Grand Theft Auto 5 is one of the most popular Windows PC games for which players frequently report stuttering issues. For example, this is what a player’s Reddit post said about GTA V stuttering, “So I’ve been playing GTA V on PC for a while now, and since about a month, it’s been stuttering like crazy even though it’s been working perfectly before (or it was so minor that I didn’t notice it).” Severe stuttering can make Grand Theft Auto 5 a jerky mess. These are some ways you can fix GTA V PC stuttering issues.
Looking for more Grand Theft Auto V guides from KeenGamer?
- 7 Ways to Fix Regular In-Game Grand Theft Auto 5 Crashing on Windows PCs
- 5 Ways to Fix the GTA V “Rockstar Game Services are Unavailable” Error on Windows PCs
- 7 Ways to Fix Grand Theft Auto V’s Sound Not Working on a Windows PC
- 5 Ways to Fix Grand Theft Auto V Not Saving Graphics Settings on a Windows PC
- 5 Ways to Fix the GTA Online “Files Required to Play GTA Online” Error on Windows PCs
Close Unneeded Background Apps and Processes
First, try closing unnecessary background apps and processes on your PC before starting Grand Theft Auto 5. Players who have done this confirm doing so has reduced their GTA V PC stuttering. You can close unneeded apps and processes with Task Manager like this.
- Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combination to activate the Windows Task Manager tool.
- Select third-party programs listed under Apps in the Processes tab and select End task.
The End task option
- Repeat the previous step for superfluous programs shown under Background processes.
- In addition, check the system tray area of the taskbar. Right-click unneeded background programs shown there and select Exit options to close them.
The Exit option
Set Frame Rate Limits With NVIDIA Control Panel
Many players say they fixed GTA V PC stuttering by setting frame rate limits with the NVIDIA Control Panel software. Your PC will have an NVIDIA Control Panel if it has an NVIDIA GPU. Try setting frame limits with that software like this.
- Right-click the desktop area in Windows to select NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Select Manage PC settings on the left side of the NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Next, click Program Settings.
- Choose Grand Theft Auto V Launcher in the Select a program to customize drop-down menu.
- Click the Background Application Max Frame Rate option.
The Background Application Max Frame Rate option
- Select the On radio button, and drag the slider on the bar to a 60 value.
- Press OK to close the setting.
- Next, click on the Max Frame Rate drop-down menu.
The Max Frame Rate option
- Set a 120 FPS value with the bar slider.
- Press the OK button for the option.
- Select Apply to save.
- Now select Grand Theft Auto V (gta5.exe) in the Select a program drop-down menu.
- Repeat steps five to 12 above for the Grand Theft Auto V (gta5.exe) program selected.
If you don’t have the NVIDIA Control Panel, try applying this potential fix via the in-game settings. Click Settings > Graphics in Grand Theft Auto V. Select 60Hz for the Refresh Rate setting.
Turn Off V-Sync
V-Sync is a feature for syncing a game’s frame rate with a player’s VDU (visual display unit). Although this helps to eliminate screen tearing, it can also cause stuttering when games are forced to drop frames for syncing. So, try disabling Vertical Sync by selecting Settings > Graphics and Off for the VSync option in Grand Theft Auto V.
The Vsync setting in GTA V
Trim Down General Graphical Settings
Overly high in-game graphical settings for your desktop or laptop can also cause GTA V PC stuttering. To remedy this potential cause, lower the quality settings within the game’s Graphics tab. Set these options at normal or lower:
- Texture Quality
- Shadow Quality
- Reflection Quality
- Grass Quality
- Shader Quality
The graphics settings in Grand Theft Auto V
Change the Frame Scaling Mode Setting
Grand Theft Auto V includes a Frame Scaling Mode that renders GTA V at a lower resolution, which can enhance frame rate consistency and reduce stuttering when enabled. It has been confirmed by some players that changing the Frame Scaling Mode can remedy GTA V PC stuttering. Try setting the Frame Scaling Mode setting like this.
- Start GTA V and click Settings.
- Select the Advanced Graphics tab.
- Change the Frame Scaling Mode setting to 1/2 (x0.500).
The Frame Scaling Mode option
- Press Enter to apply selected settings.
Update Graphics Drivers
Outmoded graphics drivers that don’t correctly optimize rendering can sometimes cause stuttering issues to occur in games. So, updating your graphics card’s driver could be worth trying to fix GTA V PC stuttering, but this isn’t exactly a guaranteed solution. Our guide for updating graphics drivers tells you how players can apply this troubleshooting method.
The NVIDIA graphics driver download page
Other Possible Fixes for GTA V PC Stuttering
There are more possible remedies for GTA V PC stuttering beyond those covered above. These potential fixes might also be worth trying:
- Select to disable full-screen optimization for Grand Theft Auto V.
- Verify the GTA V game files as instructed on these Steam help or Epic Games pages.
- Free up more space on the storage drive that includes Grand Theft Auto V if it’s nearly full.
- Reinstall (or move) GTA V on an alternative SSD (solid-state drive) storage if installed on a hard drive.
There isn’t a magical resolution that always fixes GTA V PC stuttering issues. However, the possible remedies above are more widely confirmed ways to reduce stuttering in Grand Theft Auto V. Applying some of those possible fixes might make Grand Theft Auto V’s gameplay much smoother (less stuttery) on your Windows PC.
