If your CS:GO stutters when playing the game, that would be so frustrating, especially when you’re in the middle of the fun. Though CS:GO brings so much fun, Valve still hasn’t released an official solutions to this CS:GO stuttering issue. But don’t worry. There are still something you can do to fix the CS:GO stuttering issue and reduce lags in your computer. Try these solutions that have resolved the stuttering in CS:GO for many people.

How to fix stuttering issue and reduce lags

  1. Install the latest patch
  2. Enable the Steam Overlay
  3. Update graphics card driver
  4. Adjust game settings
  5. Adjust settings in your computer
  6. Restrict background applications and downloads
Note: the screenshots below come from Windows 10, and the fixes also work in Windows 8 and Windows 7.
 

Fix 1: Install the latest patch

Since many technical problems can be resolved by restarting, it never hurts to restart your computer and your game. Often this will be enough to fix the error. Game developers always keep releasing patches to improve their games and fix any issues, so you should check for updates of your game in Steam or from the official website. Then install the latest patch to keep it up to date. This can fix some issues like CS:GO stuttering.  

Fix 2: Enable the Steam Overlay

Steam overlay is an in-game interface that allows access to many Steam community features while playing games, such as in-app purchasing. Many people have resolved the CS:GO stuttering issue by reinstalling overlay in Steam. First of all, you need to check whether you’ve enabled Steam overlay in your computer:
  1. On your Steam client, click Settings.

  2. Click In-Game, and make sure to check the box next to Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game, then click OK to save your changes.

If you’ve enabled overlay before, try to disable it and then re-enable it. Restart CS:GO again and see if it works better.  

Fix 3: Update graphics card driver

A missing or outdated graphics card driver in your computer can cause the CS:GO stuttering issue, so you should make sure your video card driver is up to date, and update it if it’s not. In addition, you should also update other drivers to make the best use of your hardware, in order to improve your gaming experience. There are two ways to update your graphics card driver: manually and automatically. Manually update the driver: You should go to the manufacturer website of your graphics card, find the latest version of the driver and install it in your computer. Ensure to download the latest correct driver that is compatible with your computer operating system. This requires time and computer skills. Automatically update the driver: If you don’t have time or patience, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy. Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing. You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 clicks (and you get full support and a 30-day money back guarantee):
  1. Download and install Driver Easy.
  2. Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.

  3. Click the Update button next to the flagged graphics card to automatically download the correct version of their driver (you can do this with the FREE version), then install it in your computer. Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (this requires the Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).

  4. Restart your computer to take effect.
This should help reduce the stuttering or lag issues in your computer.  

Fix 4: Adjust game settings

Sometimes the improper settings in your CS:GO can make your game stutters, so you can check these following settings:

1. Disable fullscreen optimizations

Fullscreen optimizations is a new feature introduced in Windows 10, which helps boot performance of games when they’re in full screen mode. You can try disabling it and fix the CS:GO stuttering issues. To do so, follow the steps below:
  1. Go to the CS:GO folder where you store your game files.
  2. Right click on your CS:GO executable file .exe, and select Properties.

  3. Click the Compatibility tab, and check the box next to Disable fullscreen optimizations. Then click Apply and OK to save the changes.

  4. Click the .exe file to launch CS:GO in your computer.

2. Set the graphics settings in your game to Low

You can lower the video settings in your CS:GO to reduce the lags and stuttering issue.
  1. Open Settings in CS:GO.
  2. Go to Options > Video Settings.
  3. In the advanced video options section, set these settings to Low: Global Shadow Quality, Model / Texture Detail, Effect Detail, Shader Detail.

  4. Save the changes and restart CS:GO to see if it works better.
 

Fix 5: Adjust settings in your computer

The settings in your computer is also important to fix the CS:GO stuttering issues. So you should check the settings that can enhance your system performance.

1. Set High performance for your computer

  1. Open Control Panel in your computer.
  2. Click Power options.

  3. In Preferred plans, select High performance.

  4. Restart your computer and open CS:GO.
This can help improve your system performance when playing games.

2. Adjust settings in System Properties

  1. Type This PC in the Search box at the Start button, right click on This PC, and select Properties.
  2. Click Advanced system settings.
  3. In the Advanced tab, click Settings… in the Performance section.
  4. Click the Advanced tab, make sure to select Adjust for best performance of Programs, and click Apply.
  5. Click the Data Execution Prevention tab, make sure to select Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only. Then click Apply and OK to save.
After configuring the settings, restart your computer and try your CS:GO (or other programs) to see if it works better now.

3. Disable CPU Core 0 for CS:GO

  1. On your keyboard, press the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys at the same time to open Task Manager.
  2. Click the Details tab.

  3. Right click on CS:GO.exe, and select Set affinity.

  4. Uncheck the box next to CPU 0, and click OK.

  5. Restart CS:GO again.
 

Fix 6: Restrict background applications and downloads

If you’re running some other applications or programs that consume your system resources, that will lead to the CS:GO stuttering issues. So you should check and make sure to limit the applications and downloads when playing your game.
  1. Close other applications and programs that take up most CPU, memory and network. You can open Task Manager and check which program slows down your computer. Generally the browser and antivirus program stand up.
  2. If you’re downloading something while playing the game, you’re likely to have the stuttering issue. So you should temporarily stop downloading before playing the game.
  So there you have it – the six effective methods to fix CS:GO stuttering issues in your computer. You’re welcome to add a comment below to let us know if these fixes resolved your issue. If you have any other issues, feel free to let us know, and we’ll do our best to help.
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