How do I optimise MSFS 2020 for better FPS?

To optimise Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 for better FPS, first identify whether the MainThread, GPU or memory is limiting performance. Then lower only the settings tied to that bottleneck, cap the frame rate at a stable value, test without add-ons, and fix streaming, driver or thermal problems that cause stutters.

Find the bottleneck before changing settings

MSFS 2020 performs best when you tune the component that is actually overloaded. Turn on Developer Mode under General Options, open the developer toolbar and select Display FPS; the overlay will usually report Limited by MainThread or Limited by GPU.

Test at the aircraft and airport where performance matters. A quiet rural flight in a default light aircraft does not represent a complex airliner at a detailed international airport.

Which MSFS 2020 settings improve FPS the most?

Render scaling, Terrain LOD, volumetric clouds and traffic usually provide the largest useful performance gains. Adjust them in a controlled order rather than lowering every setting at once.

1. Establish a repeatable baseline. Load the same aircraft, airport, weather and camera position after each group of changes. Let the flight settle before recording the result.
2. Reduce CPU-heavy settings. Lower Terrain Level of Detail and Objects Level of Detail in small steps. Reduce live or AI traffic, ground aircraft, road vehicles, ships and airport workers when the MainThread is limiting performance.
3. Reduce GPU-heavy settings. Lower render scaling first, followed by volumetric clouds, shadow quality, reflections and ambient occlusion. Dropping the entire resolution should be a later step because it also affects menus and cockpit displays.
4. Address memory pressure. Reduce texture resolution or detailed scenery only when VRAM is full or close to it. Texture settings may make little difference to FPS when sufficient VRAM remains available.
5. Preserve settings that prevent hitching. Do not automatically minimise Offscreen Terrain Pre-Caching; low values can cause visible loading and stutters when turning the camera. Anisotropic filtering is also relatively inexpensive on most modern GPUs.

Our detailed setting-by-setting graphics trade-offs cover the sliders to adjust for different CPU and GPU limits. If reducing render scale makes the ground indistinct, use these ways to recover sharper scenery without giving up all the FPS gained.

Should I use DX11, DX12, TAA or an upscaler?

Use the renderer and anti-aliasing method that deliver the most consistent frame times on your hardware, not simply the highest FPS counter.

• DX11 is a sensible baseline and may use less VRAM or behave more consistently on some systems.
• DX12 can perform better on other hardware, but it may expose VRAM limits or shader-related stutters. Test the same demanding scenario after restarting the simulator.
• TAA usually gives clear cockpit instruments at native resolution, although lowering render scaling can blur the image.
• DLSS or FSR, where offered, can help when the GPU is limiting performance. Quality modes preserve more detail; aggressive performance modes can blur displays and produce ghosting.
• Frame Generation, on supported hardware, can make motion look smoother but does not remove a MainThread bottleneck. It may also introduce visual artefacts and additional latency.

Changing API or enabling an upscaler cannot fix traffic, avionics or scenery calculations that are already overwhelming the MainThread.

What should I change outside the graphics menu?

System configuration matters when MSFS 2020 is using the wrong GPU, being throttled or competing with background software.

• Install a stable graphics driver and reboot after changing it. A driver update can cause temporary shader compilation stutters during the first flights.
• On a laptop, connect mains power, select an appropriate performance mode and confirm that MSFS uses the dedicated GPU.
• Close browser tabs, recording tools, overlays and hardware-monitoring programmes while troubleshooting.
• Keep the simulator on an SSD where possible. This improves loading and asset access, though it does not normally transform average FPS by itself.
• Leave the Windows page file enabled and system-managed. Disabling it can cause crashes or severe hitching when memory fills.
• Check CPU and GPU temperatures and clock speeds. Lowering settings cannot compensate for sustained thermal throttling.

Avoid registry tweaks, Realtime process priority and other blanket Windows modifications. They rarely improve MSFS frame rates and can create instability that is harder to diagnose.

Why does MSFS 2020 stutter at a good FPS?

High average FPS can still feel poor when individual frame times spike. Common causes include scenery streaming, shader compilation, traffic updates, VRAM overflow, detailed destination airports and third-party aircraft or scenery.

Cap the frame rate at a level the system can maintain, especially if the GPU repeatedly reaches full utilisation. This leaves a little processing headroom and often produces smoother camera movement than an uncapped rate that swings constantly.

For pauses that remain after the graphics load is under control, follow our frame-time and micro-stutter troubleshooting checklist.

Should I clear the rolling cache?

Clear and recreate the rolling cache when streamed scenery repeatedly stutters, appears corrupted or behaves differently from one flight to the next. The control is in the simulator's Data settings.

A rolling cache is not a universal FPS fix. With a fast, reliable connection, test both enabled and disabled; with slower or restricted internet, a cache on an SSD may reduce repeated downloads. Turning photogrammetry off is also a useful diagnostic test, but expect a substantial visual change.

How do I check whether an add-on is reducing FPS?

Test the same flight with all third-party content disabled, because an empty Community folder does not rule out Marketplace packages or external traffic programmes.

1. Remove Community content temporarily. Move its contents to a separate folder rather than deleting anything.
2. Disable other third-party content. Check packages managed through Content Manager and stop external traffic, weather or tracking utilities.
3. Repeat the exact scenario. Use the same aircraft, runway, weather, traffic and camera view.
4. Restore add-ons in groups. If performance falls again, divide the suspect group until the aircraft, scenery or utility responsible is identified.

Detailed airports can consume significant CPU time and VRAM even when they are near the route rather than directly beneath the aircraft. Complex avionics and high-density traffic can also reduce MainThread performance without changing the graphics workload much.

What FPS should I target in MSFS 2020?

Target the highest frame rate your system can hold consistently in the busiest situation you regularly fly. A stable 30 or 40 FPS with even frame pacing often feels better than an uncapped rate fluctuating between smooth and heavily limited.

Set the cap through the simulator's V-Sync options or a suitable driver limiter, then test at a demanding airport. If the MainThread remains the limit, reduce traffic and LOD; if the GPU remains the limit, reduce render scale or effects until there is enough headroom to hold the cap.