off”

9. Unchecking CPU 0

Doing this significantly improves your FPS. The downside is that you will have to do this every single time you boot CS:GO. CS:GO also has to be running for you to do this.

Press Play CS:GO in Steam and boot into the game.
When you’re on the Main Menu page, tap out to your desktop.
Go to Task Manager.
In Processes tab, look for “CS:GO (32 bit)” and go to the dropdown menu.
Right-click on CS:GO and look for “Go To Details.”
You’ll be moved to the Details tab and CS:GO will be highlighted.
Right-click on CS:GO again and go to “Set Affinity” option.
Go ahead and uncheck CPU 0.
Press OK and exit the Task Manager

You can re-check it in the exceptional case of negative results. In most cases, there will be a 5-25% FPS increase.

Next, re-open the CS:GO that was running in the background, look for a competitive match, win and reach Global. You’re welcome.

The next settings will be in-game settings. Mostly Video Settings. (Important: Check Image Gallery down below)

8. Global Shadow Quality

I generally recommend you to keep it at high but since that costs FPS, I’d say you crank it down to Medium.

Go to Game Settings at the bottom of the icons at the left.
Go to Video; it’s the second option on the top
The first option under ‘Advanced Video’ is Global Shadow Quality that you can turn to Medium

7. Effect Detail

This is coupled with Shader Detail. Both of these on High will help you look through molotov’s smokes better and you can spot a CT more easily. It also makes your cheap skins look prettier. But it costs you hefty FPS. If you wanna squeeze out some frames, this is a great option to do so. Keep it at Low. Or Medium.

Go to Game Settings at the bottom of the icons at the left.
Go to Video; it’s the second option on the top
The fourth option under ‘Advanced Video’ is Effect Detail that you can adjust

6. Shader Detail

Same thing. Keeping it at High doesn’t cost much either. Just don’t keep it at Very High.

Go to Game Settings at the bottom of the icons at the left.
Go to Video; it’s the second option on the top
The fifth option under ‘Advanced Video’ is Shader Detail that you can adjust

5. Boost Player Contrast

You are finally at serious crossroads now. As the name suggests, keeping this enabled will help you see enemy models better in some cases. Though keeping it Enabled doesn’t cost a kidney, I’d say you keep it Disabled to get that extra 1-3% FPS.

Go to Game Settings at the bottom of the icons at the left.
Go to Video; it’s the second option on the top
The sixth option under ‘Advanced Video’ is Boost Player Contrast that you can Disable

4. Multicore Rendering

Read this as “FPS Gift from Santa Claus”. Keep it enabled. It’s a free FPS boost. (If you have a multi-core processor.)

Go to Game Settings at the bottom of the icons at the left.
Go to Video; it’s the second option on the top
The seventh option under ‘Advanced Video’ is Multicore Rendering that you can Enable

Advanced Video Settings end here.

3. Advanced 3D Audio Processing

Though I would generally recommend you to keep this on, now that you are immorally sacrificing everything for those extra frames, I’d say you keep this off.

Go to Game Settings at the bottom of the icons at the left.
Go to Audio; it’s the third option on the top
The sixth option under Audio is Advanced 3D Audio Processing that you can turn off

2. Enable Game Instructor Messages

This is a part of Game Settings. Turn this off.

Go to Game Settings at the bottom of the icons at the left.
Go to Game; it’s the fourth option on the top
The first option under Game is Enable Game Instructor Messages that you can turn off.