DoTA 2 FPS issues: Here’s how to fix them

Madalina Dinita
by Madalina Dinita
Managing Editor
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  • DoTA 2 is a highly addictive and highly competitive game where players take control of a hero and battle an opposing team for control of the map.
  • As you can imagine, having stable FPS is critical in high-precision games, and unfortunately DoTA 2 players have reported issues with the game's performance.
  • We've covered various issues with DoTA and will continue to do so. To make sure you don't miss out on our new content, head over to our DoTA 2 page and bookmark it!
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Dota 2 is a highly addictive game, but sometimes the gaming experience is affected by various issues. In this article, we’re going to focus on FPS rate issues and list a series of quick workarounds that you can use to fix them and improve Dota 2’s performance.

The following solutions are suitable for micro stutters, low FPS issues, and graphical glitches.

How do I fix Dota 2 FPS issues

  1. Fix Dota 2 capped FPS
  2. Fix Dota 2 micro stutters
  3. Fix Dota 2 low FPS after hitting ALT-TAB
  4. Fix Dota 2 won’t start from Steam
  5. Fix Dota 2 crashes, texture issues and glitches
  6. Fix Dota 2 low FPS

1. Fix Dota 2 capped FPS

1. Disable the Xbox app in Windows. It may cap the FPS to 60 on Windows 10:

  1. Type PowerShell > Run as an Admin
  2. Run the command Get-AppxPackage | Select Name, PackageFullname to display all the apps installed on your machine
  3. Locate the two Xbox packages: Microsoft.XboxLIVEGames and Microsoft.XboxApp
  4. Copy the PackageFullname of both packages
  5. Type Remove-AppXPackage and add the PackageFullname of the first app > hit Enter > do the same for the second app
  6. Reboot and the Xbox integration will be history.

2. Set fps_max in the console to 120
3. Turn off the VSync
4. Check your autoexec / config for mat_vsync 1, change the value to 0.
5. Disable Vsync completely from your GPU driver panel, it overrides the game settings.

2. Fix Dota 2 micro stutters

1. Exclude the Steam folder from Windows Defender:

1.1. Go to Settings > select Update & security > Windows Defender

1.2. Under Exclusions > select Add an exclusion > click the Add button > go to the process you want to exclude > select Exclude this file.

2. Go to Steam settings > Account > select NONE beta participation to disable Steam Beta participation.
3. If the Workshop update is stuck on downloading pages of Steam, you need to reinstall Steam.
5. Check the Task manager and disable any processes you don’t need.
6. Check for malware.

3. Fix Dota 2 low FPS after hitting ALT-TAB

  1. Set engine_no_focus_sleep 0 to your autoexec / console.
  2. Switch to borderless windowed to reduce FPS on slower PCs.

4. Fix Dota 2 won’t start from Steam

  1. Go to (SteamSteamAppscommondota 2 betagamebinwin64win32 ) > run dota2.exe
  2. The game will start, but won’t establish any connection to the Steam network.
  3. Change all the video settings to lowest and set windowed mode.
  4. Relaunch Dota 2 from Steam client > adjust settings back to normal.

5. Fix Dota 2 crashes, texture issues and glitches

  1. Verify Dota 2’s game cache integrity
  2. Switch to single display mode if necessary > go to Dota 2’s config file (SteamSteamAppscommondota 2 betagamedotacfg) > delete video.txt
  3. Disable the nod3d9ex command
  4. Make sure you’re running both Dota 2 and Steam as administrator
  5. Disable VSync
  6. Check and update your network driver
  7. Remove any enhancement software
  8. If you use a multiple graphics card configuration, make sure you’re running Dota 2 on your more powerful GPU.

6. Fix Dota 2 low FPS

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  1. Don’t forget to restart Dota 2 after each match to reset game memory.
  2. Disable unnecessary background processes, so that Steam and Dota2 can better access your computer’s resources.
  3. If you use a high-end Nvidia GPU, open NVIDIA Control panel > go to the Manage 3D Settings page > add Dota 2 as a program in the list.
  4. If you use an AMD CPU, turn off Turbo Core Control. Download AMD OverDrive > go to the Clock/Voltage tab > untick Enable Core Control. Do this manually after each restart of PC.
  5. On low-end PCs, turn off the Adobe Flash Player process running in the background.
  6. Turn off Steam Overlay
  7. Run the game in true fullscreen mode on Steam.
  8. Set the lowest graphics settings possible.
  9. Lower your resolution as a temporary solution.
  10. Open the video.txt folder (…SteamAppscommondota 2 betagamedotacfg). Change all the settings below setting.nowindowborder to 0 (zero) to improve the performance for the cost of visual quality. Don’t forget to create a backup file before you do this.
  11. Rollback the previous GPU drivers.
  12. Reinstall your GPU drivers or update them.
  13. Reinstall Dota 2. Uncheck all the DLC you’ve downloaded before reinstalling the game.
  14. Download and install CCleaner. This tool checks your registry, cleans unused files and optimizes your PC.

With that said, we can conclude this article. In case you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve FPS in Dota 2, feel free to tell us in the comments section below. We look forward to hearing from you.

FAQ: Common DoTA 2 FPS Problems

  • Why does Dota 2 Keep losing FPS?

If this is a recent issue, then the cause can be an outdated graphics driver or a problem with a new driver. You can wait for a fix to come with the next driver update or rollback to a previous version. Keep in mind that some background processes can interfere with games, causing lower FPS.

  • What FPS is good for Dota 2?

You should always aim for an absolute minimum of 60FPS in any game. This will ensure that the game runs smooth. If you have a high refresh rate gaming monitor, then you should aim to match your FPS with the refresh rate of the monitor.

  • How can I make Dota 2 run smoothly on my laptop?

For Windows settings, disable background processes and run DoTA 2 as a high priority app from Task Manager, change your laptop’s power profile to High Performance. Start DoTA 2 and go to Options. Turn on Use Simple Minimap Background, then go to Video and turn off all the advanced settings. Lastly, set Game Screen Render Quality to something lower (70-80%).

  • How do I turn off FPS cap in Dota 2?

Start the game, go to Settings (cog icon), then click on the Video tab and in the lower right corner you have a slider which you can set to whatever FPS value you wish.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in March 2019 and has been since revamped and updated in March 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.