How to Cap Skyrim FPS in 5 Easy Steps!

Skyrim is a game that’s about to hit nine years old mark. 

As one of the most popular games globally, many new gamers wonder how to cap Skyrim FPS.

Capping the FPS in a game allows you to avoid the graphic to glitch out and possibly ruin your gaming session. 

The graphic is especially crucial in a game like Skyrim, where it provides immersion in exploration over the game’s vast landscape. 

Without further ado, read how to cap your FPS in Skyrim in the following guides.

How Do I Cap FPS with NVIDIA Control Panel?

In my opinion, the easiest way to limit your FPS in Skyrim or any other games is by using the newest NVIDIA Control Panel.

Of course, this can only be done if you use Nvidia’s graphics card.

To cap your FPS in Skyrim using the NVIDIA Control Panel, follow this guide:

  1. Download and Install the latest version of the NVIDIA Control Panel from this link.
  2. After installing the control panel, make sure to update your GeForce Game Ready Driver to the newest version. (Follow this link to get the latest driver).
  3. Now open the NVIDIA Control Panel and go to the “Manage 3D Settings” Option you can find on the control panel’s left-hand side.
  4. Click the “Program Setting” tabs and then locate and select your Skyrim.exe.
  5. Scroll down on the features box until you find the “Max Frame Rate” Settings. Click on the settings and set your desired FPS limit, and click apply to finish everything.

By limiting my framerate in Skyrim, I found that the game can run smoother, and I encountered fewer glitches happening during my gameplay.

Limiting FPS with the NVIDIA Control Panel also gives me the best result so far. It is better compared to other methods of capping fps like V-Sync, for instance.

Other methods like V-sync tend to create latency and lag in your input to the game resulting in jittery and stutters in the game.

But what about if you play Skyrim in a system that does not have an Nvidia Graphis Card?

Well, do not worry, and keep on reading. 

I will show you how to cap your FPS in Skyrim using 3rd party software called Rivatuner Statistics Server.

How do I Cap Framerate in Skyrim using RTSS?

For people from Team Red, you can use the Rivatuner Statistics Server (RTSS) to cap your framerate in Skyrim.

To limit FPS on Rivatuner, you just need to follow these steps:

  1. Download and install the latest version of Rivatuner Statistics Server from this link.
  2. Open up the application. You can find the application on your bottom right-hand-side of the windows’ taskbar.
  3. Press the Add button on the bottom left-hand side of the application and locate your Skyrim.exe file.
  4. Turn on the “Stealth Mode” settings so that the program can run in the background without getting detected by game guard software.
  5. Locate the “Framerate Limit” setting box on the right-hand side and type in your desired FPS value.

Easy right?

I believe that Rivatuner Statistics Server should be on your computer if you are serious about gaming.

Not only can you use it to limit FPS on Skyrim, for instance, you can also get better input delay compared to using other methods of capping the game’s FPS.

Other Common Ways to Cap Framerate in Skyrim

There are three most common and easy ways on how to cap Skyrim FPS. 

V-Sync

Vertical Synchronization is the most basic and practical method to limit FPS in any game, including Skyrim. 

It works by reducing the game’s frame rate to match your monitor’s highest refresh rate.

For example, if your monitor only runs on a 60Hz refresh rate, V-sync will reduce the game’s frame rate to 60 FPS to match your monitor.

V-Sync technology was used by people in the past to eliminate screen tearing.

Screen-tearing is a condition where lines or cuts are visible through the image within the game. 

It looks like the game has two frames separated by a line that shows for a moment.

However, there is a major downside to using V-Sync. 

V-Sync may make your game quite laggy, which means you get less responsive keyboard input and lower mouse movements, which leads to a delayed or jerky response. 

In-Game FPS Limiter

The second method on how to cap a game’s FPS is by using the in-game FPS limiter. 

It is a very efficient tool that lets you lower FPS to your desired numbers without any risk of getting lag because it controls the game engine internally.

You have to note that, unfortunately, not all games feature an in-game FPS limiter. 

In that case, you need to use external software to cap the FPS and build more refined gameplay.

External Software of FPS Limiter

These software utilities are a minor tool that can limit your games’ FPS as well. 

In this post of How to Cap Skyrim FPS, I have shown you two of the best external software you can use to limit your FPS.

Nvidia Control Panel and Rivatuner Statistics Server can help you to limit FPS while still maintaining a good input response.

Both of the software will eliminate the screen tearing and reduce glitches when you are exploring the vast world of Skyrim.

The Benefit of Capping Your FPS in Skyrim

In general, gamers always want a gaming experience that is enjoyable, smooth, and free from lag. 

Unfortunately, they have to cap the game’s FPS to enjoy a gaming experience without monitor-stuttering or screen-tearing.

Limiting framerate in a game to your monitor’s optimum refresh rate is essential if you want to have a good gaming experience without screen tearing and input delays.

For example, if your monitor has 75Hz frequency and the game has 100 FPS, it is probably the best to cap the FPS down to 75 or even lower by using the guide on how to cap Skyrim FPS above.

Another benefit of capping framerate is to save your computer’s power usage. Limiting FPS reduces several loads carried by the graphic card.

Besides, the method of how to cap Skyrim FPS in this guide also helps lower the graphic card’s temperature. 

The GPU doesn’t have to work to its maximum capacity resulting in less heat.

Note that the benefits mentioned above also depend on your graphic card and game.

For instance, you get more advantage if you reduce 150 FPS down to 75 FPS compared to cap the framerate from 100 FPS to 75 FPS.

A more significant advantage means that you will get better image stability and less stuttering. 

So there you have it.

Our guide on how to cap Skyrim FPS in 5 Easy Steps!

Do you have any other method to cap FPS in Skyrim?

Please let us know in the comment below.

Thank you very much.

About the Author
Hi, I'm Steve. I'm a proud gamer. I have been active within the gaming sphere for 30+ years. As gaming is something I enjoy very much, I want other people to enjoy it also. That is exactly why I started this blog.

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