CS2 ยท stutter
CS2 hitching at high FPS? V-Sync off and fps_max to Hertz
A high average with wild frame swings is stutter. In CS2: V-Sync off, set fps_max to your monitor Hz (for example 240 on 240 Hz), not fps_max 0. cl_showfps 2 shows FPS plus frametime. Overlays off. SmoothWizard power plan is Basic. Process pause is PRO.
Unlimited sounds fast. Frametime still spikes. A cap matched to the panel is boring and it works.
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Measure, do not guess
CS2 console: cl_showfps 2. Frametime spikes on smokes are shaders or overlays. Smooth graph and jittery enemies is network.
- 2
V-Sync off in-game
V-Sync adds input lag and can hitch when you miss Hz. Off in Video. Keep G-Sync / FreeSync if the panel has it and it is not fighting V-Sync.
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fps_max to Hz
Set fps_max to panel Hertz or a little above (240 on 240 Hz). fps_max 0 (unlimited) lets swings you feel as hitching.
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Fullscreen
Exclusive fullscreen, not borderless. Steam / Discord / NVIDIA overlays off.
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SmoothWizard
Basic: power plan. PRO: pause processes on fullscreen. The app does not set fps_max for you - that is the CS2 console.
FAQ
Click a question to show the answer. The first one is open.
What fps_max value?
Your panel Hz, or a small headroom. There is no magic number for every PC.
NVIDIA Reflex instead of a cap?
Reflex shortens the render queue. Still cap to Hz if unlimited wrecks frametime.
Will a booster set fps_max?
SmoothWizard does not inject commands into CS2. You type fps_max in console or autoexec.