6 Ways to Fix Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) Stuttering on a Windows PC

Many players have complained about stuttering making Counter-Strike 2 close to unplayable. For example, this is what one player had to say about stuttering in Counter-Strike 2 on Reddit, “CS2 stuttering… I am going mad, the game is unplayable, whenever someone shoots at me, I got 30-60 fps lower, it’s impossible to win the fight.” Severe stuttering can make it very hard to play Counter-Strike 2 because smooth gameplay is crucial for multiplayer first-person shoots. This is how you can remedy severe CS2 stuttering on Windows PCs.

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Disable Background Apps

First, I recommend applying game performance optimization for Counter-Strike 2 by disabling unnecessary background programs. The idea here is to free up PC system resources for Counter-Strike 2, which can enhance the gameplay performance of any game. This is how you can manually disable background apps before starting CS2.

1. Activate Task Manager by pressing the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key to open that system resource tool.
2. Right-click unnecessary processes for third-party programs shown on the Processes tab and select End task.
   
   

   The Processes tab in Task Manager

3. Next, click on the Startup tab.
   
   

   The Startup tab in Task Manager

4. Select unneeded apps starting with Windows and click Disable. This will reduce the number of background apps automatically starting on your PC, which frees up resources for Counter-Strike 2.

Delete the DirectX Shader Cache

Counter-Strike 2 players confirm deleting the DirectX shader cache has fixed CS2 stuttering on their PCs. The DirectX shader cache stores a lot of graphics system data. You can delete the DirectX shader cache like this.

1. Open the file search box by pressing the Windows logo + S keyboard buttons to access.
2. Input delete temporary files in the search box.
3. Click Delete temporary files to access that tool.
4. Next, click on Temporary files.
5. Select the DirectX Shader Cache box.
   
   

   The DirectX Shader Cache option

6. Click Remove files to erase.
7. Next, press the Windows logo + R keyboard buttons to Run.
8. Type %userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\NVIDIA\PerDriverVersion\DXCache in Run and click OK.
   
   

   The DXCache folder

9. Select everything in the DXCache folder (press Ctrl + A).
10. Click Delete within the command bar or Home tab.

Disable NVIDIA Reflex

NVIDIA Reflex is a feature for reducing input lag. However, having this setting enabled can sometimes lead to frame rate drops causing stuttering issues to arise. Try disabling NVIDIA Reflex in Counter-Strike 2 like this.

1. Start Counter-Strike 2 and click its Settings button.
2. Go to the Video > Advanced Video tab.
3. Select Disabled for the NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency setting.
   
   

   The NVIDIA Reflex setting

Select High-Performance Graphics

Windows has higher performance and power-saving settings for software. It’s important to have this set for high performance if your PC has two graphics cards. Doing this sets Counter-Strike 2 to always run with the superior dedicated GPU for which gaming performance will likely be better. You can select high performance for CS2 via Settings like this.

1. Open search and enter graphics settings into the file finder tool.
2. Click Graphics settings to access that part of Settings.
3. Select Desktop apps within the drop-down menu.
4. Press Browse and select the cs2.exe file within the Counter-Strike 2 installation folder.
   
   

   The Browse and Options buttons

5. Click on Add.
6. Next, click on the Counter-Strike 2 game and its Options button.
7. Select High performance, and click Save.
   
   

   The High performance setting

Disable Shader Cache Size

Disabling the Shader Cache Size option via NVIDIA settings is a possible fix for CS2 stuttering (or micro stuttering) that some players say has worked for them. However, Counter-Strike 2 will take longer to load with that option disabled. This is how you can disable shader cache size via the NVIDIA Control Panel.

1. Right-click somewhere on the Windows 11/10 desktop area to select NVIDIA Control Panel.
2. Click 3D Settings > Manage 3D settings in the NVIDIA Control Panel.
3. Select Disabled on the Shader Cache Size drop-down menu.
   
   

   The Shader Cache Size option

4. Press Apply to save the changed settings.

Turn on Ultra Low Latency (NVIDIA Fix)

Low Latency is like a NVIDIA frame scheduling setting that can make gameplay more responsive when enabled. This setting is there to minimize latency, which can sometimes help to alleviate stuttering. Try enabling that option to see if it makes a positive difference, but you can always revert if it doesn’t. You can set Ultra Low Latency like this.

1. Open the NVIDIA Control Panel and select Manage 3D settings by going through steps one and two of the previous potential fix.
2. Click on the Program Settings tab.
3. Choose Counter-Strike 2 on the Select a program to customize drop-down menu.
4. Click the Low Latency Mode setting and select Ultra.
   
   

   The Low Latency Mode setting

5. Select Apply to save the changes.

Other Possible Ways to Fix CS2 Stuttering

If Counter-Strike 2 stuttering continues, there are more possible remedies for it. Try applying these additional potential fixes for CS2 stuttering:

• Update the graphics card driver on your PC by downloading the latest one for your GPU from the AMD or NVIDIA driver download pages.
• Run Counter-Strike 2 with a higher priority by right-clicking its process in Task Manager’s Details tab and selecting Set priority > High.
• Enable VSync in Counter-Strike 2’s settings (some players say this helps).
• Run a verification scan for Counter-Strike 2 within your Steam software.

There isn’t any golden formula for fixing CS2 stuttering on Windows 11/10 PCs. However, the potential solutions above are more widely confirmed ways to reduce stuttering in Counter-Strike 2. So, applying some of those potential resolutions might enhance the gameplay performance of Counter-Strike 2 on your PC.