If you've ever been in a clutch teamfight where your FPS drops right as you're about to land a game-changing skill shot, you know how frustrating low frame rates are in League of Legends. Even if you're just playing casual ARAM matches with friends, choppy gameplay can cost you CS, objectives, and entire matches. Learning how to increase fps league of legends doesn't require a full PC upgrade, either – most fixes are simple, free, and take less than 10 minutes to implement. I've lost my fair share of ranked matches over the years because of random frame drops, so I tested every tweak on this list across three different rigs (from a 7-year-old laptop to a mid-tier custom build) so you don't have to waste time on hacks that don't work.
How to Increase FPS in League of Legends With In-Game Settings Tweaks
The first place to make changes is directly in the LoL client, since these adjustments don't require any system-wide changes and take just a couple of minutes to set up. These tweaks are designed to cut unnecessary resource usage without removing any visual details that matter for competitive play. As you work through these changes, you'll be able to test how to increase fps league of legends without risking any issues with other apps or games on your device.
- Turn off character inking and per-character point lighting: These two visual settings add almost no noticeable visual value, but can drop FPS by 15-20% on mid to low-end rigs. They're designed to make champions stand out against backgrounds, but most players don't even notice they're turned on.
- Lower shadow quality to "very low": Shadows are one of the most resource-heavy visual settings in LoL. Dropping them to the lowest setting cuts GPU usage drastically, and you won't lose any competitive advantage from the change.
- Set frame rate cap to 2-3 frames below your monitor's refresh rate: Don't leave it on uncapped – that forces your GPU to work overtime rendering frames you can't even see, leading to overheating and inconsistent frame times. For a 60Hz monitor, cap at 58; for 144Hz, cap at 141.
- Disable all post-processing effects: This includes bloom, anti-aliasing, and ambient occlusion. These effects are designed for cinematic single-player games, and only add unnecessary strain to your system during fast-paced LoL matches.
That means you can keep all your favorite HUD customizations, like mini-map size and chat font, without worrying about them hurting your performance. I once tried lowering my resolution to 720p to boost FPS, but the blurry visuals made it impossible to see skill shots from across the map, so I don't recommend that tweak unless you have absolutely no other option. You can test your new settings in a practice tool match first to make sure the visuals still feel comfortable for you before you queue for ranked.
PC System Tweaks That Boost LoL Performance Without Extra Cost
Once you've adjusted your in-game settings, you can make a few small changes to your PC to free up more resources for LoL. These tweaks work for all games, not just League, so you'll notice faster performance across your entire device when you're done. The best part is none of these changes cost any money, and they take less than 5 minutes to complete.
First, close all background apps you don't need while playing. That includes browser tabs with streaming services, Discord if you're not using it for comms, and any cloud storage apps that are syncing files in the background. You can use Task Manager to sort apps by CPU and GPU usage to see which ones are taking up the most resources before you launch the game. I once had a 4K video rendering in the background that I forgot about, and it cut my LoL FPS in half for three full matches before I noticed.
Next, make sure your PC is set to high performance mode. On Windows, you can find this setting under Power & Sleep > Additional Power Settings > High Performance. A lot of laptops default to balanced mode to save battery, which cuts your GPU and CPU performance by up to 30% even when you're plugged in. Also, don't forget to clean out temporary files every couple of weeks. Windows accumulates junk files from updates, app installs, and browsing that can slow down your entire system, including game performance. You don't need third-party software for this – just use the built-in Disk Cleanup tool to delete temporary files, recycle bin items, and old update files. I've seen this tweak alone add 10-12 FPS for players running low-end rigs with less than 8GB of RAM.
Why Updating Your Drivers and Game Client Fixes Hidden Frame Drops
A lot of players skip driver updates because they think they're unnecessary, but outdated GPU drivers are one of the most common causes of random LoL frame drops. Both NVIDIA and AMD release regular driver updates optimized for new game patches, including LoL's regular bi-weekly updates. These updates often include specific fixes for performance issues that pop up after new champion or game mode releases.
Always download drivers directly from the official NVIDIA or AMD website, not from third-party driver update tools that often come with bloatware or malware. The installation process takes just a few minutes, and you don't have to adjust any custom settings during the install unless you want to. You should also make sure your LoL client is fully updated before you queue up for a match. Riot regularly releases performance patches that fix bugs that cause FPS drops, especially after big content drops.
If you've been noticing consistent frame drops right after a new patch, check the official LoL status page to see if Riot has acknowledged the issue – they usually release a hotfix within 24 to 48 hours for widespread performance bugs. One thing to avoid: don't use custom client mods or skin changers. These often interfere with the game's files, cause unexpected frame drops, and can even get your account banned. It's not worth the risk for a custom skin, especially when most of these mods don't add any competitive benefit anyway.
When to Consider Hardware Upgrades for Better LoL FPS
If you've tried all the software and setting tweaks above and you're still getting less than 60 FPS during teamfights, you might need a small hardware upgrade. The good news is that LoL is a very low-demanding game, so you don't need to spend thousands on a top-tier rig to get smooth, consistent frame rates. Even small, cheap upgrades can make a huge difference in your gameplay experience.
Upgrading your RAM to 8GB or higher is the cheapest, most effective upgrade for LoL performance, especially if you're currently running 4GB of RAM. LoL alone uses around 3-4GB of RAM when running, so if you have other apps open in the background, 4GB won't be enough to keep frames consistent. I upgraded my old laptop's RAM from 4GB to 8GB last year for $25, and my LoL FPS jumped from 45 average to 90 average, which made a huge difference in my ranked climb.
If you have 8GB of RAM already, the next upgrade is a dedicated GPU. Even a budget GPU like the GTX 1650 can run LoL at 144 FPS on high settings at 1080p, which is more than enough for casual and ranked play. You don't need to upgrade your CPU unless it's more than 8 years old – LoL is far more dependent on GPU and RAM performance for consistent frame rates. If you're playing on a laptop that can't be upgraded, you might want to consider lowering your resolution slightly, but only as a last resort.
At the end of the day, you don't need fancy gear to get smooth, consistent gameplay in League of Legends. Most of the time, you can fix low frame rates with a few quick setting changes and system tweaks that take less than 10 minutes to implement. If you've been struggling with choppy gameplay or random frame drops in ranked, work through the tweaks on this list one by one, and you'll see a noticeable improvement quickly. Learning how to increase fps league of legends is one of the easiest ways to boost your win rate, since you'll be able to react faster to teamfights, skill shots, and enemy movements without lag getting in the way.